Verse structure: 4 words, 20 letters. The shortest word is "of·David" (לְדָוִֽד, 4 letters) and the longest is "upon·Mahalath" (עַֽל־מָחֲלַ֗ת, 6 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of·David" (root דוד, 89x in Psalms); "for·the·leader" (root נצח, 73x in Psalms). Full calculation: לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ [for·the·leader] (218) + עַֽל־מָחֲלַ֗ת [upon·Mahalath] (578) + מַשְׂכִּ֥יל [Maskil] (400) + לְדָוִֽד [of·David] (44) = 1240.
Rashi
"on machalath" — The name of a musical instrument. Another explanation: concerning the malady (מחלתן) of Israel when the Temple will be destroyed. He already recited another psalm resembling this one (above 14): “The fool said in his heart, ‘there is no God, etc.’ “, One relates to the destruction of the First Temple and this one, to the Second Temple.
Ibn Ezra
"For the leader; upon Machalat" — some say: that 'Machalat' is derived from [the root of] 'chalul' [hollow/pierced], like 'according to the number [bemikhsat] of persons' (Exodus 12:4), [which is] one of the geminate verbs; but this is not correct, for 'bemikhsat' is in the construct state. And the correct [view] is that it refers to the melody of a poem whose opening word is 'Machalat Maskil' — I have already explained this. And Rabbi Moshe said: 'the fool has said in his heart' [Psalm 53:2], because he had corrupted his way. But the correct [view], in my opinion, is that the matter is reversed: at first he speaks in the singular, and afterward in the plural — the sinner, and the one who causes [others] to sin.
Metzudat David
"Maschil" — that which is spoken with great insight.
Metzudat Zion
'Mahalath' — the name of a musical instrument.
Malbim
"For the Leader; upon Mahalath" — this psalm already appeared above, chapter 14, with a slight change, and I explained there that the first one was composed by King David about being saved from a mighty king and his great army that came against him. And in the days of Hezekiah, when a miracle was done for them in the downfall of Sennacherib, they found that this psalm was directed at their own situation, and they instituted that it be recited "upon Mahalath," which is a kind of special musical instrument; and they said that David saw the future by the holy spirit and hinted at it therein, and therefore it says that it is a maskil of David — that David had insight into a matter with good understanding, which is the attainment of the holy spirit. And we will restate the matter here briefly.
The fool has said in his heart: 'There is no God'; They have dealt corruptly, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good.
verse value 2297
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֑ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "has·said" (אָ֘מַ֤ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·they·have·done·abominably" (וְהִֽתְעִ֥יבוּ, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: there·is·no, there·is·no. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·they·have·done·abominably" (וְהִֽתְעִ֥יבוּ), "injustice" (עָ֝֗וֶל). The root אין appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "has·said" (root אמר, 111x in Psalms); "who·does·good" (root עשה, 109x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words. Full calculation: אָ֘מַ֤ר [has·said] (241) + נָבָ֣ל [fool] (82) + בְּ֭לִבּוֹ [in·his·heart] (40) + אֵ֣ין [there·is·no] (61) + אֱלֹהִ֑ים [God] (86) + הִֽ֝שְׁחִ֗יתוּ [they·have·dealt·corruptly] (729) + וְהִֽתְעִ֥יבוּ [and·they·have·done·abominably] (499) + עָ֝֗וֶל [injustice] (106) + אֵ֣ין [there·is·no] (61) + עֹֽשֵׂה־טֽוֹב [who·does·good] (392) = 2297.
Rashi
"The fool said in his heart" — This is Titus; when he cut into the curtain and his sword was dripping with blood, he said that he had killed [God] Himself.
Ibn Ezra
"They have dealt corruptly" — [that is,] their way. "And have done abominably" — in the injustice that they do; and the bet is missing, as in 'is there to be found [in] the house of Hashem' (II Kings 12:11). And I have already explained these verses in the first psalm [Psalm 14].
Radak
"He has said" — we have already explained this psalm above, in the first book, and now he repeats it here with slightly different words. We have already explained that it speaks of the exile and concludes with salvation. And the reason he placed it between the matter of Doeg and the matter of the Ziphites is to liken the matter of David to the matter of the Messiah, his son. For just as David was hoping for the kingship, and also the good ones among Israel were longing for his kingship, while there were evil ones among them who plotted against him to kill him — such as Doeg and the Ziphites — and God repaid them their recompense upon their own heads, and David's kingdom endured; so it is with the kingdom of his son and his people Israel. "And have done abominable iniquity" — they made their way abominable through the iniquity that they committed; and it is lacking the conjunctive vav.
Metzudat David
"The fool has said" — the one who destroyed the Temple said in his heart, "There is no God; everything happens by chance," and it is stated in the past tense, as is the manner of prophecy in many places. "They have dealt corruptly" — he and his people dealt corruptly and committed abominable wrong, and there is none among them who does good.
Metzudat Zion
'Fool' — a base and despicable person.
Malbim
"The fool has said in his heart, there is no God" — Sennacherib denied Hashem and sent his messengers to blaspheme the living God; and also all of his army, all of them, "have acted corruptly and have done abominable iniquity; there is none who does good" — not even good in the ordinary, conventional sense.
God looked forth from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there were any man of understanding, who did seek after God.
verse value 3561
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 46 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "is·there" (הֲיֵ֣שׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·sons·of·man" (עַֽל־בְּנֵי־אָ֫דָ֥ם, 8 letters). The root אלהים appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "to·see" (root ראה, 100x in Psalms); "from·heaven" (root שמים, 71x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'one·who·understands', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 2 words. Full calculation: אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים [God] (86) + מִשָּׁמַיִם֮ [from·heaven] (430) + הִשְׁקִ֢יף [looked·forth] (495) + עַֽל־בְּנֵי־אָ֫דָ֥ם [upon·the·sons·of·man] (207) + לִ֭רְאוֹת [to·see] (637) + הֲיֵ֣שׁ [is·there] (315) + מַשְׂכִּ֑יל [one·who·understands] (400) + דֹּ֝רֵ֗שׁ [who·seeks] (504) + אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים [God] (487) = 3561.
Metzudat David
"Looked forth" — to see the deeds of that people. "If there were any who understood" — to protest the matter. "Who seeks" — to inquire and investigate God, to know that His providence is over all things.
Metzudat Zion
'Looked forth' — an expression of gazing with focused intent of the heart.
Malbim
"God" — and although there were found among them certain officers who gave honor to Hashem, as our Sages said, that Nebuchadnezzar and some other officers were spared, and Nebuchadnezzar had merit in that he was considerate of Hashem's honor at the time that Merodach-baladan sent letters to Hezekiah in which Hezekiah's name was put before the name of Hashem — for he ran after the messenger and brought him back [to correct the order] — from which it appears that he did not deny Hashem; nevertheless, "God," who knows the secrets of the heart, "looked down from heaven upon the children of man, to see if there was" among them even one "who sought God," in that he was "a man of understanding (maskil)" — meaning, that he would use good understanding to comprehend Hashem and seek Him in truth — and He saw that "all of it was dross," that it was in truth silver dross coated over earthenware, for this was only superficial, "from the lips outward," for "together they became putrid" and abominable; "there is none who does good, not even one" — even the one who appeared to give some honor to Hashem, namely Nebuchadnezzar, did not truly seek Him and did not do good, for he was wicked like his companions.
Every one of them is unclean, they have together become impure; There is none who does good, no, not one.
verse value 812
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "turned·aside" (סָג֮, 2 letters) and the longest is "who·does·good" (עֹֽשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: there·is·no, there·is·no. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "turned·aside" (סָג֮). The root אין appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "who·does·good" (root עשה, 109x in Psalms); "all·of·him" (root כל, 82x in Psalms); "there·is·no" (root אין, 67x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'who·does·good', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words. Full calculation: כֻּלּ֥וֹ [all·of·him] (56) + סָג֮ [turned·aside] (63) + יַחְדָּ֢ו [together] (28) + נֶ֫אֱלָ֥חוּ [they·have·become·corrupt] (95) + אֵ֤ין [there·is·no] (61) + עֹֽשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב [who·does·good] (392) + אֵ֝֗ין [there·is·no] (61) + גַּם־אֶחָֽד [even·one] (56) = 812.
Rashi
"dross" — Heb. סג, an expression of סיגים, dross. "not even one" — of all his armies will protest against his deeds.
Metzudat David
"Every one has turned aside" — all the people turned back and departed from the good way, and together they became putrid, meaning they corrupted their deeds.
Metzudat Zion
'Turned aside' — an expression of turning backward, as in 'and justice is turned back' (Isaiah 59:14). 'Become impure' — they became putrid, as in 'abominable and corrupt' (Job 15).
’Shall not the workers of iniquity know it, Who eat up My people as they eat bread, And do not call upon God?'
verse value 1113
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 39 letters. Notable word values: "do·not" (הֲלֹ֥א) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "God" (אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 57: iniquity, eat. The root לא appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "do·not" (root לא, 174x in Psalms); "My·people" (root עם, 135x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'bread', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: הֲלֹ֥א [do·not] (36) + יָדְעוּ֮ [know] (90) + פֹּ֤עֲלֵ֫י [workers·of] (190) + אָ֥וֶן [iniquity] (57) + אֹכְלֵ֣י [eaters·of] (61) + עַ֭מִּי [My·people] (120) + אָ֣כְלוּ [eat] (57) + לֶ֑חֶם [bread] (78) + אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים [God] (86) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + קָרָֽאוּ [call] (307) = 1113.
Rashi
"Did not" — Should not those who devour My people like a meal of bread, and who did not call upon the Lord, know that ultimately they will experience there a great fear at the end of days?
Metzudat David
"Shall they not know" — that is to say, how can they say "there is no God"? The workers of iniquity ought to know that their consuming My people, unopposed, as one eats bread, is all because My people did not call upon Hashem.
Malbim
(5-6) "Did they not know" — I explained there that in the days of David a fear fell upon the generation on account of a sin they discovered: that they had not recited the blessing of praise over their food and over the other pleasures of the world; and they repented of this and instituted a hundred blessings each day. Accordingly, the workers of iniquity who devour my people surely need to know that Hashem's people, even in this sin — "they ate bread and did not call upon Hashem" — "there they were in great fear" — for they feared Hashem and His punishment on account of the small sin they had committed, in that they had not called upon and blessed Hashem for the bread they ate. From this it can be seen how righteous Israel was at that time and how they served Hashem, so that the nations should have been afraid of a righteous people (as it says there, "for God is with the righteous generation"). About this it now says in truth, "there was no [reason for] fear" — since they had already feared Hashem and amended their deeds, the fear which their enemies had of Sennacherib was never realized, "for Hashem scattered the bones of him who encamped against you" — that is, the camp of Sennacherib, which had encamped against Jerusalem — Hashem scattered their burnt bones; "you have put them to shame," so that they would not be gathered and would not be buried, "for God has rejected them."
There are they in great fear, where no fear was; For God has scattered the bones of the one who encamps against you; You have put them to shame, because God has rejected them.
verse value 2729
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 51 letters. The shortest word is "there" (שָׁ֤ם, 2 letters) and the longest is "for·God" (כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֗ים, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 116: for·God, for·God. 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "not·was" (לֹא־הָ֢יָ֫ה), "who·encamps·against·you" (חֹנָ֑ךְ), "you·have·put·to·shame" (הֱ֝בִשֹׁ֗תָה). The root פחד appears 3 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "there" (root שם, 119x in Psalms); "not·was" (root היה, 97x in Psalms). First appearance of the root פזר ("has·scattered") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'who·encamps·against·you', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: שָׁ֤ם [there] (340) + פָּ֥חֲדוּ [they·trembled] (98) + פַחַד֮ [terror] (92) + לֹא־הָ֢יָ֫ה [not·was] (51) + פָ֥חַד [terror] (92) + כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֗ים [for·God] (116) + פִּ֭זַּר [has·scattered] (287) + עַצְמ֣וֹת [bones·of] (606) + חֹנָ֑ךְ [who·encamps·against·you] (78) + הֱ֝בִשֹׁ֗תָה [you·have·put·to·shame] (712) + כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים [for·God] (116) + מְאָסָֽם [has·rejected·them] (141) = 2729.
Rashi
"there was never such fear" — This fear was not like the first fear that came over Belshazzar, for in this redemption the Holy One, blessed be He, scattered the bones of חוֹנָךְ, those who camp around you, Jerusalem, as the matter that is stated (Zech. 14:12): “His flesh will waste away, etc.” Menachem (p. 91) interpreted it that way, but Dunash (pp. 63f.) interpreted it as (Prov. 22:6): “Train (חנך) a child according to his way”; the “chaph” of חוֹנָךְ is a radical as the “chaph” of חֲנֹךְ, train. "You have put them to shame" — You, O Lord, have put all my enemies to shame, for You have rejected them.
Ibn Ezra
"There was no fear" — [a construction] similar to itself, like 'this is the people; it was not' (Isaiah 23:13). "And the word 'chonakh' [the one encamping against you]" — is from the derivation of 'chanah' [to encamp], and the kaf is addressed to Hashem, or to the Messiah; and because the word is from the intransitive verbs, therefore its meaning is 'those who encamp against you.' "And the word 'chonakh'" — comes in the manner of: 'when he heard him, He answered you.' And the tav of 'hevishota' [you have put to shame] is addressed to David: 'you have put them to shame, for God has rejected them.'
Radak
"Has scattered the bones" — referring to the nations who camp against you, Jerusalem, in the days of Gog. "You have put them to shame" — the tav is directed toward the Messiah, meaning: you have shamed them and put them to disgrace, for God, who will be with you, has rejected them. And behold, the whole psalm is explained together with the explanation written in the first psalm.
Metzudat David
"There they were in great fear" — for behold, there in Jerusalem itself, at the time Sennacherib came and besieged it, did they not fear a fear the like of which had never been before, because they all fell as dead corpses? "For God" — when God scattered the bones of those who encamped against you, Jerusalem. "You have put to shame" — and that which you, Titus, put Israel to shame through killing and destruction — this was because Hashem had rejected them then, on account of the evil of their deeds, and it did not happen by chance.
Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God turns the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.
verse value 4377
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 52 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱ֭לֹהִים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "His·people" (עַמּ֑וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "who·will·give" (מִ֥י־יִתֵּ֣ן, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 541: Israel, Israel. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "salvation·of" (יְשֻׁע֢וֹת). The root ישראל appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "His·people" (root עם, 135x in Psalms); "who·will·give" (root נתן, 95x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'His·people', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: מִ֥י־יִתֵּ֣ן [who·will·give] (510) + מִצִּיּוֹן֮ [from·Zion] (196) + יְשֻׁע֢וֹת [salvation·of] (786) + יִשְׂרָ֫אֵ֥ל [Israel] (541) + בְּשׁ֣וּב [when·returning] (310) + אֱ֭לֹהִים [God] (86) + שְׁב֣וּת [captivity·of] (708) + עַמּ֑וֹ [His·people] (116) + יָגֵ֥ל [let·him·rejoice] (43) + יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב [Jacob] (182) + יִשְׂמַ֥ח [let·him·be·glad] (358) + יִשְׂרָאֵֽל [Israel] (541) = 4377.
Ibn Ezra
"Who" [Oh that...] — I have already explained it.
Metzudat David
"Oh that" — would that the salvation of Israel would come speedily from the One who dwells in Zion. "When He turns" — at the time when Hashem gives rest to the exiles, meaning that everyone will recognize that the rest comes from Hashem. "Jacob shall rejoice" — then they will rejoice, for the redemption will be complete.
Metzudat Zion
'When He restores' — an expression of relief and restoration of the soul. 'Captivity' — from the term 'shivah' (return).
Malbim
"Oh that" — since at that time they were hoping for the great salvation, to gather in the exiles of Israel who had been exiled then by Sennacherib, and that the future redemption would come, for that was then a favorable time for it (as it is said in Isaiah chapters 11 and 49) — he asked that it be granted "that out of Zion would come the salvation" of Israel as a whole, through "Hashem's turning of the captivity of His people," bringing the time of redemption. And then "Jacob would rejoice (yagel)" — referring to the ten dispersed tribes — "and Israel would be glad (yismach)" — referring to the sons of Judah. For "gilah" [rejoicing] denotes something newly happening, whereas "simchah" [gladness] is a continual joy; for to Israel, who are the tribe of Judah, nothing new would happen, but to Jacob, who are now lost and dispersed, this would be something new — and to that the term "gilah" applies.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim