A Psalm of David, for the Leader, upon Muthlabben — thanksgiving for Hashem's righteous judgment against the wicked, and trust in Him as a stronghold for the oppressed.
Tap any Hebrew word to reveal its root, value, and meanings.
For the Leader; upon Muthlabben. A Psalm of David.
verse value 1183
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 22 letters. Verse gematria: 1183 is divisible by 13, the value of echad ('one') and ahavah ('love'). The shortest word is "Labben" (לַבֵּ֗ן, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·the·leader" (לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ, 5 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "Labben" (לַבֵּ֗ן). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "of·David" (root דוד, 89x in Psalms); "for·the·leader" (root נצח, 73x in Psalms); "a·psalm" (root מזמור, 57x in Psalms). First appearance of the root עלמה ("upon·Muth") in Psalms. First appearance of the root לבן ("Labben") in Psalms. Full calculation: לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ [for·the·leader] (218) + עַל־מ֥וּת [upon·Muth] (546) + לַבֵּ֗ן [Labben] (82) + מִזְמ֥וֹר [a·psalm] (293) + לְדָוִֽד [of·David] (44) = 1183.
Rashi
"to brighten the youth" — Heb. על מות לבן. Some interpret על מות לבן, on the death of Absalom, but this interpretation is not plausible because he [David] states: לבן ; he does not state הבן. Others interpret על מות לבן [as referring to] Nabal. Neither is this plausible, to invert the name. Moreover, no mention is made of him in the psalm. (The preceding paragraph does not appear in most editions.) I saw in the Great Masorah that it is one word, judging by the fact that it is compared to (below 48:15): “He will lead us as in youth (על מות).” Menachem and Dunash interpreted what they interpreted, but it does not seem correct to me. I saw in the Pesikta (d’Rav Kahana, p. 25a) that the chapter deals with Amalek and Esau (as in verse 6): You rebuked nations; You destroyed a wicked man. But I say that this song, למנצח על מות לבן, is for the future, when the childhood and the youth of Israel will be brightened; their righteousness will be revealed and their salvation will draw near, that Esau and his seed will be erased, according to our Torah. (The last phrase does not appear in most editions.) על מות means childhood. לבן is like ללבן, to whiten. Menachem interpreted על מות לבן, melodies to teach, and this is its interpretation: To the conductor למנצח, to the conductor, melodies to teach, in which case לבן is equivalent to להבין ולבונן, to understand and to comprehend; על מות, named for a musical instrument called עלמות, as is stated (below 46:1): “on alamoth-shir.” Dunash (p. 15f) interpreted לבן as the name of a man whose name was Labben, who fought with David in those days, and the Psalmist’s statement, “You rebuked nations, You destroyed a wicked man”this wicked man is Labben, who slew innocent people. Although you do not come upon a man named Labben anywhere else but this place, you find the same with other names, which are found in Scripture only once. (This entire account of Dunash’s interpretation does not appear in early mss. Menachem’s interpretation is presented very briefly.)
Ibn Ezra
“For the leader; upon Muth-labben” — “al mut” is two words; therefore the one who said that it is like “al alamot shir” (“upon alamoth; a song,” Psalm 46:1) erred. Moreover: why would a lamed be attached to what follows it? Also, the one who says that “Laben” was the name of a musician, like “Ben” and “Yeiel” (1 Chronicles 15:18), is not correct, for it is not the grammar of the language to say “le-Yitzchak,” “le-Yaakov” with a patach under the lamed for a person's name, since the name is already definite, as I explained in the Book of Hashem. And some say that “Laben” is “Naval” (Nabal) with its letters reversed. And “al mut” — [some say it means] the man of sons, and the death of his son. But correct is the view of Rabbi Dunash HaLevi: that it was the name of one of the princes of the nations who oppressed Israel, as [David] will explain in the psalm.
Radak
"For the leader; upon Muth-labben. A psalm of David" — Most of the commentators (Rabbi Dunash HaLevi and Ibn Ezra) said that David said this about one of his enemies who died, who was one of the princes of the nations and who devastated Israel, and whose name was "Laben"; and at his death David composed this psalm. And some say (Ibn Ezra, ad loc.) that "Laben," reversed, is "Naval," and that when Naval the Carmelite died, David composed this psalm; but this is very far-fetched, for the subject of the psalm speaks of a man who did evil to Israel, and Naval did no evil to anyone — he was only stingy with his money. And some say (ibid.) that "Laben" is [written] as though with a yod, and it refers to Goliath, who was called "the champion" [ish ha-beinayim, lit. "the man of the interval"], and that when David killed him, he composed this psalm. And my father and teacher, of blessed memory, wrote that this psalm was said concerning Goliath, but he explained "Laben" as referring to a singer named Ben (ibid.), as it is written in Chronicles (I 15:18): "and with them their brethren of the second rank: Zechariah, Ben, and Yaaziel." And he explained "al Muth" [as] two words functioning as one word, from "alamoth shir." And likewise there are two words whose meaning is a single word: "pekach koach" (Isaiah 61:1); "yafeh yafiyah" (Jeremiah 46:20); "le-gei yonim" (Psalms 123:4). And even though the lamed of "Laben" is vocalized with a patach [as though bearing the definite article], and that is not the practice with a person's name — one would not say "la-Yitzchak" [to Isaac] or "la-Yedutun" [to Yedutun], since the definite article heh does not attach to a proper noun — nevertheless, the definite article comes here to indicate that he is speaking of Ben the singer; for had he said "le-ven" with a sheva, it would not have been recognized that he was speaking of the singer named Ben. In any case, the sense of the psalm is rightly explained as referring to Goliath the Philistine.
Metzudat Zion
'Lavben' — the name of a man who fought against David; and when he died, David composed a song about him.
Malbim
"Upon Muth-labben" — this Laban (as is made clear from the psalm) destroyed many cities and caused nations and kingdoms to perish; and afterward he fought against David, and David defeated him. And after his return from the war, his downfall came about through Hashem, in that he was ensnared by the very devices he had prepared to trap David a second time, and his army and his kingdom were also lost. This is the general substance of the story, and accordingly he says in his song that although at first glance it appeared that his downfall was natural, in truth this was a matter of miraculous, providential [intervention] — in that he was caught in the pit he had dug for David. And he depicts it as though Hashem (for whom this wicked man had been the rod of His wrath, to cut off nations) kept silent toward him until He sat in judgment over him at the time he fought with David, and then repaid him his due, also for the nations he had destroyed and the cities he had demolished. And at the end of the passage he prayed that when Hashem wishes to call the nations to account, this should not come about through a human being who would say, "By the strength of my hand I have done it," but that He Himself would call them to account, so that all would recognize that Hashem is the ruler over all, and that man would no longer prevail against the God on high. And accordingly he complains (in chapter 10) about the success of the wicked, the destroyers of lands, and about how Hashem prolongs His patience, and that on account of this people come to deny [divine] providence, and therefore the law grows faint and justice never goes forth victorious — and he prayed concerning this.
"I will give thanks to Hashem" — meaning, my thanksgiving for the past will be "with all my heart," for it has already been explained in Chovot HaLevavot [Duties of the Heart] (Gate of Divine Service) that the reason it is difficult for a person to thank Hashem for His kindness is that at the time he comes to give thanks for the past, the words of his mouth are the words of one giving thanks, but his intention is the intention of one making a request — for in his heart he means to ask that Hashem continue to do good for him in the future, and if so, his thanksgiving is not complete, for in his heart he imagines that the good things he has received are not yet enough, and he wants more added to them. But I will give thanks with all my heart, and no intention of requesting will arise in my heart.
Second: "I will recount all Your wonders" — not in the manner of people, who recount only open miracles, while the things that appear to them to have natural causes they attribute to nature and to chance. But I — my eyes have been opened to know that even the ways of nature are the wonders of Him who is perfect in knowledge.
I will give thanks to Hashem with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
verse value 1129
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 29 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "I·will·give·thanks" (אוֹדֶ֣ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "all·Your·wonders" (כׇּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ, 10 letters). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "in·all·my·heart" (root כל, 82x in Psalms); "I·will·give·thanks" (root ידה, 68x in Psalms). First appearance of the root פלא ("all·Your·wonders") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·all·my·heart', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 2 words. Full calculation: אוֹדֶ֣ה [I·will·give·thanks] (16) + יְ֭הֹוָה [Hashem] (26) + בְּכׇל־לִבִּ֑י [in·all·my·heart] (94) + אֲ֝סַפְּרָ֗ה [I·will·tell] (346) + כׇּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ [all·Your·wonders] (647) = 1129.
Rashi
"all your wonders" — the final redemption, which is equal to all the miracles, as is stated (in Jer. 23: 7): “when they shall no longer say, As the Lord lives, Who brought up, etc.”
Ibn Ezra
“I will give thanks” — the sense is: with my whole heart, in private. “I will recount” — in public.
Radak
"I will give thanks to Hashem with my whole heart" — for the death of Goliath the Philistine was a great deliverance for David and for Israel; and therefore he says "with my whole heart." "I will tell of all Your marvelous works" — for on account of any single marvel, a person recounts the other marvels that occurred previously, as it says, "He has made a memorial for His marvelous works" (Psalms 111:4).
I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High:
verse value 1357
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "in·You" (בָ֑ךְ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·I·will·exult" (וְאֶעֶלְצָ֣ה, 6 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "I·will·rejoice" (אֶשְׂמְחָ֣ה), "and·I·will·exult" (וְאֶעֶלְצָ֣ה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Your·name" (root שם, 119x in Psalms); "I·will·rejoice" (root שמח, 55x in Psalms); "I·will·sing·praise" (root זמר, 41x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·You', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: אֶשְׂמְחָ֣ה [I·will·rejoice] (354) + וְאֶעֶלְצָ֣ה [and·I·will·exult] (202) + בָ֑ךְ [in·You] (22) + אֲזַמְּרָ֖ה [I·will·sing·praise] (253) + שִׁמְךָ֣ [Your·name] (360) + עֶלְיֽוֹן [Most·High] (166) = 1357.
Ibn Ezra
“I will rejoice” — and out of the abundance of joy, “I will sing praises to Your name,” even though He is too exalted to be praised in song.
Radak
"I will be glad and exult in You" — for "in You" I trusted when I went into battle against him, though I was a youth and he was a man of war. "I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High" — for You are exalted above all, and man's might is nothing but falsehood.
Metzudat David
"I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High" — I will praise Him, saying that His name is still Most High, and exalted above all praises.
Metzudat Zion
'Esmechah ve'e'eltzah' — the matter is repeated in different words.
Malbim
"I will be glad" — (the third sense) — In giving thanks to Hashem, I am not like the rest of mankind, whose joy is essentially over the good they have attained, which is [really] self-love. For I say, "I will be glad and exult in You" — my essential joy is in You, in that through this His great name will become known; and it is for this that "I will sing praise to Your name, Most High" — that I may sing of Your name and make known to mankind that You are Most High and Ruler over all. For "when," after "my enemy turns backward" and turns his back in war, so that afterward "they stumble and perish" a second time — this was not a chance matter, but rather "because of You" — for it was Your hand that did this.
When my enemies are turned back, They stumble and perish at Your presence;
verse value 1149
Insights
Verse structure: 5 words, 29 letters. The shortest word is "backward" (אָח֑וֹר, 4 letters) and the longest is "when·my·enemies·turn·back" (בְּשׁוּב־אוֹיְבַ֥י, 9 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "when·my·enemies·turn·back" (בְּשׁוּב־אוֹיְבַ֥י), "they·stumble" (יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ). 5 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "from·Your·presence" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms); "when·my·enemies·turn·back" (root שוב, 72x in Psalms); "and·they·perish" (root אבד, 26x in Psalms). First appearance of the root אחור ("backward") in Psalms. First appearance of the root כשל ("they·stumble") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'backward', dividing the verse into phrases of 2 and 3 words. Full calculation: בְּשׁוּב־אוֹיְבַ֥י [when·my·enemies·turn·back] (339) + אָח֑וֹר [backward] (215) + יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ [they·stumble] (366) + וְ֝יֹאבְד֗וּ [and·they·perish] (29) + מִפָּנֶֽיךָ [from·Your·presence] (200) = 1149.
Ibn Ezra
“When my enemies turn back” — the men of the adversary will have no standing/survival at the death of their king.
Radak
"When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish at Your presence" — for the entire battle-lines of the Philistines fled and turned "back," as it is written (I Samuel 17:51): "And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled."
Metzudat David
"When... are turned back" — when my enemies are unable to prevail against me, and turn back, and stumble, and perish, then I will rejoice, I will exult — a doubled joy for a doubled goodness.
For You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat upon the throne as the righteous Judge.
verse value 2741
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 31 letters. The shortest word is "justice" (צֶֽדֶק, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·You·have·done" (כִּֽי־עָ֭שִׂיתָ, 6 letters). 4 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "for·You·have·done" (כִּֽי־עָ֭שִׂיתָ), "and·my·cause" (וְדִינִ֑י), "You·sat" (יָשַׁ֥בְתָּ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for·You·have·done" (root עשה, 109x in Psalms); "my·judgment" (root משפט, 65x in Psalms); "You·sat" (root ישב, 58x in Psalms). First appearance of the root כסא ("on·the·throne") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'and·my·cause', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 4 words. Full calculation: כִּֽי־עָ֭שִׂיתָ [for·You·have·done] (810) + מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י [my·judgment] (439) + וְדִינִ֑י [and·my·cause] (80) + יָשַׁ֥בְתָּ [You·sat] (712) + לְ֝כִסֵּ֗א [on·the·throne] (111) + שׁוֹפֵ֥ט [judge·of] (395) + צֶֽדֶק [justice] (194) = 2741.
Rashi
"my judgment and my cause" — Heb. משפטי ודיני, words doubled in Scripture, for there is no difference between them, as (in Job 16:19): “my Witness is in heaven, and He Who testifies for me is on high”; (ibid. 40:18), “His limbs are as strong as copper, his bones as a load of iron.” "my judgment and my cause" — in heaven (?). "You sat on the throne" — The throne of judgment.
Ibn Ezra
“For [You maintained] my right and my cause” — as a sign that he did violence to David and broke his covenant with him; David prayed because of this, and his prayer was heard. And the sense of “You sat upon the throne” is “to render judgment.”
Radak
"For You have maintained my right and my cause" — You fought on my behalf. For it was a great miracle that the stone struck him on his forehead, since he was entirely clad in armor of iron, and it struck the one exposed place, which was on his forehead. "You sat upon the throne" — [that is,] You sat upon the throne of judgment, You who are "a righteous judge" — You exacted judgment from him, for he had reviled the ranks of the living God. And the lamed of "la-khisse" ["upon the throne"] stands in place of a bet; and likewise the lamed of "lifneikhem la-cherev" ["before you by the sword"] (Leviticus 26:7) is like "ba-cherev" [by the sword]; "I have slain for my wound" (Genesis 4:23).
Metzudat David
"For You have maintained" — behold, many times You have maintained my right, and sat upon the throne to judge my enemies.
Metzudat Zion
'Mishpati vedini' — to emphasize the matter, it is repeated in different words. 'Lechisei' — like 'bechisei' (on the throne); the letter lamed comes in place of the letter bet. Likewise, 'for you have chosen the son of Jesse' (1 Samuel 20), whose sense is 'concerning the son of Jesse.'
Malbim
"For" — after "You have maintained my right and my cause," in that at the time they came to fight against me and multiplied their contention with me, and You maintained my right by destroying them in battle — from then on You did not rise from the throne of judgment, but rather "You sat upon the throne," meaning that You remained sitting upon the throne of judgment; You are "a righteous Judge," in that although at first You did not execute judgment on the peoples whom he destroyed, [yet] once You had begun to judge him, You did not leave the throne of judgment until You had decreed upon him a sentence of destruction. And through this "You rebuked nations" who had been aiding him, "and also destroyed the wicked one" — he being Labben himself — and also "blotted out their name forever and ever," so that they would never rise again — meaning, that after their downfall began in battle, even afterward, when they were in their own homes, the hand of Hashem was against them, to destroy them and cause them to perish.
You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked, You have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
verse value 2803
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 30 letters. The shortest word is "wicked" (רָשָׁ֑ע, 3 letters) and the longest is "forever" (לְעוֹלָ֥ם, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "You·destroyed" (אִבַּ֣דְתָּ), "You·blotted·out" (מָ֝חִ֗יתָ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "forever" (root עולם, 144x in Psalms); "their·name" (root שם, 119x in Psalms); "wicked" (root רשע, 87x in Psalms). First appearance of the root גער ("You·rebuked") in Psalms. First appearance of the root מחה ("You·blotted·out") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wicked', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: גָּעַ֣רְתָּ [You·rebuked] (673) + ג֭וֹיִם [nations] (59) + אִבַּ֣דְתָּ [You·destroyed] (407) + רָשָׁ֑ע [wicked] (570) + שְׁמָ֥ם [their·name] (380) + מָ֝חִ֗יתָ [You·blotted·out] (458) + לְעוֹלָ֥ם [forever] (176) + וָעֶֽד [and·ever] (80) = 2803.
Rashi
"You rebuked nations" — [This alludes to Amalek, described in Num. 24:20 as] “Amalek is the first of the nations.” "You destroyed a wicked man" — Esau. "You erased their name" — “For I will surely erase the remembrance of Amalek” (Exod. 17:14).
Ibn Ezra
“You rebuked” — without a bet [prefix], in the sense of “cutting off,” as in “Behold, I will rebuke the seed for you” (Malachi 2:3). “You destroyed the wicked” — that is Laben. “Forever and ever” — a shortened form of “le-olam ve-ad olam” (forever, and to the age of the age); and because it stands at the end of the verse, the patach reverts to a small kamatz; and because the vowel-letter falls on the ayin, which is the first root letter, the vav is vocalized with a kamatz, as in “he brought forth bread and wine” (Genesis 14:18).
Radak
"You have rebuked the nations" — the word "ge'arah" [rebuke], when construed without a bet, is an expression of destruction, as in "rebuke the beast of the reeds" (Psalms 68:31); and as in "Behold, I will rebuke your seed" (Malachi 2:3); and so too here, "You have rebuked the nations." And he says: "You have rebuked the nations" — these are the Philistines; "You have destroyed the wicked one" — this is Goliath the Philistine; "You have blotted out their name" — he said this concerning those who died in the battle, as it says (I Samuel 17:52): "And the slain of the Philistines fell." "For ever and ever [le-olam va'ed]" — this word (va'ed) denotes a length of time even greater than "olam." And when it is not at the end of a verse, it is vocalized with a patach: without an atnach, as in "nor remember iniquity forever [la'ad]" (Isaiah 64:8); and with an atnach, as in "hast thou not known this from of old [mini ad]" (Job 20:4); but at the end of a verse, "le-olam va'ed" is vocalized with a segol.
Metzudat David
"You have rebuked" — for my sake You have rebuked the nations, etc., and blotted out their name so that they should not be remembered.
O you enemy, the waste places have come to an end for ever; And the cities which you did uproot, Their very memorial has perished.
verse value 3064
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 36 letters. The shortest word is "have·come·to·an·end" (תַּ֥מּוּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "the·enemy" (הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "the·enemy" (הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב), "and·cities" (וְעָרִ֥ים), "you·uprooted" (נָתַ֑שְׁתָּ). 9 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "forever" (root נצח, 73x in Psalms); "the·enemy" (root איב, 71x in Psalms); "they" (root הם, 69x in Psalms). First appearance of the root תמם ("have·come·to·an·end") in Psalms. First appearance of the root עיר ("and·cities") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'you·uprooted', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב [the·enemy] (24) + תַּ֥מּוּ [have·come·to·an·end] (446) + חֳרָב֗וֹת [ruins] (616) + לָ֫נֶ֥צַח [forever] (178) + וְעָרִ֥ים [and·cities] (326) + נָתַ֑שְׁתָּ [you·uprooted] (1150) + אָבַ֖ד [has·perished] (7) + זִכְרָ֣ם [their·memorial] (267) + הֵֽמָּה [they] (50) = 3064.
Rashi
"The enemy has been destroyed" — for the swords of hatred are perpetually upon him like a sharp sword. Another explanation: חרבות לנצח that enemy, the swords of whose hatred were upon us forever. That is the one concerning whom it is stated (in Amos 1:11): “and kept their fury forever.” Another explanation: חרבות is an expression of destruction, and this is its interpretation: The enemy has been destroyed; his ruins are perpetual. And so it is stated (in Ezek. 35:9): “I will make you perpetual desolations, and your cities shall not be restored.” "and You have uprooted the cities" — “Should Edom say, ‘We are poor, but we will return and build the ruins’? So said the Lord of Hosts: ‘They shall build, but I shall demolish’” (Malachi 1:4). "their remembrance is lost" — at that time.
Ibn Ezra
“The enemy” — Ben Labrat [Dunash ibn Labrat] said that he found “charavot” with a patach in an early manuscript, and so he explained it like “chorvot tzurim” (rocky ruins). But correct in my view is that the chet takes a small kamatz [chataf-kamatz, not a patach]. And Rabbi Moshe said: it ought to have been “avad zichram atah” (their memory has perished — you), and cited as similar: “ya'an asher gavahta be-komah” (because you were exalted in stature) — “vayiten tzamarto”/“vatiten tzamarto” (Ezekiel 31:10) — but he did not speak correctly, for the power of Hashem acting in verbs is like “from the mouth of the Most High evil does not go forth” (Lamentations 3:38), the sense being the “goings-forth” of the evils and the goods, which are the [divine] decrees; and so too with “ya'an asher gavahta be-komah,” where “vayiten” means “[He] gave your height.” In my own opinion, however, “the enemy” functions like “the congregation” in “one statute there shall be for you” (Numbers 15:15) — a collective singular — and so the sense is: “And you, O enemy — since the ruins that you destroyed have come to an end forever, and the cities that you laid waste, their very memory has perished — you thought you would escape, and forgot that Hashem is enthroned forever,” and so He will take judgment against you; therefore what follows is “and Hashem is enthroned forever,” which is connected to “their memory has perished” — namely, the cities — for behold, Hashem has blotted out their name, as is written above; and this is the sense of “He has repaid you according to your deeds.”
Radak
"O enemy, destructions have come to an end forever, and cities you have uprooted — their memory has perished, they" — the heh [of "ha-oyev"] is a heh of address, like "O assembly [ha-kahal], there shall be one statute for you" (Numbers 15:15); and like "O generation [ha-dor], see the word of Hashem" (Jeremiah 2:31). And just as he had said "You have blotted out their name," he now says, addressing the enemy: your name is blotted out, just as the name of the cities that you destroyed was blotted out — cities whose ruins "came to an end forever, and their memory perished" — so too has your memory now perished. And my father and teacher, of blessed memory, explained "the destructions have come to an end" [to mean]: the destruction that you used to inflict, you will no longer inflict. And the sage Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra, of blessed memory, explained (ad loc.): because "the destructions" that you wrought "have come to an end," and "the cities that you uprooted — their memory has perished," you thought that you would escape; but you forgot that Hashem "is enthroned forever." The explanation of "zikhram hemah" ["their memory, they"]: it is a doubling of the pronoun, for the mem of "zikhram" alone would have sufficed. Or its meaning is: "their memory has perished" to the point that onlookers will say, "these are not the [same] cities that were once built up." And according to this explanation, "hemah" ["they"] would be read as an expression of astonishment.
Metzudat David
"O you enemy" — you, O enemy, know that the ruins have come to an end forever — that is to say, the ruined places within you will come to an end forever and will not return to their former state; even the cities that were destroyed because of your sin, their memory will be lost. And the matter is repeated in different words.
Metzudat Zion
'Natashta' — a term meaning uprooting and destruction, as in 'to uproot and to break down' (Jeremiah 1).
Malbim
"The enemy" — know, you the enemy, that although "the ruins have come to an end" — these are the cities that You destroyed — "forever," so that they will never be rebuilt again and you need not fear that they will arise and take their revenge upon you; and "the cities which You uprooted" — not only did they perish, but also "their memory has perished," so that no one remembers them anymore, to the point that you need not fear that a descendant or remnant, or a blood-avenger, will arise to avenge them. Know that only with regard to them is it true that "their memory has perished" — but their blood-avenger is still to be found, the Avenger before whom there is no forgetting. For "Hashem," who "sits enthroned forever," after He "established" and prepared "His throne for judgment," will no longer rise from the throne of judgment, but rather "sits enthroned forever" to render judgment upon all His creatures. Therefore, although their memory has perished, behold, Hashem, who sits enthroned forever, "He will judge the world in righteousness," and will plead the cause of the oppressed against those who forcibly oppress them, and will not skew their judgment, for He will judge with righteousness and with uprightness. Now this is divided into three levels: He will judge the nations' case and render their verdict, and accordingly He will punish the one who made the earth tremble, who laid waste to their cities.
But Hashem is enthroned for ever; He has established His throne for judgment.
verse value 1192
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 26 letters. The shortest word is "sits" (יֵשֵׁ֑ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "and·Hashem" (וַֽ֭יהֹוָה, 5 letters). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "and·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "forever" (root עולם, 144x in Psalms); "for·the·judgment" (root משפט, 65x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'sits', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וַֽ֭יהֹוָה [and·Hashem] (32) + לְעוֹלָ֣ם [forever] (176) + יֵשֵׁ֑ב [sits] (312) + כּוֹנֵ֖ן [has·established] (126) + לַמִּשְׁפָּ֣ט [for·the·judgment] (459) + כִּסְאֽוֹ [His·throne] (87) = 1192.
Rashi
"But the Lord shall sit forever, etc." — The Name shall be complete and the throne shall be complete, as it is written כסאו, but before it is erased, it is written (in Exod. 17:16): “For a hand is on the throne (כס) of the Eternal (י-ה).” The throne is lacking [i.e., it is spelled defectively] and the Name is divided [i.e., the final two letters of the Tetragrammaton are missing].
Radak
"But Hashem is enthroned forever" — these and those [i.e., all of them] will perish; but Hashem "is enthroned forever," and judges all of them. And this is what he goes on to say: "He has established His throne for judgment" — as he says (Psalms 102:27): "They shall perish, but You shall endure." And the sense of "enthroned [yashav]" here is the sense of standing firm and enduring. And likewise, "Hashem sat enthroned at the flood" (Psalms 29:10).
Metzudat David
"But Hashem is enthroned forever" — for Hashem lives forever, and so too does His dominion; and if so, who will rebuild what He has destroyed?
And He will judge the world in righteousness, He will minister judgment to the peoples with equity.
verse value 1842
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "and·He" (וְה֗וּא) = 18, chai, 'life'. The shortest word is "and·He" (וְה֗וּא, 4 letters) and the longest is "will·judge·the·world" (יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל, 7 letters). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·righteousness" (root צדק, 49x in Psalms); "and·He" (root הוא, 42x in Psalms); "will·judge·the·world" (root שפט, 32x in Psalms). First appearance of the root הוא ("and·He") in Psalms. First appearance of the root מישר ("with·equity") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'in·righteousness', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: וְה֗וּא [and·He] (18) + יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל [will·judge·the·world] (831) + בְּצֶ֑דֶק [in·righteousness] (196) + יָדִ֥ין [will·judge] (74) + לְ֝אֻמִּ֗ים [peoples] (121) + בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים [with·equity] (602) = 1842.
Rashi
"But He judges the world with righteousness, kingdoms with equity" — Until the coming of the end, He was wont to judge them with clemency according to the equity found in them. He would judge them at night, when they would sleep and commit no sins.
Radak
"And He will judge the world in righteousness, He will minister judgment to the peoples with equity" — "tevel" [world] refers to the inhabited lands. He says: just as He judged my case "in righteousness," so too He judges the nations at every time and every season "in righteousness and with equity"; and when one nation prevails over another, it is all a judgment from Him.
Metzudat David
"And He will judge" — forever He will judge them with justice and uprightness and righteousness, as is fitting for them.
Hashem also will be a high tower for the oppressed, A high tower in times of trouble;
verse value 2004
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 28 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֣ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "for·the·oppressed" (לַדָּ֑ךְ, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·times·of" (לְעִתּ֥וֹת, 5 letters). Words sharing gematria 345: a·high·tower, a·high·tower. 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "for·the·oppressed" (לַדָּ֑ךְ). The root משגב appears 2 times in this verse. 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "and·will·be" (root היה, 97x in Psalms). First appearance of the root משגב ("a·high·tower") in Psalms. First appearance of the root דך ("for·the·oppressed") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'for·the·oppressed', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: וִ֘יהִ֤י [and·will·be] (31) + יְהֹוָ֣ה [Hashem] (26) + מִשְׂגָּ֣ב [a·high·tower] (345) + לַדָּ֑ךְ [for·the·oppressed] (54) + מִ֝שְׂגָּ֗ב [a·high·tower] (345) + לְעִתּ֥וֹת [in·times·of] (906) + בַּצָּרָֽה [in·the·distress] (297) = 2004.
Rashi
"And the Lord shall be a fortress for the crushed" — Heb. לדך, an expression of crushed, amenuyze in Old French. In the future, when He establishes His throne for judgment, He will be a fortress for Israel, who are crushed. "for times of distress" — lit., for times in distress.
Ibn Ezra
“And He will be [a stronghold] for the crushed” — one who has no strength, who is lowly; therefore “a high tower in time of trouble” is according to its plain sense: “a high tower for the oppressed.” And Rabbi Dunash explained it as a singular form of the word for “fortifications.” But this is not in keeping with the sense of the psalm.
Radak
"Hashem also will be a high tower for the oppressed, a high tower in times of trouble" — At every moment when He judges the world, He is a high tower for the poor. Even though the poor person is lowly, without strength and without ability, He does not abandon him to those who are stronger than he; rather, He becomes a high tower for him. The poor man is made secure through Him just as a man is made secure in a tower of strength, and just as Israel was made secure through Him today, when He was for them a tower of strength. And He is "a high tower in times" that are "of trouble," for Israel was now in great trouble because of this Philistine, and the Philistines who were overpowering them — as is said regarding King Saul (I Samuel 9:16): "For his cry has come to Me."
Metzudat David
"A high tower for the oppressed" — He will be a high tower for the brokenhearted; and when will He be a high tower? When there is a time of trouble in the world.
Metzudat Zion
'Misgav' — strength. 'Ladach' — [one who is] broken and crushed, as in 'those crushed in spirit' (below, Psalm 34). 'La'itot' — from the language of et (time).
Malbim
"And [Hashem] will be" — (second) — "to the crushed" and the downtrodden — He will not wait until they are done harm, but will be a "high tower" for him at once, and will not allow any harm to be done to him at all; and this is so whether he is crushed and downtrodden by his own condition, or whether he is weak because the time is "a time of trouble" — for in that case He will save him at once out of mercy and compassion. (Third) For those who fear Hashem and for Israel His people, He will not wait until there is a time of trouble, for "those who know Your name will trust in You, for You have not forsaken those who seek You" — not even a temporary forsaking — for they are under Your constant providence, to the point that they will never have a time of trouble at all. And the meaning is: to the nations He will render judgment; to the poor, mercy; to Israel and those who know His name, love and affection, as a father to his son. Therefore you, Israel, who know His name, "sing to Hashem," inasmuch as He "dwells in Zion" and watches there always with individual providence, and does not forsake those who know His name; and also "declare among the peoples His deeds" — how He conducts Himself with them. But there is a difference between His conduct toward the nations and His conduct toward those who know His name, namely: "for He who seeks blood remembers them" — meaning, "them," the nations, He remembers only in that He "seeks blood" — He remembered them only insofar as He seeks the blood that is shed, and the blood reminds Him to execute judgment for the blood that has been shed. But "the cry of the humble He has not forgotten" at all, and He does not wait until their shed blood reminds Him, for He saves them at once, as it is said, "for You have not forsaken those who seek You, Hashem."
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For you, Hashem, have not forsaken those who seek You.
verse value 1623
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 33 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָֽה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "in·You" (בְ֭ךָ, 2 letters) and the longest is "and·they·will·trust" (וְיִבְטְח֣וּ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "those·who·know" (יוֹדְעֵ֣י), "not·You·have·forsaken" (לֹֽא־עָזַ֖בְתָּ), "those·who·seek·You" (דֹרְשֶׁ֣יךָ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "for" (root כי, 216x in Psalms); "Your·name" (root שם, 119x in Psalms). First appearance of the root עזב ("not·You·have·forsaken") in Psalms. First appearance of the root דרש ("those·who·seek·You") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Your·name', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: וְיִבְטְח֣וּ [and·they·will·trust] (41) + בְ֭ךָ [in·You] (22) + יוֹדְעֵ֣י [those·who·know] (100) + שְׁמֶ֑ךָ [Your·name] (360) + כִּ֤י [for] (30) + לֹֽא־עָזַ֖בְתָּ [not·You·have·forsaken] (510) + דֹרְשֶׁ֣יךָ [those·who·seek·You] (534) + יְהֹוָֽה [Hashem] (26) = 1623.
Ibn Ezra
“And they will trust in You” — when they see that Hashem was a high tower for the crushed, then they will feel secure.
Radak
"And those who trust in You" — it is right that "they should trust in You," "those who know Your name" — like Israel today, for they saw "that You, Hashem, have not forsaken those who seek You" — rather, You were with them at the time of their trouble.
Metzudat David
"For You have not forsaken" — For they will see that You have not forsaken those who seek You.
Sing praises to Hashem, who dwells in Zion; Declare among the peoples His doings.
verse value 1529
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "who·dwells" (יֹשֵׁ֣ב, 3 letters) and the longest is "His·doings" (עֲלִֽילוֹתָֽיו, 8 letters). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "to·Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "among·the·peoples" (root עם, 135x in Psalms); "who·dwells" (root ישב, 58x in Psalms). First appearance of the root עלילה ("His·doings") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'Zion', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: זַמְּר֗וּ [sing·praises] (253) + לַ֭יהֹוָה [to·Hashem] (56) + יֹשֵׁ֣ב [who·dwells] (312) + צִיּ֑וֹן [Zion] (156) + הַגִּ֥ידוּ [declare] (28) + בָ֝עַמִּ֗ים [among·the·peoples] (162) + עֲלִֽילוֹתָֽיו [His·doings] (562) = 1529.
Rashi
"Sing praises to the Lord, Who dwells in Zion" — When He restores His dwelling to Zion, they will praise Him in this manner.
Ibn Ezra
“Sing praises” — because he mentioned that He rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked one who was destroying those who know Hashem, therefore [it says], “Sing praises to Hashem, who dwells in Zion,” for they are the ones who know Hashem and seek Him.
Radak
"Sing praises to Hashem, who dwells in Zion" — he says "who dwells in Zion" even though Zion was still in the hands of the Jebusite, because it was a tradition among them that the Glory would dwell there and that the Temple would be built there; and Zion is the chief part of Jerusalem. "Declare among the peoples His doings" — In every place that you go, declare the deeds and wonders that He did with you.
Metzudat David
"Who dwells in Zion" — who rests His Divine Presence in Zion.
For He who avenges blood has remembered them; He has not forgotten the cry of the humble.
verse value 2677
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. The shortest word is "has·remembered" (זָכָ֑ר, 3 letters) and the longest is "for·He·who·avenges" (כִּֽי־דֹרֵ֣שׁ, 5 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "for·He·who·avenges" (כִּֽי־דֹרֵ֣שׁ), "has·not·forgotten" (לֹֽא־שָׁ֝כַ֗ח), "cry·of" (צַעֲקַ֥ת). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "has·remembered" (root זכר, 64x in Psalms); "has·not·forgotten" (root שכח, 34x in Psalms); "for·He·who·avenges" (root דרש, 24x in Psalms). First appearance of the root דם ("blood") in Psalms. First appearance of the root שכח ("has·not·forgotten") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'has·remembered', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words.
Rashi
"remembers them" — The blood that was shed in Israel.
Radak
"For He who seeks out blood, remembers them" — God, who "seeks out" the blood of the poor from the hand of their oppressors, "remembers" that blood which the Philistines spilled among Israel. "He has not forgotten the cry of the humble" (in the manuscript before us the written form is "anavim") — it is written with a yod and read with a vav, for the "humble" (anavim) are generally the same as the "poor" (aniyim) and the weak.
Metzudat David
"For He who requires blood" — For He seeks to know the blood[shed], and it is remembered before Him, even though He does not hasten to exact payment.
Be gracious to me, O Hashem, Behold my affliction at the hands of those who hate me; You who lift me up from the gates of death;
verse value 2343
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 35 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֗ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "behold" (רְאֵ֣ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "You·who·lift·me·up" (מְ֝רוֹמְמִ֗י, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "be·gracious·to·me" (חָֽנְנֵ֬נִי), "You·who·lift·me·up" (מְ֝רוֹמְמִ֗י), "from·the·gates·of" (מִשַּׁ֥עֲרֵי). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "behold" (root ראה, 100x in Psalms); "You·who·lift·me·up" (root רום, 49x in Psalms). First appearance of the root שער ("from·the·gates·of") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'from·those·who·hate·me', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 3 words. Full calculation: חָֽנְנֵ֬נִי [be·gracious·to·me] (168) + יְהֹוָ֗ה [Hashem] (26) + רְאֵ֣ה [behold] (206) + עׇ֭נְיִי [my·affliction] (140) + מִשֹּׂנְאָ֑י [from·those·who·hate·me] (401) + מְ֝רוֹמְמִ֗י [You·who·lift·me·up] (336) + מִשַּׁ֥עֲרֵי [from·the·gates·of] (620) + מָֽוֶת [death] (446) = 2343.
Rashi
"Be gracious to me, O Lord" — now in exile. "You Who raise me up" — with Your redemption.
Ibn Ezra
“Be gracious to me” — it appears in its complete form, and it is an unusual form of the word. “Behold my affliction” — thus He has always done for me; and because “the gates of death” lie in the depths below, he said, correspondingly, “who lifts me up.”
Radak
"Be gracious to me, Hashem" — the patach under the chet (in our text, the chet has a kamatz) indicates that this comes from a form that is both doubled [with a dagesh] and relaxed [without one], like (Genesis 42:21) "behitchano eleinu" — "when he pleaded with us." "Behold my affliction at the hands of those who hate me" — as You have seen from this enemy, who is Goliath. "You who lift me up from the gates of death" — for everyone thought that I would fall by the hand of Goliath. And "the gates of death" means near to death, just as a gate is to a house.
Metzudat David
"Who lifts me up" — Have You not always lifted me up from the gates of death?
Malbim
"Be gracious to me, Hashem" — he prays that Hashem save him also from his other enemies who harbor hatred against him: You, Hashem! — "for You who lift me up from the gates of death" — for I was already in danger through Labben, who was but a step between me and death, and I stood about to enter the gate of death, and You saved me from his hand. If so, "be gracious to me, Hashem, and behold my affliction" also from my other "enemies."
That I may tell of all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion, That I may rejoice in Your salvation.
verse value 3448
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 40 letters. The shortest word is "so·that" (לְמַ֥עַן, 4 letters) and the longest is "all·Your·praise" (כׇּֽל־תְּהִלָּ֫תֶ֥יךָ, 8 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "all·Your·praise" (כׇּֽל־תְּהִלָּ֫תֶ֥יךָ), "in·the·gates·of" (בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֥י), "daughter·of·Zion" (בַת־צִיּ֑וֹן). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "in·Your·salvation" (root ישועה, 44x in Psalms); "I·may·tell" (root ספר, 38x in Psalms); "so·that" (root מען, 32x in Psalms). First appearance of the root תהלה ("all·Your·praise") in Psalms. First appearance of the root בת ("daughter·of·Zion") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'daughter·of·Zion', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 2 words. Full calculation: לְמַ֥עַן [so·that] (190) + אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה [I·may·tell] (346) + כׇּֽל־תְּהִלָּ֫תֶ֥יךָ [all·Your·praise] (915) + בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֥י [in·the·gates·of] (582) + בַת־צִיּ֑וֹן [daughter·of·Zion] (558) + אָ֝גִ֗ילָה [I·may·rejoice] (49) + בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ [in·Your·salvation] (808) = 3448.
Ibn Ezra
“In the gates of the daughter of Zion” — corresponding to “the gates of death.”
Radak
"That I may tell" — when I am delivered from my enemies, I will tell "all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion" — for there the thanksgiving will take place, and the songs and psalms will be recited there, for there the Glory will dwell. "That I may rejoice in Your salvation" — in the salvation that You will perform for me from every single enemy that I have. And it says "in the gates," like "to the gate, to the elders" (Deuteronomy 25:7). And the word "tehilatekha" [Your praise] is written with a yod, for it means to say "many praises" — the marker of the feminine plural is omitted from it, and it comes instead with the marker of the masculine plural alone. And likewise: "you are wearied with your many counsels" (Isaiah 47:13); and "your sisters, Sodom and her daughters" (Ezekiel 16:55 — see our master's commentary in their respective places). And as for its saying "all Your praise," while elsewhere (Psalms 106:2) it says, "Who can utter the mighty acts of Hashem?" — how can David say, "I will recount all Your praise"? [The answer is:] for all the troubles that had passed over him, he gave praise and thanksgiving to God, who had saved him from his enemies; but when he comes to recount the wonders that He performed for Israel in every generation, he says, "Who can proclaim all His praise?" So too the individual alone cannot recount all the wonders — the goodness and kindness — that the Holy One, blessed be He, performs for him, just as it says (ibid. 40:6): "I would tell and speak of them, but they are too many to recount." For sometimes God, may He be blessed, performs a wonder for a person, and the person does not know of it until afterward, when he reflects upon it. And so our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said (Babylonian Talmud, Niddah 31a): "One for whom a miracle is performed does not recognize his own miracle." And when David said "all Your praise," he was speaking of the wonders performed for him that were revealed and known to everyone, in the war with his enemies.
Malbim
"That I may tell of all Your praise" — for through this I will be able to tell, all at once, all the praises, inasmuch as He performed many miracles for me (for as long as I still have other oppressors, I will be able to tell only some of His praises and a single particular miracle). And likewise, "that I may rejoice in Your salvation" — for there is a difference between "exultation" (gil) and "joy" (simchah): exultation indicates rejoicing over a good thing that has newly occurred; and in that You will perform new salvations for me, I will exult with a new exultation and thank You with a new song.
The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made; In the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
verse value 2634
Insights
Verse structure: 8 words, 34 letters. The shortest word is "they·made" (עָשׂ֑וּ, 3 letters) and the longest is "in·a·net·which" (בְּרֶֽשֶׁת־ז֥וּ, 6 letters). 5 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "have·sunk·down" (טָבְע֣וּ), "they·made" (עָשׂ֑וּ), "in·a·net·which" (בְּרֶֽשֶׁת־ז֥וּ). 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "they·made" (root עשה, 109x in Psalms); "nations" (root גוי, 59x in Psalms); "their·foot" (root רגל, 31x in Psalms). First appearance of the root טבע ("have·sunk·down") in Psalms. First appearance of the root רשת ("in·a·net·which") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'they·made', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 4 words. Full calculation: טָבְע֣וּ [have·sunk·down] (87) + ג֭וֹיִם [nations] (59) + בְּשַׁ֣חַת [in·a·pit] (710) + עָשׂ֑וּ [they·made] (376) + בְּרֶֽשֶׁת־ז֥וּ [in·a·net·which] (915) + טָ֝מָ֗נוּ [they·hid] (105) + נִלְכְּדָ֥ה [is·caught] (109) + רַגְלָֽם [their·foot] (273) = 2634.
Rashi
"Nations have sunk" — This is the praise that I will tell.
Ibn Ezra
“They have sunk” — this is [the reason for] the praise mentioned above. “In the pit” — meaning, he is caught in the very pit that they made. “In this net” (be-reshet zu) — in my opinion, “zu” is like “eleh” (these); and likewise in “this people (am zu) I formed for Myself” (Isaiah 43:21), “(zu) we have sinned against Him” (Isaiah 42:24) — meaning, “these say, we have sinned.” And the sense of “in the net” is: which these [nations] hid. And some say that “zu” is like “zot” (this).
Radak
"The nations have sunk in the pit that they made" — the Philistines who came to fight against us thought to make us fall, but they themselves fell. "In the net that they hid" — and in the net which they hid to trap us, "their own foot was caught." And the meaning of "zu" is like "asher" [that, which]; and likewise: "zu chatanu lo" — "against whom we have sinned" (Isaiah 42:24). But it is also possible to interpret it according to its plain sense, like "zeh" [this].
Metzudat David
"In the pit" — in the pit that they made.
Metzudat Zion
'Bareshet' — a fowler's snare.
Malbim
"They have sunk" — this returns to clarify how the matter of his salvation was a matter of providence and not a matter of chance, in that from the fact "that the nations sank into the pit that they made" — and not this alone, but also "in the net which they hid, their own foot was caught" — for it was the way of hunters to prepare a pit and trap in which the animal would be destroyed, and they would also prepare a net, so that through the net the animal would be caught and made to fall into the pit. And they [the nations] not only sank in the pit that they made, but the capture itself also came about through their own net — meaning, both the preparation for the destruction and the destruction itself, they prepared for themselves. From all this it "became known" and clear to all that "Hashem has executed judgment" — first, that their downfall was not by chance but by the providence of Hashem; second, that it was not merely a form of punishment but a form of judgment, in that in the measure that they measured out [to others], it was measured back to them in righteous judgment. And more than this, through the fact "that the wicked one is snared in the work of his own hands" — that at the very time he was acting and engaged in preparing snares, at that very time he himself was snared and caught. Through this, "Higgaion" — all will meditate and consider that this is not an empty matter, and they will believe in the providence of Hashem. "Selah" — with this he concludes the topic and begins prayer and supplication.
Hashem has made Himself known, He has executed judgment, The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah
verse value 2453
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 38 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָה֮) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "has·executed" (עָ֫שָׂ֥ה, 3 letters) and the longest is "Higgaion" (הִגָּי֥וֹן, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "in·the·work·of" (בְּפֹ֣עַל), "is·snared" (נוֹקֵ֣שׁ). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "has·executed" (root עשה, 109x in Psalms); "has·made·Himself·known" (root ידע, 95x in Psalms). First appearance of the root נקש ("is·snared") in Psalms. First appearance of the root הגיון ("Higgaion") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'wicked', dividing the verse into phrases of 8 and 2 words. Full calculation: נ֤וֹדַ֨ע [has·made·Himself·known] (130) + יְהֹוָה֮ [Hashem] (26) + מִשְׁפָּ֢ט [judgment] (429) + עָ֫שָׂ֥ה [has·executed] (375) + בְּפֹ֣עַל [in·the·work·of] (182) + כַּ֭פָּיו [his·hands] (116) + נוֹקֵ֣שׁ [is·snared] (456) + רָשָׁ֑ע [wicked] (570) + הִגָּי֥וֹן [Higgaion] (74) + סֶֽלָה [Selah] (95) = 2453.
Rashi
"The Lord is known" — All this is part of the praise: The Lord is known to the creatures; [it is known] that He governs and rules and wreaks vengeance upon His enemies, for He performs justice upon them, “justice” in French. "the wicked man stumbles" — Heb. נוקש, the wicked man stumbles. Let us meditate over this forever. הגיון סלה, lit. a constant meditation. Let us meditate over this forever.
Ibn Ezra
“Is snared” (nokesh) — it is a verb, and its root contains a nun; and correct is that the small kamatz stands in place of a patach, for all vowels interchange; and as for deriving it from an Aramaic root, there is no sense in that, for behold we find “and those who sought my life laid snares” (Psalm 38:13) — so there are two attested root-forms. “Higgaion” — this I will recount in truth.
Radak
"Hashem has made Himself known" — now Hashem became known through this war, for Israel defeated them with the little strength and ability they had against them; and they would not have been able to defeat them were it not for Hashem, who fought for Israel. "He has executed judgment" — against the Philistines. "The wicked one is snared in the work of his own hands" — this is Goliath, for he was killed by his own sword. And the word "nokash" [pointed] with a tzere is like [it would be] with a patach, and it is of the nif'al pattern, from the sense of "snares" (mokshim). It is also possible to explain the nun as a root letter, in which case it is an intransitive verb (po'al omed), from the sense of "and they laid snares for my soul" (Psalms 38:13); and "nokash" and "yakosh" carry the same meaning. "Higgaion. Selah" — this salvation is for us an occasion for meditation ("higgayon") and thanksgiving.
Metzudat David
"Hashem has made Himself known" — When He executes judgment, then He becomes known and renowned to all. "The wicked is snared" — When the wicked man falls into the trap that he made, then forever they will bear in mind the renown of the Omnipresent.
Metzudat Zion
'Nokesh' — from the language of mokesh (a trap). 'Higayon' — its meaning is 'thought,' as in 'and the meditation of my heart' (below, Psalm 19).
The wicked shall return to the nether-world, Even all the nations that forget God.
verse value 1849
Insights
Verse structure: 6 words, 31 letters. Notable word values: "God" (אֱלֹהִֽים) = 86, equal to Elohim. Verse gematria: 1849 = 43². The shortest word is "who·forget" (שְׁכֵחֵ֥י, 4 letters) and the longest is "to·the·nether-world" (לִשְׁא֑וֹלָה, 6 letters). 1 word in this verse appears nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "to·the·nether-world" (לִשְׁא֑וֹלָה). 6 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "God" (root אלהים, 347x in Psalms); "wicked" (root רשע, 87x in Psalms); "shall·return" (root שוב, 72x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'to·the·nether-world', dividing the verse into phrases of 3 and 3 words. Full calculation: יָשׁ֣וּבוּ [shall·return] (324) + רְשָׁעִ֣ים [wicked] (620) + לִשְׁא֑וֹלָה [to·the·nether-world] (372) + כׇּל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם [all·nations] (109) + שְׁכֵחֵ֥י [who·forget] (338) + אֱלֹהִֽים [God] (86) = 1849.
Rashi
"to the grave" — Said Rabbi Nehemiah: Every word that requires a “lammed” in the beginning, Scripture places a “hey” at the end, e.g. מצרימה, to Egypt (Gen. 12:10); מדברה, to the desert (I Kings 19:15). They asked him: Is it not written: May the wicked return to the grave (לשאולה)? Replied Rabbi Abba bar Zavda: To the lowest level of Sheol. What does it mean that they will return? After they emerge from Gehinnom and stand in judgment and are found guilty, they return to the lowest level of Gehinnom.
Ibn Ezra
“They shall return” — because man was created from the ground (adamah). “Those who forget” (shechei) — a descriptive/adjectival form, for it is found in various grammatical patterns, like “those who desire my harm” (chafetzei ra'ati) (Psalm 40:15).
Radak
"The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God" — "the wicked shall return" to the grave. And it says "shall return," like "and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19). And "they shall return" is expressed as a wish, meaning: just as these enemies of Israel have died, so may all of them die, those who "forget God." And in the midrash (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 105a, and Shocher Tov in its place) [it is taught that] "to Sheol" means Gehinnom. And they said (there, with slightly different wording): Why does it say "lish'olah" [to Sheol]? Is it not that every heh at the end of a word functions like a lamed at the beginning? Then why does it say "lish'olah" with a lamed as well? To indicate that they will descend to the belly (How numerous are the textual variants here: "deyota," "deyotei," "ambatei," "batei," and others — and all of them are worthless, let the wind carry them off, let vanity take them away. And this word is not Greek, as the Arukh holds — and everyone after him follows suit — but is Hebrew, as is apparent from the prophet's prayer (Jonah 2:3): "out of the belly of Sheol"!), or to the lowest level, of Sheol (Genesis Rabbah, sections 50 and 68).
Metzudat David
"Shall return" — Since Sheol [the netherworld] is made ready for them, he uses the term "return," like a man who returns to his house that stands ready for him to dwell in.
Metzudat Zion
'Lishe'olah' — thus Gehinnom is called.
Malbim
"They shall return" — he asks of Hashem that even from now on — even though the death of Labben already chastened the nations — nevertheless "the wicked," in matters between one person and another, "shall return to Sheol," and Hashem will bring their punishment upon them even now; "and so too, all the nations that forget God" shall return to Sheol even now. And he explains "for" — and the two clauses are parallel: "the wicked shall return to Sheol, for the needy shall not be forgotten forever" — for Hashem must necessarily punish the wicked who do evil to Him; "all the nations that forget God shall return to Sheol, for the hope of the humble" — supplying the word "not" — "shall perish forever" — meaning that Hashem will fulfill what the humble hope for, that the kingship of Hashem and His dominion will be revealed, to destroy all who forget His name and deny Him. But this is what I ask:
For the needy shall not always be forgotten, Nor the expectation of the poor perish for ever.
verse value 2419
Insights
Verse structure: 10 words, 38 letters. The shortest word is "for" (כִּ֤י, 2 letters) and the longest is "needy" (אֶבְי֑וֹן, 5 letters). 2 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "shall·be·forgotten" (יִשָּׁכַ֣ח), "hope·of" (תִּקְוַ֥ת). 10 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "for" (root כי, 216x in Psalms); "not" (root לא, 174x in Psalms); "forever" (root נצח, 73x in Psalms). First appearance of the root אביון ("needy") in Psalms. First appearance of the root תקוה ("hope·of") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'needy', dividing the verse into phrases of 5 and 5 words.
Rashi
"For the needy shall not be forgotten forever" — [i.e.,] Israel, the needy, [shall not be forgotten] from visiting upon them as they [the wicked nations] enslaved them, neither shall the hope of the poor be forgotten to eternity.
Ibn Ezra
“For not” — it serves both for its own clause and, afterward, for the clause joined to it, as in “Let Reuben live and not die, and let not his men be few” (Deuteronomy 33:6), and “I have not learned wisdom” (Proverbs 30:3); and the sense is: the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.
Radak
"For the needy shall not always be forgotten" — if Israel remains in distress from the Philistines, this will not last a long time. "Nor shall the hope of the humble" (read: "aniyim," the poor) "perish forever" — the word "lo" [not] stands in place of both [clauses]; and such is the practice of the language in many places. "Anavim" is written with a vav, and read as "aniyim" with a yod; and it is likely that the poor (aniyim) are, for the most part, the same as the humble (anavim).
Metzudat David
"For not forever" — and thereby He will exact punishment from those who distress him. "Shall perish forever" — the word "not" serves double duty [applying to both clauses], as if it said, "shall not perish forever."
Arise, O Hashem, let not man prevail; Let the nations be judged in Your sight.
verse value 1376
Insights
Verse structure: 7 words, 32 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְ֭הֹוָה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. Verse gematria: 1376 is divisible by 86, the value of Elohim. The shortest word is "arise" (קוּמָ֣ה, 4 letters) and the longest is "in·Your·sight" (עַל־פָּנֶֽיךָ, 6 letters). 3 words in this verse appear nowhere else in Psalms. Unique to this verse in Psalms (hapax): "let·not·prevail" (אַל־יָעֹ֣ז), "let·them·be·judged" (יִשָּׁפְט֥וּ), "in·Your·sight" (עַל־פָּנֶֽיךָ). 7 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "in·Your·sight" (root פנים, 131x in Psalms); "nations" (root גוי, 59x in Psalms). First appearance of the root עזז ("let·not·prevail") in Psalms. The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'man', dividing the verse into phrases of 4 and 3 words. Full calculation: קוּמָ֣ה [arise] (151) + יְ֭הֹוָה [Hashem] (26) + אַל־יָעֹ֣ז [let·not·prevail] (118) + אֱנ֑וֹשׁ [man] (357) + יִשָּׁפְט֥וּ [let·them·be·judged] (405) + ג֝וֹיִ֗ם [nations] (59) + עַל־פָּנֶֽיךָ [in·Your·sight] (260) = 1376.
Rashi
"Arise, O Lord" — David was praying before the Holy One, blessed be He, that He rise and hasten to do this. "let...have no power" — [i.e., let] the wicked man [not] enjoy longevity in his greatness. "for Your anger" — Because of the anger with which they angered You in Your sanctuary.
Ibn Ezra
“Arise” — the sense of “arise” is to display His might and strength. “Man” (enosh) — a generic name for the species, as in “and I have oxen and donkeys” (Genesis 32:5). But correct is that it refers to “the king”; therefore it says the nations are his servants.
Radak
'Arise, Hashem' — 'kumah' ['arise'] is stressed on the last syllable (milra). It says 'arise,' just as it elsewhere says 'lift Yourself up'; all this is a figure of speech, [meaning] that He will arise to judge the wicked. 'Let not man prevail' — human beings who have strength and might over Israel: 'let them not prevail' any longer. 'Let the nations be judged in Your sight' — 'al panekha' is like 'lefanekha' ['before You']. Likewise: 'other gods before Me' (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7).
Metzudat David
"Let not man prevail" — let not Your enemies grow strong. "In Your sight" — that is, at the time of Your anger.
Metzudat Zion
'Enosh' — this is one of the names for man, and it indicates his frailty, for it is from the language of 've'anush hu' ('and it is frail,' Jeremiah 17). 'Panecha' — Your anger, as in 'the face of Hashem' (below, Psalm 34).
Malbim
"Arise, Hashem" — that You should not cut them off by the hand of a human being, but that You Yourself arise to bring them down to Sheol. But "let not man prevail," that he should be the rod of Your anger to cut off nations — rather, I ask, "let the nations be judged," that even now You execute judgment upon them for the evil of their deeds — but that You not carry out the judgment by the hand of a human being, but rather "in Your sight," without an intermediary, so that all will see that it is Your face that watches over and executes judgment on the wicked by Yourself. "Set, Hashem, terror over them" — that You set and prepare that Hashem Himself will be a terror to them, so that they will not fear a human being who convulses the earth, but only Hashem Himself — until "the nations know that they are but men" — that they will know the name of Hashem, so as to fear before Him; but they are small, lowly men, and of what account is he, that he should be the rod of His anger to set terror upon nations and dread upon peoples?
Set terror over them, O Hashem; Let the nations know they are but men. Selah
verse value 1718
Insights
Verse structure: 9 words, 33 letters. Notable word values: "Hashem" (יְהֹוָ֨ה) = 26, the value of the divine name Hashem. The shortest word is "over·them" (לָ֫הֶ֥ם, 3 letters) and the longest is "set" (שִׁ֘יתָ֤ה, 4 letters). The root הם appears 2 times in this verse. 8 unique roots are used. Frequent roots: "Hashem" (root יהוה, 688x in Psalms); "let·them·know" (root ידע, 95x in Psalms); "Selah" (root סלה, 70x in Psalms). The etnachta (major mid-verse pause) falls on 'nations', dividing the verse into phrases of 6 and 3 words. Full calculation: שִׁ֘יתָ֤ה [set] (715) + יְהֹוָ֨ה [Hashem] (26) + מוֹרָ֗ה [terror] (251) + לָ֫הֶ֥ם [over·them] (75) + יֵדְע֥וּ [let·them·know] (90) + גוֹיִ֑ם [nations] (59) + אֱנ֖וֹשׁ [man] (357) + הֵ֣מָּה [they] (50) + סֶּֽלָה [Selah] (95) = 1718.
Rashi
"mastery" — Heb. מורה, mastery and a yoke (Mid. Ps. 9:16). Another explanation: מורה is an expression of hurling, as (in Exod. 15:4), “He hurled (ירה) into the sea.” Others say that מורה is an expression meaning a razor. "let the nations know" — that they are human and not deities, that their might should rule.
Ibn Ezra
“Set terror” (morah) — written with a heh, but its sense is with an alef, the reverse of “call me Mara” (Ruth 1:20). “Men” (enosh) — of the same form as “and it is grievous/incurable” (Jeremiah 17:9). “Selah” — in truth.
Radak
'Set terror over them, O Hashem' — 'shitah' ['set'] is stressed on the last syllable (milra). 'Morah' ['terror'] is spelled with a heh, just as [it could be] with an alef. He means: that He should act against them so that they will fear Him. 'Let the nations know they are but men. Selah' — 'let them know' that they are 'enoshim' [mortal men] and have no power against God; for 'enosh' is derived from the sense of 'anush' ['incurable'] in 'your wound is incurable' (Jeremiah 30:12).
Metzudat David
"Set" — Set humiliation over them, so that they may know that they are but men, forever, and not God.
Metzudat Zion
'Morah' — a term meaning casting/hurling, as in 'He cast into the sea' (Exodus 15).
Rashi
Ibn Ezra
Radak
Metzudat Zion
Malbim