A Psalm of David, a Michtam, from when the Philistines seized him in Gath. A declaration of trust in Hashem's word even in the face of fear and enemies.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
For the Leader; upon Jonath-elem-rehokim. [A Psalm] of David; Michtam; when the Philistines took him in Gath. .
verse value 3453
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 44 letters. Notable word values: "when·seizing" (בֶּאֱחֹ֨ז) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "mute" (אֵ֣לֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "upon·the·dove·of" (עַל־י֬וֹנַת, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "upon·the·dove·of" (עַל־י֬וֹנַת), "when·seizing" (בֶּאֱחֹ֨ז), "Philistines" (פְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of·David" (root דוד, 89x in Psalms); "for·the·leader" (root נצח, 73x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Michtam', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: לַמְנַצֵּ֤חַ [for·the·leader] (218) + עַל־י֬וֹנַת [upon·the·dove·of] (566) + אֵ֣לֶם [mute] (71) + רְ֭חֹקִים [distant] (358) + לְדָוִ֣ד [of·David] (44) + מִכְתָּ֑ם [Michtam] (500) + בֶּאֱחֹ֨ז [when·seizing] (18) + אוֹת֖וֹ [him] (413) + פְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים [Philistines] (860) + בְּגַֽת [in·Gath] (405) = 3453.
Rashi
"yonath elem rehokim" — He said this concerning himself, for he was with Achish, far from the land of Israel, and Goliath’s brothers were requesting permission from Achish to kill him, as it is said (I Sam. 21:12): “Is this not David, the king of the land?” And he was among them as a mute dove.
Ibn Ezra
"For the Leader, upon Jonath-elem-rehokim" — [to be sung] to the melody of a poem beginning "a silent dove far away." "And Michtam" — a precious thing, like "fine gold" (ketem paz, Song of Songs 5:11).
Radak
"For the Leader" — when he was in Gath, having fled from Saul. "When they took him" — for the Philistines planned to seize him and kill him, when they said to Achish, "Is this not David, king of the land?" — until, out of great fear, he feigned madness and made himself appear insane. Therefore he called himself "a silent dove" — like a dove exiled from its place, he was mute among them, unable to speak except as a madman speaks, as though he had no understanding — like a dove, as it is said of it, "a foolish dove, without sense."
Metzudat David
"Upon Jonath-elem-rehokim" — Because at that time he was like a foolish, senseless dove, mute, and moreover he was then far from his own land, and it was impossible to flee. "Michtam" — This psalm was as precious in his eyes as pure gold, at the time he was seized — when the Philistines seized him in Gath to kill him, because he had killed among the Philistines while he was with Saul.
Be gracious to me, O God, for man would swallow me up; All the day he fighting oppresses me.
verse value 1419
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱ֭לֹהִים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "fighting" (לֹחֵ֥ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·he·panted·after·me" (כִּֽי־שְׁאָפַ֣נִי, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "for·he·panted·after·me" (כִּֽי־שְׁאָפַ֣נִי), "oppresses·me" (יִלְחָצֵֽנִי). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "all·the·day" (root יום, 121x in Psalms); "be·gracious·to·me" (root חנן, 32x in Psalms). First appearance of the root שאף ("for·he·panted·after·me") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'man', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: חׇנֵּ֣נִי [be·gracious·to·me] (118) + אֱ֭לֹהִים [God] (86) + כִּֽי־שְׁאָפַ֣נִי [for·he·panted·after·me] (471) + אֱנ֑וֹשׁ [man] (357) + כׇּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם [all·the·day] (111) + לֹחֵ֥ם [fighting] (78) + יִלְחָצֵֽנִי [oppresses·me] (198) = 1419.
Rashi
"yearn" — Heb. שאפנו, yearn to swallow me up, goloseir or goloser, to long, to be impatient. (Cf. Rashi to Amos 2:7.) As (Jer. 2:24): “that snuffs up (שאפה) the wind.” "the warrior" — Heb. לחם, an expression of war (מלחמה).
Ibn Ezra
"Be gracious to me," "would swallow me up" (sha'afani) — by way of metaphor; he [the enemy] is Abimelech or his servants.
Radak
"Be gracious to me" — Achish and his servants were eager to swallow him up, staring at him, until he feigned madness before them. "Fighting he oppresses me" — Saul, who fights against me all day, until he forced me to leave the land of Israel — this is the oppression.
Metzudat David
"Man would swallow me up" — People wish to swallow me up, and all day long the one who fights against me oppresses me; for while fleeing from Saul, the Philistines encountered him, and he had no place to flee.
Metzudat Zion
'Would swallow me up' — an expression of swallowing, as in 'swallowed the wind' (Jeremiah 2). 'Fighting' — from the term 'milchamah' (war). 'Oppresses me' — from the term 'lachatz' (pressure) and 'dochak' (constraint).
Malbim
'Be gracious to me, O God, for man would swallow me up' — for Saul wants to swallow me up, and therefore 'all the day the fighter oppresses me,' until I was forced to flee. But 'my watchers pant [for me] all the day' — they pant and look forward, saying, 'for many fight against me from on high' — they think that heaven agrees to kill me and that they fight against me from there; but this is false, for it is only man who swallows me up, not [anyone] from on high. On the contrary, 'the day I am afraid, I will trust in You' — for I know that my help will come from on high. And this is for two reasons: first, because 'in God' (I will trust), since 'I will praise His word' — for He promised me the kingship, and He is not a man, that He should lie. Second, because 'I have trusted in God,' and by virtue of my trust in Him, it is fitting that He should save, for He saves all who take refuge in Him; therefore 'I will not be afraid, for what can flesh do to me' against Hashem.
Those who lie in wait for me would swallow me up all the day; For they are many who fight against me, O Most High,
verse value 1950
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. Verse gematria: 1950 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "to·me" (לִ֣י, 2 letters) and the longest is "all·the·day" (כׇּל־הַיּ֑וֹם, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "panted" (שָׁאֲפ֣וּ), "for·many" (כִּֽי־רַבִּ֨ים), "who·fight" (לֹחֲמִ֖ים). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "all·the·day" (root יום, 121x in Psalms); "to·me" (root לי, 68x in Psalms); "for·many" (root רב, 67x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·the·day', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: שָׁאֲפ֣וּ [panted] (387) + שׁ֭וֹרְרַי [my·foes] (716) + כׇּל־הַיּ֑וֹם [all·the·day] (111) + כִּֽי־רַבִּ֨ים [for·many] (282) + לֹחֲמִ֖ים [who·fight] (128) + לִ֣י [to·me] (40) + מָרֽוֹם [O·Most·High] (286) = 1950.
Rashi
"O Most High" — The Holy One blessed be He, Who dwells on High.
Ibn Ezra
"They would swallow me up" (sha'afu) — the sense is like that of a mocker: Why should my adversaries swallow me up all the day, when I have many angels on high fighting on my behalf? For the word "milchamah" (fighting), followed by a lamed, serves in the sense of assistance, for the meaning is "on his behalf," like: "who fights for you" (ha-nilcham lachem, Joshua 23:10); only with the word "im" (with/against) does it carry a pejorative sense.
Radak
"Those who lie in wait for me" — whether from Israel or from the nations of the world among whom I am exiled. "O Most High" — this is directed toward the exalted God. He said: You who see from on high, see that many fight against me — woe! — and they have driven me from the land of Israel; and the Philistines too, among whom I came to take shelter, fight against me as well, for they intended to kill me.
Metzudat David
"Those who lie in wait for me would swallow me up" — Those who look upon me with evil intent desire to swallow me. "O Most High" — That is: You, Hashem, who dwells in the high heavens, see that many fight against me, namely, Saul and the Philistines.
In the day that I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.
verse value 410
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 18 letters. The shortest word is "day·of" (י֥וֹם, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·fear" (אִירָ֑א, 4 letters). Words sharing gematria 61: I, to·You. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "day·of" (root יום, 121x in Psalms); "to·You" (root אל, 112x in Psalms); "I·fear" (root ירא, 77x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·fear', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: י֥וֹם [day·of] (56) + אִירָ֑א [I·fear] (212) + אֲ֝נִ֗י [I] (61) + אֵלֶ֥יךָ [to·You] (61) + אֶבְטָֽח [I·trust] (20) = 410.
Ibn Ezra
"Day," "to You" (elekha) — like "concerning You" (alekha), like: "for this child I prayed" (1 Samuel 1:27).
Radak
"In You I will trust" — ["eilekha," "in You,"] is used like "alekha," "upon You."
Metzudat David
"In the day that I am afraid" — But on the day that my fear grows great, I will trust in You, for it is in Your power to save me from the hand of all of them.
In God—I will praise His word— In God do I trust, I will not be afraid; What can flesh do to me?
verse value 2098
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 42 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·God" (בֵּאלֹהִים֮, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 212: His·word, I·fear. The root אלהים appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "not" (root לא, 174x in Psalms); "His·word" (root דבר, 133x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·fear', dividing the verse into phrases of 7 and 3 words. Full calculation: בֵּאלֹהִים֮ [in·God] (88) + אֲהַלֵּ֢ל [I·praise] (66) + דְּבָ֫ר֥וֹ [His·word] (212) + בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים [in·God] (88) + בָּ֭טַחְתִּי [I·trust] (429) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + אִירָ֑א [I·fear] (212) + מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה [what·will·do] (430) + בָשָׂ֣ר [flesh] (502) + לִֽי [to·me] (40) = 2098.
Rashi
"With God, I will praise His word" — Even when He deals with me with the Divine standard of justice I will praise His word and trust in Him.
Ibn Ezra
"In God" — the sense of "His word" is that Samuel prophesied concerning him that he would reign over Israel; therefore, "in God have I trusted" that He would fulfill His word.
Radak
"In God" — that is to say, I trust in God and praise His word — meaning, I praise Him for the word He spoke to me through Samuel, that I would reign; and even though I am driven away and exiled from place to place, I trust and do not fear what flesh can do to me.
Metzudat David
"In God" — That is: I will trust in God and praise Him for His word, which He promised me the kingship; and because I have trusted in God, I will no longer be afraid, for what can man do to me? Surely he cannot annul Hashem's promise.
All the day they trouble my affairs; All their thoughts are against me for evil.
verse value 1755
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. Verse gematria: 1755 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "against·me" (עָלַ֖י, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·their·thoughts" (כׇּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָ֣ם, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "they·hurt" (יְעַצֵּ֑בוּ), "all·their·thoughts" (כׇּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָ֣ם), "for·the·evil" (לָרָֽע). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·words" (root דבר, 133x in Psalms); "all·the·day" (root יום, 121x in Psalms); "against·me" (root על, 120x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·hurt', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כׇּל־הַ֭יּוֹם [all·the·day] (111) + דְּבָרַ֣י [my·words] (216) + יְעַצֵּ֑בוּ [they·hurt] (178) + עָלַ֖י [against·me] (110) + כׇּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָ֣ם [all·their·thoughts] (840) + לָרָֽע [for·the·evil] (300) = 1755.
Rashi
"All day long, my words grieve [me]" — My pursuers grieve me until all the words of my mouth are grief and cries.
Ibn Ezra
"All," "they trouble" (ye'atzevu) — from the root of "sorrow" (itzavon). And the sense is: they cause me grief, on account of the fact that I trust in Hashem.
Radak
"All the day they trouble my affairs" — concerning my words about my kingship they provoke me, and all their thoughts are to do me harm.
Metzudat David
"They trouble my affairs" — Because of them, all my words are words of grief and sorrow, for all their thoughts against me are for evil, and I am troubled by this.
Malbim
'All the day' — now [the psalm] returns to the matter of the Philistines, before whom he had feigned madness. And 'they trouble my affairs' — for they did not believe that he was mad, and they strove to make the king troubled by his words and conduct, and to think that he had come to spy out the land. 'And all their thoughts are against me for evil' — for even after Achish had dismissed him, they were scheming to harm him.
They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, They mark my steps; According as they have waited for my soul.
verse value 2574
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 40 letters. Verse gematria: 2574 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "they" (הֵ֭מָּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "they·hide" (יִצְפּ֗וֹנוּ, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "they·hide" (יִצְפּ֗וֹנוּ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms); "as" (root אשר, 101x in Psalms); "they·watch" (root שמר, 73x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·watch', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words.
Rashi
"They lodge, they hide" — They lurk and lodge in the place they hope I will go, and they watch my steps (traces in French, tracks, explained in Gen. 49:19, Song of Songs 1:8) to spy on me and to lead pursuers there. All this he would complain about the wicked of Israel: that they would lie in wait for him and out of fear of them he had fled to Achish. "they hide" — They lurk. "when they hope for my life" — When they know [that I will pass] and hope for me, “He will go this way.”
Ibn Ezra
"They gather themselves" (yaguru) — from the root of "troop" (gedud), that they shall be many and I shall not be able to escape; therefore they watch my steps, so that I do not flee.
Radak
"They gather themselves together" — they assemble and lie in ambush and watch my heels, meaning, wherever I go, in order to trap me. "They gather themselves together" [again] — this is an expression of assembling and gathering. "They hide themselves" — this is an expression of ambush, meaning they lie in wait in a hidden place; and it is written "yatzpinu" with a yod, meaning that they themselves lie in ambush and also recruit others to lie in ambush with them against me. "According as they have waited for my soul" — they hoped to capture my soul.
Metzudat David
"They gather themselves together, they hide themselves" — They gather and hide themselves to lie in wait for me, and watch my footsteps, as they hope to trap my soul; that is, when they see that there is an opportunity to trap me, then they lie in wait for me.
Metzudat Zion
'They gather' — they assemble, as in 'they gather against me, the mighty ones' (below, Psalm 59). 'They hide' — they conceal themselves in order to lie in ambush, as in 'let us lie in wait secretly for the innocent' (Proverbs 1). 'My steps' — the movement of my feet.
Malbim
'They gather' — for they feared him, [suspecting] that he was feigning madness deliberately, and therefore 'they hide themselves' — they concealed themselves when he went out from the Philistines, to see which way he went. 'And they watch my steps' — to see whether he walked like a madman or not. And this they did on their own initiative, 'according as they hoped for my soul,' to kill me.
Because of iniquity cast them out; In anger bring down the peoples, O God.
verse value 896
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִֽים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "in·anger" (בְּ֝אַ֗ף, 3 letters) and the longest is "cast·out·them" (פַּלֶּט־לָ֑מוֹ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "because·of·iniquity" (עַל־אָ֥וֶן), "cast·out·them" (פַּלֶּט־לָ֑מוֹ), "bring·down" (הוֹרֵ֬ד). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "peoples" (root עם, 135x in Psalms); "in·anger" (root אף, 40x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'cast·out·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: עַל־אָ֥וֶן [because·of·iniquity] (157) + פַּלֶּט־לָ֑מוֹ [cast·out·them] (195) + בְּ֝אַ֗ף [in·anger] (83) + עַמִּ֤ים [peoples] (160) + הוֹרֵ֬ד [bring·down] (215) + אֱלֹהִֽים [God] (86) = 896.
Rashi
"For iniquity, they expect rescue" — To find rescue and riches for a matter of iniquity and wickedness. And פַלֶט is like לפלט, to rescue. They expect reward from Saul for that. "Bring down...with anger" — With Your anger, bring down this nation in whose midst I am, from their wisdom and from the plots that they devise to kill me.
Ibn Ezra
"Because of" (al) — because of the iniquity that is in their heart, or because of the iniquity with which they are filled: let Him make me an escapee from them, and bring them down in anger even though they are many; therefore he mentions "peoples."
Radak
"Because of" — as a rhetorical question, meaning: because of the iniquity they commit against me, will they have deliverance? No — rather, bring them down in Your anger, so that they will not escape. "The peoples" — referring to his enemies from Israel.
Metzudat David
"Because of iniquity" — And is it fitting that they should have escape and deliverance for the iniquity that they do to me? "In anger" — Therefore bring them down in anger; but my own hand shall not be against them.
Metzudat Zion
'Bring down' — from the term 'yeridah' (descent).
Malbim
'Because of iniquity' — the reason 'they hoped for my soul' was on account of 'the iniquity — [my] escape [was] to them': the escape by which I escaped from their hand was regarded by them as an iniquity, for they thought it was just to kill me, and so my escape was, [in their eyes,] an iniquity. Therefore, 'in anger bring down the peoples, O God.'
You have counted my wanderings; You put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?
verse value 2969
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. Notable word values: "are·not" (הֲ֝לֹ֗א) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "my·wandering" (נֹדִי֮, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·Your·book" (בְּסִפְרָתֶֽךָ, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "my·wandering" (נֹדִי֮), "You·have·counted" (סָפַ֢רְתָּ֫ה), "put" (שִׂ֣ימָה). The root ספר appears 2 times in this verse. 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "are·not" (root לא, 174x in Psalms); "You" (root אתה, 115x in Psalms); "You·have·counted" (root ספר, 38x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Your·bottle', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 2 words. Full calculation: נֹדִי֮ [my·wandering] (64) + סָפַ֢רְתָּ֫ה [You·have·counted] (745) + אָ֥תָּה [You] (406) + שִׂ֣ימָה [put] (355) + דִמְעָתִ֣י [my·tears] (524) + בְנֹאדֶ֑ךָ [in·Your·bottle] (77) + הֲ֝לֹ֗א [are·not] (36) + בְּסִפְרָתֶֽךָ [in·Your·book] (762) = 2969.
Rashi
"You counted my wanderings" — You know the number of the places to which I wandered, to flee. "place my tears in Your flask" — Place my tears in Your flask, and let them be preserved before You. "Is it not in Your accounting" — Place them in Your accounting, to count them with the rest of my troubles. Menachem, however, associated it (p. 128) as an expression of an actual book.
Ibn Ezra
"My wandering" (nodi) — like "my wanderings" (nedudai), and "he dwelt in the land of Nod" (Genesis 4:16). "You have counted" (safarta) — the sense: You know how many times I wander from my place; and it is said, as a manner of eloquence, "my wandering is with Your bottle" [a play on nodi/no'd]. And the sense: that his drops, which are his tears, are counted before Hashem; and this is the sense of "are they not in Your book" — as though they were gathered in a wineskin, by way of metaphor, so that not a single drop of them was lost.
Radak
"My wanderings" — You know the number of the wanderings I have wandered, and You keep them with You; take vengeance for me from my enemies. "Put my tears into Your bottle" — by way of metaphor; for it is customary to fill a waterskin with water, therefore he said, "gather my tears into Your bottle," meaning that You should keep them and not forget them. "Are they not in Your book" — "halo," "are they not," is an expression of emphasis and urging. He said: put my tears in Your bottle, "besifratekha," like "besifrekha," "in Your book," by way of metaphor; for a thing written in a book is remembered always, whenever one wishes.
Metzudat David
"My wanderings" — Are not the many wanderings I wander from before them known and counted before You? "In Your bottle" — [meaning] that they be kept safe with You. Are they not known and counted before You? So keep them, in order to render recompense for all of them.
Metzudat Zion
'Your bottle' — the name of a drinking vessel, as in 'a skin-bottle of milk' (Judges 4).
Malbim
'My wandering' — 'You have counted the number of my wanderings' — how many days I will wander and in how many places; and I ask, 'put my tears into Your bottle' — are they too not 'in Your record' — meaning, in Your numerical reckoning? For example: if You decreed upon me ten wanderings in number, and in one wandering I suffered such distress and wept tears equal in number to [all] ten wanderings, You would add the count of the tears to the count of the wanderings, and thereby the time of wandering would be shortened in proportion to the weight of the distress and the tears, for they too are part of the reckoning.
Then my enemies shall turn back in the day that I call; This I know, that God is for me.
verse value 1598
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "then" (אָ֨ז, 2 letters) and the longest is "this·I·know" (זֶֽה־יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "this·I·know" (זֶֽה־יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "that·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "in·the·day·of" (root יום, 121x in Psalms); "this·I·know" (root ידע, 95x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·call', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: אָ֨ז [then] (8) + יָ֘שׁ֤וּבוּ [shall·return] (324) + אוֹיְבַ֣י [my·enemies] (29) + אָ֭חוֹר [backward] (215) + בְּי֣וֹם [in·the·day·of] (58) + אֶקְרָ֑א [I·call] (302) + זֶֽה־יָ֝דַ֗עְתִּי [this·I·know] (506) + כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים [that·God] (116) + לִֽי [to·me] (40) = 1598.
Ibn Ezra
"Then" — the meaning is: when my enemies see that I call upon Your name, they will be afraid. The meaning of "this I know" is: by this I know.
Radak
"Then" — when my enemies turn back, on the day I call to You. "This I know" — that is, by this I will know that God is for me: when my enemies turn back and fear me.
Metzudat David
"Then they shall turn back" — And when my enemies turn back on the day that I call to You, then I will know by this that God is a help to me, and it did not happen by chance.
Malbim
'Then' — after I saw that on the day I call, then immediately 'my enemies shall turn back' — for after he prayed this prayer to Hashem, the Philistines who were pursuing him turned back and no longer hunted to take his life. By this, 'I know that God is for me' — that He watches over me in particular.
In God—I will praise His word— In Hashem—I will praise His word—
verse value 660
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "word" (דָּבָ֑ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·God" (בֵּ֭אלֹהִים, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 206: word, word. The root הלל appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "in·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "word" (root דבר, 133x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'word', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: בֵּ֭אלֹהִים [in·God] (88) + אֲהַלֵּ֣ל [I·praise] (66) + דָּבָ֑ר [word] (206) + בַּ֝יהֹוָ֗ה [in·Hashem] (28) + אֲהַלֵּ֥ל [I·praise] (66) + דָּבָֽר [word] (206) = 660.
Rashi
"With God I will praise a word; with the Lord I will praise" — For the Divine standard of justice and for the Divine standard of mercy I will praise.
Ibn Ezra
"In God" — then I will speak, with Hashem's help, to praise the word that Samuel spoke to me time after time.
Radak
"In God" — in Him I trust, and I praise the word He spoke to me concerning the kingship, as we have explained. "I will praise" — "the word": "In Hashem I will praise the word" — the matter is repeated in different words, and the midrash on this verse is well known.
Metzudat David
"In God" — that is to say: whether He conducts Himself toward me by the attribute of God, which is judgment, I will praise His word; or whether He conducts Himself toward me by the attribute of Hashem, which is mercy, I will praise His word; and I will bless [Him] for the bad just as for the good.
Malbim
'In God' — 'and I trust in God, and I will praise the word' that He spoke concerning me, to anoint me king; and likewise, afterward, He spoke to him through Gad the prophet, that he should go to the land of Judah, and he had a second assurance. This is the meaning: this was my second trust, 'in Hashem,' who is the attribute of mercy, in that He sent him His word through a prophet — 'and I will praise the word.' And besides this, 'in God I have trusted,' and therefore 'I will not be afraid' even now of my pursuers, 'for what can flesh do to me.'
In God do I trust, I will not be afraid; What can man do to me?
verse value 1275
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹּ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "in·God" (בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים, 6 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "not" (root לא, 174x in Psalms); "what·will·do" (root עשה, 109x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·fear', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: בֵּאלֹהִ֣ים [in·God] (88) + בָּ֭טַחְתִּי [I·trust] (429) + לֹּ֣א [not] (31) + אִירָ֑א [I·fear] (212) + מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂ֖ה [what·will·do] (430) + אָדָ֣ם [man] (45) + לִֽי [to·me] (40) = 1275.
Ibn Ezra
"In God" — then I will be trusting in Hashem forever.
Radak
"In God" — since I have trusted in You, I will not fear what man can do to me, for they cannot harm me; and above he said "flesh" — "man" and "flesh" are one and the same.
Metzudat David
"In God I have put my trust" — Even in the attribute of judgment I trust that He will not make a full end of me; so what, then, can man do to me?
Your vows are upon me, O God; I will render thank-offerings to You.
verse value 1711
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 23 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֣ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·You" (לָֽךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "God" (אֱלֹהִ֣ים, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "thank-offerings" (תּוֹדֹ֣ת). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "upon·me" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "to·You" (root לך, 35x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·vows', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עָלַ֣י [upon·me] (110) + אֱלֹהִ֣ים [God] (86) + נְדָרֶ֑יךָ [Your·vows] (284) + אֲשַׁלֵּ֖ם [I·will·pay] (371) + תּוֹדֹ֣ת [thank-offerings] (810) + לָֽךְ [to·You] (50) = 1711.
Ibn Ezra
"Upon me" — some say that the vow was "in God I trusted." But it is possible that he vowed burnt-offerings, and this is the correct view, for thus I am obligated to pay my vow for the good that He has done for me.
Radak
"Are upon me" — the vows that I vowed to You during my exile are incumbent upon me to pay to You, as well as thank-offerings; these are the thanksgiving sacrifices that a person offers to God upon being saved from distress.
Metzudat David
"Upon me" — It is incumbent upon me to pay the vows I vowed to You in the time of trouble, and I will pay them with thanksgiving and praise.
Malbim
'Your vows are upon me, O God' — he says: Your vows are upon me — You vowed a vow on my behalf, for Hashem's promise through a prophet is like a vow that one is obligated to fulfill. And there were two vows here: the vow of the promise of the kingship through Samuel, and the vow that he would return to the land of Israel and not fear, through Gad. And I accept upon myself that 'I will render thank-offerings to You' — just as You vowed to me, so I will render to You. And he explains: 'for You have delivered my soul from death' — that is, that I escaped from the hand of the Philistines, which was through Samuel's promise. 'Have You not [delivered] my feet from stumbling' — so that I would not be cast away outside the land, and this was through Gad's promise. For 'I will walk before God' is the opposite of 'my feet from stumbling,' and 'in the light of the living' is the opposite of 'my soul from death.'
For You have delivered my soul from death; Have You not delivered my feet from stumbling? That I may walk before God in the light of the living?
verse value 2850
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 49 letters. Notable word values: "have·not" (הֲלֹ֥א) = 36, double chai. Verse gematria: 2850 is divisible by 50, the years to the Jubilee (yovel). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "to·walk" (לְ֭הִֽתְהַלֵּךְ, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "You·have·delivered" (הִצַּ֪לְתָּ), "to·walk" (לְ֭הִֽתְהַלֵּךְ). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "for" (root כי, 216x in Psalms); "have·not" (root לא, 174x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 2 words. Full calculation: כִּ֤י [for] (30) + הִצַּ֪לְתָּ [You·have·delivered] (525) + נַפְשִׁ֡י [my·soul] (440) + מִמָּוֶת֮ [from·death] (486) + הֲלֹ֥א [have·not] (36) + רַגְלַ֗י [my·feet] (243) + מִ֫דֶּ֥חִי [from·stumbling] (62) + לְ֭הִֽתְהַלֵּךְ [to·walk] (490) + לִפְנֵ֣י [before] (170) + אֱלֹהִ֑ים [God] (86) + בְּ֝א֗וֹר [in·the·light·of] (209) + הַחַיִּֽים [the·living] (73) = 2850.
Rashi
"in the light of life" — To return to the Land of Israel.
Radak
"For" — then, when You save me, I will pay my vows and give thanks to You for having delivered my soul from death. "Have You not delivered my feet from stumbling" — "halo," "have not," is an expression of emphasis, as I have explained: have You not delivered my feet from stumbling, so that I will no longer be cast aside — in order that I may walk before God in the light of the living? For while I am still exiled and cast out, I have no leisure to occupy myself with the ways of God; but when You deliver my soul to the land of Israel, I will join with the sages of Israel, and I will study and occupy myself with them in the way of the soul, which is the light of the living — and that is walking before God.
Metzudat David
"For You have delivered" — Because You have delivered my soul from death; and have You not also delivered my feet from being thrust further, from stumbling to stumbling, so that I may walk before God in His holy House and occupy myself with the light of the living, which is the Torah and the commandments — for I shall no longer be troubled by being thrust about and pursued.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David