A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; a Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite. The darkest of the psalms — an unrelieved cry from the depths of suffering and the shadow of death.
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A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah; for the Leader; upon Mahalath Leannoth. Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.
verse value 3321
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 47 letters. The shortest word is "a·song" (שִׁ֥יר, 3 letters) and the longest is "of·the·sons·of·Korah" (לִבְנֵ֫י־קֹ֥רַח, 7 letters). Words sharing gematria 400: of·the·sons·of·Korah, Maskil. 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "Leannoth" (לְעַנּ֑וֹת), "of·Heman" (לְהֵימָ֥ן). 9 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). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Leannoth', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: שִׁ֥יר [a·song] (510) + מִזְמ֗וֹר [a·psalm] (293) + לִבְנֵ֫י־קֹ֥רַח [of·the·sons·of·Korah] (400) + לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ [for·the·leader] (218) + עַל־מָחֲלַ֣ת [upon·Mahalath] (578) + לְעַנּ֑וֹת [Leannoth] (556) + מַ֝שְׂכִּ֗יל [Maskil] (400) + לְהֵימָ֥ן [of·Heman] (135) + הָאֶזְרָחִֽי [the·Ezrahite] (231) = 3321.
Rashi
"about the sick and afflicted one" — Heb. על-מחלתלענות, concerning the one sick with love and afflicted, for she is afflicted with the pains of the exile. "of Heman the Ezrahite" — One of the musicians who played a musical instrument, and the sons of Korah established this psalm that Heman should recite it on the “duchan” [the platform]. "of Heman the Ezrahite" — He was one of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, for his lineage is delineated in (I Chron. 2:6): “And the sons of Zerah were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Chalcol, and Darda [sic].” All five were great sages, as is said in reference to Solomon (I Kings 5: 11): “And he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezraite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of Mahol,” and they established the Psalms, which were set down in the Book of Psalms. Therefore, they are called the sons of Mahol. So have I found in exact commentaries. "a maskil" — Wherever it says “maskil,” it was said through an interpreter. The prophet would set up an interpreter before him, and when he perceived a prophecy coming upon him, he would recite the prophecy to the interpreter, who would make it heard.
Ibn Ezra
"A Song, a Psalm of the sons of Korah" — since "Machalat" [is vocalized with] a patach — a reliable indication that it is in construct state, I have therefore said that this song [was sung] to the tune of a hymn which began with "Machalat," and in that hymn there was [the word] "my heart" or "my body," which stood in construct with "Machalat" [attached to it]; this psalm, too, concerns the illness of the poet. And the word "le'anot" [for responding] is like "kol anot" [the sound of singing]. Rabbi Yeshu'ah said that this Heman is the grandson of Samuel, and Scripture calls him "Ezrahite" because he is a native among the singers, for most of the singers are his sons and his sons' sons, as is written in Chronicles. And some say that the aleph [in "Ezrahi"] is added, and that he is the son of Zerach, whose brother was Eitan. And others said that Heman and Eitan were brothers, and their father's name was Ezrach.
Radak
"A song" — we have already written several times that the meaning of the openings of the psalms is not known to us today, for it had to do with the manner of the melodies, in the sense of "Remember, Hashem, for David, all his affliction." And this psalm was spoken in the language of the exiles, and Heman the Ezrahite composed it and gave it to the sons of Korah to sing. This Heman may be the singer Heman who was the grandson of Samuel, and we do not know why he is called "the Ezrahite." And it is possible that he was the Heman who was of the sons of Zerah son of Judah, and was therefore called "the Ezrahite," and who was among the sages of Israel — he is the one mentioned in the verse, "and he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Calcol, and Darda" (1 Kings 5:11).
Metzudat David
"For Heman" — this psalm was given over to Heman, that he should recite it upon the platform [where the Levites stood] — (and because it says "for the leader," meaning that it was given over to a son of Levi who leads in song, it then goes on to explain that it was given over to Heman, who was one of the Levites).
Metzudat Zion
"Mahalath" — the name of a musical instrument. "Leannoth" — to raise the voice in song, as in "and the Levites shall respond... with a loud voice" (Deuteronomy 26).
Malbim
"A Song upon Mahalath Leannoth" — this was composed concerning a despairing sick person crying out in his illness; and since this prayer, from beginning to end, contains no comfort, only a cry of anguish and the extremity of despair, he says it was composed "leannoth" — to cry out and raise the voice. And there is in the matter a parable and figure of speech: the individual sick person crying out is a parable for the collective body, which is the body of the nation of Israel, which appears like a sick person come to the gates of death, and appears as if already dead and lying in the grave — this being a parable for the loss of its kingdom; and its being taken captive from being a nation, and the scattering of the nation among many peoples who conquered them as slaves and maidservants — this is depicted as a grave and Sheol in which the collective body is buried, as it is written, "Behold, I will open your graves, My people" (Ezekiel 37:12); only that they still feel their troubles and pains, like a living body that feels its pains. And therefore it says "Maschil of Heman" — that it contains words of true wisdom concerning the sickness of the nation and its pains.
Cross-references: I Kings 5:11; I Chronicles 15:19
O Hashem, God of my salvation, When I cry in the night before You,
verse value 1748
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה, 4 letters) and the longest is "day·I·have·cried" (יוֹם־צָעַ֖קְתִּי, 8 letters). Words sharing gematria 77: in·the·night, before·You. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "day·I·have·cried" (יוֹם־צָעַ֖קְתִּי). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "God·of" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "day·I·have·cried" (root יום, 121x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·salvation', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: יְ֭הֹוָה [Hashem] (26) + אֱלֹהֵ֣י [God·of] (46) + יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י [my·salvation] (796) + יוֹם־צָעַ֖קְתִּי [day·I·have·cried] (726) + בַלַּ֣יְלָה [in·the·night] (77) + נֶגְדֶּֽךָ [before·You] (77) = 1748.
Rashi
"I cried by day; at night" — And also at night I am ready before You.
Ibn Ezra
'Hashem' — the meaning of 'day' [yom] here is 'time,' as in 'you cross over today' (Deuteronomy 9:1), 'this day is a day of good tidings' (II Kings 7:9), '[on] the day that I struck down every firstborn' (Numbers 3:13). 'And the day of my crying' — is connected with what follows it [i.e., 'at night'].
Radak
"the day I cried out" — the night, too, is called "day"; and likewise, "on the day I struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt" (Numbers 3:13) — even though the plague of the firstborn took place at night.
Metzudat David
"By day I cry out" — Although I cry out in prayer all day long, nevertheless I also arrange my supplication before You at night.
Malbim
"Hashem, God of my salvation" — "the day" on which "I cried out" stands "in the night before You." That is to say, for us, past time has no existence in present time, and the crying out that was done in it belongs to past time, not to the present; but with You, who are not subject to time, the past, the present, and the future all stand always before Your eyes in the present, and there is no difference between past and present — so that even the past day stands before You in the night that follows it in the present, as if it still existed, and likewise the crying out that was done in it. And therefore, "let my prayer come before You" — he depicts his prayer as an abstract essence that ascends on high and presents itself before Hashem (for the definition of prayer is the pouring out of the soul and its binding to its source), and through this, "incline Your ear" also to my cry and my lament over the troubles of the body.
Let my prayer come before You, Incline Your ear to my cry.
verse value 2306
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "incline" (הַטֵּ֥ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "before·Your·face" (לְ֭פָנֶיךָ, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "to·my·cry" (לְרִנָּתִֽי). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "before·Your·face" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms); "let·it·come" (root בוא, 79x in Psalms); "Your·ear" (root אזן, 36x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·prayer', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: תָּב֣וֹא [let·it·come] (409) + לְ֭פָנֶיךָ [before·Your·face] (190) + תְּפִלָּתִ֑י [my·prayer] (920) + הַטֵּ֥ה [incline] (19) + אׇ֝זְנְךָ֗ [Your·ear] (78) + לְרִנָּתִֽי [to·my·cry] (690) = 2306.
Ibn Ezra
'Let it come,' 'my prayer' — refers to the intention of the heart. 'And my cry' — refers to what is expressed with the tongue.
Radak
"to my cry [rinnah]" — meaning, to my outcry; and likewise, "and the cry [rinnah] passed through the camp" (1 Kings 22:36).
For my soul is sated with troubles, And my life draws near to the grave.
verse value 2020
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "my·soul" (נַפְשִׁ֑י, 4 letters) and the longest is "for·is·sated" (כִּֽי־שָׂבְעָ֣ה, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "for·is·sated" (כִּֽי־שָׂבְעָ֣ה), "with·troubles" (בְרָע֣וֹת), "and·my·life" (וְ֝חַיַּ֗י). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms); "with·troubles" (root רע, 53x in Psalms); "and·my·life" (root חי, 43x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־שָׂבְעָ֣ה [for·is·sated] (407) + בְרָע֣וֹת [with·troubles] (678) + נַפְשִׁ֑י [my·soul] (440) + וְ֝חַיַּ֗י [and·my·life] (34) + לִשְׁא֥וֹל [to·Sheol] (367) + הִגִּֽיעוּ [have·reached] (94) = 2020.
Rashi
"For my soul is sated with troubles" — He says this concerning the people of Israel.
Ibn Ezra
'For,' 'with troubles' — these are the illnesses. 'And my life' — by way of metaphor.
Radak
"For ... is sated" — for when a thing is full, that is "satiation." And the meaning of "with troubles" — with the troubles of exile, to the point that I am close to death; this is [the meaning of] "and my life has drawn near to Sheol."
Metzudat David
"For [my soul] is sated" — For the troubles have multiplied until my soul is sated with them; this is a figurative expression. "And my life" — The days of my life draw near to descending into Sheol.
Malbim
"For my soul is sated with troubles" — meaning, all the days of my life were nothing but troubles, of which I have had my fill; "and now my life has drawn near to Sheol" — the opposite of one of whom it is written, "and he died old and full of days", or one who dies sated with goodness and tranquility.
I am counted with those who go down into the pit; I have become as a man who has no help;
verse value 2080
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. Verse gematria: 2080 is divisible by 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "pit" (ב֑וֹר, 3 letters) and the longest is "with·those·who·go·down" (עִם־י֣וֹרְדֵי, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "I·am·counted" (נֶ֭חְשַׁבְתִּי), "like·a·man" (כְּגֶ֣בֶר), "without·strength" (אֵֽין־אֱיָֽל). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I·have·become" (root היה, 97x in Psalms); "without·strength" (root אין, 67x in Psalms); "with·those·who·go·down" (root ירד, 24x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'pit', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: נֶ֭חְשַׁבְתִּי [I·am·counted] (770) + עִם־י֣וֹרְדֵי [with·those·who·go·down] (340) + ב֑וֹר [pit] (208) + הָ֝יִ֗יתִי [I·have·become] (435) + כְּגֶ֣בֶר [like·a·man] (225) + אֵֽין־אֱיָֽל [without·strength] (102) = 2080.
Rashi
"without strength" — Heb. איל, as (above 22:20): “My strength (אילותי), hasten to my assistance.”
Ibn Ezra
'I am counted' — because of my great poverty and the change in my appearance. Ibn Balaam said that 'eyal' is a descriptive noun-form (to'ar), like 'tamim' in 'with a blameless man' (Psalms 18:26). But in my opinion it is a noun in the same pattern as 'krav' in 'be-yom krav' [on the day of battle] (Psalms 78:9), with the word 'lo' [to him] elided — a terse way of saying 'he has no strength.' It is like 'and to him who has no might' (Isaiah 40:29), for the meaning is: to the one who has no might.
Radak
"I am counted" — in exile, like the dead who go down to the pit, for I have no strength to be saved from those who do me harm. "I have become like a man who has no strength [ayil]" — I have become like a man who has no power.
Metzudat David
"I am counted" — Because of the greatness of my exhaustion, I am counted among the men who have already gone down to the grave. "Without strength" — For I never had any strength at all.
Metzudat Zion
"Help" — an expression of strength, as in "a mighty one of the nations" (Ezekiel 31).
Malbim
"I am counted" — he depicts himself as a person suffering a fainting illness, whom people mistakenly think dead and bury, while he is still alive and feeling, only he has fainted and has no strength to move even one of his limbs so that they would recognize that he is still alive. And so it says, "I am counted" in the eyes of people "with those who go down to the pit," and they wish to bury me; but in truth "I have become as a man who has no strength" — meaning that there is still life in me, only I have no strength.
Set apart among the dead, Like the slain who lie in the grave, Whom You remember no more; And they are cut off from Your hand. .
verse value 3383
Insights
Verse structure: 13 words, 50 letters. The shortest word is "not" (לֹ֣א, 2 letters) and the longest is "among·the·dead" (בַּמֵּתִ֗ים, 5 letters). 8 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "among·the·dead" (בַּמֵּתִ֗ים), "free" (חׇ֫פְשִׁ֥י), "slain" (חֲלָלִ֨ים). 13 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "not" (root לא, 174x in Psalms); "whom" (root אשר, 101x in Psalms); "from·Your·hand" (root יד, 78x in Psalms). First appearance of the root גזר ("are·cut·off") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'anymore', dividing the verse into phrases of 10 and 3 words. Full calculation: בַּמֵּתִ֗ים [among·the·dead] (492) + חׇ֫פְשִׁ֥י [free] (398) + כְּמ֤וֹ [like] (66) + חֲלָלִ֨ים [slain] (118) + שֹׁ֥כְבֵי [lying·in] (332) + קֶ֗בֶר [grave] (302) + אֲשֶׁ֤ר [whom] (501) + לֹ֣א [not] (31) + זְכַרְתָּ֣ם [You·remember·them] (667) + ע֑וֹד [anymore] (80) + וְ֝הֵ֗מָּה [and·they] (56) + מִיָּדְךָ֥ [from·Your·hand] (74) + נִגְזָֽרוּ [are·cut·off] (266) = 3383.
Rashi
"among the dead, who are free" — I am among the dead, free from the world, and like the slain, who are free from the world. "and who were cut off by Your hand" — By Your blows, they were cut off from the world.
Ibn Ezra
'Set apart among the dead' — free from all the commandments, from all bodily labors, and from the kings of the earth. 'Whom You remember no more' — as a sign that a time and appointed moment will come when the dead will be remembered.
Radak
"Among the dead" — it would be better for me to be among the dead, for then I would be free, whereas now I am a slave. "like the slain who lie in the grave" — for I am now, in exile, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, to raise them from their dust. "and they are cut off from Your hand" — and they, the slain, were cut off from Your hand, in that You decreed death upon them; so too You have decreed upon me exile without recovery. And the word "You remember them [zekhartam]" is like "You will remember them" — a past form used in place of a future one; and this does not negate the future resurrection of the dead that is to come, for he is speaking about the nature of the world, that the dead do not live [again] by nature. And likewise what he says later in this psalm, "Will You work a wonder for the dead? Shall the shades arise? Selah" — he speaks only about what happens by nature.
Metzudat David
"Free among the dead" — I am counted among the dead, who are free from the mishaps of the world and its toil. "No more" — You have still not remembered them, for the time of resurrection has not yet come. "And they" — They are still cut off from the stroke of Your hand.
Metzudat Zion
"Any more" — like "still," as in "the day is still great" (Genesis 22). "They are cut off" — they were severed, as in "we are cut off" (Ezekiel 36).
Malbim
"Among the dead" — would that I were "among the dead," who are "free" from suffering; and even if it were decreed upon me to be a corpse (for one who is buried alive kills himself in the grave and becomes a corpse), would that I were "like the slain who lie in the grave," who have already died, "whom You remember no more," for they no longer live; but I am worse off than they, for "they are cut off from Your hand" — the dead have already been cut off and separated from the stroke of Your hand, so that Your hand no longer has power over them to strike them; not so I, for even though —
You have laid me in the nether-most pit, In dark places, in the deeps.
verse value 3182
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 27 letters. Verse gematria: 3182 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "You·have·put·me" (שַׁ֭תַּנִי, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·dark·places" (בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "in·the·pit·of" (בְּב֣וֹר), "the·depths" (תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת), "in·the·depths" (בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "You·have·put·me" (root שית, 32x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'the·depths', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: שַׁ֭תַּנִי [You·have·put·me] (760) + בְּב֣וֹר [in·the·pit·of] (210) + תַּחְתִּיּ֑וֹת [the·depths] (1224) + בְּ֝מַחֲשַׁכִּ֗ים [in·dark·places] (420) + בִּמְצֹלֽוֹת [in·the·depths] (568) = 3182.
Rashi
"You have put me into the lowest pit" — That is the exile.
Ibn Ezra
'You have laid me' — as if You have laid me like a man lying in darkness, in the depths; and all this recounts the abundance of his afflictions, illnesses, and pains.
Radak
"You have laid me" — You have placed me in exile, which is the nethermost pit, meaning that there are [forms of] death present in exile, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Captivity — all of them [the death-like states] are present in it." "In dark places, in the deeps" — He compared the exile to dark places, and likewise to the depths of the sea; and the word bi-metzulot has its tzadi vocalized with a cholam.
Metzudat David
"You have laid me" — You have placed me in the lowest pit, exceedingly deep. "In the depths" — In the depth of the waters; this is a metaphor for various troubles.
Malbim
(7-8) "You have put me in the nethermost pit, in dark places" that are "in the depths" — nevertheless "Your wrath lies hard upon me," and even in the grave where I am, still "You have afflicted me with all Your waves," and the breakers that pass over the waters of the deep pass over me; as though even after being buried with those who go down to the pit, I still feel the troubles of life and their afflictions. "Selah" — the conclusion of the matter.
Your wrath lies hard upon me, And all Your waves You press down. Selah
verse value 1956
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "upon·me" (עָ֭לַי, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·all·Your·waves" (וְכׇל־מִ֝שְׁבָּרֶ֗יךָ, 9 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "has·leaned" (סָמְכָ֣ה), "and·all·Your·waves" (וְכׇל־מִ֝שְׁבָּרֶ֗יךָ), "You·have·pressed·down" (עִנִּ֥יתָ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·me" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "Selah" (root סלה, 70x in Psalms); "You·have·pressed·down" (root ענה, 56x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·wrath', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: עָ֭לַי [upon·me] (110) + סָמְכָ֣ה [has·leaned] (125) + חֲמָתֶ֑ךָ [Your·wrath] (468) + וְכׇל־מִ֝שְׁבָּרֶ֗יךָ [and·all·Your·waves] (628) + עִנִּ֥יתָ [You·have·pressed·down] (530) + סֶּֽלָה [Selah] (95) = 1956.
Rashi
"lies hard" — leans and hangs [sic] on me. "and [with] all Your waves You have afflicted [me] constantly" — Heb. משבריך, an expression of the waves of the sea. They are all the storms of Your wrath; with all of them have You constantly afflicted me.
Ibn Ezra
'Upon me' — because he likens himself to the bottom of the sea, for he is driven away from dry land by the wrath of Hashem; therefore, 'Your wrath lies hard upon me,' in the manner of 'for the arrows of Shaddai are within me, whose venom my spirit drinks' (Job 6:4). And the word 'upon me' also serves another clause — 'and all Your waves You have pressed down upon [me], Selah' — it applies to both clauses though written only once. 'And You have pressed down' [inniti] — like 'the floods have lifted up their pounding [waves]' (Psalms 93:3).
Radak
"Lies hard" [samkhah] — an expression of nearness and of surrounding. "And all Your waves You press down. Selah" — [meaning:] with all Your waves You have afflicted me. "The breakers" [ha-mishbarim] — these are the waves of the sea, so called because they break apart [mishtabrim] at the time the sea rages; and since he pictured himself as being in the depths of the sea, he therefore said "Your breakers."
Metzudat David
"And all" — With all Your breakers You have afflicted me forever, meaning: for a long time.
Metzudat Zion
"And all" — the letter vav stands in place of the word "with," as in "and Joseph was in Egypt" (Exodus 1:5), meaning, "with Joseph, who was in Egypt." "Your waves" — these are the waves of the sea, which appear to break up the water of the sea; and so, "because of the breakers they are beside themselves" (Job 41). "You press down" — from the language of inui ("affliction").
You have put my acquaintance far from me; You have made me an abomination to them; I am shut up, and I cannot come forth.
verse value 2887
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 36 letters. The shortest word is "to·them" (לָ֑מוֹ, 3 letters) and the longest is "abominations" (תוֹעֵב֣וֹת, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "abominations" (תוֹעֵב֣וֹת), "shut·up" (כָּ֝לֻ֗א), "I·go·out" (אֵצֵֽא). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·not" (root לא, 174x in Psalms); "my·acquaintances" (root ידע, 95x in Psalms); "from·me" (root מן, 59x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·them', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: הִרְחַ֥קְתָּ [You·have·removed] (713) + מְיֻדָּעַ֗י [my·acquaintances] (134) + מִ֫מֶּ֥נִּי [from·me] (140) + שַׁתַּ֣נִי [You·have·made·me] (760) + תוֹעֵב֣וֹת [abominations] (884) + לָ֑מוֹ [to·them] (76) + כָּ֝לֻ֗א [shut·up] (51) + וְלֹ֣א [and·not] (37) + אֵצֵֽא [I·go·out] (92) = 2887.
Rashi
"You have made me an abomination to them" — The nations, in whose eyes I was esteemed—now I am repugnant to them. "[I am] imprisoned" — Confined in a prison, and I cannot go out.
Ibn Ezra
'You have put far,' 'an abomination' — the letter kaf [כ, 'like'] is missing [i.e., understand it as 'like an abomination']. 'Shut up' — from the illness. And the meaning is: his acquaintances have distanced themselves from him and do not visit him, and he sees that he is shut in and cannot go to them.
Radak
"You have put far" — some explain "my acquaintance" as referring to the nations of the world; he speaks of those who were his acquaintances when he was in his own land — now that he is in exile, they have become distant from him. "And You have made me an abomination to them" — that they abhor me. It may also be explained that each one of the exiles says this of his fellow: because of the abundance of the trouble of exile, no one pays attention to the trouble of his fellow, for he has enough with his own trouble; and each one says that his brothers, his companions, and his acquaintances are far from him, as though he were an abomination to them. "Shut up, and I cannot come forth" — behold, I am confined and closed up in exile, and I cannot go out from it.
Metzudat David
"You have put far" — You have hardened the heart of my loved ones so that they distance themselves from me, for they have turned into enemies. "You have made" — You have made me to be despised in their eyes. "Shut up" — I am as though in a prison and confinement, unable to go out.
Metzudat Zion
"My acquaintance" — my friends, as in "my confidant and my acquaintance" (above, Psalm 55). "To them" — to them.
Malbim
"You have put far" — after he depicted the matter in a figurative image, as though he were buried in a grave, and only in this respect is he still alive, in that he still feels troubles and pains, he now states the thing signified: "that You have put my acquaintances far from me," in that they will not come to me, for I am "an abomination to them"; and also I cannot come to them, for I am "shut up, and cannot go out" — and this is the meaning signified by the grave.
My eye languishes because of affliction; I have called upon You, O Hashem, every day, I have spread forth my hands to You.
verse value 2145
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 42 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2145 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "my·hands" (כַפָּֽי, 3 letters) and the longest is "from·affliction" (מִנִּ֫י־עֹ֥נִי, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "languishes" (דָאֲבָ֗ה), "from·affliction" (מִנִּ֫י־עֹ֥נִי), "I·have·spread" (שִׁטַּ֖חְתִּי). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "every·day" (root יום, 121x in Psalms); "to·You" (root אל, 112x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'every·day', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: עֵינִ֥י [my·eye] (140) + דָאֲבָ֗ה [languishes] (12) + מִנִּ֫י־עֹ֥נִי [from·affliction] (230) + קְרָאתִ֣יךָ [I·have·called·You] (731) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + בְּכׇל־י֑וֹם [every·day] (108) + שִׁטַּ֖חְתִּי [I·have·spread] (727) + אֵלֶ֣יךָ [to·You] (61) + כַפָּֽי [my·hands] (110) = 2145.
Ibn Ezra
'My eye' — the eyes of the sick always change/alter. And the meaning of 'every day' — that his illness has lasted a long time.
Radak
"Languishes" [da'avah] — from "anguish of soul" [de'avon nefesh]; as if he said, my eye has failed from the affliction I am in, and my eye is fixed upon You until it has failed, and so "I have called upon You every day." "And I have spread forth my hands to You" — and yet You do not save me.
Metzudat David
"My eye languishes" — My eye has grown dim with sorrow from the greatness of the affliction. "I have spread forth" — I have spread out my palms, in the manner of those who pray.
Metzudat Zion
"Languishes" — an expression of sorrow, as in "and sorrow of soul" (Deuteronomy 28). "I have spread forth" — an expression of spreading out, as in "a place for the spreading of nets" (Ezekiel 26).
Malbim
"My eye" — and although I will no longer see any person, being among those who dwell in cessation, nevertheless I still see "the affliction" that stands beside me to torment me, and "my eye" sees it "and languishes because of it," and in this state "I have called upon You, Hashem, every day."
Will You work wonders for the dead? Or shall the shades arise and give You thanks? Selah
verse value 2086
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 33 letters. The shortest word is "Selah" (סֶּֽלָה, 3 letters) and the longest is "You·will·work·a·wonder" (תַּעֲשֶׂה־פֶּ֑לֶא, 7 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "is·it·for·the·dead" (הֲלַמֵּתִ֥ים), "You·will·work·a·wonder" (תַּעֲשֶׂה־פֶּ֑לֶא), "or·the·shades" (אִם־רְ֝פָאִ֗ים). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "You·will·work·a·wonder" (root עשה, 109x in Psalms); "Selah" (root סלה, 70x in Psalms); "will·praise·You" (root ידה, 68x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'You·will·work·a·wonder', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 4 words. Full calculation: הֲלַמֵּתִ֥ים [is·it·for·the·dead] (525) + תַּעֲשֶׂה־פֶּ֑לֶא [You·will·work·a·wonder] (886) + אִם־רְ֝פָאִ֗ים [or·the·shades] (372) + יָק֤וּמוּ [will·arise] (162) + יוֹד֬וּךָ [will·praise·You] (46) + סֶּֽלָה [Selah] (95) = 2086.
Rashi
"Will You perform a wonder for the dead?" — Do You perform a wonder and miracles for the wicked, who are called dead even in their lifetime? "Will the shades rise and thank You" — Heb. רפאים, lit. the weak. Will the nations that weakened their [Israel’s] hands from Your service rise and thank You? This is a wonder.
Ibn Ezra
'For the dead' — the meaning is: perform a wonder for me while I am still alive, so that I may be healed.
Radak
"[Will You work wonders] for the dead" — if we die in exile, will You perform a wonder for us afterward? "Or shall the shades" — that is, the dead, arise from their grave and give You thanks? For if You do not perform a wonder while we are still alive, so that we may give thanks to You for the miracles and wonders that You do for us, when will You perform them — after we die? Behold, the dead body has no feeling and no awareness, and by the way of nature it has no hope.
Metzudat David
"For the dead" — Meaning: shall I not die from the harshness of my troubles — and will You perform for the dead the wonders that You have promised? "Or shall the shades" — Will the dead, who have been weakened and enfeebled by the angel of death — will they thank You forever for Your wonders?
Metzudat Zion
"The shades" — from the language of rifyon ("feebleness") and weakness.
Malbim
"Will You, for the dead" — will You perform wonders for me after death? And even more than this — will "the shades," who are already buried in the grave and whose bodies have decayed there — will "they arise and give You thanks"? "Selah" — the conclusion of the matter.
Shall Your mercy be declared in the grave? Or Your faithfulness in destruction?
verse value 1333
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 25 letters. The shortest word is "in·the·grave" (בַּקֶּ֣בֶר, 4 letters) and the longest is "Your·faithfulness" (אֱ֝מ֥וּנָתְךָ֗, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "shall·it·be·declared" (הַיְסֻפַּ֣ר), "in·the·grave" (בַּקֶּ֣בֶר), "in·the·destruction" (בָּאֲבַדּֽוֹן). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Your·mercy" (root חסד, 125x in Psalms); "shall·it·be·declared" (root ספר, 38x in Psalms); "Your·faithfulness" (root אמונה, 20x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·mercy', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: הַיְסֻפַּ֣ר [shall·it·be·declared] (355) + בַּקֶּ֣בֶר [in·the·grave] (304) + חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ [Your·mercy] (92) + אֱ֝מ֥וּנָתְךָ֗ [Your·faithfulness] (517) + בָּאֲבַדּֽוֹן [in·the·destruction] (65) = 1333.
Rashi
"Will Your kindness be told in the grave" — if we die in the hands of our enemies, will we be able to recite Your praise in the grave?
Ibn Ezra
'Shall it be told' — the meaning is: 'the dead do not praise Yah' (Psalms 115:17).
Radak
"Shall [Your mercy] be declared" — he further repeats the matter, to strengthen it. "In destruction" [avaddon] — this is the grave, where the body perishes and is consumed.
Metzudat David
"Shall it be declared" — He repeats his words many times, in the manner of mourners and eulogizers. "In destruction" — This is the grave, in which man is lost from this world.
Malbim
(12-13) "Shall it be declared" — he says: even if it could be imagined that You would perform a wonder for the dead, is not the purpose of wonders twofold: (a) that they be made known to the people for whom the wonders were performed, and (b) that they be able to tell of them to others? And against this he says, "Shall Your mercy be declared in the grave" — that even if the dead knew and perceived the wonders, they would nevertheless be unable to tell of them. And he adds that not only would they be unable to tell of them, but also "shall Your wonder be known in the darkness" — that they would not even be made known to them at all, nor would they feel them. And the purpose of knowing the wonders is that through them one perceives Hashem's power and His righteousness, and concerning this he says, "shall Your wonder and Your righteousness be known" — and the purpose of recounting the wonders is that through them people recognize His mercy and His truth; therefore he says, "shall Your mercy and Your truth be declared."
Shall Your wonders be known in the dark? And Your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
verse value 1834
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 27 letters. The shortest word is "in·the·dark" (בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ, 4 letters) and the longest is "and·Your·righteousness" (וְ֝צִדְקָתְךָ֗, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "shall·it·be·known" (הֲיִוָּדַ֣ע), "forgetfulness" (נְשִׁיָּֽה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·the·land·of" (root ארץ, 157x in Psalms); "shall·it·be·known" (root ידע, 95x in Psalms); "Your·wonder" (root פלא, 38x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·wonder', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: הֲיִוָּדַ֣ע [shall·it·be·known] (95) + בַּחֹ֣שֶׁךְ [in·the·dark] (330) + פִּלְאֶ֑ךָ [Your·wonder] (131) + וְ֝צִדְקָתְךָ֗ [and·Your·righteousness] (620) + בְּאֶ֣רֶץ [in·the·land·of] (293) + נְשִׁיָּֽה [forgetfulness] (365) = 1834.
Ibn Ezra
'Shall it be known,' 'in the land of forgetfulness' — like 'whom You remember no more' [verse 6, above].
Radak
"Shall [Your wonders] be known" — he further triples the matter, in the manner of mourners and criers who repeat their words several times. "In the land of forgetfulness" — this is the grave, where the dead are forgotten.
Metzudat David
"Shall it be known" — Will Your wonder become known through me when I am in the darkness of the grave, and will Your righteousness be told in the land of forgetfulness — which is the grave (for when a man is there, he is forgotten by the mouths of people)?
Metzudat Zion
"Forgetfulness" — an expression of forgetting, as in "God has made me forget" (Genesis 41).
But as for me, to You, O Hashem, do I cry, And in the morning does my prayer come to meet You.
verse value 2734
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "and·I" (וַאֲנִ֤י, 4 letters) and the longest is "I·cry·out" (שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·in·the·morning" (וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר), "comes·before·You" (תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "to·You" (root אל, 112x in Psalms); "and·I" (root אני, 64x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'I·cry·out', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַאֲנִ֤י [and·I] (67) + אֵלֶ֣יךָ [to·You] (61) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + שִׁוַּ֑עְתִּי [I·cry·out] (786) + וּ֝בַבֹּ֗קֶר [and·in·the·morning] (310) + תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י [my·prayer] (920) + תְקַדְּמֶֽךָּ [comes·before·You] (564) = 2734.
Ibn Ezra
'But as for me' — the meaning of 'in the morning' is that then there is slight relief for those with severe illness. And the meaning of 'my cry' — is to You alone, and not to any physician besides You.
Radak
"But as for me, to You" — while I am still alive, I cry out to You continually, and every single morning my prayer comes before You — meaning, my prayer takes precedence over all other business of mine.
Metzudat David
"But as for me" — Have I not cried out to You, and every morning does my prayer come early to appear before You?
Malbim
"But as for me" — but I, while I am still alive, do I not "cry out to You, Hashem," and not merely at intervals, but "every morning does my prayer come before You" (he depicts that the first thing that comes before You in the morning is my prayer)? And if so, "why, Hashem, do You cast off my soul" — for it must be either that You have abandoned me entirely and do not watch over me at all, and I am subject to chance, or "that You have hidden Your face from me," so that I cannot see You — like one who watches his fellow, peering through the cracks, so that he sees his fellow, but his fellow does not see him.
Hashem, why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?
verse value 2376
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 2376 is divisible by 18, the value of chai ('life'). The shortest word is "why" (לָמָ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "do·You·hide" (תַּסְתִּ֖יר, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "do·You·cast·off" (תִּזְנַ֣ח). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "my·soul" (root נפש, 143x in Psalms); "Your·face" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'my·soul', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: לָמָ֣ה [why] (75) + יְ֭הֹוָה [Hashem] (26) + תִּזְנַ֣ח [do·You·cast·off] (465) + נַפְשִׁ֑י [my·soul] (440) + תַּסְתִּ֖יר [do·You·hide] (1070) + פָּנֶ֣יךָ [Your·face] (160) + מִמֶּֽנִּי [from·me] (140) = 2376.
Ibn Ezra
'Why' — thus I cry out. 'Why do You hide Your face' — consider, for...
Radak
"Why" — [meaning,] why do You not pay heed to my lowly state? "Do You hide Your face" — that You do not turn toward my cry, nor toward my prayer.
Metzudat David
"Why" — Meaning: since I pray before You, why then do You abandon my soul into the hand of the enemy?
I am afflicted and at the point of death from my youth up; I have borne Your terrors, I am distracted.
verse value 1610
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. The shortest word is "afflicted" (עָ֘נִ֤י, 3 letters) and the longest is "I·have·borne" (נָשָׂ֖אתִי, 5 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "and·expiring" (וְגֹוֵ֣עַ), "from·youth" (מִנֹּ֑עַר), "Your·terrors" (אֵמֶ֣יךָ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "I" (root אני, 64x in Psalms); "I·have·borne" (root נשא, 52x in Psalms); "afflicted" (root עני, 32x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·youth', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: עָ֘נִ֤י [afflicted] (130) + אֲנִ֣י [I] (61) + וְגֹוֵ֣עַ [and·expiring] (85) + מִנֹּ֑עַר [from·youth] (360) + נָשָׂ֖אתִי [I·have·borne] (761) + אֵמֶ֣יךָ [Your·terrors] (71) + אָפֽוּנָה [I·am·distracted] (142) = 1610.
Rashi
"and close to sudden death" — Heb. וגוע מנער, dying from the strangulation of sudden death, as (Exod. 14:27): “and the Lord strangled (וינער).” Menachem (p. 123) defines וינער as an expression of beating, as (Isa. 33:15): “who shakes (נוער) his hands from taking hold of bribe”; (Isa. 52:2), “Shake yourself (התנערי) from the dust, arise”; (Isa. 1:31), “And the[ir] strength will become as tow (לנערת)”; (Job 38: 13), “so that the wicked will be shaken (וינערו) from it”; (Neh. 5:13), “even thus may he be shaken out (נעור) and emptied.” "it is well-founded" — Heb. אפונה. Your fear is settled and based in my heart. אפוּנה is an expression of (Prov. 25:11): “a word spoken with proper basis (אפניו)”; on its basis.
Ibn Ezra
'Afflicted' — the meaning is: from the days of his youth, his constitution was never strong; he was regarded as one about to expire. Even though 'I was afflicted' — 'I have borne Your terrors' — and the meaning [of 'terrors'] is illnesses. And the word 'afunah' [I am distracted] is from the grammatical pattern of 'pen' [lest], just as 'e'eleh' [I will go up] is from the pattern of 'al' [upon], and 'tehinu' [you dishearten] (Numbers 32:7) is from the pattern of 'hineh' [behold]. And the meaning of 'agurah' [I sojourn in fear] is 'and I am afraid.'
Radak
"From my youth" — from the days of my youth I have borne this affliction. "I am afflicted and at the point of death" — meaning, going along and dying, like a man who wastes away and declines; yet I do not cast off Your yoke from myself despite my many troubles; and even though You do not save us, still at every moment I bear Your terror and the fear of Your name. And the meaning of "afunah" ["I am distracted"] is from the sense of "pen" ["lest"] — I am always afraid, and I say, "lest such-and-such befall me"; and "afunah" is built from the word "pen," and "afunah" in the vernacular [Old French] is doubté.
Metzudat David
"And expiring from my youth" — From the time of my youth I have been in a state of expiring — meaning, for a long time — and the days of tranquility were few. "I have borne..." — meaning: I am kept from my own affairs by the burden of bearing the dread.
Metzudat Zion
"Your terrors" — from the language of eimah ("dread") and pachad ("fear"). "I am distracted" — from the language of panui ("empty," "vacant").
Malbim
(16-17) "I am afflicted" — although I am afflicted and humbled in spirit, "and ready to expire from my youth" on account of the weakness of my body, nevertheless "I have borne Your terrors" in every place "to which I turn" — as though I wish to turn my face to another direction because of my dread of You, yet it terrifies me on every side; "and Your fierce wrath has passed over me" — that is, the punishments; and also "Your terrors have cut me off" — the fears that I have always concerning the future.
Your fierce wrath is gone over me; Your terrors have cut me off.
verse value 2186
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "upon·me" (עָ֭לַי, 3 letters) and the longest is "have·cut·me·off" (צִמְּתוּתֻֽנִי, 7 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "Your·wrath" (חֲרוֹנֶ֑יךָ), "Your·terrors" (בִּ֝עוּתֶ֗יךָ), "have·cut·me·off" (צִמְּתוּתֻֽנִי). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "upon·me" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "have·passed·over" (root עבר, 34x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·wrath', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: עָ֭לַי [upon·me] (110) + עָבְר֣וּ [have·passed·over] (278) + חֲרוֹנֶ֑יךָ [Your·wrath] (294) + בִּ֝עוּתֶ֗יךָ [Your·terrors] (508) + צִמְּתוּתֻֽנִי [have·cut·me·off] (996) = 2186.
Ibn Ezra
'Upon me' — he relates that a multitude of great afflictions have befallen him. 'Have cut me off' [tzimtutuni] — a compound verb-form, in the manner of 'mavligiti' [my comfort] (Jeremiah 8:18) and 'yoshevet ba-Levanon, mekonenet ba-arazim' [O you who dwell in Lebanon, nested among the cedars] (Jeremiah 22:23).
Radak
"Your terrors" [be'utekha] — a noun from "and Haman was terrified" [ve-Haman nivat]. "Have cut me off" [tzimtatuni] — there is no [apparent] reason for this doubled construction; but what seems correct to me is that the lamed [root letter] is doubled together with the plural suffix, to strengthen the meaning — like "yerakrak" ["greenish"], which means "the greenest of greens." So too "tzimtatuni" means: they have cut me off with many cuttings.
Metzudat David
"Your terrors" — The dread that comes from You has cut me off.
Metzudat Zion
"Your terrors" — from the language of be'atah ("terror") and charadah ("dread"), as in "trembling has terrified me" (Isaiah 21). "Have cut me off" — an expression of cutting off, as in "Hashem shall cut them off" (below, Psalm 94).
They came round about me like water all the day; They compassed me about together.
verse value 682
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "upon·me" (עָלַ֣י, 3 letters) and the longest is "all·the·day" (כׇּל־הַיּ֑וֹם, 6 letters). Words sharing gematria 110: like·the·water, upon·me. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "have·surrounded" (הִקִּ֖יפוּ). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "all·the·day" (root יום, 121x in Psalms); "upon·me" (root על, 120x in Psalms); "like·the·water" (root מים, 38x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'all·the·day', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: סַבּ֣וּנִי [have·surrounded·me] (128) + כַ֭מַּיִם [like·the·water] (110) + כׇּל־הַיּ֑וֹם [all·the·day] (111) + הִקִּ֖יפוּ [have·surrounded] (201) + עָלַ֣י [upon·me] (110) + יָֽחַד [together] (22) = 682.
Ibn Ezra
'They have surrounded me' — through the many days that have passed while he was not well.
Radak
"They came round about me" [sabbuni] — just as water surrounds the world, so Your terrors have surrounded me; and likewise "hikkifu" ["compassed"] means "they surrounded"; and the matter is repeated in different words, as is the practice in many places.
Metzudat David
"They surrounded me" — The wrath and the dread surround me like water surrounding a body standing in it. "Together" — The wrath and the dread, together.
Metzudat Zion
"They compassed" — an expression of surrounding.
Malbim
"They surrounded me like water" — and more than that, "they encompassed me," for encompassing means all around, on every side, not one after another, but rather "they encompassed me together" — all of them at once.
Friend and companion have You put far from me, And my acquaintance into darkness.
verse value 1639
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 24 letters. The shortest word is "friend" (אֹהֵ֣ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "You·have·removed" (הִרְחַ֣קְתָּ, 5 letters). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "my·acquaintances" (root ידע, 95x in Psalms); "from·me" (root מן, 59x in Psalms); "and·companion" (root רע, 53x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·companion', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 2 words. Full calculation: הִרְחַ֣קְתָּ [You·have·removed] (713) + מִ֭מֶּנִּי [from·me] (140) + אֹהֵ֣ב [friend] (8) + וָרֵ֑עַ [and·companion] (276) + מְֽיֻדָּעַ֥י [my·acquaintances] (134) + מַחְשָֽׁךְ [darkness] (368) = 1639.
Rashi
"From my acquaintances, I am withdrawn" — Heb. מחשך. I am withdrawn and withheld from them.
Ibn Ezra
'You have put far' — such was the custom of all his loved ones and companions, that they would not visit him in his illness, as if his acquaintances were hidden in darkness, and he could not see them.
Radak
"[Friend and companion] have You put far" — as I have explained; as if my acquaintances were in a dark place, such that I cannot see them.
Metzudat David
"You have put far" — For they did not come to me to comfort me. "My acquaintances into darkness" — As though they were in a place of darkness, so that I cannot see them.
Metzudat Zion
"My acquaintance" — my friends. "Into darkness" — from the language of choshech ("darkness").
Malbim
"You have put far" — He depicts it as if the terrors of Hashem and His horrors, which surround him, are like guards stationed around him so that no man may draw near to him. And in this sense, "You have put far from me friend and companion," leaving only "my acquaintance is darkness" — meaning that the thing which is dark and gloomy is now his acquaintance, for he dwells with darkness and gloom. And what this implies concerning the collective body, the nation, is understood on its own: the form of the nation as a whole is like a body sick with a grave illness, as though it had died, been buried, and ceased from the world — except that in this respect it is still alive, in that it still feels its own troubles. It is separated from mankind, imprisoned in houses of confinement, dwelling alone like a solitary bird on a roof, pursued by terrors and horrors and the breakers of death. And so all the images are apt in their figurative meaning for one who understands — which is why it is called a "maskil".
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat David
Metzudat Zion
Malbim