Be You my judge, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
verse value 2484
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֨ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. Verse gematria: 2484 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "my·cause" (רִיבִ֗י, 4 letters) and the longest is "from·a·man·of·deceit" (מֵ֤אִישׁ־מִרְמָ֖ה, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·plead" (וְרִ֘יבָ֤ה), "not·faithful" (לֹֽא־חָסִ֑יד), "from·a·man·of·deceit" (מֵ֤אִישׁ־מִרְמָ֖ה). The root ריב appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "from·a·nation" (root גוי, 59x in Psalms); "judge·me" (root שפט, 32x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'not·faithful', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: שׇׁפְטֵ֤נִי [judge·me] (449) + אֱלֹהִ֨ים [God] (86) + וְרִ֘יבָ֤ה [and·plead] (223) + רִיבִ֗י [my·cause] (222) + מִגּ֥וֹי [from·a·nation] (59) + לֹֽא־חָסִ֑יד [not·faithful] (113) + מֵ֤אִישׁ־מִרְמָ֖ה [from·a·man·of·deceit] (636) + וְעַוְלָ֣ה [and·injustice] (117) + תְפַלְּטֵֽנִי [deliver·me] (579) = 2484.
Rashi
"Avenge me" — Heb. שפטני, lit. judge me. "against an unkind nation" — That is Ishmael, who dwelt between two righteous men [Abraham and Isaac] and did not learn from their deeds.
Ibn Ezra
"Judge me" — take up my cause against those who taunt me, and they are many; therefore it says "from a nation." And the sense of "not godly" is because of my being better than it [the nation]. And the sense of "from a man" — [moving] from the general to the particular; or it alludes to the king who rules over the nation.
Radak
"Be You my judge" — take my vengeance from the enemies. "And plead my cause" — for I have no power to plead my own cause. "Against an ungodly nation" — the Babylonians who rule over me. If they were pious, they would say, "The truth is with you"; but they are not pious — and not only are they not pious, but they are men of deceit and injustice. "And from the man" — this is stated in general terms, referring to the aforementioned nation.
Metzudat David
"Judge me" — plead my cause, to take vengeance for me. "From the man" — from every man of deceit, etc.
Metzudat Zion
'Deliver me' (tefalteni) — an expression of rescue, as in 'sing, [O you that are] delivered' (above, Psalm 32).
Malbim
'Judge me' — (Part 3) Now he prays about the exile itself: is it not fitting that 'You judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation' — a nation that has no readiness for loving-kindness at all, for their very nature is opposed to loving-kindness between one person and another; and in matters of faith and belief there are found among them 'a man of deceit and injustice' — these are the corrupt philosophers who twist what is straightforward, and likewise those who construct misleading syllogisms and deceptive proofs, in order to deceitfully deny the true beliefs. 'Deliver me' — so that I not stumble and be drawn after their claims and their fraudulent inquiries, [which aim] to deny the fundamental principles of faith.
For You are the God of my strength; why have You cast me off? Why do I go mourning under the oppression of the enemy?
verse value 2199
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "why" (לָמָ֢ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "You·have·cast·off·me" (זְנַ֫חְתָּ֥נִי, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "You·have·cast·off·me" (זְנַ֫חְתָּ֥נִי). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God·of" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "for·You" (root אתה, 115x in Psalms); "enemy" (root איב, 71x in Psalms). First appearance of the root זנח ("You·have·cast·off·me") in Psalms. Full calculation: כִּי־אַתָּ֤ה [for·You] (436) + אֱלֹהֵ֣י [God·of] (46) + מָעוּזִּי֮ [my·strength] (133) + לָמָ֢ה [why] (75) + זְנַ֫חְתָּ֥נִי [You·have·cast·off·me] (525) + לָֽמָּה־קֹדֵ֥ר [why·mourning] (379) + אֶתְהַלֵּ֗ךְ [I·walk] (456) + בְּלַ֣חַץ [in·the·oppression·of] (130) + אוֹיֵֽב [enemy] (19) = 2199.
Ibn Ezra
"For" — the sense of "God of my strength" is that I have no strength to take up my cause against him except through You.
Radak
"My strength" — with a vav, and with a dagesh in the zayin. He says: for You were my strength formerly — so how have You cast me off now, in my exile? "Why" — the first occurrence has no dagesh (rafeh) and is accented on the last syllable (milra), and the second has a dagesh and is accented on the penultimate syllable (mil'el).
Metzudat David
"Why have You cast me off" — why have You abandoned me, and why do I go about in darkness?
Metzudat Zion
'Cast me off' (zenachtani) — an expression of abandonment. 'Mourning' (koder) — dark and black.
Malbim
'For You are the God of my strength; why have You cast me off?' — Above he said, 'I say to God my Rock: Why have You forgotten me?' — there he speaks of the governance by way of miracle, so he called Him 'God my Rock,' and described it as 'forgotten' entirely. But here he speaks of protection from the enemy, which can also come about through nature, so he called Him 'the God of my strength,' and did not describe it as forgotten entirely, but only 'cast off' for a time — as it is written, 'And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them,' etc. 'And why do I go about in gloom under the oppression of the enemy' — through the hardship of the subjugation.
O send out Your light and Your truth; let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy mountain, and to Your dwelling-places.
verse value 2848
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "they" (הֵ֣מָּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·to·Your·dwelling-places" (וְאֶל־מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶֽיךָ, 11 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "send·Your·light" (שְׁלַח־אוֹרְךָ֣), "let·them·lead·me" (יַנְח֑וּנִי), "let·them·bring·me" (יְבִיא֥וּנִי). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "let·them·bring·me" (root בוא, 79x in Psalms); "they" (root הם, 69x in Psalms); "to·mountain·of·Your·holiness" (root הר, 43x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'let·them·lead·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: שְׁלַח־אוֹרְךָ֣ [send·Your·light] (565) + וַ֭אֲמִתְּךָ [and·Your·truth] (467) + הֵ֣מָּה [they] (50) + יַנְח֑וּנִי [let·them·lead·me] (134) + יְבִיא֥וּנִי [let·them·bring·me] (89) + אֶל־הַֽר־קׇ֝דְשְׁךָ֗ [to·mountain·of·Your·holiness] (660) + וְאֶל־מִשְׁכְּנוֹתֶֽיךָ [and·to·Your·dwelling-places] (883) = 2848.
Rashi
"Send Your light and Your truth" — The King Messiah, who is compared to light, as it is stated (below 132:17): “I have set up a lamp for my anointed,” and Elijah the prophet, who is true, a faithful prophet. "that they may lead me" — Heb. ינחוני, menoront moi in old French, they shall lead me.
Ibn Ezra
"Send forth Your light" — in contrast to "I go about in mourning." "And Your truth" — in contrast to "from the deceitful man." And the word "let them lead me" — in contrast to "I go about." "Your holy mountain" — Mount Moriah. "And Your dwelling-places" — the [Temple] courts destined to be built in the Third [Temple].
Radak
"Send out" — for salvation is light. "And Your truth" — for so we have hoped that You would gather us from among all the nations, and Your words are true. "Let them lead me" — let them bring me. "To the joy of my rejoicing" — for I have no joy or rejoicing apart from Him, and He is the joy of all my joys; and the construct form is used to indicate the greatness of the joy. "And I will praise You with the harp" — just as the musicians used to do from the beginning, [playing] instruments of song during the [Temple] service. "God, my God" — for then everyone will say that He is my God, and that God has not cast them off.
Metzudat David
"Send out Your light and Your truth" — that is to say, give light to me, and fulfill the truth of Your promise, to bring me to Your holy mountain.
Metzudat Zion
'Let them lead me' (yanchuni) — an expression of guidance, as in 'God did not lead them' (Exodus 13:17).
Malbim
'Send out Your light' — For the redemption will come about: first, through the revelation of the light of Hashem through His prophets, [dispelling the] darkness, as it is written, 'Arise, shine, for your light has come' — therefore it says, 'Send out Your light.' Second, through the promise that Hashem promised through His prophets — therefore it says, 'and Your truth,' which is to fulfill His promise. And these two 'shall lead me' out of the exile, 'and bring me to Your holy mountain' — which is the ingathering to Zion, 'and to Your dwelling places' — which is the building of the Chosen House.
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy; And praise You upon the harp, O God, my God.
verse value 1505
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֗ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·God" (אֶל־אֵל֮, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·go" (וְאָב֤וֹאָה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 86: God, God. 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·I·will·go" (וְאָב֤וֹאָה), "to·altar·of" (אֶל־מִזְבַּ֬ח), "to·God" (אֶל־אֵל֮). The root אלהים appears 3 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "to·God" (root אל, 112x in Psalms); "and·I·will·go" (root בוא, 79x in Psalms). Full calculation: וְאָב֤וֹאָה [and·I·will·go] (21) + אֶל־מִזְבַּ֬ח [to·altar·of] (88) + אֱלֹהִ֗ים [God] (86) + אֶל־אֵל֮ [to·God] (62) + שִׂמְחַ֢ת [joy·of] (748) + גִּ֫ילִ֥י [my·gladness] (53) + וְאוֹדְךָ֥ [and·I·will·praise·You] (37) + בְכִנּ֗וֹר [with·a·lyre] (278) + אֱלֹהִ֥ים [God] (86) + אֱלֹהָֽי [my·God] (46) = 1505.
Rashi
"to the God" — To the Holy One, blessed be He, who is the joy of my exultation. "and I will thank You with a lyre" — because You took me out of my exile.
Ibn Ezra
"Then I will come, unto God" — He is "the joy of my exultation." And the sense of "God, my God" — that the ungodly nation should see that You are my God.
Metzudat David
"My exceeding joy" — He who gladdens me with rejoicing and singing.
Malbim
'Then I will go' — meaning, only for the bringing to that place, so that the dispersed of Israel may enter, do I need help and salvation; but once I am there, I myself 'will go to the altar of God' to offer His sacrifices, and I will go 'to God' to see the face of Hashem, in that He is 'my exceeding joy,' and there 'I will praise You upon the harp, O God, my God.'
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why do you moan within me? Hope you in God; for I shall yet praise Him, The salvation of my countenance, and my God.
verse value 3573
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 58 letters. The shortest word is "over·me" (עָ֫לָ֥י, 3 letters) and the longest is "why·are·you·downcast" (מַה־תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 110: over·me, for·yet. The root אלהים appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "my·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms); "my·face" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·praise·Him', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: מַה־תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י [why·are·you·downcast] (1177) + נַפְשִׁי֮ [my·soul] (440) + וּֽמַה־תֶּהֱמִ֢י [and·why·are·you·moaning] (506) + עָ֫לָ֥י [over·me] (110) + הוֹחִ֣ילִי [hope] (69) + לֵ֭אלֹהִים [to·God] (116) + כִּי־ע֣וֹד [for·yet] (110) + אוֹדֶ֑נּוּ [I·will·praise·Him] (67) + יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת [salvation·of] (786) + פָּ֝נַ֗י [my·face] (140) + וֵאלֹהָֽי [and·my·God] (52) = 3573.
Ibn Ezra
"Why" — through the holy spirit, that Israel should hope in Hashem.
Radak
"Why" — even though this psalm did not mention "my soul," it says "you are cast down," for the two [psalms] are one subject and use the same words.
Metzudat David
"Why are you cast down" — as if he turns again to comfort his soul, and says to it: why are you cast down, my soul, etc.
Malbim
'Why are you cast down' — Here too he answers that the matter depends on God and on a time of favor, and one must hope in God, for He will certainly fulfill His promise.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim