A Psalm of David, a Michtam, from when he fled from Saul into a cave. A prayer for refuge beneath Hashem's wings that turns to praise and the exaltation of His glory above the heavens.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
For the Leader; Al-tashheth. [A Psalm] of David; Michtam; when he fled from Saul, in the cave.
verse value 2953
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "of·David" (לְדָוִ֣ד, 4 letters) and the longest is "from·before·Saul" (מִפְּנֵי־שָׁ֝א֗וּל, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 218: for·the·leader, when·he·fled. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "from·before·Saul" (מִפְּנֵי־שָׁ֝א֗וּל). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·before·Saul" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms); "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 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ [for·the·leader] (218) + אַל־תַּ֭שְׁחֵת [Al-tashheth] (1139) + לְדָוִ֣ד [of·David] (44) + מִכְתָּ֑ם [Michtam] (500) + בְּבׇרְח֥וֹ [when·he·fled] (218) + מִפְּנֵי־שָׁ֝א֗וּל [from·before·Saul] (517) + בַּמְּעָרָֽה [in·the·cave] (317) = 2953.
Rashi
"For the conductor, al tashcheth" — David called this psalm by this name because he was near death, and he established this psalm, saying, “Do not destroy me, O Lord.”
Ibn Ezra
"For the leader; Al-tashheth [Do not destroy]; when he fled from Saul" — [sung] to the melody of a poem beginning "Do not destroy," and its companion [phrase], "in the cave": even though I am in the cave, I have no refuge but You.
Radak
"For the Leader" — We have already written at the beginning of the book that we do not know today the meaning of the words at the heads of the psalms, nor the distinction between them; and the subject of these psalms concerns David's dealings with Saul. It is possible that for this reason its opening word is "Al-tashheth," "do not destroy" — [a prayer] that he not be destroyed by Saul's hand. David spoke this psalm while he and his men were in the innermost recesses of the cave, and Saul came in to relieve himself.
Metzudat David
"Destroy not" — Because he was on the verge of being caught then in the hand of Saul, he prayed and said, "Do not destroy me." "In the cave" — to hide himself in the cave.
Malbim
"For the leader; Al-tashheth" — because on this same matter he composed another psalm further on (chapter 142), and there he spoke only of his distress, but here he speaks also of how he restrained his inclination so as not to destroy Saul. He marked this psalm with the words "Al-tashheth" ["Do not destroy"], for he used this term "destruction" concerning this very matter (I Samuel 26:9), "And David said, Do not destroy him." This psalm divides into two parts: (1) a prayer that he be saved, through verse 8; (2) it speaks of how he did not kill Saul and conquered his inclination, and this was to his honor and glory, until Saul recognized his righteousness and his faithfulness.
Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, for in You my soul has taken refuge; indeed, in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, until calamities are overpast.
verse value 2052
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 48 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֨ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. Verse gematria: 2052 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֥י, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·in·the·shadow·of·Your·wings" (וּבְצֵֽל־כְּנָפֶ֥יךָ, 9 letters). Words sharing gematria 118: be·gracious·to·me, be·gracious·to·me. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "has·taken·refuge" (חָסָ֢יָה), "and·in·the·shadow·of·Your·wings" (וּבְצֵֽל־כְּנָפֶ֥יךָ). The root חנן appears 2 times in this verse. 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "for" (root כי, 216x in Psalms); "my·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·will·take·refuge', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: חׇנֵּ֤נִי [be·gracious·to·me] (118) + אֱלֹהִ֨ים [God] (86) + חׇנֵּ֗נִי [be·gracious·to·me] (118) + כִּ֥י [for] (30) + בְךָ֮ [in·You] (22) + חָסָ֢יָה [has·taken·refuge] (83) + נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י [my·soul] (440) + וּבְצֵֽל־כְּנָפֶ֥יךָ [and·in·the·shadow·of·Your·wings] (308) + אֶחְסֶ֑ה [I·will·take·refuge] (74) + עַ֝֗ד [until] (74) + יַעֲבֹ֥ר [passes] (282) + הַוּֽוֹת [calamities] (417) = 2052.
Rashi
"Be gracious to me, etc., be gracious to me" — that I should neither kill nor be killed. "until the destruction passes" — Heb. הוות, until the evil passes.
Ibn Ezra
"Calamities" [havot] — some say it is like "misfortune," since he had become king over them.
Radak
"Be gracious to me" — the repetition is for emphasis, in the manner of one who cries out and repeats his words. "Has taken refuge" (chasyah) — the yod stands in place of the heh of the lamed-heh root [verb], and it appears in the pausal form to ease the reading of the yod. "Until calamities are overpast" — until the matter of the calamity that Saul plans against me passes; meaning, from my distress I have no shelter or refuge except in You. "Calamities" (havvot) — [this denotes] disaster, an expression of harm.
Metzudat David
"Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me" — The repetition is to intensify [the plea], in the manner of one who cries out and repeats his words. "Until it be overpast" — As if to say: Indeed I know that even after I am now saved from his hand, he will pursue me again; so I will take refuge in You until the calamities pass completely.
Metzudat Zion
'Calamities' — ruin.
Malbim
"Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me... until the calamities pass" — he asks that Hashem be gracious to him until the calamity and the ruin pass from before him, meaning, until Saul and his men pass from here. He doubles the word "be gracious to me," because he needed one act of grace to overcome his inclination and not kill Saul in the cave, and a second act of grace that Saul not kill him afterward when he would see him. Concerning the first he said, "for in You my soul takes refuge" — that his spiritual soul takes refuge in Hashem, that He save it from incurring bloodguilt by killing Hashem's anointed. And concerning the second he said, "in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge" — that this is the refuge of his body in Hashem, that he not be killed; and he likens this to a bird that hides its chicks under its wings when a bird of prey comes upon them.
I will cry to God Most high; to God who accomplishes it for me.
verse value 998
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "to·God" (לָ֝אֵ֗ל, 3 letters) and the longest is "to·God" (לֵאלֹהִ֣ים, 6 letters). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "for·me" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "to·God" (root אל, 112x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Most·High', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֶ֭קְרָא [I·will·cry] (302) + לֵאלֹהִ֣ים [to·God] (116) + עֶלְי֑וֹן [Most·High] (166) + לָ֝אֵ֗ל [to·God] (61) + גֹּמֵ֥ר [who·accomplishes] (243) + עָלָֽי [for·me] (110) = 998.
Ibn Ezra
"I will call" — the meaning of "Most High" is because he was in the lowest place.
Radak
"I will cry" — even though the king pursues me, I will cry out to God, who is exalted above all, and He will save me from his hand; and "He accomplishes it for me" means He completes His kindness toward me — meaning, He has done kindness with me many times, and now He will complete His kindness toward me in the matter of the kingship.
Metzudat David
"Most High" — Who sits in the heavens above, and whose hand is uppermost. "Who accomplishes" — Who completes and fulfills what He promised concerning me.
Malbim
"I will cry to God Most High" — thus I will cry to God insofar as He is Most High, meaning, the first of all causes, the First Cause of everything; and likewise, "to God who accomplishes it for me" — insofar as He is also the One who completes [it], and He is likewise the Final Cause of all things.
He will send from heaven, and save me, when he who would swallow me up taunts, Selah; God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
verse value 2979
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 45 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "taunts" (חֵרֵ֣ף, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·will·save·me" (וְֽיוֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 348: He·will·send, will·send. 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·will·save·me" (וְֽיוֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי), "who·pants·after·me" (שֹׁאֲפִ֣י), "and·His·truth" (וַאֲמִתּֽוֹ). The root שלח appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "His·mercy" (root חסד, 125x in Psalms); "and·will·save·me" (root ישע, 75x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Selah', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: יִשְׁלַ֤ח [He·will·send] (348) + מִשָּׁמַ֨יִם [from·heaven] (430) + וְֽיוֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי [and·will·save·me] (462) + חֵרֵ֣ף [taunts] (288) + שֹׁאֲפִ֣י [who·pants·after·me] (391) + סֶ֑לָה [Selah] (95) + יִשְׁלַ֥ח [will·send] (348) + אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים [God] (86) + חַסְדּ֥וֹ [His·mercy] (78) + וַאֲמִתּֽוֹ [and·His·truth] (453) = 2979.
Rashi
"from the disgrace of him who yearns to swallow me up" — And He will save me from the disgrace of ֹשֹאַפִי, who says to swallow me up, golosa moy in Old French, longs to swallow me up. (See above 56: 2.)
Ibn Ezra
"He will send" — on account of "Most High" [mentioned above].
Radak
"He will send" — even though they are many and I am alone against them, He will send His angels from heaven and save me. "He who would swallow me up taunts" — for if Saul had not scorned the word of Hashem, he would not have pursued him, since he already knew that by Hashem's word, Samuel the prophet had anointed him king. "God shall send forth His mercy and His truth" — the mercy He showed me at first, when He chose me to be king; and now He deals with me in truth, by saving me from the hand of Saul. "My soul is among lions" — [referring to] the men of Israel who pursue him; and he says "among" even though he was fleeing, because it was as if he were among them, since he could not go far from the land of Israel — going back and forth and hiding. "I lie among those who are aflame" — [meaning,] among those who are aflame; and the word "among" that he mentioned stands in place of two [clauses, applying to both]. The meaning of "lohatim," "those who are aflame," is as though they would burn me with the breath of their mouths by speaking evil of me to Saul; and this is what he means when he says, "spear and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword" — he mentions teeth and tongue, the organs by which some letters are formed.
Metzudat David
"When he who would swallow me up taunts, Selah" — From the taunting of those who would swallow me up, He will save me forever. "And His truth" — and the truthfulness of His promise.
Metzudat Zion
'He who would swallow me up' — an expression of swallowing.
Malbim
"He will send" (this is a parenthetical statement, as indicated by the word "Selah," which comes in the middle of the verse), meaning, "He will send from heaven and save me, when he who would swallow me up taunts [me]" — behold, those who would swallow me and my enemies taunt and say, mockingly, "He will send from heaven and save me" — they conclude that I have no salvation by natural means, and they say by way of mockery that it is impossible for me to be saved unless He sends from heaven and saves me, meaning that my salvation is impossible. But what they say in mockery, I say in truth: "God shall send forth His mercy and His truth" — meaning, I call to God Most High, that He truly send forth His mercy and His truth, for I do not hope for a natural salvation, but only for a salvation that He will send me from heaven, both by virtue of "His mercy" and by virtue of "His truth" — that is, His promise, which He promised through a prophet, that I would reign.
My soul is among lions, I do lie down among those who are aflame; Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
verse value 3156
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 54 letters. The shortest word is "sword" (חֶ֣רֶב, 3 letters) and the longest is "sons·of·men" (בְּֽנֵי־אָדָ֗ם, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "lions" (לְבָאִם֮), "who·are·aflame" (לֹ֫הֲטִ֥ים), "their·teeth" (שִׁ֭נֵּיהֶם). 12 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms); "sons·of·men" (root אדם, 67x in Psalms); "and·their·tongue" (root לשון, 33x in Psalms). First appearance of the root להט ("who·are·aflame") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·arrows', dividing the verse into phrases of 9 and 3 words. Full calculation: נַפְשִׁ֤י [my·soul] (440) + בְּת֥וֹךְ [in·the·midst·of] (428) + לְבָאִם֮ [lions] (73) + אֶשְׁכְּבָ֢ה [I·lie·down] (328) + לֹ֫הֲטִ֥ים [who·are·aflame] (94) + בְּֽנֵי־אָדָ֗ם [sons·of·men] (107) + שִׁ֭נֵּיהֶם [their·teeth] (405) + חֲנִ֣ית [spear] (468) + וְחִצִּ֑ים [and·arrows] (154) + וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם [and·their·tongue] (432) + חֶ֣רֶב [sword] (210) + חַדָּֽה [sharp] (17) = 3156.
Rashi
"My soul is among lions" — Abner and Amassa, who were “lions” [leaders] the in Torah, and who do not protest against Saul. "I lie among men who are aflame" — En flanboyanz, or enflamoyonz, among those who are flaming. Among the Ziphim, who are aflame after slander.
Ibn Ezra
"My soul is among lions, I do lie down" — on account of Saul's company. The meaning of "aflame" [lohatim] — as if it were written "among the aflame." The meaning of both [words together] — those who speak evil to Saul about him [David].
Metzudat David
"My soul is among lions" — My soul dwells among men who prey like lions, and I lie among men who burn like a flame of fire, whose faces are like spear and arrows. "A sword" — [their tongue] kills through evil speech (lashon hara) like a sharp sword.
Metzudat Zion
'Lions' — one of the names for a lion. 'Aflame' — an expression of flame, as in 'a flaming fire' (below, Psalm 104). 'Sharp' — sharpened.
Malbim
"My soul" dwells "among lions," that is, among lions, and also "I do lie down" (among) "those who are aflame" — fiery, burning serpents. But the lions and the fiery ones among whom I am are more dangerous than other lions and fiery ones, because "they are the sons of men" — that is, the lions and fiery ones among whom I am are human beings, not speechless creatures. And whereas ordinary lions have only teeth of bone, the lions among whom I am have "teeth [that are] spears and arrows" of iron; and whereas fiery serpents have only venom, which lies beneath the flesh of the tongue, "their tongue" is a sharp "sword," which is worse than the tongue of the burning serpents. Therefore, "Be exalted above the heavens" — that He send from heaven and save him. And corresponding to what he said, "I will cry to God Most High," which is the First Cause, he says, "Be exalted above the heavens, O God"; and corresponding to what he said, "to God who accomplishes it for me," which is the last of the causes, he says, "Your glory [be] over all the earth" — that is, that the salvation in its first cause be from You by way of a miracle, above the heavens, which represents the governance of nature and of the [celestial] order; and likewise that the completion of the salvation in its final cause be from You directly, without intermediary, until Your glory is revealed over all the earth, for the final end of all effects is in the earth.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Your glory be above all the earth.
verse value 1330
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֑ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "above" (עַ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "above·the·heavens" (עַל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם, 7 letters). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "all·the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "above" (root על, 120x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: ר֣וּמָה [be·exalted] (251) + עַל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם [above·the·heavens] (495) + אֱלֹהִ֑ים [God] (86) + עַ֖ל [above] (100) + כׇּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ [all·the·earth] (346) + כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ [Your·glory] (52) = 1330.
Rashi
"Be exalted above the heavens" — Withdraw from the earthlings, who are unworthy of having Your Shechinah rest among them, and on the earth You shall be honored by this.
Ibn Ezra
"Be exalted" — show that You are exalted above the heavens, to save me, so that all the earth will see Your glory, so that those who hear will speak of Your salvation.
Radak
"Be exalted" — that is, in order to save us from their hand, and show Your glory over all the earth, so that all will know that salvation belongs to Him, and that it is impossible for anyone but Him to save. "Be exalted" — by way of metaphor, as if until now You had not been exalted and could not save me from their hand.
Metzudat David
"Be exalted" — that is to say: Take vengeance upon them, and by this Your glory will be exalted above the heavens, and Your honor will be seen over the earth; for when Hashem executes judgment on the wicked, He is exalted and lifted up.
They have prepared a net for my steps, My soul is bowed down; They have dug a pit before me, They have fallen into the midst of it themselves. Selah
verse value 3254
Insights
Verse structure: 11 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "net" (רֶ֤שֶׁת, 3 letters) and the longest is "they·have·prepared" (הֵכִ֣ינוּ, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "they·have·prepared" (הֵכִ֣ינוּ), "for·my·steps" (לִפְעָמַי֮), "is·bowed·down" (כָּפַ֢ף). 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms); "before·me" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms); "Selah" (root סלה, 70x in Psalms). First appearance of the root כפף ("is·bowed·down") in Psalms. First appearance of the root שיחה ("pit") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'pit', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 3 words. Full calculation: רֶ֤שֶׁת [net] (900) + הֵכִ֣ינוּ [they·have·prepared] (91) + לִפְעָמַי֮ [for·my·steps] (230) + כָּפַ֢ף [is·bowed·down] (180) + נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י [my·soul] (440) + כָּר֣וּ [they·have·dug] (226) + לְפָנַ֣י [before·me] (170) + שִׁיחָ֑ה [pit] (323) + נָפְל֖וּ [they·have·fallen] (166) + בְתוֹכָ֣הּ [into·the·midst·of·it] (433) + סֶֽלָה [Selah] (95) = 3254.
Rashi
"he bent down my soul" — i.e., the enemy. "they will fall into it" — They will ultimately fall into it. כפף is cline, or clina in Old French, bent, bent down, an expression of (below 145:14): “and straightens all who are bent down (הכפופים).”
Ibn Ezra
"Net," "bowed down" [kafaf] — an intransitive verb used with a masculine subject, like "every soul is satisfied"; or it may be transitive, in which case the meaning is: each one bowed my soul down. "Pit" [sichah] — like "suchah" [another form of the same word], just as "keri'ei" is like "keru'ei" [a variant spelling]; and likewise, the sense is that they will talk [yesichu] of those who truly fell into its midst.
Radak
"Net" — like what Saul said to the Ziphites: "and see his place, where his foot will be." "My soul is bowed down" — it bowed and subdued my soul. "Pit" [שִׁיחָה] — vocalized with a hirik; its meaning is like "שׁוּחָה" (a deep pit), vocalized with a shuruk. "They have fallen into the midst of it" — meaning, they will fall into the midst of it; for it is the way of the language to speak in the past tense in place of the future, in most of the words of the prophecies.
Metzudat David
"A net" — The vengeance will be that the net which they prepared in the place where my foot would tread, by which each of them bent down my soul to bring me down into it, and the pit they dug before me for me to fall into — in that very place, they themselves shall fall into it forever.
Metzudat Zion
'A net' — a snare/trap for a fowler. 'For my steps' — for my footsteps. 'They have fallen' — [grammatically] like 'yiplu' (they will fall); the past tense is used in place of the future.
Malbim
"A net" — and Hashem heard my prayer, for after they had prepared everything to destroy me, and I was in the utmost danger, the matter was overturned against them. For after they arrived at the cave where David and his men were, Saul fell into David's hand. And so it says: behold, "they prepared a net for my steps," and already "my soul was bowed down" to enter into the net, and also "they dug a pit before me" — in the manner of hunters of animals, that after the animal is caught in the net there is a dug pit into which it falls, and I was ready to fall into that pit; but it was not I who fell there — rather, they themselves "fell into the midst of it. Selah" — the conclusion of the matter.
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, indeed, I will sing praises.
verse value 1197
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱ֭לֹהִים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "my·heart" (לִבִּ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·sing·praises" (וַאֲזַמֵּֽרָה, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 126: steadfast, steadfast. The root כון appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "my·heart" (root לב, 74x in Psalms); "I·will·sing" (root שיר, 68x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: נָ֘כ֤וֹן [steadfast] (126) + לִבִּ֣י [my·heart] (42) + אֱ֭לֹהִים [God] (86) + נָכ֣וֹן [steadfast] (126) + לִבִּ֑י [my·heart] (42) + אָ֝שִׁ֗ירָה [I·will·sing] (516) + וַאֲזַמֵּֽרָה [and·I·will·sing·praises] (259) = 1197.
Rashi
"My heart is steadfast with God, my heart is steadfast" — Faithful to You in the Divine standard of justice and faithful to You in the Divine standard of mercy.
Ibn Ezra
"Steadfast" [nakhon] — it is doubled, [meaning it] is so at every time. "Steadfast" — [I will be steadfast] to sing and make music to Hashem who saved me; and thus I say to my own soul.
Radak
"My heart is steadfast" — the doubling is for emphasis, and the word "God" is a term of address. He says: even though I am pursued, my heart is always steadfast within me and confident in You, that You will save me from their hand, and that I will sing and make music to You for my deliverance.
Metzudat David
"Steadfast" — My heart is steadfast to trust in God; and just as my heart is steadfast, so He will help me, and I will sing over the salvation.
Malbim
"Steadfast" — he now depicts the time when Saul fell into David's hand in the cave, and his men incited him to kill him, and he strengthens himself against his inclination, and says, "My heart is steadfast, O God" — the heart is the ruling faculty within the soul; it is steadfast to overcome my inclination — "my heart is steadfast," and I will not send forth my hand against him. And for this, "I will sing, indeed, I will sing praises," for He kept me from incurring bloodguilt.
Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp; I will awake the dawn.
verse value 1767
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "dawn" (שָּֽׁחַר, 3 letters) and the longest is "my·glory" (כְבוֹדִ֗י, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 281: awake, awake. The root עור appears 3 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·glory" (root כבוד, 52x in Psalms). Full calculation: ע֤וּרָה [awake] (281) + כְבוֹדִ֗י [my·glory] (42) + ע֭וּרָֽה [awake] (281) + הַנֵּ֥בֶל [the·harp] (87) + וְכִנּ֗וֹר [and·lyre] (282) + אָעִ֥ירָה [I·will·awaken] (286) + שָּֽׁחַר [dawn] (508) = 1767.
Rashi
"Awaken, my honor" — and let me not sleep until three hours [of the day have passed], as other kings do. "awaken [me], lyre and harp" — Awaken me, you lyre and harp hanging on my bed, open to the north side. And as soon as midnight arrived, the north wind would blow on it, and David would get up and engage in Torah. "I will awaken the dawn" — I awaken the dawn; the dawn does not awaken me.
Ibn Ezra
"Awake, my glory" — I say also to the harp, "Awake," just as I will awaken the dawn; and the verb is intransitive, like "ha'irah" [awake] and "hakitzah" [awake].
Radak
"Awake" — when You save me, I will sing to You with my mouth and with instruments; and I say to my soul, which is "my glory," "Awake," to compose words of song and thanksgiving. And so too I say to the psaltery and the harp, "at the time I awaken the dawn." Or its meaning is: at the time that I rouse myself at dawn to give thanks to Your name with them, I say to them, "Awake."
Metzudat David
"Awake" — Then I will speak to my soul: Awake, my glory, to speak in song; and awake, harp and lyre, to play upon them, at the time when I awaken the dawn, to give thanks to Hashem.
Metzudat Zion
'My glory' — this is the soul, which is the glory of the body.
Malbim
"Awake" — then all the feelings of his soul were aroused; his glory, which had lain in the dust until now, now awoke, so he said, "Awake, my glory." The psaltery and harp, whose pleasant melodies had been silent and stunned until now, awoke in the pleasantness of their melodies, so he said, "Awake, psaltery and harp." Now "I will awake the dawn" — the sun of success, which had been dark until now, will begin to shine, and I will awaken the dawn of the sun of success, for like the light of morning the sun will shine. Meaning, that now Saul himself recognized his glory, and said to him, "You are more righteous than I; I know that you shall surely reign."
I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations.
verse value 649
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "I·will·thank·You" (אוֹדְךָ֖, 4 letters) and the longest is "among·the·nations" (בַּלְאֻמִּֽים, 6 letters). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "among·the·peoples" (root עם, 135x in Psalms); "I·will·thank·You" (root ידה, 68x in Psalms); "Lord" (root אדון, 64x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Lord', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: אוֹדְךָ֖ [I·will·thank·You] (31) + בָעַמִּ֥ים [among·the·peoples] (162) + אֲדֹנָ֑י [Lord] (65) + אֲ֝זַמֶּרְךָ֗ [I·will·sing·praises·to·You] (268) + בַּלְאֻמִּֽים [among·the·nations] (123) = 649.
Ibn Ezra
"I will give thanks to You among the peoples" — among the multitudes of Israel, as in "after you, Benjamin, among your peoples" (Judges 5:14). "Among the nations" [le'umim] — those who are not from Israel.
Radak
"I will give thanks to You" — and then I will give thanks to You among the peoples; this is a doubling of the matter in different words, as is customary. "Among the peoples and the nations" — meaning, the families of Israel.
Metzudat David
"I will give thanks to You among the peoples" — to publicize Your praises.
Malbim
"I will give thanks to You among the peoples" — thanksgiving is for the good [received], while song is the recounting of His praises and glories; this will be among the nations who have a religion — I will recount to them the praise of Hashem, for He is greater than all gods.
For Your mercy is great to the heavens, And Your truth to the skies.
verse value 1622
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "Your·mercy" (חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·to·the·skies" (וְֽעַד־שְׁחָקִ֥ים, 8 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "for·great" (כִּֽי־גָדֹ֣ל), "to·heaven" (עַד־שָׁמַ֣יִם). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Your·mercy" (root חסד, 125x in Psalms); "to·heaven" (root שמים, 71x in Psalms); "Your·truth" (root אמת, 32x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·mercy', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־גָדֹ֣ל [for·great] (67) + עַד־שָׁמַ֣יִם [to·heaven] (464) + חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ [Your·mercy] (92) + וְֽעַד־שְׁחָקִ֥ים [and·to·the·skies] (538) + אֲמִתֶּֽךָ [Your·truth] (461) = 1622.
Ibn Ezra
"For" — it is possible that this explains "the one who would swallow me up has taunted me" [v. 4]: because he taunted me, Hashem will send forth His mercy; and this is [the meaning of] "for it is great to the heavens" — and because the height of the heavens has a [finite] limit, but Your mercy has no limit, it is therefore followed by: "be exalted above the heavens."
Radak
"For" — I will give thanks to You, for Your kindness that You did with me, and Your truth, are great even to the heavens; and I have already explained the terms "kindness" and "truth."
Metzudat David
"For great, etc." — The kindness and truth done for me is great, reaching to the heavens, and it is fitting to publicize it.
Malbim
(11-12) "For Your mercy is great unto the heavens" — for the two modes of governance called by the names "mercy" and "truth" are found also in the heavens and in the skies, and this verse was already explained at length above (chapter 36), in the comment on "Hashem, in the heavens is Your mercy; Your faithfulness unto the skies" — see there. And this corresponds here to what he said, "Be exalted above the heavens, O God," which corresponds to "I will cry to God Most High," who is the first of the causes that come by way of the heavens and the [celestial] order, for everything is by [divine] providence even in the heavens; and [it corresponds] to what he said, "to God who accomplishes it for me" — that even at a time when, according to the chain of causes, it would necessarily follow that I not be saved, He overturns the final cause and completes the matter for salvation, which is by way of a complete miracle that likewise constantly operates in Hashem's governance, and this is by way of the miracle that comes from the skies, as I have elaborated on this above, there. And so, "Be exalted above the heavens, O God" — "Your glory [be] over all the earth."
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Your glory be above all the earth.
verse value 1325
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֑ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "above" (עַ֖ל, 2 letters) and the longest is "above·heaven" (עַל־שָׁמַ֣יִם, 6 letters). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "all·the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "above" (root על, 120x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: ר֣וּמָה [be·exalted] (251) + עַל־שָׁמַ֣יִם [above·heaven] (490) + אֱלֹהִ֑ים [God] (86) + עַ֖ל [above] (100) + כׇּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ [all·the·earth] (346) + כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ [Your·glory] (52) = 1325.
Radak
"Be exalted" — he repeats the verse a second time, to strengthen the supplication and the request.
Metzudat David
"Be exalted" — Then Your glory will be exalted above the heavens, and Your honor will be seen over all the earth, on account of the greatness of the salvation.
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Malbim