For the Leader; with string-music. A Psalm, a Song.
verse value 1536
Insights
Verse structure: 4 words, 19 letters. The shortest word is "a·song" (שִֽׁיר, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·stringed·instruments" (בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת, 6 letters). 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·the·leader" (root נצח, 73x in Psalms); "a·song" (root שיר, 68x in Psalms); "a·psalm" (root מזמור, 57x in Psalms). Full calculation: לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ [for·the·leader] (218) + בִּנְגִינֹ֗ת [with·stringed·instruments] (515) + מִזְמ֥וֹר [a·psalm] (293) + שִֽׁיר [a·song] (510) = 1536.
Ibn Ezra
"For the leader, God be gracious to us" — this psalm, too, we do not know who composed it.
Radak
"For the leader" — This psalm, too, was said concerning the ingathering of the exile of Jerusalem.
Malbim
"For the Leader" — this psalm was founded upon the famine that was in the days of David for three years, [when] Hashem said, "It is concerning Saul and his house of bloodguilt," and seven of Saul's sons were given over to the Gibeonites to put them to death, and Hashem was entreated for the land after that (2 Samuel 21). And our Sages, of blessed memory, held a tradition that at that time many converts were added, for they saw how the Holy One, blessed be He, judged the case of converts who had been brought in under compulsion, and they feared Hashem and the righteousness of His judgments.
God be gracious to us, and bless us; May He cause His face to shine toward us; Selah
verse value 1413
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "Selah" (סֶֽלָה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·bless·us" (וִיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ, 7 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·bless·us" (וִיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ), "cause·His·face·to·shine" (יָ֤אֵֽר־פָּנָ֖יו). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "and·bless·us" (root ברך, 76x in Psalms); "Selah" (root סלה, 70x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·bless·us', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים [God] (86) + יְחׇנֵּ֥נוּ [be·gracious·to·us] (124) + וִיבָרְכֵ֑נוּ [and·bless·us] (294) + יָ֤אֵֽר־פָּנָ֖יו [cause·His·face·to·shine] (357) + אִתָּ֣נוּ [with·us] (457) + סֶֽלָה [Selah] (95) = 1413.
Rashi
"He will cause His countenance to shine" — To show a laughing countenance, to give dew and rain.
Ibn Ezra
"God be gracious to us" — like [the phrase] "chanunu atem" (be gracious to us, you), like [the phrase] "asher chanan" (whom He was gracious to). And the sense of "and bless us" is that He will add something beyond that with which He has been gracious. And the sense of "cause His face to shine" is: that we find favor in His eyes when we ask something of Him.
Radak
"God" — [a prayer] that He grant us His grace and bless us; after He redeems us, He will go on increasing our good every day, for a blessing is an increase of good. "May He cause [His face] to shine" — that He make us succeed in all our deeds.
Metzudat David
"be gracious to us" — He shall deal graciously with us. "cause His face to shine" — He shall show us a shining and smiling face.
Malbim
"God be gracious to us, and bless us" — with rains. "May He cause His face to shine" — to inform me through the Urim and Tummim, as it says there, "And David sought the face of Hashem," to know for what reason the decree had been decreed.
That Your way may be known upon earth, Your salvation among all nations.
verse value 1958
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "to·know" (לָדַ֣עַת, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·all·nations" (בְּכׇל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם, 7 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "in·all·nations" (בְּכׇל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "to·know" (root ידע, 95x in Psalms); "your·way" (root דרך, 70x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'your·way', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: לָדַ֣עַת [to·know] (504) + בָּאָ֣רֶץ [in·the·earth] (293) + דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ [your·way] (244) + בְּכׇל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם [in·all·nations] (111) + יְשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ [your·salvation] (806) = 1958.
Rashi
"That Your way should be known on earth" — To make known that Your trait is to benefit Your people, and because of this, kingdoms will rejoice and sing praises.
Ibn Ezra
"That it may be known" — then the way of Hashem will be made known, to bless the few and save them.
Radak
"That it may be known" — Then they will know on earth the ways of God, may He be blessed, as it is written, "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Hashem." [This will be] when Your salvation becomes known among all the nations.
Metzudat David
"That ... may be known" — in order that Your way be known to all the earth, that You repay reward to those who believe in You. "among all nations" — The salvation that You will perform for Your people will become known among all the nations.
Malbim
"That it may be known" — after Hashem answered that it was on account of the sin against the Gibeonites, "let Your way be known upon earth" — that You render judgment for strangers too. (And especially since the answer concerned Saul, who was not eulogized according to law, and for having killed the Gibeonites; and our Sages, of blessed memory, said about this — insofar as his judgment was his own doing — that He held the scale of judgment in one hand and the scale of merit in the other, these being His two ways: kindness and judgment.) And "the earth" is the opposite of "the heavens" — meaning that even on earth they will come to know Your hidden ways. "And among all the nations" they will know "Your salvation" belongs to all who take refuge in You, and therefore "the peoples will thank You" — and not only some of them, but rather "all of them will thank You." There is a difference between "peoples" (amim) and "nations" (le'umim): the "le'umim" are those who have a distinct religion, and they "will be glad and sing for joy" and proclaim it in public. And it explains: "the peoples will thank You, O God."
Let the peoples give thanks to You, O God; Let the peoples give thanks to You, all of them.
verse value 588
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֑ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "all·of·them" (כֻּלָּֽם, 3 letters) and the longest is "praise·You" (יוֹד֖וּךָ, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 160: peoples, peoples. The root ידה appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "peoples" (root עם, 135x in Psalms); "all·of·them" (root כל, 82x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: יוֹד֖וּךָ [praise·You] (46) + עַמִּ֥ים [peoples] (160) + אֱלֹהִ֑ים [God] (86) + י֝וֹד֗וּךָ [praise·You] (46) + עַמִּ֥ים [peoples] (160) + כֻּלָּֽם [all·of·them] (90) = 588.
Ibn Ezra
"Let them thank you" — then the peoples will thank You as well.
Radak
"Let the peoples give thanks to You" — Then the peoples will give thanks to You.
Metzudat David
"Let ... give thanks to You" — then all the nations will give thanks to You when they see that You do not withhold the reward of those who believe in You.
O let the nations be glad and sing for joy; For You will judge the peoples with equity, And lead the nations upon earth. Selah
verse value 3349
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "Selah" (סֶֽלָה, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·let·them·sing·for·joy" (וִירַנְּנ֗וּ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·let·them·sing·for·joy" (וִירַנְּנ֗וּ), "for·You·shall·judge" (כִּֽי־תִשְׁפֹּ֣ט), "You·shall·lead·them" (תַּנְחֵ֣ם). The root לאם appears 2 times in this verse. 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "peoples" (root עם, 135x in Psalms); "Selah" (root סלה, 70x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'equity', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 4 words. Full calculation: יִ֥שְׂמְח֥וּ [let·them·rejoice] (364) + וִירַנְּנ֗וּ [and·let·them·sing·for·joy] (322) + לְאֻ֫מִּ֥ים [nations] (121) + כִּֽי־תִשְׁפֹּ֣ט [for·You·shall·judge] (819) + עַמִּ֣ים [peoples] (160) + מִישֹׁ֑ר [equity] (550) + וּלְאֻמִּ֓ים [and·nations] (127) + בָּאָ֖רֶץ [in·the·earth] (293) + תַּנְחֵ֣ם [You·shall·lead·them] (498) + סֶֽלָה [Selah] (95) = 3349.
Rashi
"for You will judge peoples fairly" — Favorably. "You will lead them" — You will lead them in a fair way; therefore, all peoples will thank You.
Ibn Ezra
"Let them be glad" — the sense here is: on account of the good things that You will do for us.
Radak
"Let ... be glad" — "For You will judge the peoples": the peoples who will come with Gog and Magog — You will judge them with equity. And then the rest of the peoples will rejoice. "And lead the nations upon earth" — the nations whom You will lead into the land in order to judge them there, as it is said, "And I will bring you to the mountains of Israel."
Metzudat David
"the peoples" — they will rejoice then when they see that You will judge with equity, meaning with the judgment appropriate to the reward, and therefore they will rejoice. "and the peoples" — those nations You will guide in the land forever, to move about in it lengthwise and widthwise, in quiet and tranquility.
Metzudat Zion
"With equity" [מישור] — from the language of straightness/uprightness (ישר). "And lead them" [תנחם] — [meaning] "and guide them" (תנהגם).
Malbim
"For You will judge the peoples with equity, and the nations will be glad and sing for joy," for "You lead them on earth" — that they will see that although they are on earth, You lead them on the straight path, and that You watch over the earth. "Selah" — the conclusion of the matter.
Let the peoples give thanks to You, O God; Let the peoples give thanks to You, all of them.
verse value 588
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֑ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "all·of·them" (כֻּלָּֽם, 3 letters) and the longest is "praise·You" (יוֹד֖וּךָ, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 160: peoples, peoples. The root ידה appears 2 times in this verse. 4 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "peoples" (root עם, 135x in Psalms); "all·of·them" (root כל, 82x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: יוֹד֖וּךָ [praise·You] (46) + עַמִּ֥ים [peoples] (160) + אֱלֹהִ֑ים [God] (86) + י֝וֹד֗וּךָ [praise·You] (46) + עַמִּ֥ים [peoples] (160) + כֻּלָּֽם [all·of·them] (90) = 588.
Ibn Ezra
"Let the peoples thank You" — also on account of Your judgments, for You will vindicate the righteous and condemn the wicked, and quiet the earth; when the wicked is judged, for this too they will thank You.
Radak
"Let ... give thanks to You" — Then, when You judge the peoples who come with Gog, the rest of the peoples will give thanks to You: they will acknowledge that Yours is the strength and the might and that You are Lord of all, and all of them will give thanks to You — even those who escape alive from the camp of Gog, of whom it is said, "And I will set a sign among them."
Metzudat David
"Let ... give thanks to You" — also on account of this, all of them will give thanks to You, for they will see that You repay each one according to his deed.
Malbim
"Let the peoples give thanks to You" — now he asks that the rain come down as a blessing, for from the withholding of the rain it became known that Hashem judges with equity, and from His being entreated for the land afterward, the peoples will give thanks to You for the good.
The earth has yielded her increase; May God, our own God, bless us.
verse value 1325
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֥ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. The shortest word is "earth" (אֶ֭רֶץ, 3 letters) and the longest is "bless·us" (יְ֝בָרְכֵ֗נוּ, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "has·given" (נָתְנָ֣ה). The root אלהים appears 2 times in this verse. 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "earth" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "has·given" (root נתן, 95x in Psalms). First appearance of the root יבול ("her·produce") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'her·produce', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֶ֭רֶץ [earth] (291) + נָתְנָ֣ה [has·given] (505) + יְבוּלָ֑הּ [her·produce] (53) + יְ֝בָרְכֵ֗נוּ [bless·us] (288) + אֱלֹהִ֥ים [God] (86) + אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ [our·God] (102) = 1325.
Rashi
"The earth gave forth its produce" — Also for the earth, which gave forth its produce, and because God will bless us.
Ibn Ezra
"The earth" — he returns to explain the sense of "bless us": that the earth will yield its produce.
Radak
"The earth" — Then the earth will yield its increase, for on account of sins the rains were withheld and the earth would not yield its increase; but in the time of the redemption the wicked will be consumed, and those who remain will be without sin — therefore the earth will yield its increase at all times.
Metzudat David
"The earth" — then the earth will give its produce.
Metzudat Zion
"Her increase" (yevulah) — her fruit and growth.
Malbim
"That the earth has yielded her increase" — and by this "may God bless us," inasmuch as He is "our God," who watches over us individually; and also, insofar as "God will bless us," thereby "all the ends of the earth will fear You," as it is written, "For with You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared," and as I explained there.
May God bless us; And let all the ends of the earth fear Him.
verse value 1512
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 30 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִ֑ים) = 86, equal to Elohim. Verse gematria: 1512 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "Him" (א֝וֹת֗וֹ, 4 letters) and the longest is "all·the·ends·of·the·earth" (כׇּל־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ, 9 letters). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "and·let·them·fear" (root ירא, 77x in Psalms); "bless·us" (root ברך, 76x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'God', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: יְבָרְכֵ֥נוּ [bless·us] (288) + אֱלֹהִ֑ים [God] (86) + וְיִֽירְא֥וּ [and·let·them·fear] (233) + א֝וֹת֗וֹ [Him] (413) + כׇּל־אַפְסֵי־אָֽרֶץ [all·the·ends·of·the·earth] (492) = 1512.
Rashi
"and all the ends of the earth will fear Him" — for they will say, “See these people, who feared the Lord, how He blessed them and magnified them.”
Ibn Ezra
"May God bless us" — in all our deeds; then all the ends of the earth will fear Him, those who have not yet heard of His glory and His greatness.
Radak
"May [God] bless us" — Then, when the nations see that Hashem is with us, for He has come in His appointed time, all the ends of the earth will fear Him.
Metzudat David
"may bless us" — meaning, because God will bless us, on account of this all who dwell at the ends of the earth will fear Him, when they see that He watches over [His creatures] and repays reward.
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Malbim