A Psalm of David, a Michtam, denouncing corrupt and violent judges. A plea for divine justice against the wicked, affirming that Hashem judges the earth in righteousness.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
For the Leader; Al-tashheth. [A Psalm] of David; Michtam.
verse value 1901
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 19 letters. The shortest word is "of·David" (לְדָוִ֥ד, 4 letters) and the longest is "Al-tashheth" (אַל־תַּשְׁחֵ֗ת, 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) + אַל־תַּשְׁחֵ֗ת [Al-tashheth] (1139) + לְדָוִ֥ד [of·David] (44) + מִכְתָּֽם [Michtam] (500) = 1901.
Rashi
"michtam" — The name of the melody of a song.
Radak
"Indeed" — he said this against Abner son of Ner and the rest of Saul's officers, who were judging David as one who lawfully rebels against the kingdom, and who said that Saul was justified in pursuing him to kill him; for had they restrained him, Saul would not have pursued him. "And O mighty ones" — its meaning is "assembly." He says: that you gather to judge my case and the case of other people who are oppressed like me — but if you truly cling to righteousness and judge with uprightness, you do not act so.
Malbim
"For the leader; Al-tashcheth" — This is based on [the incident of] Saul's men, who incited Saul to pursue David a second time, saying that he had found the corner of his cloak. For this reason this psalm too is designated by the name "Al-tashcheth" and is linked to the preceding psalm; it was composed against these men of falsehood and slanderers.
Do you indeed speak as a righteous company? Do you judge with equity the sons of men?
verse value 2565
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "company" (אֵ֣לֶם, 3 letters) and the longest is "speak" (תְּדַבֵּר֑וּן, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "do·indeed" (הַאֻמְנָ֗ם), "speak" (תְּדַבֵּר֑וּן), "judge" (תִּ֝שְׁפְּט֗וּ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "speak" (root דבר, 133x in Psalms); "man" (root אדם, 67x in Psalms); "sons·of" (root בן, 62x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'speak', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: הַאֻמְנָ֗ם [do·indeed] (136) + אֵ֣לֶם [company] (71) + צֶ֭דֶק [justice] (194) + תְּדַבֵּר֑וּן [speak] (662) + מֵישָׁרִ֥ים [evenness] (600) + תִּ֝שְׁפְּט֗וּ [judge] (795) + בְּנֵ֣י [sons·of] (62) + אָדָֽם [man] (45) = 2565.
Rashi
"Is it true" — Heb. האמנם. This is an expression of truth. "Is it true that you were silent about the righteousness that you should have spoken, etc." — He recited this psalm concerning [the incident] when he entered the barricade where Saul was lying, took the spear and the jug, went away, and called, “Will you not answer, Abner?” (I Sam. 26:14). That is to say, “Shouldn’t you now prove to Saul and show him that he pursues me for no reason? For had I wished, I would have killed him.” And so did he say in his song: Is it true that the righteousness that you should have said and the equities with which you should have judged have been silenced from your mouth? The righteousness that you should have spoken.
Ibn Ezra
"Is it true, O silent congregation" [elem] — some say that "elem" means "assembly," related to "binding sheaves" [me'almim alumim] (Genesis 37:7). But Rabbi Moshe said: because you have been struck silent from speaking this just matter, which is the truthful word.
Metzudat David
"Indeed" — When David came to the camp, to the place where Saul was lying, and took from there the king's spear and the jug of water, and went his way, and from a distance called out and said, "Will you not answer, Abner?" etc., as is written in I Samuel — and therefore he said: "Indeed, have you been struck dumb from speaking justice," which you ought to speak, "and the uprightness" you have to judge the sons of men — for behold, now you could show Saul that I am not his enemy, since he was delivered into my hand and I did not kill him.
Metzudat Zion
'Indeed' — [i.e.,] truthfully.
Malbim
(2-3) "Is it indeed silent" — Is it possible to believe that two opposites could be bound together as one bundle, joined together in a single subject? And the verses are parallel: "Do you speak righteousness, yet in your heart you work injustice? Do you judge the sons of men with uprightness, yet in the land your hands weigh out violence?" — meaning: with your mouths you speak righteousness and rebuke people to act justly, while in your heart you commit injustice — and here the heart contradicts the speech. And likewise, you judge the sons of men so that they should act with uprightness and not commit violence or robbery, yet you yourselves openly weigh out the violence of your hands in the land — and here the deed contradicts the speech.
Indeed, in heart you work wickedness; You weigh out in the earth the violence of your hands.
verse value 2368
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "violence·of" (חֲמַ֥ס, 3 letters) and the longest is "work" (תִּפְעָ֫ל֥וּן, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "indeed·in·heart" (אַף־בְּלֵב֮), "wickedness" (עוֹלֹ֢ת), "work" (תִּפְעָ֫ל֥וּן). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "your·hands" (root יד, 78x in Psalms); "indeed·in·heart" (root אף, 40x in Psalms). Full calculation: אַף־בְּלֵב֮ [indeed·in·heart] (115) + עוֹלֹ֢ת [wickedness] (506) + תִּפְעָ֫ל֥וּן [work] (636) + בָּאָ֡רֶץ [in·the·earth] (293) + חֲמַ֥ס [violence·of] (108) + יְ֝דֵיכֶ֗ם [your·hands] (84) + תְּפַלֵּסֽוּן [weigh] (626) = 2368.
Rashi
"Even in your heart, you plot injustice" — And not only that, but in your heart you plot evil, to do injustice. "injustice" — lit. wrongs, like עַוָלוֹת as one says from שוֹר, שורים, and from עיר, עירים (Jud. 10: 4): “and they had thirty cities (עירים),” which is an expression of עיר, a city. "in the earth, you weigh down the violence of your hands" — Inside the earth, you weigh down the violence of your hands until it is very heavy. תְפַלֵּסוּן is contrepesez or contrepezeres in Old French, you outweigh. (See Isa. 26:7.)
Ibn Ezra
"Indeed," "wickedness" [olot] — like "and injustice [avlatah] shuts its mouth" (Job 5:16); [meaning] the injustice that you commit in your heart. And this psalm is spoken concerning the judges. "The violence of your hands" — the blood of the bribe [i.e., the bloodshed caused by bribery]. The meaning of "you weigh out" [tefalesun] — you weigh it out so that no one will sense the violence that you commit; and the meaning is: you commit violence as though it were carefully weighed out.
Radak
"Wickedness" [עוֹלֹת] — with a quiescent vav, spelled the same as "עוֹלוֹת" (burnt offerings); there, the vav is a mobile letter, but here it belongs to the root ע-ו-ל. "Indeed" — that is to say, although the heart is the seat of thought and not the seat of action, nevertheless your heart thinks wickedness so constantly that it is as if it were performing it on the earth. "You weigh out the violence of your hands" — the violence that you do with your hands, you proclaim in the land and make it palatable to people with forceful arguments, as if it were done honestly, by scale and by weight.
Metzudat David
"Indeed, in heart" — It is not merely that you found no merit [in my favor]; rather, even with the intent of your heart you commit iniquity. "In the earth you weigh out" — [meaning] you straighten out the violence in your hands, that is, you claim of the violence that it is upright.
Metzudat Zion
'Wickedness' — from the term 'avlah' (injustice). 'You weigh out' — an expression of leveling/straightness; for this reason a scale-beam is called 'peles' (balance), because it levels the weight; similarly, 'make level the path of your feet' (Proverbs 5).
The wicked are estranged from the womb; The speakers of lies go astray as soon as they are born.
verse value 1943
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "are·estranged" (זֹ֣רוּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "wicked" (רְשָׁעִ֣ים, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "are·estranged" (זֹ֣רוּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "speakers·of" (root דבר, 133x in Psalms); "wicked" (root רשע, 87x in Psalms). First appearance of the root תעה ("went·astray") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·the·womb', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: זֹ֣רוּ [are·estranged] (213) + רְשָׁעִ֣ים [wicked] (620) + מֵרָ֑חֶם [from·the·womb] (288) + תָּע֥וּ [went·astray] (476) + מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן [from·the·belly] (101) + דֹּבְרֵ֥י [speakers·of] (216) + כָזָֽב [falsehood] (29) = 1943.
Rashi
"The wicked become estranged [even] from the womb" — From their mother’s womb they become strange to the Holy One, blessed be He, in the way that Esau did (Gen. 25:22): “And the children moved violently against each other in her womb.” "become estranged" — Heb. זֹרו, like נזורוּ, the same construction as (Jer. 2:12): “O heavens (שֹֹֹמו), be astonished”; (Gen. 49:23), “they heaped bitter abuse upon him and became [his] opponents (ורֹבו)”; (Job 24:24), “They are taken away (רוֹמוּ) in a second.” All these are in the passive voice.
Ibn Ezra
"They are estranged" [zoru] — a past-tense verb on the pattern of "for my eyes have brightened" (1 Samuel 14:29); and the meaning is: from the time of their birth they are strangers in their nature compared to other newborns. "And go astray" [ta'u] — doubled in meaning [repeating the same idea].
Radak
"They are estranged" — a past-tense verb, one of the hollow verbs (verbs with a weak middle letter); meaning, it is their nature to do strange and evil deeds, and therefore "they have gone astray from the womb"; this is a doubling of the matter in different words.
Metzudat David
"They are estranged" — These wicked ones became strangers to Hashem from the time they left the womb. "They go astray" — Those who speak lies about me went astray from the good path from the time they left the womb.
Malbim
"Are estranged" — He says that these deceitful, hypocritical men of falsehood are worse than those who are openly wicked. For "the wicked" "are estranged" from the time they came forth "from the womb," that is, after their birth; but "the speakers of lies go astray from the belly" of their mother, even before they were born and came forth from the womb. This means that the wickedness of the wicked is not natural to them, for man was not created to be wicked, and man's inborn nature inclines toward righteousness — he becomes wicked only afterward, through evil companions, neighbors, teachers, and the like. But those who deal in falsehood — their character and nature are evil, and their evil is not something incidental but is essential and natural to them.
Their venom is like the venom of a serpent; They are like the deaf asp that stops her ear;
verse value 3028
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "deaf" (חֵ֝רֵ֗שׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "their·venom" (חֲמַת־לָ֗מוֹ, 6 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "their·venom" (חֲמַת־לָ֗מוֹ), "like·the·likeness·of" (כִּדְמ֥וּת), "venom·of·a·serpent" (חֲמַת־נָחָ֑שׁ). The root חמה appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "his·ear" (root אזן, 36x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'venom·of·a·serpent', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: חֲמַת־לָ֗מוֹ [their·venom] (524) + כִּדְמ֥וּת [like·the·likeness·of] (470) + חֲמַת־נָחָ֑שׁ [venom·of·a·serpent] (806) + כְּמוֹ־פֶ֥תֶן [like·an·asp] (596) + חֵ֝רֵ֗שׁ [deaf] (508) + יַאְטֵ֥ם [shuts] (60) + אׇזְנֽוֹ [his·ear] (64) = 3028.
Rashi
"They have venom" — They have venom to kill people, like the venom of a serpent. "like a deaf cobra that closes its ear" — When the snake ages, it becomes deaf in one ear, and closes the other ear with dust so that it should not hear the incantation of the charmer, adjuring it not to cause injury.
Ibn Ezra
"Venom" [chamat] — in construct form, though it is not written to what it is bound, in the manner of "and drunk, but not from wine" (Isaiah 51:21). The meaning of "chamat" — a name for something deadly. The meaning of "stops its ear" — this is what he goes on to relate afterward: "that will not hear," and "not the voice of charmers."
Radak
"Their venom" — their wickedness is recognizable, in that they cast venom from their mouths and their faces when they grow enraged, like a serpent that casts venom. "They are like the deaf asp" — he says that they are like the serpent, namely the hardened, deaf asp, which stops up its ear so as not to hear the charm known to work on a serpent, so that it will not do harm — as if it were deaf, and as if it stopped up its ear so that it would not hear what is being charmed to it.
Metzudat David
"Their venom" — In their anger they cast venom like a serpent; this is a figurative expression. "Like the deaf asp" — They are like an asp whose evil is so great that no charm helps it, as if it were deaf and stopped up its ear so as not to hear; so too these wicked ones — rebuke does not help them, as if they were deaf, etc.
Metzudat Zion
'Venom' — poison, as in 'their wine is the venom of serpents' (Deuteronomy 32:33). 'Asp' — a type of dangerous snake. 'Stops' — closes up, as in 'he who stops his ear' (Proverbs 21).
Malbim
(5-6) "Their venom is like the venom of a serpent" — The serpent bites a man not for its own benefit, but only because of the enmity placed between it and man, that man will crush its head — and therefore it bites his heel, out of fear that he might kill it. So too the venom (rage) of these slanderers resembles this: it is as if they fear that I will do them harm, and therefore they speak slander against me — which resembles the bite of a serpent, as it is written, "Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment, and what advantage has the charmer?" Yet, in contrast, a serpent that hears a charm does no harm — meaning, figuratively, that when it is charmed [reassured] that it need not fear man, since he is not its enemy and does not seek its harm, then it will not bite. So it would have been fitting that after I had, as it were, charmed them by showing — through the cutting of the corner of the cloak — that I do not seek Saul's harm, they should have heeded the charm. But instead they are like "the deaf viper that stops its ear, which does not listen to the voice of charmers," even though "the charmer" is "skilled" and knows how to charm — so too have they stopped their ears from hearing the charm.
Which hearkens not to the voice of charmers, Or of the most cunning binder of spells.
verse value 2130
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "which" (אֲשֶׁ֣ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "not·hearkens" (לֹֽא־יִ֭שְׁמַע, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "not·hearkens" (לֹֽא־יִ֭שְׁמַע), "charmers" (מְלַחֲשִׁ֑ים), "binder·of" (חוֹבֵ֖ר). The root חבר appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "which" (root אשר, 101x in Psalms); "not·hearkens" (root שמע, 76x in Psalms); "to·the·voice·of" (root קול, 55x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'charmers', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֲשֶׁ֣ר [which] (501) + לֹֽא־יִ֭שְׁמַע [not·hearkens] (451) + לְק֣וֹל [to·the·voice·of] (166) + מְלַחֲשִׁ֑ים [charmers] (428) + חוֹבֵ֖ר [binder·of] (216) + חֲבָרִ֣ים [spells] (260) + מְחֻכָּֽם [wise] (108) = 2130.
Rashi
"Which will not hear, etc." — This is connected to the preceding verse: “and it closes its ear in order not to hear the voice of charmers.” "caster of spells" — who knows how to charm snakes.
Radak
"The binder of spells" — one who knows the wisdom of the charm and the wisdom of "binding" performs deeds by which the charm becomes effective. "Most cunning" — that he is very skilled in these charms; yet even so, his efforts will not avail against him, the wicked one, for these men will not heed the voice of the righteous in judgment.
Metzudat David
"Which, etc." — Because of its evil nature, it does not listen to the voice of those who charm it; and even if the charmer is very skilled at charming, it still will not listen to the voice of his charm.
Metzudat Zion
'Binder of spells' — one who knows how to cast spells; similarly, 'or a charmer' (Deuteronomy 18).
Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth; Break out the cheek-teeth of the young lions, O Hashem.
verse value 2767
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 37 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "break" (נְתֹ֣ץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "break·their·teeth" (הֲרׇס־שִׁנֵּ֥ימֽוֹ, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "break·their·teeth" (הֲרׇס־שִׁנֵּ֥ימֽוֹ), "in·their·mouth" (בְּפִ֑ימוֹ), "cheek-teeth·of" (מַלְתְּע֥וֹת). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "in·their·mouth" (root פה, 46x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·their·mouth', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים [God] (86) + הֲרׇס־שִׁנֵּ֥ימֽוֹ [break·their·teeth] (671) + בְּפִ֑ימוֹ [in·their·mouth] (138) + מַלְתְּע֥וֹת [cheek-teeth·of] (946) + כְּ֝פִירִ֗ים [young·lions] (360) + נְתֹ֣ץ [break] (540) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 2767.
Rashi
"molars" — The inner teeth, called messelers in Old French, molars, grinders.
Ibn Ezra
"O God" — because they tear with their mouths, he likens them to young lions, for the tongue is [set] among the teeth.
Radak
"God" — since he said, in the psalm above, that their teeth are spears and arrows, he now says, "break their teeth," so that their evil words should not harm me.
Metzudat David
"Their teeth" — of these wicked ones. "Young lions" — who prey like young lions.
Metzudat Zion
'Cheek-teeth' — these are the large [molar] teeth; the word also appears with its letters transposed, as in 'and his jaw-teeth as knives' (Proverbs 30).
Malbim
"God, break their teeth in their mouth" — He likens their slander to teeth, with which predatory beasts seize their prey, and "like the fangs of young lions," with which they crush the prey. And he asked of Hashem that He break their teeth so that they cannot seize the prey — and even if it is already in their mouth, that He shatter their fangs so that they cannot destroy it.
Let them melt away as water that runs apace; When he aims his arrows, let them be as though they were cut off.
verse value 1740
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 36 letters. The shortest word is "his·arrows" (חִ֝צָּ֗ו, 3 letters) and the longest is "walk·for·themselves" (יִתְהַלְּכוּ־לָ֑מוֹ, 9 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "let·them·melt·away" (יִמָּאֲס֣וּ), "like·water" (כְמוֹ־מַ֭יִם), "walk·for·themselves" (יִתְהַלְּכוּ־לָ֑מוֹ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "he·treads" (root דרך, 70x in Psalms); "walk·for·themselves" (root הלך, 68x in Psalms); "like·water" (root מים, 38x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'walk·for·themselves', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: יִמָּאֲס֣וּ [let·them·melt·away] (117) + כְמוֹ־מַ֭יִם [like·water] (156) + יִתְהַלְּכוּ־לָ֑מוֹ [walk·for·themselves] (547) + יִדְרֹ֥ךְ [he·treads] (234) + חִ֝צָּ֗ו [his·arrows] (104) + כְּמ֣וֹ [like] (66) + יִתְמֹלָֽלוּ [let·them·wither] (516) = 1740.
Rashi
"Let them be rejected" — by themselves, that they will be rejected in their own eyes from worry, and as [if] in water let them walk. Similar to this is (Ezek. 7:17): “and all knees will go [as in] water,” from tears. "He will aim His arrows" — i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He, so that they will be cut off. יתמֹללוּ is soyent preciz, let them be cut off.
Ibn Ezra
"Let them melt away" [yimasu] — the alef stands in place of the doubled letter, in the manner of "whose land the rivers have plundered [bazu]" (Isaiah 18:2). "They go about for themselves" — until they are no longer to be found. The meaning of "he treads his arrow" [yidroch chitzo] — the word "the treader" [ha-dorech] is omitted, as in "and it was said to Joseph" (Genesis 48:1) [where the subject is likewise omitted]; as if it were written: "the treader treads his arrows toward them." And he mentions "his arrows" — [meaning] the place of his bow, for the treading/bending of the bow is for the purpose of shooting the arrows. "Let them be cut off" [yitmolelu] — like "it is cut down and withers" [yimol veyavesh] (Psalm 90:6).
Radak
"Let them melt away" — the alef stands in place of the doubled letter, and it is like "they will melt" (יִמַּסּוּ), along the lines of "and the heart of the people melted"; meaning that they will become of no effect. "When he aims his arrows" — each one of them draws his bow to do evil to me; those arrows are their evil words, and the bow is the mouth.
Metzudat David
"Let them melt away" — Let them melt like water and go to destruction. "He aims" — the Omnipresent will aim His arrows at them, and they will be like things cut off swiftly.
Metzudat Zion
'Let them melt away' — they will dissolve; the aleph stands in place of a doubled letter, similarly 'which is plundered' (Isaiah 18), whose grammatical root is 'bazazu.' 'Let them be cut off' — they will be cut down, as in 'it is cut down and withers' (below, Psalm 90).
Malbim
"Let them melt away" — that is, let them dissolve — "like water" that "flows off by itself," for [its drops] are not bound together and they separate into drop after drop; so may their assembly disperse. And also, at the time "he aims his arrows," let them be "as though they are cut off," like a thing that is nipped off whose tip has been plucked away — so may the sharp head of the arrows be plucked off.
Let them be as a snail which melts and passes away; Like the untimely births of a woman, that have not seen the sun.
verse value 2553
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "like" (כְּמ֣וֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "snail" (שַׁ֭בְּלוּל, 5 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "snail" (שַׁ֭בְּלוּל), "dissolving" (תֶּ֣מֶס), "untimely-birth·of" (נֵ֥פֶל). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "passes·away" (root הלך, 68x in Psalms); "untimely-birth·of" (root נפל, 30x in Psalms). First appearance of the root אשה ("woman") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'passes·away', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: כְּמ֣וֹ [like] (66) + שַׁ֭בְּלוּל [snail] (368) + תֶּ֣מֶס [dissolving] (500) + יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ [passes·away] (65) + נֵ֥פֶל [untimely-birth·of] (160) + אֵ֝֗שֶׁת [woman] (701) + בַּל־חָ֥זוּ [not·have·seen] (53) + שָֽׁמֶשׁ [sun] (640) = 2553.
Rashi
"a snail" — Heb. שבלול. Some interpret it as limace in Old French, a snail (as in Lev. 11:30). Others interpret it as שבֹּלת, a current of water (below 69:16). The “lammed” is doubled, as from (Job 18: 16): “his branch will be cut off (ימל) ; (below 90:6), “will be cut off (ימולל) and will dry up.” "melts" — it continuously melts. תֶּמֶס is a noun, the “mem” being the fundamental radical and the “tav” a defective radical, like the “tav” of (Lev. 20:12): “they committed a disgraceful act (תבל).” "a mole" — Heb. נפל אשת, talpe in Old French, which has no eyes. It is identified as תִּנְשֶׁמֶת (in Lev. 11:30), translated [by Onkelos] as אשותא. So did our Sages explain it (M.K. 6b). Others explain it as a stillbirth of a woman. אשת is like (Ezek. 23:44): “women of (אשת) lewdness.” There is a “tav” without the construct state, as (Prov. 4:9): “she will transmit to you, a crown of glory (עטרת תפארת),” like “a stillbirth of a woman (אשה),” for the stillbirths born did not see the sun. According to the former explanation, it is like נפל ואשת, a stillbirth and a mole, as (Jer. 11:19): “And I was like a lamb a bull (ככבש אלוף),” which Menachem explained: like a lamb and a bull (ככבש ואלוף). That is, a bull; here too, a stillbirth and a mole נפל ואשת. It is proper to emend.
Ibn Ezra
"Like a snail" [shablul] — in the words of the ancients, of blessed memory: "He created the shablul," and it is like a kind of creature in the water that dissolves as it moves. And some say that the lamed of "shablul" is doubled, and it is like "shibolet mayim" [a flow of water] — this too is correct. Now I will state the grammar of the word "eshet." Know that the letter heh is the sign of the feminine, [as in] "atarah," "tif'arah"; and when the heh is exchanged for a tav, the word reverts to being accented on the penultimate syllable [mil'eil], whether the word is in construct, like "tiferet Yisrael" [the glory of Israel], or not in construct, thus "atteret tiferet" [a crown of glory]; and likewise "eshet" — originally "ishah," and afterward "eshet," whether it is in construct, like "eshet ish" [another man's wife], or not in construct, like "eshet yefat to'ar" [a woman of beautiful form].
Radak
"Like" — and let them be like the snail that goes along and melts. "Melts" — on the pattern of "תֵּבֵל" (world); it is a noun from the geminate verbs, from the root מסס. And "snail" is a creeping creature called in the vernacular (Old French) "limsha." "Like the untimely birth of a woman that has not seen the sun" — and let them be like the woman's stillborn child, for both this one and that one have not seen the sun: the snail, which is covered inside its shell, which is to it like a garment; and so too the stillborn child.
Metzudat David
"Like a snail" — Like this snail, whose way is to melt away as the sun shines upon it; and like the stillbirth of a woman, which never sees the sun — so these wicked ones will not see the sun, that is, the light of salvation.
Metzudat Zion
'Snail' — the name of a certain creeping creature. 'Melts' — from the term 'hamasah' (dissolving).
Malbim
"Like a snail" (Yiddish: schnecke) — whose distinctive property is that as soon as it is touched, it releases a great deal of slime from within itself, to the point that it seems as though it "is melting" (and it is known that by means of this slime it moves about easily, which is why it says, "let it flow away and melt"). And they will be like "the stillbirth of a woman [nefel eshet]" — a crawling creature, blind-eyed, that "has not seen the sun." (One might say that "nefel eshet" refers to a species of blind snake — [Yiddish transliteration of the German] "Blindschleiche," the slow-worm — whose distinctive property is that when a person touches it, it stiffens like a stone and falls apart into pieces. It is called "nefel" ["a fallen thing"] because of its falling apart into pieces, and "eshet" ["woman"] on account of its blindness — "the black of night and darkness.") This means: either it will melt like water when he touches it — and the figure alludes to David's rebuke of Saul, at the time he cut off the corner of the cloak — or it will be blind and unable to see, and will stiffen like a stone, and if he does not withdraw his hand, it will fall to pieces.
Before your pots can feel the thorns, He will sweep it away with a whirlwind, the raw and the burning alike.
verse value 2123
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 36 letters. The shortest word is "bramble" (אָטָ֑ד, 3 letters) and the longest is "like·burning" (כְּמוֹ־חָ֝ר֗וֹן, 7 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "your·pots" (סִּירֹתֵכֶ֣ם), "bramble" (אָטָ֑ד), "like·living" (כְּמוֹ־חַ֥י). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "like·living" (root חי, 43x in Psalms); "understand" (root בין, 29x in Psalms). First appearance of the root סיר ("your·pots") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'bramble', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּטֶ֤רֶם [before] (251) + יָבִ֣ינוּ [understand] (78) + סִּירֹתֵכֶ֣ם [your·pots] (730) + אָטָ֑ד [bramble] (14) + כְּמוֹ־חַ֥י [like·living] (84) + כְּמוֹ־חָ֝ר֗וֹן [like·burning] (330) + יִשְׂעָרֶֽנּוּ [he·shall·sweep·it·away] (636) = 2123.
Rashi
"Before your tender briars develop into hardened thorns" — lit. before your tender briars know hardened thorns. That before your tender briars know to be hardened thorns, i.e., before the children of the wicked grow up. "with vigor, with wrath" — i.e., with might, with strength, and with wrath will the Holy One, blessed be He, drive them away as [with] a storm wind. "with vigor" — חי is an expression of might.
Ibn Ezra
"Before they understand" [yavinu] — Rav Hai, of blessed memory, said: the ripening of a tree's blossom is like hardening. And in the words of the sages of Israel: "evyonot" [caper-berries]. And behold, the meaning is: before the thorn-bushes ripen and become like a bramble [atad], Hashem will sweep them away from their place. The meaning of "chai" [raw/alive] — while they are still in the vigor of life, that is, moist. "Like wrath" [charon] — like a person who uproots a tree from its place in wrath. And some say: before those who understand perceive that your thorn-bushes, which are small thorns, will grow and become like a bramble [atad], which are large — just as a living creature acts in the fierceness of his anger, so will Hashem sweep them away.
Radak
"Before your pots can feel" — this matter, stated by David, is a parable for the swiftness of their perishing from the world. He says: before the pots feel the heat from the fire of thorns beneath them — a fire that has no permanence — "As raw, as with burning wrath, shall He sweep it away" — just as the meat in their pots is still raw, because the pots have not felt the heat of the thorns and the meat has not been cooked, so a sudden wrath will come upon them while they are still at ease, and it will sweep away each one of them.
Metzudat David
"Before" — Before the branches of the thorns come to understand becoming hardened, [reaching] the condition of a thorn tree — that is to say, before the children of the wicked come to understand how to act wickedly like their father. "Like the living" — Like a thing uprooted by a vigorous person, and like something uprooted in fierce wrath, when then nothing at all remains — so will Hashem uproot them with a storm wind, so that no remnant is left.
Metzudat Zion
'Your pots' — [here referring to] thorn-branches, as in 'like tangled thorns' (Nahum 1:10). 'Bramble' — a type of thorn tree, as in 'and the bramble said to the trees' (Judges 9:15). 'Raw' — an expression of vigor/soundness, as in 'until they recovered' (Joshua 5). 'He will sweep it away' — from the term 'se'arah' (storm/tempest), even though it is spelled with a sin [rather than a samech].
Malbim
"Before your pots can feel the thorns" — The thornbush burns beneath the pots, as it says, "like the crackling of thorns under a pot." And when the meat in the pot begins to cook, the pot "feels" that there is a thornbush beneath it heating it, and it raises up bubbling in response — and this is described figuratively as the pot then "understanding" the thornbush. However, before the pot understands the thornbush — that is, while it has not yet been heated by the fire of the thornbush — the meat is still raw. So [the verse] says that even before the pots understand the thornbush, even though it is "as if alive," meaning like raw meat that has not been cooked, nevertheless "He will sweep it away as with a whirlwind" — He will storm and cast it away as in wrath; that is, like meat that has become scorched, charred, and burned by the fire into which it is cast. The metaphor is that the punishment of the wicked resembles the cooking of a pot, as it says (Ezekiel 24:3), "Set on the pot, set it on." And when the punishment comes in its proper time, it is likened to meat that has fully cooked; but here it depicts the punishment coming before its time, while [the wicked man] still seems "as if alive" — yet nevertheless it will be like a thing scorched and burned by the intensity of the fire. And then "the righteous will rejoice" because he "has witnessed vengeance" — the figure depicts "vengeance" as an abstract living being who kills the wicked man, and after killing him, Vengeance washes its feet in his blood. This is why it says the righteous man "will see [yechezeh]" — how Vengeance washes its feet in the blood of the wicked. (And this is why the term "chazah" [a term for inner, prophetic vision] is used, because Vengeance is an abstract, intellectual entity that is not seen with the eye, but only in the vision of the heart.)
The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance; He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
verse value 1937
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 32 letters. Verse gematria: 1937 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "vengeance" (נָקָ֑ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "when·he·sees" (כִּי־חָזָ֣ה, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "when·he·sees" (כִּי־חָזָ֣ה), "vengeance" (נָקָ֑ם), "shall·wash" (יִ֝רְחַ֗ץ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "the·wicked" (root רשע, 87x in Psalms); "shall·rejoice" (root שמח, 55x in Psalms); "just" (root צדיק, 52x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'vengeance', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: יִשְׂמַ֣ח [shall·rejoice] (358) + צַ֭דִּיק [just] (204) + כִּי־חָזָ֣ה [when·he·sees] (50) + נָקָ֑ם [vengeance] (190) + פְּעָמָ֥יו [his·feet] (206) + יִ֝רְחַ֗ץ [shall·wash] (308) + בְּדַ֣ם [in·the·blood·of] (46) + הָרָשָֽׁע [the·wicked] (575) = 1937.
Ibn Ezra
"The righteous shall rejoice" — corresponding to "O silent one, [do you speak] righteousness" [v. 2].
Radak
"Shall rejoice" — then, when the wrath comes upon them.
Metzudat David
"For he sees" — when he sees the vengeance of Hashem. "He shall wash his steps" — In the course of his walking, he will wash his feet in the blood of the wicked that is spilled on the ground.
Metzudat Zion
'Sees' — beholds. 'His feet' — his feet, with which he walks.
And men shall say: 'Verily there is a reward for the righteous; Verily there is a God that judges in the earth.'
verse value 1996
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 36 letters. The shortest word is "indeed" (אַ֥ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "there·is·a·God" (יֵשׁ־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "indeed·fruit" (אַךְ־פְּרִ֣י), "there·is·a·God" (יֵשׁ־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים), "who·judges" (שֹׁפְטִ֥ים). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "and·shall·say" (root אמר, 111x in Psalms); "man" (root אדם, 67x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·the·righteous', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְיֹאמַ֣ר [and·shall·say] (257) + אָ֭דָם [man] (45) + אַךְ־פְּרִ֣י [indeed·fruit] (311) + לַצַּדִּ֑יק [for·the·righteous] (234) + אַ֥ךְ [indeed] (21) + יֵשׁ־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים [there·is·a·God] (396) + שֹׁפְטִ֥ים [who·judges] (439) + בָּאָֽרֶץ [in·the·earth] (293) = 1996.
Rashi
"And man will say, “Truly, the righteous man has reward”" — Then people will say, “Surely there is reward and recompense in the deeds of the righteous, since the Holy One, blessed be He, avenged their wrongs.” "there is a God" — A Judge, Who judges the wicked on the earth.
Ibn Ezra
"And [men] shall say," "judges" [shofetim] — the angels; for from the place of Your dwelling the decrees go forth over all the earth, by the word of the glorious Hashem.
Radak
"And men shall say" — then every person will say that there is reward for the righteous from the good deeds he has done, in that he sees his vengeance upon his enemies; and they will say that there is a God who judges in the earth, since He judges them — and not as they, [the wicked], think, that Hashem does not see. "Judges" — a plural form, as an expression of honor, like "He is a holy God" (a plural form); or he said "God[s] who judge" in reference to the angels, who judge as agents of God and by His will.
Metzudat David
"And man shall say" — Then every man will say: The end of the matter is that there is fruit and recompense paid to the righteous, and there is a God who judges the wicked according to his wickedness; and even if it goes well for him at first, in the end he receives his recompense.
Malbim
"And he will say" — Vengeance will say to the righteous man and to the people standing there; he will say to them, "O man" — you, man, see that "surely there is a reward for the righteous," that there is a good reward for the righteous. And likewise see that "there is a God who judges in the earth," repaying evildoers according to their evil. For from seeing the punishment of the wicked man, and how Hashem championed the cause of the righteous against him, everyone will recognize that there is a God who watches over [the world], and that there is reward and punishment.
Rashi
Radak
Malbim