[A Psalm] of David. Hashem is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Hashem is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
verse value 1345
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 42 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֤ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "from·whom" (מִמִּ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·stronghold·of·my·life" (מָעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 90: from·whom, from·whom. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "my·light" (אוֹרִ֣י), "and·my·salvation" (וְ֭יִשְׁעִי), "the·stronghold·of·my·life" (מָעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י). The root יהוה appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "of·David" (root דוד, 89x in Psalms); "shall·I·fear" (root ירא, 77x in Psalms). First appearance of the root מעוז ("the·stronghold·of·my·life") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'shall·I·fear', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: לְדָוִ֨ד [of·David] (44) + יְהֹוָ֤ה [Hashem] (26) + אוֹרִ֣י [my·light] (217) + וְ֭יִשְׁעִי [and·my·salvation] (396) + מִמִּ֣י [from·whom] (90) + אִירָ֑א [shall·I·fear] (212) + יְהֹוָ֥ה [Hashem] (26) + מָעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י [the·stronghold·of·my·life] (151) + מִמִּ֥י [from·whom] (90) + אֶפְחָֽד [shall·I·be·afraid] (93) = 1345.
Ibn Ezra
"[A Psalm] of David. Hashem is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear" — some say: "My light" — at night, when there is no light there, for the soul is afraid. "And my salvation" — by day. And others say: "My light" — pertains to matters of the soul. "And my salvation" — pertains to matters of the body. "And the stronghold of my life" — the binding of the soul to the body; therefore he will not fear any man who [might try to] separate them.
Radak
"[A Psalm] of David. Hashem is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Hashem is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" — Since He is "my light and my salvation," whom should I fear? There is no need to fear man! And he said "my light" because distress is comparable to darkness, and salvation from it is the light. And He is also "the stronghold of my life" — of whom, too, should I be afraid, that he might kill me? For just as a person takes refuge in a fortified tower to save his life, so that his enemies cannot kill him, so I have taken refuge in Him, and I have no one else to be afraid of; for one who takes refuge in a mighty tower is nevertheless still fearful and afraid lest his enemies besiege him and conquer that tower, or besiege him until he dies there of hunger and thirst. Of all this I am not afraid, since God is "the stronghold of my life."
Metzudat David
"Hashem is my light" — behold, Hashem is a light to me in time of trouble; so of whom shall I be afraid?
Metzudat Zion
"Stronghold" — strength.
Malbim
"Of David" — In this psalm he explains that providence follows from attachment to Hashem; whoever clings to Him, continual providence clings to him and protects him from all mishaps, and therefore his heart is steadfast and he will not fear any evil thing, for no evil befalls the righteous except at the moment when the thread of attachment is broken and he turns away from the service of Hashem, as he explained in the Guide [Moreh Nevuchim] (chapter 53 of the third part). Therefore, of all the multitude of requests that a person might ask, it is fitting that he direct his attention to a single request in which he will find all that he seeks, namely, that he cling to Hashem always. Accordingly he prays that Hashem help him with this attachment and remove from him all the hindrances that would prevent him from this great matter, which is the ultimate goal of his happiness and his desire. "Hashem is my light" — Yirah [fear] concerns a known thing, and pachad [dread] concerns an unknown thing. When a person fears open enemies who wage war against him, that is called yirah. Corresponding to this he says, "Hashem is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear [ira]?" That is to say, one can imagine a person fearing his enemies in two ways: first, lest they fall upon him at night when he cannot see them in order to guard against them — corresponding to this he says, "Hashem is my light"; second, lest their army and their strength be greater than his army and his strength — corresponding to this he says, "Hashem is my salvation." And so, "whom shall I fear?" And when a person fears haters who plot evil against him in secret, like [those who say,] "let us destroy the tree with its bread," without his knowing — that is called pachad. Corresponding to this he then says, "Hashem is the stronghold of my life," and so, "of whom shall I be afraid [efchad]?"
When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh, Even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.
verse value 2715
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֑י, 2 letters) and the longest is "my·flesh" (אֶת־בְּשָׂ֫רִ֥י, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "my·flesh" (אֶת־בְּשָׂ֫רִ֥י). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·me" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "and·my·enemies" (root איב, 71x in Psalms); "they" (root הם, 69x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: בִּקְרֹ֤ב [when·drawing·near] (304) + עָלַ֨י [upon·me] (110) + מְרֵעִים֮ [evildoers] (360) + לֶאֱכֹ֢ל [to·eat] (81) + אֶת־בְּשָׂ֫רִ֥י [my·flesh] (913) + צָרַ֣י [my·adversaries] (300) + וְאֹיְבַ֣י [and·my·enemies] (29) + לִ֑י [to·me] (40) + הֵ֖מָּה [they] (50) + כָשְׁל֣וּ [stumbled] (356) + וְנָפָֽלוּ [and·fell] (172) = 2715.
Ibn Ezra
"Bikrov" (came upon) — some say: "bikrov" is from the root of "who trains my hands for battle (la-krav)" (Psalm 144:1). And others said: [it means] "when they drew near to me." And Rabbi Moshe said: that the meaning of "my adversaries and my foes" is that these were specific, known individuals who were his enemies.
Radak
"When evildoers drew near against me" — Some commentators explain "drew near" (be-kerov) in the sense of "kerav" (battle) and war, that is, when they made war against me; or its meaning is as it literally appears [drew near]. He said: even though they had drawn near against me to kill me — and this is: "to eat up my flesh" — I was not afraid of them, since God is the stronghold of my life; and I have seen that this happened many times, when "my adversaries and my foes" "against me" — that is, for my sake, [meaning] to trip me up and kill me, "they stumbled and fell."
Metzudat David
"When they drew near" — at the time when the wicked drew near to come upon me, to eat my flesh, and they were enemies to me, and surely they would not turn back from their intent — but at that time Hashem helped me, and they stumbled and fell, and I escaped from their hand.
Malbim
"When... drew near" — (this explains what he said, "of whom shall I be afraid") — at the time "evildoers draw near" to one another to take sweet counsel together "against me," that is, on my account, to do me harm in secret. And this happens in one of two ways: first, if their intent is for their own benefit, like thieves and night robbers — and so he says, "to eat up my flesh"; second, if their intent stems from hatred and enmity — and so he says, "my adversaries and my foes," who come at me for my own sake, not in order to eat my flesh for their own benefit, but only to take revenge on me. However it may be, "they stumbled and fell" — meaning, even though I will do nothing against them, since I do not know who they are, they themselves, of their own accord, will stumble in their own counsel and fall, without any action on my part, through Hashem, who is the stronghold of my life.
Cross-references: Job 31:31; Daniel 3:8; Daniel 6:25
Though a host should encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war should rise up against me, Even then will I be confident.
verse value 2327
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 47 letters. Verse gematria: 2327 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "against·me" (עָלַ֨י, 3 letters) and the longest is "though·should·encamp" (אִם־תַּחֲנֶ֬ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 110: against·me, against·me. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "though·should·encamp" (אִם־תַּחֲנֶ֬ה), "encampment" (מַחֲנֶה֮), "shall·not·fear" (לֹא־יִירָ֢א). The root על appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "against·me" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "shall·not·fear" (root ירא, 77x in Psalms); "my·heart" (root לב, 74x in Psalms). First appearance of the root חנה ("though·should·encamp") in Psalms. First appearance of the root מחנה ("encampment") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'battle', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: אִם־תַּחֲנֶ֬ה [though·should·encamp] (504) + עָלַ֨י [against·me] (110) + מַחֲנֶה֮ [encampment] (103) + לֹא־יִירָ֢א [shall·not·fear] (252) + לִ֫בִּ֥י [my·heart] (42) + אִם־תָּק֣וּם [though·should·rise] (587) + עָ֭לַי [against·me] (110) + מִלְחָמָ֑ה [battle] (123) + בְּ֝זֹ֗את [in·this] (410) + אֲנִ֣י [I] (61) + בוֹטֵֽחַ [trusting] (25) = 2327.
Rashi
"in this I trust" — In what is stated above: “The Lord is the stronghold of my life.”
Ibn Ezra
"Though" — even if a host should encamp against me — that is, [even if they are] from the nations, and even if they are many, and even if I am forced to go to war with them, "in this" [I am confident] — and the sense is: that Hashem is my light and my salvation. And some say: that "in this" [refers to] the request mentioned afterward [v. 4].
Radak
"Though a host should encamp against me" — even if a great host should encamp against me, while I am with but few people, "my heart shall not fear" — for my heart and my intellect are what give me confidence in God. "Though war should rise up against me, in this" — [namely] the statement that I made, that "Hashem is my light and my salvation" and "the stronghold of my life" — "will I be confident."
Metzudat David
"In this" — in this statement that I said, namely, that Hashem is my light and my salvation.
Malbim
"Though it should encamp" — (this elaborates on what was said above, "whom shall I fear") — also, "though a host should encamp against me," meaning those who come to fight against me openly, for all that, "my heart shall not fear." And he adds that even if this host "should rise up against me in war," even so, "in this I am confident" — in what he is about to say, namely: "One thing I have asked of Hashem" — I do not ask for many things according to the ever-renewing needs that arise for every person at every time — one time healing, another time sustenance, another time deliverance from the enemy, and so on — rather, one thing I have asked in the past, "and that I will seek" always, in the future, for in this one request all requests are included, namely, "that I may dwell in the house of Hashem all the days of my life." The request that I asked concerning my dwelling in the house of Hashem is the only thing I seek, for through it I will attain all my particular needs. This also means that he did not ask this request in order to attain other ends by means of it — that is, he did not intend by his request that he dwell in the house of Hashem so that thereby he be saved from his enemies and find all his needs; for if so, the request would not be the true petition, since the petition of his heart would be that he find his needs, even though the request of his mouth was that he dwell in the house of Hashem. Rather, this request is itself the petition, and it is the very substance of the end that he desires. Therefore he says "one thing I have asked" and also "that I will seek," which is likewise the petition — for what I ask, namely, "that I may dwell in the house of Hashem all the days of my life," has as its purpose "to behold the graciousness of Hashem and to visit early in His temple," and I have no other intention in my heart. For whatever else is attained by means of this — the other needs as well — they too become means toward this end; that is, that through his dwelling in the house of Hashem he is saved from enemies and oppressors and finds all his needs, so that through this his heart is left free to dwell in the house of Hashem always, which is his principal end.
One thing have I asked of Hashem, that will I seek after: That I may dwell in the house of Hashem all the days of my life, To behold the graciousness of Hashem, and to visit early in His temple.
verse value 4772
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 67 letters. The shortest word is "one" (אַחַ֤ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·the·house·of·Hashem" (בְּבֵית־יְ֭הֹוָה, 8 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "I·have·asked" (שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי), "from·Hashem" (מֵאֵת־יְהֹוָה֮), "it" (אוֹתָ֢הּ). The root יהוה appears 3 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "all·the·days·of" (root יום, 121x in Psalms); "that·I·dwell" (root ישב, 58x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·life', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 4 words. Full calculation: אַחַ֤ת [one] (409) + שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי [I·have·asked] (741) + מֵאֵת־יְהֹוָה֮ [from·Hashem] (467) + אוֹתָ֢הּ [it] (412) + אֲבַ֫קֵּ֥שׁ [will·I·seek] (403) + שִׁבְתִּ֣י [that·I·dwell] (712) + בְּבֵית־יְ֭הֹוָה [in·the·house·of·Hashem] (440) + כׇּל־יְמֵ֣י [all·the·days·of] (110) + חַיַּ֑י [my·life] (28) + לַחֲז֥וֹת [to·behold] (451) + בְּנֹעַם־יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה [in·the·graciousness·of·Hashem] (188) + וּלְבַקֵּ֥ר [and·to·visit] (338) + בְּהֵֽיכָלֽוֹ [in·His·temple] (73) = 4772.
Rashi
"and to visit His Temple every morning" — To appear there every morning. Dunash (Teshuvoth Dunash, p. 53) explained in this manner. Menachem (Machbereth Menachem, p. 47) however associated it with (Lev. 27:33), “He shall not inquire (יבקר),” but Dunash interpreted it as an expression of “morning” (בקר).
Ibn Ezra
"One thing" — it appears to me that David composed this psalm in his later days, when his men swore to him, "you shall not go out with us to battle" (II Samuel 21:17), as I will explain in the psalm "The word of Hashem to my lord" (Psalm 110). "To behold the graciousness (no'am) of Hashem" — that the secrets of the Creator's work would be revealed to him, so that he would not be troubled by them. [End of matter.] "And to visit early (u-levaker) in His temple" — like "he shall not inquire (lo yevaker) between good and bad" (Leviticus 27:33); and the sense is that the priests who sit continually in the House will teach him and instruct him. And some say: "levaker" — to go every single morning to the temple of Hashem, similar to "early and late" (hashkem veha'arev).
Radak
"One thing have I asked of Hashem" — He said: it is true that, since I trust in Him, He will save me from all distress; nevertheless, there is "one" thing that I ask of Him. And he repeated the matter further, saying: "that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of Hashem all the days of my life" — to make known that with his whole heart he seeks it, [namely] to be granted rest from wars — even though he trusts that God will save him from all harm, nevertheless his heart is preoccupied with them and busy with the needs of the body, leaving him no leisure to occupy himself with the needs of the soul. And he asked of Hashem to grant him rest from wars, so that he would not need to be occupied with them, so that his body and his heart would be free "to dwell in the house of Hashem." This is the house where the Ark was, together with the prophets and the pious ones, and where the priests and the Levites were — such as Asaph and his brothers and the other Hashem-fearers who stood there occupying themselves with divine service, with the needs of the soul; and this is: "to behold the graciousness of Hashem, and to visit early in His temple" — that he would have leisure to visit continually "in His temple," which is the house where the Ark was. Or its explanation is: in heaven, as he said "the graciousness of Hashem" — meaning that he would have leisure to visit and search among the separate intellects, who are the angels of heaven, from whom the soul is hewn and to whom it will return, "in His temple."
Metzudat David
"That I dwell" — that I dwell in the house of Hashem is good for me. "To behold" — to see the pleasantness of the Torah of Hashem. "And to inquire early" — to seek in His Temple concerning the matter of the commandments of Hashem.
Metzudat Zion
"And to visit" — and to seek out, as in "he shall not inspect" (Leviticus 13).
For He conceals me in His pavilion in the day of evil; He hides me in the covert of His tent; He lifts me up upon a rock. .
verse value 2828
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 44 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "He·lifts·me·up" (יְרוֹמְמֵֽנִי, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "He·hides·me" (יִצְפְּנֵ֨נִי), "He·hides·me" (יַ֭סְתִּרֵנִי), "His·tent" (אׇהֳל֑וֹ). The root סתר appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 216x in Psalms); "in·the·day·of" (root יום, 121x in Psalms); "He·lifts·me·up" (root רום, 49x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'His·tent', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 2 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + יִצְפְּנֵ֨נִי [He·hides·me] (290) + בְּסֻכֹּה֮ [in·His·pavilion] (87) + בְּי֢וֹם [in·the·day·of] (58) + רָ֫עָ֥ה [evil] (275) + יַ֭סְתִּרֵנִי [He·hides·me] (730) + בְּסֵ֣תֶר [in·the·covert·of] (662) + אׇהֳל֑וֹ [His·tent] (42) + בְּ֝צ֗וּר [upon·a·rock] (298) + יְרוֹמְמֵֽנִי [He·lifts·me·up] (356) = 2828.
Rashi
"That He will hide me in His tabernacle" — I am confident that He will hide me in His Temple, and we learned in Seder Olam (ch. 18) that this verse was stated concerning Joash the son of Ahaziah, who was hidden by his sister, Jehosheba, in the attic of the Holy of Holies, as the matter is stated (in II Kings 11:3): “And he was hiding with her in the house of the Lord for six years.” "He will lift me up on a rock" — He stood my feet on a rock.
Ibn Ezra
"For" — He will conceal me, and no enemy will be able to touch me. "In His pavilion (sukkah)" — this is Jerusalem, as in "and His pavilion (sukko) is in Salem" (Psalm 76:3). "In the day of evil" — an evil configuration of the stars against his constellation (mazal). And the meaning of "upon a rock" — that I will be in the secrecy of His tent, as if I were upon a lofty rock.
Radak
"For He conceals me in His pavilion" — for now, while I am occupied with the needs of the body, He will do good with me and grant the request that I asked, "and conceal me in His pavilion" from the onslaught of the enemies, so that they do not reach me; and this is: "in the day of evil" — that which they intended to do "evil" to me. And this is: "He hides me in the covert of His tent; He lifts me up upon a rock" — so that the hand of my enemies will not reach me.
Metzudat David
"For He will conceal me" — on the day the enemy comes, He will hide me in His shelter, and they will not prevail against me. "Upon a rock" — He raised me up, to prevail over them, as though I stood upon a high rock, for such is the way [of things]: one who stands above gains strength over one who stands below.
Malbim
"For" — this concludes what he said, "in this I am confident" — for since I have asked one thing of Hashem, that I dwell in His house, therefore "in this I am confident, for He conceals me in His pavilion in the day of evil"; for that "I am hidden in the secrecy of His tent" will be a stronghold and a tower of strength against the enemy, as though "He lifts me up upon a rock," so that no enemy will be able to reach me.
And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me; And I will offer in His tabernacle sacrifices with trumpet-sound; I will sing, indeed, I will sing praises to Hashem.
verse value 3473
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 61 letters. The shortest word is "above" (עַ֤ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "around·me" (סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗י, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "around·me" (סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗י), "and·I·will·sacrifice" (וְאֶזְבְּחָ֣ה), "in·His·tent" (בְ֭אׇהֳלוֹ). The root זבח appears 2 times in this verse. 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "above" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "my·enemies" (root איב, 71x in Psalms). First appearance of the root תרועה ("shouting") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'shouting', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְעַתָּ֨ה [and·now] (481) + יָר֪וּם [shall·be·lifted·up] (256) + רֹאשִׁ֡י [my·head] (511) + עַ֤ל [above] (100) + אֹיְבַ֬י [my·enemies] (23) + סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗י [around·me] (490) + וְאֶזְבְּחָ֣ה [and·I·will·sacrifice] (29) + בְ֭אׇהֳלוֹ [in·His·tent] (44) + זִבְחֵ֣י [sacrifices·of] (27) + תְרוּעָ֑ה [shouting] (681) + אָשִׁ֥ירָה [I·will·sing] (516) + וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה [and·I·will·sing·praises] (259) + לַֽיהֹוָֽה [to·Hashem] (56) = 3473.
Rashi
"sacrifices with joyous song" — Sacrifices over which a song is recited.
Ibn Ezra
'And now' — even though he will not wage war from this day on, 'my head will be lifted up,' for he is in the shelter of the Most High. 'Sacrifices with trumpet-sound' — in the manner of 'and on the day of your gladness,' like the days of the gladness of Hezekiah.
Radak
"And now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies round about me" — when I am saved from my enemies who were "round about me." "And I will offer in His tabernacle sacrifices with trumpet-sound" — that is, sacrifices with a trumpet-blast and praise and thanksgiving, for He saved me from many enemies. "I will sing, indeed, I will sing praises to Hashem" — for all this kindness that He does for me. But it is this aforementioned request that I ask; and concerning this he said:
Metzudat David
"And now" — as if to say: behold, despite all this I was troubled in war; therefore I ask now of You that my head be raised above my enemies round about, so that they will no longer fight against me. "And I will sacrifice" — and then I will offer sacrifices and shout for joy, more than if they had fought against me and I had defeated them.
Metzudat Zion
"Trumpet-sound" — he means to say with the sound of a joyous shout.
Malbim
"And now" I shall no longer fear any enemy, for through Hashem's protection, "my head shall be lifted up above my enemies round about me, and I will offer in His tabernacle sacrifices with trumpet-sound" — meaning, one who fights and defeats his enemies offers sacrifices with trumpet-sound, that is, thanksgiving sacrifices for the trumpet-blast of war and its victory, as it is written, "and when you go to war in your land... then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets." But as for me, since I am victorious through my dwelling in the tent of Hashem, then my dwelling in the tent is itself the trumpet-blast of the war and its victory. And concerning this, I myself "will sing, indeed I will sing praises to Hashem," who has cast down my enemies before me.
Hear, O Hashem, when I call with my voice, And be gracious to me, and answer me.
verse value 1194
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "my·voice" (קוֹלִ֥י, 4 letters) and the longest is "hear·O·Hashem" (שְׁמַע־יְהֹוָ֖ה, 7 letters). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "hear·O·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "I·call" (root קרא, 56x in Psalms); "and·answer·me" (root ענה, 56x in Psalms). Full calculation: שְׁמַע־יְהֹוָ֖ה [hear·O·Hashem] (436) + קוֹלִ֥י [my·voice] (146) + אֶקְרָ֗א [I·call] (302) + וְחׇנֵּ֥נִי [and·be·gracious·to·me] (124) + וַעֲנֵֽנִי [and·answer·me] (186) = 1194.
Ibn Ezra
'Hear' — the word 'that' (אֲשֶׁר) is missing [elided], or its sense is: this is the honored Name that I call upon and mention. 'And be gracious to me, and answer me' — this is a sign that he prays on behalf of Israel, who are fighting with their adversaries, for they are his people.
Radak
"Hear, O Hashem, when I call with my voice, and be gracious to me, and answer me" — this is the request that I asked.
Metzudat David
"My voice, when I call" — my voice, with which I call.
Malbim
"Hear, O Hashem" — After this introduction he begins to pray that Hashem remove from him those who hinder and trouble him in the service of Hashem, and he explains that this request of his is not for his own needs, but rather so that through it he attain the principal end, namely that he be able to serve Hashem; and his entire request concerns only the attainment of this end. At first he says, "Hear, O Hashem, when I call with my voice" — concerning the prayer he offers to be saved from his enemies. But he prefaces this by saying, "to You my heart says" — meaning, even though with my mouth I ask for other things, deliverance from the enemy and so forth, my heart has already said to You the essence of my request. My heart said to You: "Seek My face — Your face, Hashem, I will seek." This is what I ask; only this do I ask, and it is the essence of my request, "that my face should seek Your face" — that my face should seek nothing but the attainment of Your face, which is the cleaving to and apprehension of the face of Hashem, and that is my whole aim. And so, "do not hide Your face from me" — meaning, let there be no hindrance, neither from Your side, in that You hide Your face from me, nor from my side, through my turning my face away from You in anger — (meaning, that he should be hindered neither by the depth of the concept, which is the hiding of the face on Your side, nor by the deficiency of the one who perceives, or by sin and the like, which is the turning aside on the part of the one who perceives) — and have You not always "been my help" in matters where my own strength does not suffice and I need help; therefore now too, "do not forsake me."
In Your behalf my heart has said: ‘Seek you My face'; Your face, Hashem, will I seek.
verse value 1871
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 29 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·You" (לְךָ֤, 2 letters) and the longest is "Your·face" (אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ, 6 letters). The root בקש appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "My·face" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms); "said" (root אמר, 111x in Psalms). First appearance of the root לך ("to·You") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'My·face', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: לְךָ֤ [to·You] (50) + אָמַ֣ר [said] (241) + לִ֭בִּי [my·heart] (42) + בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ [seek] (408) + פָנָ֑י [My·face] (140) + אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ [Your·face] (561) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ [will·I·seek] (403) = 1871.
Rashi
"On Your behalf, my heart says, “Seek My presence.”" — On Your behalf, as Your agent, my heart says to me, “All of you Israelites, seek My presence.” And I obey it. “Your presence, O Lord, I will seek.” [The word] לך is like (Job 33:6): “Behold I am like your mouth to God (לא-ל),” [that is,] in His stead; (ibid. 13:8), “Will you contend for God (לא-ל)?” [that is,] in His stead. Here, too, “On Your behalf, my heart says,” in Your stead, my heart comes to me to say this.
Ibn Ezra
'On Your behalf' — Rabbi Moshe said: 'to You' (לְךָ) means 'for Your sake,' like 'say of me, he is my brother,' and the sense is: I say what You commanded us by the hand of Your messengers, and You said to us, 'Seek My face' — therefore, 'Your face, Hashem, will I seek.'
Radak
"In Your behalf my heart has said" [publisher's footnote: Said the publisher, Shlomo HaKatan ben Meir HaGadol (may he rest in Eden!): I was greatly astonished at the sight, for not one of the many commentators explains this verse properly — to them it appears entirely difficult, whereas in truth it is pure gold. What seems right to me, I will state in a few words. The poet speaks to his own heart as though he were speaking to the heart of every single person in Israel, and whatever his heart answers him, the heart of every person in Israel will likewise answer. Now, transpose the verse and explain it thus: 'To you, my heart, He (Hashem) said: Seek My face.' And his heart replies: 'Your face, Hashem, will I seek.' And its rendering would be as follows: "To thee, my heart, said He (Hashem): 'Seek ye (every one of you) My Face!' 'Thy Face, Hashem, will I seek!' (responds the heart)."] — my heart always says [this], for Your sake, "Seek You My face" — as he said (Psalms 16:7): "even at night my reins instruct me." My heart instructs me for Your sake, and it said "My face," [meaning] that they should seek You, so that their aim would be toward You; and because of this he said: "Your face, Hashem, will I seek" — and this is the request that I asked, for my heart so advised me.
Metzudat David
"For You" — at Your bidding my heart says to me, "Seek My face," and so I do, for Your face, Hashem, I seek.
Hide not Your face far from me; Put not Your servant away in anger; You have been my help; Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
verse value 4934
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "not" (אַ֥ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·do·not·forsake·me" (וְאַל־תַּ֝עַזְבֵ֗נִי, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "turn·away·in·anger" (תַּט־בְּאַ֗ף), "do·not·abandon·me" (אַֽל־תִּטְּשֵׁ֥נִי), "and·do·not·forsake·me" (וְאַל־תַּ֝עַזְבֵ֗נִי). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God·of" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "Your·face" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms); "not" (root אל, 112x in Psalms). First appearance of the root נטש ("do·not·abandon·me") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'You·have·been', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֬ר [do·not·hide] (1091) + פָּנֶ֨יךָ [Your·face] (160) + מִמֶּנִּי֮ [from·me] (140) + אַ֥ל [not] (31) + תַּט־בְּאַ֗ף [turn·away·in·anger] (492) + עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ [Your·servant] (96) + עֶזְרָתִ֥י [my·help] (687) + הָיִ֑יתָ [You·have·been] (425) + אַֽל־תִּטְּשֵׁ֥נִי [do·not·abandon·me] (800) + וְאַל־תַּ֝עַזְבֵ֗נִי [and·do·not·forsake·me] (576) + אֱלֹהֵ֥י [God·of] (46) + יִשְׁעִֽי [my·salvation] (390) = 4934.
Rashi
"do not turn...away" — Heb. תט, do not bend over, as (above 18:10): “And He bent (ויט) the heavens.”
Ibn Ezra
'Turn not away' — a transitive verb (po'el yotze), and its object is 'Your servant,' like 'a leaning wall'; therefore what follows it is 'You have been my help,' and the sense is: help me now, just as You have helped me from my youth until now.
Radak
"Hide not Your face far from me" — Your face, which I seek, do not hide it from me. "Put not Your servant away in anger" — do not turn me away, and do not preoccupy me with the affairs of this world, which are "anger" and vexation to one who occupies himself with them, as he said (Psalms 90:10): "yet is their pride but travail and vanity." "You have been my help" — until now You have been my help regarding the needs of the body, and now, when I ask for Your help regarding the needs of the soul, "Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation" — just as You have saved me from my adversaries, so may You save me from the travail of the body, that I may occupy myself with the needs of the soul.
Metzudat David
"Do not turn away" — do not turn Your servant aside to fall into the hand of [Your] anger; behold, You have always been my help; therefore now too, do not abandon me.
Metzudat Zion
"Cast me off" — like "forsake me"; the matter is repeated in different words.
For though my father and my mother have forsaken me, Hashem will take me up.
verse value 488
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "and·my·mother" (וְאִמִּ֣י, 4 letters) and the longest is "have·forsaken·me" (עֲזָב֑וּנִי, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "though·my·father" (כִּֽי־אָבִ֣י), "and·my·mother" (וְאִמִּ֣י), "have·forsaken·me" (עֲזָב֑וּנִי). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "have·forsaken·me" (root עזב, 22x in Psalms); "will·gather·me" (root אסף, 22x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'have·forsaken·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־אָבִ֣י [though·my·father] (43) + וְאִמִּ֣י [and·my·mother] (57) + עֲזָב֑וּנִי [have·forsaken·me] (145) + וַֽיהֹוָ֣ה [and·Hashem] (32) + יַאַסְפֵֽנִי [will·gather·me] (211) = 488.
Rashi
"For my father and my mother have forsaken me" — At the time of coitus, they intended their own pleasure. As soon as their pleasure is over, this one turns his face this way and that one turns her face the other way. "but the Lord gathers me in" — The Holy One, blessed be He, guards the droplet and forms the fetus.
Ibn Ezra
'For my father and my mother' — who were the cause of my coming into this world, have forsaken me at their death, yet You have always gathered me in. And though it is in the future tense, it follows the pattern of 'I have given the price of the field, take it from me,' [or] 'they will make a calf with a sword.'
Radak
"For though my father and my mother have forsaken me, Hashem will take me up" — after I left their domain, You gathered me in, that is, You provided for my sustenance and my needs. And since I am the work of Your hands, and You have gathered me in until now — "teach me, Hashem, Your way!"
Metzudat David
"Have forsaken me" — they did not give me enough for my needs. "Will gather me in" — He gathers me to Himself, by giving me enough for my needs.
Malbim
"For my father..." — He compares himself to an orphan whose father and mother abandoned him, and Hashem had mercy on him and gathered him into His house to raise him. And since all my want depends on You, it is therefore fitting that You teach me the way and watch over me, for there is no help besides You.
Teach me Your way, O Hashem; And lead me in an even path, Because of those who lie in wait for me.
verse value 2338
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 36 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "teach·me" (ה֤וֹרֵ֥נִי, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "in·a·path·of" (בְּאֹ֣רַח). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "Your·way" (root דרך, 70x in Psalms); "because·of" (root מען, 32x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'level·ground', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words. Full calculation: ה֤וֹרֵ֥נִי [teach·me] (271) + יְהֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + דַּ֫רְכֶּ֥ךָ [Your·way] (244) + וּ֭נְחֵנִי [and·lead·me] (124) + בְּאֹ֣רַח [in·a·path·of] (211) + מִישׁ֑וֹר [level·ground] (556) + לְ֝מַ֗עַן [because·of] (190) + שֽׁוֹרְרָֽי [my·foes] (716) = 2338.
Ibn Ezra
'Teach me' — one of the wise of heart said: whoever wishes to prevail over his enemies should increase his service of Hashem.
Radak
"Teach me Your way, O Hashem; and lead me in an even path" — we have already explained "the way" and "the even path" that he was seeking. "Because of those who lie in wait for me" — these are the enemies who look at him with an evil eye, as it says (I Samuel 18:9): "And Saul eyed David [with suspicion]." And they think that he has no portion in Hashem.
Metzudat David
"Because of those who lie in wait for me" — for when I stumble in the ways of Hashem and am punished for it, those who lie in wait for me will rejoice and say that their hand is triumphant.
Metzudat Zion
"Teach me" — instruct me. "Those who lie in wait for me" — an expression of watching; and likewise, "my watchful foes pant [after me]" (below, 56); he means the enemies who look upon me with an evil eye.
Malbim
"Teach me" — He also asks that the means necessary for divine knowledge and the attainment of truths be made easy for him. He asks that the great "way" be taught to him, and that on the particular "path" — since information alone does not suffice — he be led. And it has already been explained (chapter 5) that there are two hindrances: first, not knowing the way — regarding this he says, "Teach me Your way, O Hashem"; second, the roads and obstacles that lie on the way — regarding this he says, "and lead me in an even path." And correspondingly: regarding the lack of knowledge, He shall inform him; and regarding the hindrances that come through the evil inclination, the desires, and the pursuit of necessary needs, he says that He should lead him in an even path. And all this You must do "because of those who lie in wait for me," who wish either to kill me or to cause my soul to sin.
Deliver me not over to the will of my adversaries; For false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out violence.
verse value 2757
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "do·not·give·me·up" (אַֽל־תִּ֭תְּנֵנִי, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "do·not·give·me·up" (אַֽל־תִּ֭תְּנֵנִי), "have·risen·against·me" (קָמוּ־בִ֥י), "witnesses·of·falsehood" (עֵדֵי־שֶׁ֝֗קֶר). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 216x in Psalms); "into·the·soul·of" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms); "do·not·give·me·up" (root נתן, 95x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·adversaries', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 5 words. Full calculation: אַֽל־תִּ֭תְּנֵנִי [do·not·give·me·up] (941) + בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ [into·the·soul·of] (432) + צָרָ֑י [my·adversaries] (300) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + קָמוּ־בִ֥י [have·risen·against·me] (158) + עֵדֵי־שֶׁ֝֗קֶר [witnesses·of·falsehood] (684) + וִיפֵ֥חַ [and·a·breather·of] (104) + חָמָֽס [violence] (108) = 2757.
Rashi
"to the desires of my adversaries" — To the desire of my enemies, to have their desire fulfilled through me. "and speakers of evil" — Heb. ויפח חמס, speakers of evil. Another explanation: An expression of a trap (פח).
Ibn Ezra
'Deliver not... unto the will' — [meaning] according to their desire, similar to the phrase 'with utter disdain of soul.' 'And breathes out' — [meaning] one who speaks violence, like 'יָפִיחַ' (utters/breathes out).
Radak
"Deliver me not over to the will of my adversaries" — meaning, to the desire of my enemies and their longing, as in (Genesis 23:8): "If it is your desire (nafshechem)." And their desire is that I have no leisure for the service of God, but that I be occupied all my days with wars, in the toil of the body. "For false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out violence" — meaning, they testify against me and speak against me words of violence, saying that I am wicked and a man of blood and have no portion with Hashem, just as they said of him (Psalms 71:11): "God has forsaken him"; and it says (Psalms 41:9): "A base thing is poured into him."
Metzudat David
"To the will of my adversaries" — to attain against me their desire and their will. "And such as breathe out violence" — those who speak against me words of violence.
Metzudat Zion
"To the will" — to the desire, as in "if it is your desire" (Genesis 23). "And breathe out" — an expression of speech that comes forth by the blowing of the breath of the mouth.
Malbim
(12-13) "Deliver me not over to the will of my adversaries" — for behold, "had I not believed to see the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living, false witnesses would have risen up against me, and such as breathe out violence." Meaning: had it not been for the great faith I have, that I believed in Hashem's promise, which He promised me — the kingship — and I believed that I would yet return to see the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living, that is, in the Land of Israel, that I would yet return to the land — had it not been for this faith, false witnesses would already have risen up against me, who testified falsely about me before Saul and breathed out violence in order to kill me. Rather, the merit of the great faith that I had stood by me, and also, through the greatness of my faith I strengthened myself each time, and through the courage of heart that came from my faith I escaped from their hand. And according to our Sages (Berakhot 4), the phrase "in the land of the living" refers to the reward of the World to Come, and according to them, the phrase "for false witnesses have risen up against me" refers to the external opinions that arose in his heart when he saw a righteous man perishing for his righteousness — from which arguments arise against divine providence, as is explained in the Book of Job. And the witness testifying to these arguments was David himself, through his affliction and his sufferings. But through faith in the World to Come, all these arguments are nullified, for in place of the sufferings of the righteous in this world, in the land of the living, they will inherit double in the World to Come. And thereby this false testimony arising from the sufferings of the righteous, testifying against divine providence, is nullified. However, had I not believed to see the goodness of Hashem in the land of the living in the World to Come, false witnesses and breathers of violence would have risen up within me, in my heart and in my thought, to deny providence and reward and punishment. Therefore I ask, "Teach me Your way, O Hashem," as Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, said regarding this same request: "Show me, I pray, Your glory."
If I had not believed to look upon the goodness of Hashem In the land of the living!—
verse value 1616
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "unless" (לׅׄוּׅׄלֵׅ֗ׄאׅׄ, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·the·goodness·of·Hashem" (בְּֽטוּב־יְהֹוָ֗ה, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "unless" (לׅׄוּׅׄלֵׅ֗ׄאׅׄ), "in·the·goodness·of·Hashem" (בְּֽטוּב־יְהֹוָ֗ה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·goodness·of·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "in·the·land·of" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "to·see" (root ראה, 100x in Psalms). First appearance of the root לולא ("unless") in Psalms. Full calculation: לׅׄוּׅׄלֵׅ֗ׄאׅׄ [unless] (67) + הֶ֭אֱמַנְתִּי [I·have·believed] (506) + לִרְא֥וֹת [to·see] (637) + בְּֽטוּב־יְהֹוָ֗ה [in·the·goodness·of·Hashem] (45) + בְּאֶ֣רֶץ [in·the·land·of] (293) + חַיִּֽים [living] (68) = 1616.
Rashi
"Had I not believed in seeing, etc." — If I had not believed in the Holy One, blessed be He, those false witnesses would have already risen against me and destroyed me. [The word] לולא is punctuated for the homily which our Sages expounded (Ber. 4a): I know that You give reward to the righteous in the world to come, but I do not know whether I have a share with them or not.
Ibn Ezra
'Had I not' — this is connected with what precedes it: my enemies had almost prevailed over me — had I not believed in the Name and said to myself, 'Wait for Hashem,' then the rightness of my words would become clear, for I would have proven true in having said, 'Wait for Hashem.'
Radak
"If I had not believed to look upon the goodness of Hashem" — they were false witnesses against me and speakers of violence, and I nearly perished on account of their words, had I not believed in You and not been concerned about their words. And "I believed" that I have hope in Hashem and that I will see His goodness in the World to Come. And this is [the meaning of]: "In the land of the living" — He calls the World to Come "the land of the living," even though the soul has no [physical] place, and certainly not a "land"; rather, because the goodness of the World to Come is likened to the Garden of Eden, which is a place on earth, it is stated by way of parable, so that listeners can understand — just as the punishment of the wicked is likewise called "Gehinnom," which is a place on earth near Jerusalem: a despised place where filth and carcasses were thrown, and a fire burned there continually to consume the filth and the bones of the carcasses; therefore the punishment of the wicked is called, by way of parable, "Gehinnom." And the reward of the righteous is called "Garden of Eden," which is the choicest place on earth, and it is called "the land of the living," for when man was banished from there, death was decreed upon him. And in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory (Babylonian Talmud, Berakhot 4a): Why are there dots over the word "lulei" ["had I not"]? [Because] David said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the universe, I am assured by You that You pay a good reward to the righteous in the time to come; but I do not know whether I have a portion among them or not, lest sin cause [otherwise].
Metzudat David
"If not" — as if to say: behold, they nearly destroyed me, had the merit of the faith not stood by me — the faith that I believed in the word of Hashem, who promised me that I would see His goodness in this world.
Metzudat Zion
"If not" — if not. "In the land of the living" — this world is called "the land of the living."
Wait on Hashem; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Indeed, wait you for Hashem.
verse value 656
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "wait" (קַוֵּ֗ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·Hashem" (אֶל־יְ֫הֹוָ֥ה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 57: to·Hashem, to·Hashem. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "be·strong" (חֲ֭זַק), "and·wait" (וְ֝קַוֵּ֗ה). The root קוה appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "your·heart" (root לב, 74x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: קַוֵּ֗ה [wait] (111) + אֶל־יְ֫הֹוָ֥ה [to·Hashem] (57) + חֲ֭זַק [be·strong] (115) + וְיַאֲמֵ֣ץ [and·let·it·take·courage] (147) + לִבֶּ֑ךָ [your·heart] (52) + וְ֝קַוֵּ֗ה [and·wait] (117) + אֶל־יְהֹוָֽה [to·Hashem] (57) = 656.
Rashi
"Hope for the Lord" — and if your prayer is not accepted, reinforce your hope.
Ibn Ezra
'Be strong, and let your heart take courage' — a transitive verb (po'el yotze), and the sense is that Hashem will strengthen your heart. And the sense of 'and wait for Hashem' — always, at the beginning and at the end.
Radak
"Wait on Hashem" — out of the abundance of my trust and faith in Hashem, I say to myself all day long: "Wait on Hashem"; do not be concerned about the words of the enemies. "Be strong, and let your heart take courage" — you be strong in His ways, and He will make your heart take courage, so that it will not weaken because of the words of the enemies, and you will find strength and courage in your heart. "Indeed, wait you for Hashem" — a second time; he means that hope in Him should be continual and should never depart from his heart.
Metzudat David
"Wait" — and I said to my soul, "Wait for Hashem, and be strong in His promise"; and it is the merit of that faith which stood by me. "And wait, etc." — the matter is repeated to express its constancy.
Metzudat Zion
"And let ... take courage" — an expression of strength and might.
Malbim
"Wait" — Based on what was said [earlier], that by the merit of the faith with which he believed in Hashem's promise he was saved from his enemies, for he waited on Hashem that he would again see Hashem's goodness — accordingly he now says and commands, "wait on Hashem," and he explains that waiting on Hashem is distinguished from waiting on flesh and blood in two respects. First, waiting on another is a prolonged hope that sickens the heart, but through waiting on Hashem, "be strong and let your heart take courage" — for it grants strength and courage of heart. Second, when waiting on another, the hope is not an end in itself; rather, the purpose of the waiting is that one attain what one seeks, and so the goal of the waiting is that one no longer need wait — that is, that he attain his hope and no longer need to wait. But waiting on Hashem is an end in itself, so that the very purpose of the waiting is that it strengthen his heart and he continue to wait again. Therefore it says, "wait, be strong, and wait on Hashem."
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim