Verse structure: 4 words, 17 letters. The shortest word is "a·song" (שִֽׁיר, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·the·leader" (לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ, 5 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of·David" (root דוד, 89x in Psalms); "for·the·leader" (root נצח, 73x in Psalms); "a·song" (root שיר, 68x in Psalms). Full calculation: לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ [for·the·leader] (218) + מִזְמ֗וֹר [a·psalm] (293) + לְדָוִ֥ד [of·David] (44) + שִֽׁיר [a·song] (510) = 1065.
Radak
"For the Leader" — this psalm was said concerning the exile.
Malbim
"For the Leader" — this psalm was founded upon the blessing of rain that Hashem gave after the famine, and it is possible that it concerns the famine that occurred in the days of David for three years, as is written at the end of the Book of Samuel.
Praise waits for You, O God, in Zion; and to You the vow is performed.
verse value 1483
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹ֘הִ֥ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "to·You" (לְךָ֤, 2 letters) and the longest is "shall·be·paid·vow" (יְשֻׁלַּם־נֶֽדֶר, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "silence" (דֻֽמִיָּ֬ה), "and·to·You" (וּ֝לְךָ֗), "shall·be·paid·vow" (יְשֻׁלַּם־נֶֽדֶר). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "to·You" (root לך, 35x in Psalms); "in·Zion" (root ציון, 32x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·Zion', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: לְךָ֤ [to·You] (50) + דֻֽמִיָּ֬ה [silence] (59) + תְהִלָּ֓ה [praise] (440) + אֱלֹ֘הִ֥ים [God] (86) + בְּצִיּ֑וֹן [in·Zion] (158) + וּ֝לְךָ֗ [and·to·You] (56) + יְשֻׁלַּם־נֶֽדֶר [shall·be·paid·vow] (634) = 1483.
Rashi
"Silence is praise to You" — Silence is praise to You; because there is no end to Your praise, the more one praises, the more one detracts. "O God in Zion" — God, Who dwells in Zion. [I found the following: "make glorious His praise" — Not effusion, but silence is praise. It appears that דמיה means “praise God with awe,” with the expression “praise Ya-h.” The name consisting of two letters is translated (Exod. 15:2) as, the fear of God, for “My strength and my praise is God (י-ה).” Also (Exod. 17:16), “For a hand is on the throne of God (י-ה).” And the expression (above 2:11): “and rejoice with quaking” resembles this. Shem Ephraim comments: It appears to me that Rashi should read as follows: "Make glorious, etc." — But silence to God is praise, and its interpretation is: Praise Him with awe, etc.” The intention is that the word דמיה is divided into two words. For it was difficult for him to understand why it should appear that one is to recite any praise of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore he says, “Make glorious His praise,” but not excessively, for that is equivalent to detracting. Therefore he says, “To You is silence (דום),” meaning that silence is fitting, but י-ה is praise, i.e., with the name consisting of two letters. His statement that the expression, “rejoice with quaking” resembles this, should read: “Worship the Lord with awe and rejoice with quaking.” His intention is that both verses mean that one may worship the Lord with awe; that is, one may worship the Holy One, blessed be He, with the name י-ה. Otherwise, worship with love is superior. It is also possible that the reading, “and it appears that, etc.” is a copyist’s error. It should read instead: “But be silent and praise Him with the name י-ה, in the expression Hallelujah. But this needs study. Later I found (below 68:5) that Rashi writes something similar. There, for him to write that the expression “and rejoice with quaking” resembles this is more appropriate, because there it says: “and rejoice before Him.” Compare. Therefore, it appears to me that this entire statement was erroneously copied here.) The gloss belongs below 66:2.] Another explanation: "To You is silence praise, O God, in Zion" — That You were silent and still concerning Your enemies’ deeds in Zion is praise to You, for You are able to take revenge, yet You are slow to anger.
Ibn Ezra
"Praise waits for You in silence" — this psalm was composed by David when the Ark was [in a certain place]; or it was composed by one of the singers at the building of the Temple — and this latter [view] is correct in my eyes. "And silence" [dumiyah] — from the same root as "likeness" [demut]; or it is like "my soul waits in silence for God alone" (Psalm 62:2), in the sense of "be still before Hashem, and wait patiently for Him" (Psalm 37:7), [and] "be silent until we reach you" (1 Samuel 14:9). And the meaning is: that praise waits for You in Zion, from those who come there to praise [You] at the place of the Ark, and there a vow shall be paid to You.
Radak
"Dumiyah" (silence/waiting) — the meaning is expectation. He says: praise awaits [the time when it will be] said to You in Zion, at the ingathering of the exiles; and to You the vow will be fulfilled — [namely] the vow of sacrifices that the exiles vow, that if God returns them to Zion they will pay it there, in the Temple. "Neder" (vow) — it is written entirely with a segol at the end of the verse, for it does not change.
Metzudat David
"To You silence is praise, etc." — that is to say: You, Hashem, who dwell in Zion, silence is counted for You as praise, for [to praise You in words] would be to limit Your praise; therefore one should not multiply descriptive terms. "And to You a vow shall be paid" — for You save those who make vows in time of distress, and so the vow is paid.
Metzudat Zion
"Waits [in stillness]" [דומיה] — silence (שתיקה).
Malbim
"To You, silence is praise" — he depicts praise as an abstract entity, and says that before You praise stands silent, with no word in its mouth; for although the matter of praise is speech — that one speaks and praises — before You it stands in silence. And the figure is that the very fact that no thing can be found with which to praise You is itself Your praise, for You are exalted above all blessing and praise. "And to You a vow is paid" — a vow is always an obligation one takes upon himself conditionally, that if the condition is fulfilled the vow will be paid; but with You the vow has no condition — rather it is paid at once, for Your salvation surely comes, since You are ready for all who seek You, and so the vow is paid immediately, even before the condition is fulfilled.
Verse structure: 5 words, 20 letters. Verse gematria: 1600 = 40². The shortest word is "hearer·of" (שֹׁמֵ֥עַ, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·flesh" (כׇּל־בָּשָׂ֥ר, 5 letters). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "come" (root בוא, 79x in Psalms); "hearer·of" (root שמע, 76x in Psalms); "prayer" (root תפלה, 32x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'prayer', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: שֹׁמֵ֥עַ [hearer·of] (410) + תְּפִלָּ֑ה [prayer] (515) + עָ֝דֶ֗יךָ [to·You] (104) + כׇּל־בָּשָׂ֥ר [all·flesh] (552) + יָבֹֽאוּ [come] (19) = 1600.
Ibn Ezra
"Who hears" — for the Temple is called a house of prayer for all the peoples, as Solomon mentioned in his prayer; therefore "all flesh shall come to You," to Your place.
Radak
"Shome'a tefillah" (Who hears prayer) — and there You will be the One who hears prayer, for it is said generally regarding the exile, 'my prayer,' and 'unto You all flesh shall come.' My father and teacher, of blessed memory, explained: to You alone belongs the desire for the praise that is offered to You; but the praise that is offered to a human being for his might or his wisdom is not complete praise, for there is no praise of a human being without falsehood. Or it is a term of silence — meaning, praise is silenced before You, in the face of Your mighty deeds. "Shome'a tefillah" (Who hears prayer) — the prayer of all flesh You hear. A king of flesh and blood can hear from two or three, but he cannot hear from everyone; but You hear the prayer of all flesh as one, with each one praying his own [prayer].
Metzudat David
"O You who hear prayer" — because You hear prayer, therefore all flesh comes to You to pray before You.
Metzudat Zion
"To You" [עדיך] — meaning, unto You, as in "it touches you" (Job 4:5).
Malbim
"Who hears prayer" — in contrast to a king of flesh and blood, to whom most of those who request something bring their request through his officers, since not all of them can come before the king himself; but You "hear prayer" Yourself, so that "unto You all flesh shall come," for You alone hear their requests. And the meaning is that You heard their prayer concerning the rain, and they paid You their vows.
The tale of iniquities is too heavy for me; as for our transgressions, You will pardon them.
verse value 2715
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "from·me" (מֶ֑נִּי, 3 letters) and the longest is "our·transgressions" (פְּ֝שָׁעֵ֗ינוּ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "prevailed" (גָּ֣בְרוּ), "our·transgressions" (פְּ֝שָׁעֵ֗ינוּ), "will·pardon·them" (תְכַפְּרֵֽם). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "words·of" (root דבר, 133x in Psalms); "You" (root אתה, 115x in Psalms); "from·me" (root מן, 59x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: דִּבְרֵ֣י [words·of] (216) + עֲ֭וֺנֹת [iniquities] (526) + גָּ֣בְרוּ [prevailed] (211) + מֶ֑נִּי [from·me] (100) + פְּ֝שָׁעֵ֗ינוּ [our·transgressions] (516) + אַתָּ֥ה [You] (406) + תְכַפְּרֵֽם [will·pardon·them] (740) = 2715.
Rashi
"Words of iniquities have overcome me" — and we cannot manage to arrange them all before You because they are many. However, we offer a general prayer before You that You atone for our transgressions.
Ibn Ezra
"Words of" [devarei] — this connects to and refers back to what was written above, that "all flesh shall come to You," for You hear prayer — [as] You heard my prayer when I confessed my iniquities, and You atoned for all our transgressions; and this psalm was composed by the psalmist in a year of drought, when they prayed to Hashem and He heard their prayer. And the meaning of "they are too heavy for me" [gavru mini] — these are the words of the psalmist who prays: I have confessed, for I was full of iniquities, and I and my people transgressed; therefore the distress of the drought came.
Radak
"Divrei avonot gavru minni" (matters of iniquities have overwhelmed me) — [stated in the] singular. "Peshaeinu attah techapperem" (our transgressions, You shall pardon them) — [stated in the] plural, for he speaks of the exiles in the plural. The iniquities that overwhelmed us, and likewise our transgressions — You shall pardon them, for they have prolonged our exile, for there is none besides You to atone.
Metzudat David
"[Iniquities] prevailed over me" — that is to say: although the merits are not sufficient to outweigh the sins, nevertheless You will atone for them in Your kindness.
Malbim
"Words" — this is the text of the prayer that they prayed. They said: although we are sinners and unworthy, behold, "the iniquities that have overpowered me — their words are that we have transgressed; You shall atone for them" — he depicts it as though the iniquities, which overpowered and grew stronger than man, so that man cannot overcome them, themselves speak and plead before Hashem that He atone for the transgressions. And the figure is that since the power of the iniquities is stronger than the power of man — meaning that man by his nature is prone to sin, and it is difficult for him to overcome the iniquity planted in his nature — therefore the iniquities themselves, since they have overpowered him from within his very nature, their own words are that it is fitting that You atone for our transgressions, for You know the inclination of man and the evil of his nature.
Happy is the man whom You choose, and bring near, that he may dwell in Your courts; may we be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holy place of Your temple!
verse value 3904
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 43 letters. The shortest word is "holy·place·of" (קְ֝דֹ֗שׁ, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·bring·near" (וּתְקָרֵב֮, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "You·choose" (תִּ֥בְחַ֣ר), "and·bring·near" (וּתְקָרֵב֮), "Your·courts" (חֲצֵ֫רֶ֥יךָ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "happy·is" (root אשר, 101x in Psalms); "in·the·goodness·of" (root טוב, 63x in Psalms); "Your·house" (root בית, 48x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·house', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 2 words. Full calculation: אַשְׁרֵ֤י [happy·is] (511) + תִּ֥בְחַ֣ר [You·choose] (610) + וּתְקָרֵב֮ [and·bring·near] (708) + יִשְׁכֹּ֢ן [he·may·dwell] (380) + חֲצֵ֫רֶ֥יךָ [Your·courts] (328) + נִ֭שְׂבְּעָה [let·us·be·satisfied] (427) + בְּט֣וּב [in·the·goodness·of] (19) + בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ [Your·house] (432) + קְ֝דֹ֗שׁ [holy·place·of] (404) + הֵיכָלֶֽךָ [Your·temple] (85) = 3904.
Rashi
"Praiseworthy is" — he whom You choose and draw near, who will dwell in Your courts. "let us be sated with the goodness" — that is in Your house and of the sanctity of Your Temple, in which Your Shechinah dwells.
Ibn Ezra
"You choose" — there is an ellipsis of the word "who" [asher], as in: "Your might, to all who are yet to come" (Psalm 71:18); and so it is here: "Happy is [he whom] You choose and bring near, that he may dwell in Your courts." And the meaning of "we shall be satisfied" — the delight of the soul in the service of Hashem in the Temple; and he shall serve in goodness, and others together with him, "with the goodness, the holiness of Your temple." And the meaning of "with the goodness" — the glory, which is the holy [aspect]. And some say: "with the goodness of Your house" — [meaning] You, the Holy One, [dwelling] in Your temple.
Radak
"Ashrei" (happy is) — whoever reaches the time of the salvation, the one whom You choose and draw near to You, to bring him up from the exile, and he merits to dwell in Your courts. "Nisbe'ah" (may we be satisfied) — he speaks of those who will be, at that time of salvation, [saying] 'may we be satisfied with the goodness of Your house' — that is, with the glory that will dwell there, in the sanctified place of Your Temple, which is the Inner Sanctuary, the place of the glory.
Metzudat David
"Happy is [he whom] You choose" — happy is the people whom You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts; and behold, we shall be satisfied with the goodness and the bounty that comes from Your house and Your holy Temple.
Malbim
"Happy" — and since by nature it is difficult for man to overcome his inclination, and for this he needs the help of God, as our Sages said: "A man's inclination overpowers him every day, and were it not for the Holy One, blessed be He, helping him, he could not withstand it" — therefore, "happy is he whom You choose and bring near," so that he is able "to dwell in Your courts" and not depart from the house of Hashem all the days of his life. And so we ask: "may we be satisfied with the goodness of Your house" — that You not withhold Your goodness from us, and that You pour out the rain in its season; and also "may we be satisfied with the holiness of Your temple" — to persist continually in Your service and to sanctify ourselves through Your holiness. Up to here is the text of the prayer; from now on he will recount Hashem's response to this.
With wondrous works You answer us in righteousness, O God of our salvation; You are the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the far distant seas;
verse value 2937
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 45 letters. The shortest word is "and·sea·of" (וְיָ֣ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·ends·of·the·earth" (כׇּל־קַצְוֵי־אֶ֝֗רֶץ, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "You·answer·us" (תַּ֭עֲנֵנוּ), "all·the·ends·of·the·earth" (כׇּל־קַצְוֵי־אֶ֝֗רֶץ), "and·sea·of" (וְיָ֣ם). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God·of" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "awesome·things" (root ירא, 77x in Psalms); "our·salvation" (root ישע, 75x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'our·salvation', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 4 words. Full calculation: נ֤וֹרָא֨וֹת [awesome·things] (663) + בְּצֶ֣דֶק [in·justice] (196) + תַּ֭עֲנֵנוּ [You·answer·us] (576) + אֱלֹהֵ֣י [God·of] (46) + יִשְׁעֵ֑נוּ [our·salvation] (436) + מִבְטָ֥ח [trust] (59) + כׇּל־קַצְוֵי־אֶ֝֗רֶץ [all·the·ends·of·the·earth] (547) + וְיָ֣ם [and·sea·of] (56) + רְחֹקִֽים [distant] (358) = 2937.
Rashi
"With awesome deeds, through [Your] charity You shall answer us" — Through Your charity, You shall answer us by performing awesome deeds upon the heathens. "the trust" — You are [the trust] and the refuge of all the dwellers of the ends of the earth, from one end of the earth to the other. "distant...and the sea" — Even to the distant ones in the sea You are the trust, for Your rule is everywhere.
Ibn Ezra
'Wondrous works' — the sense is that when a nation serves Hashem, it dwells securely, without fear of an enemy and without famine. And the meaning is: when we are in awe [of You], then You answer us to save us. And the meaning of 'in righteousness' — as if it were written 'in Your righteousness,' or 'in righteousness' refers to the righteousness we gained through repentance and atonement for our sins. Rabbi Moshe said: 'the confidence of all the ends of the earth' — 'all' means 'all the people,' like 'and all the earth came to Egypt' (Genesis 41:57) — and 'distant peoples'; and the meaning is that You save those who are at the ends of the earth and at sea, though no human has the power to save them. But in my opinion: since the 'ends' of any body are not themselves bodies, as in 'the Creator of the ends of the earth' (Isaiah 40:28). And the meaning of 'and the distant seas' — because half of the sphere of the earth is seas, and it says 'distant' because they are many/numerous.
Radak
"Nora'ot" (wondrous works) — You will answer us with the wonders that You will perform for us, You, God of our salvation. And He calls the deeds that are wondrous and beyond the natural order 'nora'ot' (awesome), because Hashem is feared by mankind. "Mivtach kol katzvei eretz ve-yam rechokim" (the confidence of all the ends of the earth and the far distant seas) — and You are the confidence of all Israel, scattered in the ends of the earth and the far reaches of the sea, distant from Jerusalem; in You they trust that You will gather them to Jerusalem. "U-ketzvei" (and the ends of), which he mentions once, stands in place of two, as if he had said 'the ends of the earth and the ends of the sea.' And should the nations say: how is it possible for Israel to go out from the exile, seeing that they are a poor and lowly people, scattered and dispersed — who will bring them out from among them? And they have already been sunk in exile so long a time. Therefore he says: behold, He who establishes the mountains — the One who performs these mighty acts and wonders — will be able to bring us out. And he mentions the mountains because the high mountains are among the wonders of God, blessed be He; therefore he links them to God, as one says 'mountains of God,' in which His power is seen.
Metzudat David
"With tremendous things, in righteousness" — in Your righteousness You answer us with the tremendous and wondrous things that You do for us. "Confidence" — are You not the confidence of all who dwell at the ends of the earth, and of the distant seas — for all of them trust in You?
Malbim
"Awesome things" — the construction of the verse is: "Answer us, God of our salvation, with awesome things; in righteousness [You are] the trust of all the ends of the earth" — that is, You answered us regarding our prayer; You answered us by means of the sign, "awesome things" — a most awesome response (and this alludes to what He answered concerning Saul and the house of bloodshed, for having killed the Gibeonites). You answered us with an awesome response and said, for "in righteousness [You are] the trust of all the ends of the earth" — the trust of the whole world depends on righteousness, that if people do justice with one another, by this they will have security (and this alludes to the fact that they were punished for the injustice done to the Gibeonites, and were reconciled to them through doing justice to appease the sojourners; and in that the offspring of Saul were then put to death, there was in this "awesome things," for all were seized with awe and fear).
Who by Your strength set fast the mountains, who are girded about with might;
verse value 887
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 22 letters. Notable word values: "in·His·strength" (בְּכֹח֑וֹ) = 36, double chai. The shortest word is "who·sets·firm" (מֵכִ֣ין, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·strength" (בִּגְבוּרָֽה, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "who·sets·firm" (מֵכִ֣ין), "in·His·strength" (בְּכֹח֑וֹ), "girded" (נֶ֝אְזָ֗ר). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "who·sets·firm" (root כון, 52x in Psalms); "mountains" (root הר, 43x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·His·strength', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: מֵכִ֣ין [who·sets·firm] (120) + הָרִ֣ים [mountains] (255) + בְּכֹח֑וֹ [in·His·strength] (36) + נֶ֝אְזָ֗ר [girded] (258) + בִּגְבוּרָֽה [in·strength] (218) = 887.
Rashi
"Who sets mountains with His strength" — With His strength, He makes the mountainswhich are hardsprout, and He prepares and readies food through them and prepares rain, as it is written (below 147:8): “Who prepares rain for the earth, Who makes the mountains grow grass.” "Who is girded with might" — Because he wishes to mention the mighty deeds of the rains, he says, “Who is girded with might.”
Ibn Ezra
'Who sets fast' — because he mentioned the earth, he [then] mentioned the mountains, since they are like pillars. And the meaning of 'girded with might' — that the might of Hashem is seen in the high mountains that He created; therefore they are called 'mountains of God.' But in my opinion: he mentions that He is the confidence of that which is not seen, while His might is seen in [His] great works/bodies.
Radak
"Ne'zar bi-gvurah" (girded about with might) — for He does not acquire His strength from another at the time of need, but rather displays His strength whenever He wishes, for strength is His girdle.
Metzudat David
"Who set fast" — He prepares abundant rain to saturate the mountains through His great strength, for He is girded and belted with might.
Malbim
"Who establishes" — this refers back to righteousness: it is righteousness that establishes the mountains by its strength, for upon it the world stands; and it also establishes them by means of dew and rain, and causes the mountains to sprout grass, and it is "girded with might" — its power is very great.
Who still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples;
verse value 1490
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. The shortest word is "roar·of" (שְׁא֣וֹן, 4 letters) and the longest is "who·stills" (מַשְׁבִּ֤יחַ, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 357: roar·of, roar·of. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "who·stills" (מַשְׁבִּ֤יחַ), "and·tumult·of" (וַהֲמ֥וֹן). The root שאון appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "seas" (root ים, 31x in Psalms). Full calculation: מַשְׁבִּ֤יחַ [who·stills] (360) + שְׁא֣וֹן [roar·of] (357) + יַ֭מִּים [seas] (100) + שְׁא֥וֹן [roar·of] (357) + גַּלֵּיהֶ֗ם [their·waves] (88) + וַהֲמ֥וֹן [and·tumult·of] (107) + לְאֻמִּֽים [peoples] (121) = 1490.
Rashi
"Who humbles" — Heb. משביח, He humbles. Similarly (Prov. 29:11): “but afterwards, a wise man will quiet it (ישבחנה) ; (below 89:10), “When it raises its waves, You humble them (תשבחם).”
Ibn Ezra
'Who stills' — like 'tashbem,' meaning 'calms them,' in the manner of 'You rule over the swelling of the sea' (Psalm 89:10), since he had [already] mentioned 'and the distant seas.' And the meaning of 'and the tumult of the peoples' — who are likened to waters, as in 'the mighty waters of the river' (Isaiah 8:7); and indeed Hashem saves them from drought and from the adversary.
Radak
"Sh'on yamim" (the roaring of the seas) — this refers to the waves of the sea, and He 'mashbiach' them — that is, He stills them. "Ve-hamon le'umim" (and the tumult of the peoples) — and just as He stills the roaring of the seas, so He stills the tumult of the peoples and their roaring. The vav of 've-hamon' is a vav of comparison — that is to say, as this, so that.
Metzudat David
"Who still" — He quiets and lowers the roaring of the sea and its waves, and likewise He stills the tumult of the raging peoples.
Metzudat Zion
"Who still" [משביח] — [meaning] quiets and lowers, as in "when its waves rise, You still them" (below, Psalm 89). "Tumult" [שאון] — roaring (המיית).
Malbim
"Who stills" — righteousness stills "the roaring of the seas" and "the tumult of the peoples," for through righteousness they will be turned to good and will not cause harm. Up to here is Hashem's response to those who pray, that if they do righteousness they will be saved from all evils, both natural ones such as the roaring of the seas, and ones of human choice such as the tumult of peoples, and everything will be turned to good.
So that those who dwell in the uttermost parts stand in awe of Your signs; You make the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.
verse value 3465
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "dwellers·of" (יֹשְׁבֵ֣י, 4 letters) and the longest is "the·outgoings·of·the·morning" (מ֤וֹצָֽאֵי־בֹ֖קֶר, 8 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "ends" (קְ֭צָוֺת), "from·Your·signs" (מֵאוֹתֹתֶ֑יךָ), "the·outgoings·of·the·morning" (מ֤וֹצָֽאֵי־בֹ֖קֶר). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·feared" (root ירא, 77x in Psalms); "dwellers·of" (root ישב, 58x in Psalms); "the·outgoings·of·the·morning" (root יצא, 35x in Psalms). First appearance of the root אות ("from·Your·signs") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·Your·signs', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַיִּ֤ירְא֨וּ [and·feared] (233) + יֹשְׁבֵ֣י [dwellers·of] (322) + קְ֭צָוֺת [ends] (596) + מֵאוֹתֹתֶ֑יךָ [from·Your·signs] (877) + מ֤וֹצָֽאֵי־בֹ֖קֶר [the·outgoings·of·the·morning] (449) + וָעֶ֣רֶב [and·evening] (278) + תַּרְנִֽין [You·make·rejoice] (710) = 3465.
Rashi
"with the emergence of the morning and evening, You cause [them] to sing praises" — [You cause] the creatures who dwell at the extremes to sing praises. In the morning, they say, “Blessed is He Who formed the luminaries,” and in the evening “Blessed is He Who brings about evening.”
Ibn Ezra
'So that those who dwell in the uttermost parts stand in awe' — in contrast to the Temple. 'Of Your signs' — these are the mighty acts of rain, as in 'who does great things past finding out' (Job 9:10). And the meaning of 'the outgoings of the morning' — the signs that go forth and appear in the morning and in the evening, on account of which people sing for joy; and so the word 'tarnin' ['You make... rejoice'] is transitive, taking two objects. Rabbi Moshe said: that the beginning of the day and of the night — since the end of the one is the beginning of the other — are the cause of the singing.
Radak
"Va-yira'u" (and they stand in awe) — the vav of 'va-yira'u' is [vocalized] open [with a patach]. He says: it is from the wonders of the Creator, His signs which He displays every day, to the point that mankind ought to fear Him, for these cannot be but that a guide directs them and orders them, by day and by night. And the signs are the outgoings of morning and evening — the moon and stars at night, and the sun by day — and by these the heart of mankind sings out and rejoices. Or the interpretation is: [morning and evening] sing out at their outgoings, for they sing out as they go forth, and You cause them to sing, for You are the One who brings them forth. And he says 'those who dwell at the ends' — because in every place the signs are seen; in all the ends of the earth there is nothing hidden. And in my opinion, these two verses speak of Israel. He says 'who stills the roaring of the seas' — meaning: the One who stilled the roaring of the seas before Israel, who split the sea for them and brought them through its midst — He will still the tumult of the peoples and their roar, and bring Israel up out of their midst. And he says: just as those who dwell at the ends of the earth stood in awe of Your signs that You performed for them at the splitting of the Sea of Reeds, as it says, 'the peoples have heard, they tremble' (Exodus 15:14), so shall they again stand in awe of You at the ingathering of the exiles and of Your signs again — just as You did for them, when You made their hearts sing at the outgoings of morning and evening, that is, when You brought forth for them the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night — so shall You do for them at the ingathering of the exiles.
Metzudat David
"From Your signs" — through the signs of lightning and thunder, those who dwell at the ends of the earth come to fear You. "The outgoings" — the luminaries that go forth to shine in the morning and in the evening; that going-forth arouses the hearts of people to sing to You when they see that they do not change their function.
Malbim
"And they shall fear" — he turns his attention back to Hashem: now "those who dwell in the ends of the earth shall fear because of Your signs; You make the outgoings of morning and evening rejoice" — meaning the eastern and western regions, that all of them saw Your signs and sang for joy to Your name, and through this all became afraid before You. And the intent is twofold: it refers to the sign of the rains and clouds, and to the sign of righteousness and judgment that Hashem displayed in the matter of the Gibeonites — for through this all feared Hashem and learned moral discipline.
You have remembered the earth, and watered her, greatly enriching her, with the river of God that is full of water; You prepare them corn, for so You prepare her.
verse value 4940
Insights
Verse structure: 12 words, 54 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱ֭לֹהִים) = 86, equal to Elohim. Verse gematria: 4940 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "greatly" (רַבַּ֬ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "You·have·remembered·the·earth" (פָּ֤קַֽדְתָּ־הָאָ֨רֶץ, 8 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "You·have·remembered·the·earth" (פָּ֤קַֽדְתָּ־הָאָ֨רֶץ), "and·watered·her" (וַתְּשֹׁ֪קְקֶ֡הָ), "You·enrich·her" (תַּעְשְׁרֶ֗נָּה). The root כון appears 2 times in this verse. 11 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "greatly" (root רב, 67x in Psalms); "You·prepare" (root כון, 52x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'water', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 4 words. Full calculation: פָּ֤קַֽדְתָּ־הָאָ֨רֶץ [You·have·remembered·the·earth] (880) + וַתְּשֹׁ֪קְקֶ֡הָ [and·watered·her] (911) + רַבַּ֬ת [greatly] (602) + תַּעְשְׁרֶ֗נָּה [You·enrich·her] (1025) + פֶּ֣לֶג [channel·of] (113) + אֱ֭לֹהִים [God] (86) + מָ֣לֵא [is·full] (71) + מָ֑יִם [water] (90) + תָּכִ֥ין [You·prepare] (480) + דְּ֝גָנָ֗ם [their·corn] (97) + כִּי־כֵ֥ן [for·so] (100) + תְּכִינֶֽהָ [You·prepare·her] (485) = 4940.
Rashi
"You remember the earth" — When You wish to do good, You remember the earth and water it. "You enrich it greatly" — You enrich it greatly from Your stream, which is full of water, and You prepare therewith the corn of the dwellers of “the ends,” for therewith You prepare it.
Ibn Ezra
'You have remembered' — this verse is a sign concerning a year of drought that occurred in Zion, when the enemy planned to come against Zion to besiege it, and Hashem remembered His land, which is the land of Israel. And some say: 'teshokekeha' ['and watered her'] is like 'vatashkeha' ['You water her'], but this is not correct. Rather, [the proof is from] 'a craving soul' (Isaiah 29:8); it is like 'and it bred worms and stank' (Exodus 16:20), where the stench had already occurred — and there are many such cases. And so it is: 'You have remembered the earth' — for it had already been craving/parched, and for this reason he mentions 'You have remembered.' 'Rabat' ['greatly'] — the tav is like [the tav in] 've-shavat la-nasi' (Ezekiel 46:17), and the descriptive noun is omitted, in the sense of 'devarah rabbah' [a great matter]. 'Ta'ashrenah' ['enriching her'] — it should properly have a hirik under the shin if the word is from the heavy conjugation; and if it is from the light conjugation, the verb would be transitive, in the manner of 'ya'ashir,' for the shin is found this way across all three conjugations. 'Peleg' [the stream] — that which is formed from the rain; and the mem of 'deganam' ['their corn'] refers back to 'You have remembered the earth.' 'For so You prepare it' — refers back to 'the earth.'
Radak
"Pakadta" (You have remembered) — the earth; and further he mentions the rain, for it is among the great wonders of God. The vav of 'u-teshokekeha' (and made her yearn) [indicates] a matter that had already occurred, or [something that came] after this had occurred; and thus the interpretation of 'u-teshokekeha' is: 'she had already yearned' — that is to say, after she yearned, You visited her with rain. And it is of the same sense as 'and for your husband shall be your desire' (Genesis 3:16) — meaning: You decreed upon her the withholding of rains until she desired the rain very greatly, and afterward, in Your kindness, You visit her [with rain]. So too we, in exile, hope for the rain of salvation. "Rabbat ta'shrenah" (greatly enriching her) — like 'ta'ashirenah' (You enrich her). Its meaning is: You greatly enrich her with rain. "Peleg Elohim malei mayim" (the river of God that is full of water) — and after the earth is sated, there remain from the rain great streams full of water, to water man and beast. And the mention of 'Elohim' (God) here is a term used for something great and wondrous, since greatness and wonder come from Him, like 'a great city unto God' (Jonah 3:3). "Tachin deganam" (You prepare their corn) — after You sate the earth and it sprouts, You prepare the earth with good winds to make the plants grow — that is, that You save the produce from blight and mildew. "Ki khen techineha" (for so You prepare her) — that is to say, in this way You prepare the earth; for if the earth were sated with rain and the produce sprouted, but was then struck afterward by blight and mildew, what benefit would the rain be to them?
Metzudat David
"You have remembered" — when You take note of the earth to water it, then You enrich it with abundant rain. "The river of God" — the channel of water that comes to it from God is full of water. "You prepare" — and by this You prepare their grain, for such is Your way — to prepare the grain through abundance of rain.
Metzudat Zion
"You have remembered" [פקדת] — an expression of remembrance and attentiveness (זכרון והשגחה). "And watered her" [ותשוקקיה] — an expression of watering (השקה). "The river" [פלג] — a water channel (אמת המים).
Malbim
"You have visited" — and now "You have visited the earth," which had suffered famine for three years, "and watered it" with blessed rains, and through this "it shall grow rich" with great wealth, for through this the land "prepares" "their grain" — that of its inhabitants. "For so You prepare it" — that You prepared it in such a way that it would produce grain to give abundant food; and he explains how He prepared the earth for this: for "its furrows are drenched" — that You prepared it to drench its furrows with rain; "its ridges are settled" — that the rain came down from the furrows to the ridges and trenches between the furrows, and from there they would water the furrows; and afterward, when the grain began to sprout, "You melt it with showers" — with fine showers — until "its growth is blessed."
Watering her ridges abundantly, settling down its furrows, You make her soft with showers; You bless its growth.
verse value 2708
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 37 letters. The shortest word is "You·water" (רַ֭וֵּה, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·showers" (בִּרְבִיבִ֥ים, 7 letters). 7 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "her·furrows" (תְּלָמֶ֣יהָ), "You·water" (רַ֭וֵּה), "You·settle" (נַחֵ֣ת). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "You·bless" (root ברך, 76x in Psalms). First appearance of the root צמח ("her·growth") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·clods', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: תְּלָמֶ֣יהָ [her·furrows] (485) + רַ֭וֵּה [You·water] (211) + נַחֵ֣ת [You·settle] (458) + גְּדוּדֶ֑הָ [her·clods] (22) + בִּרְבִיבִ֥ים [in·showers] (266) + תְּ֝מֹגְגֶ֗נָּה [You·soften·her] (501) + צִמְחָ֥הּ [her·growth] (143) + תְּבָרֵֽךְ [You·bless] (622) = 2708.
Rashi
"its furrows" — Heb. תלמיה. They are the rows of the plowshare. "To sate" — Heb. רוה, like לרוה. "to afford pleasure to its troops" — Heb. נחתגדודה, like לְנַחֵתגְדוּדֶהָ, to give rest to its troops. To afford pleasure to its creatures, You dissolve it with drops of rain. "You dissolve it" — Heb. תמגגנה, an expression of melting.
Ibn Ezra
'Its ridges' — like 'be-telem avoto' [in its thick furrow] (Job 39:10). And some say: 'nachat gedudeha' ['settling down its furrows'] means 'lowering its ridges,' like 'al kol yadayim gedudot' [upon all hands, gashes] (Jeremiah 48:37) — these being the rows of plowing, which Scripture likened to gashes; and the sense is that they will sing for joy. And some say it is from the same root as 'gedud yegudenu' [a troop shall troop upon him] (Genesis 49:19); and the meaning concerns the rains, and the meaning concerns the torrents/streams.
Radak
"Her ridges" — He returns once more to tell of the benefit of the rain: that You saturate with rain the ridges of the land, which are the mounds of the land. "Settling down its furrows" — You bring the rain down into the furrows of the land, which are the hollows between one ridge and the next — that is, the trench made by the plow. "With showers You make her soft" — with the abundant rain, the land becomes melted and moist, whereas it was dry before the rain. "You bless its growth" — and after that You bless its growth, and the crop comes to blessing and success.
Metzudat David
"Her furrows, [watering] abundantly" — in that You satisfy the furrows of the field, there will be contentment for its bands — these are the creatures that walk about in the land. "With showers" — through the showers You soften and moisten the earth, and thereby You bless its growth.
Metzudat Zion
"Her furrows" [תלמיה] — garden-beds (ערוגות), as in "upon the furrows of the field" (Hosea 6). "Saturated" [רוה] — an expression of satiation (שביעה). "With showers" [ברביבים] — this is fine rain (המטר הדק), as in "and as showers upon the grass" (Deuteronomy 32:2). "You make soft" [תמוגגנה] — from the language of melting and dissolving (המגה והמסה).
You crown the year with Your goodness; and Your paths drop fatness.
verse value 2815
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "year·of" (שְׁנַ֣ת, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Your·paths" (וּ֝מַעְגָּלֶ֗יךָ, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "Your·goodness" (טוֹבָתֶ֑ךָ), "and·Your·paths" (וּ֝מַעְגָּלֶ֗יךָ), "drip" (יִרְעֲפ֥וּן). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Your·goodness" (root טוב, 63x in Psalms); "year·of" (root שנה, 21x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·goodness', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עִ֭טַּרְתָּ [You·crown] (679) + שְׁנַ֣ת [year·of] (750) + טוֹבָתֶ֑ךָ [Your·goodness] (437) + וּ֝מַעְגָּלֶ֗יךָ [and·Your·paths] (179) + יִרְעֲפ֥וּן [drip] (416) + דָּֽשֶׁן [fatness] (354) = 2815.
Rashi
"You crowned a year of Your goodness" — Through the rains, You crown with total goodness the year that You wish to benefit. "and Your paths" — They are the heavens, which are the dust of Your feet.
Ibn Ezra
'Crown' — [meaning] that this year will be among [other] years like a queen adorned with a crown among the maidens. And the meaning of 'and Your paths' — by way of metaphor; the 'paths' are the places formed where the waters of the rolling rains converge.
Radak
"You crown the year with Your goodness" — a year that is satisfied [with abundance] is "the year of Your goodness"; You crown them with every good thing. "And Your paths drop fatness" — the clouds are the paths of Hashem, may He be exalted, and the clouds pour forth rain that contains fatness and richness.
Metzudat David
"Crown" — You crown the year upon which You have bestowed Your goodness, for it will be crowned with grain and fruits; and Your paths — the clouds — will drip rains of blessing.
Metzudat Zion
"And Your paths" [ומעגליך] — an expression of a circuit or path (מעגל ודרך); these are the clouds, which are toward the heavens, as it says, "and He walks about the circuit of heaven" (Job 22:14). For this reason the clouds are called His "paths." "Drop" [ירעפון] — an expression of dripping and trickling (הזלה והטפה), as in "my doctrine shall drop as the rain" (Deuteronomy 32:2). "Fatness" [דשן] — richness (שומן).
Malbim
"You crown" — this refers back to what will be said [below], "they shout for joy, indeed they sing"; then they will sing, saying, "You crown the year with Your goodness," meaning that You have clothed the year with a crown of splendor. "And Your paths drop fatness" — "paths" (ma'agal) is the circuitous road; and he depicts that when the rain falls in the wilderness regions, where the flock's pasture is, [the flock] travels in a circuit that turns aside from the straight road that runs through settled land, and then there too fatness will drop. And he explains, corresponding to what he said, "and Your paths drop fatness": "They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness" — the place of the flock's pasture and grassy meadows; and corresponding to what he said, "You crown the year with Your goodness," he says, "and the hills gird themselves with joy" — in the settled land.
The pastures of the wilderness drop; and the hills are girded with joy.
verse value 2265
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "pastures·of" (נְא֣וֹת, 4 letters) and the longest is "gird·themselves" (תַּחְגֹּֽרְנָה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "drip" (יִ֭רְעֲפוּ), "gird·themselves" (תַּחְגֹּֽרְנָה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "wilderness" (root דבר, 133x in Psalms); "and·joy" (root גיל, 23x in Psalms). First appearance of the root נוה ("pastures·of") in Psalms. First appearance of the root גבעה ("hills") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wilderness', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: יִ֭רְעֲפוּ [drip] (366) + נְא֣וֹת [pastures·of] (457) + מִדְבָּ֑ר [wilderness] (246) + וְ֝גִ֗יל [and·joy] (49) + גְּבָע֥וֹת [hills] (481) + תַּחְגֹּֽרְנָה [gird·themselves] (666) = 2265.
Rashi
"They drip" — The heavens [drip] upon the dwellings of the desert.
Ibn Ezra
'Drop' — behold, 'Your paths' are in the settled land. 'And the pastures of the wilderness' — like 'nevot ro'im' [pastures of shepherds]. 'And the hills are girded with joy' — when the grass and herbage appear.
Radak
"They drop" — just as they drip [abundantly] in settled areas, so too they drip upon the pastures of the wilderness, for the sake of the animals, so that they find food and drink. "And the hills are girded with joy" — by way of metaphor: when the surface of the hills becomes filled with produce, it is as if they gird themselves with joy, in place of the sackcloth they had girded when the rain was withheld.
Metzudat David
"The pastures of the wilderness" — even the dry places, like the wilderness, will also drip fatness, to grow much produce; "and joy, etc." — the hills will be girded with joy, meaning that much produce will grow on them.
Metzudat Zion
"Pastures" [נאות] — an expression of a dwelling place (מדור).
The meadows are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, indeed, they sing.
verse value 2766
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 39 letters. The shortest word is "are·clothed" (לָבְשׁ֬וּ, 4 letters) and the longest is "are·covered·with·corn" (יַֽעַטְפוּ־בָ֑ר, 7 letters). 6 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "are·clothed" (לָבְשׁ֬וּ), "the·flock" (הַצֹּ֗אן), "and·valleys" (וַעֲמָקִ֥ים). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "indeed·they·sing" (root שיר, 68x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'are·covered·with·corn', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: לָבְשׁ֬וּ [are·clothed] (338) + כָרִ֨ים [meadows] (270) + הַצֹּ֗אן [the·flock] (146) + וַעֲמָקִ֥ים [and·valleys] (266) + יַֽעַטְפוּ־בָ֑ר [are·covered·with·corn] (377) + יִ֝תְרוֹעֲע֗וּ [shout·for·joy] (762) + אַף־יָשִֽׁירוּ [indeed·they·sing] (607) = 2766.
Rashi
"Meadows are clothed with flocks" — The Sharon and the Arabah are clothed with the flocks that come to graze on the grass that the rain causes to grow. "and valleys are enwrapped with corn" — Through the rain, the valleys will be enwrapped with grain. Then the creatures will shout with shouts of joy and sing because of the abundant blessing.
Ibn Ezra
'Are clothed' — like 'with the fat of rams,' meaning that they [the flocks] will be numerous. Our sages of blessed memory explained it as a euphemistic expression. But what is correct in my view is that 'karim' is like 'kar nirchav' [a broad meadow], and the proof is [the parallel] 'and the valleys.' 'Are covered' [ya'atofu] — from the root of 'mit'atef' [to wrap oneself], like 'yilbashu' ['are clothed']; and 'yitro'a'u' ['shout for joy'] is from the root of 'teru'ah' [a shout], in the manner of 'the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing' (Isaiah 55:12).
Radak
"The meadows are clothed" — its meaning is "plain"; and he mentions the plains and the valleys, for he had already mentioned the hills. And he says that the meadows are full of flocks, as if clothed with sheep like wool, spread over the surface of the plain, covering the surface of the land — and this is because, due to the abundance of the crops, they send the flocks out into the fields to graze. "And the valleys are covered over with corn" — the valleys likewise will be clothed, wrapped, and covered because of the abundance of the crop. And he mentions the valleys even though he had [already] mentioned the hills — for if the hills are satisfied, how much more so the valleys — and he mentions them to say that the abundance of rain does not harm them. "They shout for joy, indeed, they sing" — the ears of grain shout for joy, indeed, they sing; for when the wind blows upon the full ears of grain, they produce a sound, as if they shout for joy and sing — or this is by way of metaphor. And some explain: "they shout for joy, indeed, they sing" [refers to] all people, together with the cattle and the animals.
Metzudat David
"The lambs of the flock are clothed" — the sheep of the flock will be clothed with flesh and fat because of the good pasture. "Wrapped in corn" — they will be covered with grain, without any empty space. "They shout for joy" — all creatures will sound a shout of joy.
Metzudat Zion
"Flocks" [כרים] — sheep (כבשים). "Are clothed" [יעטפו] — from the language of wrapping and clothing (עטיפה ולבישה). "Corn" [בר] — grain (תבואה), as in "to buy grain from Egypt" (Genesis 42). "Sing" [יתרועעו] — an expression of תרועה (a shout).
Malbim
"They are clothed" — corresponding to what he said, "they drop upon the pastures of the wilderness," he says, "the meadows are clothed with flocks," meaning that they are full of flocks grazing in the wilderness; and corresponding to what he said, "and the hills gird themselves with joy" — in the settled land, he says, "and the valleys are wrapped with corn" — in the settled land. All this stems from "You crown the year with Your goodness": "they shout for joy, indeed they sing" — all this is the wording of the song about the rain.
Radak
Malbim