| 1. I wished that the Lord would hear my voice [in] my supplications. |
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א. אָהַבְתִּי כִּי יִשְׁמַע | יְהֹוָה אֶת קוֹלִי תַּחֲנוּנָי: |
| I wished that the Lord would hear my voice: So did David say after Saul’s demise, when he became king, “Return, my soul, to your resting place, for the Lord has bestowed kindness upon you.” And to You, my Master, I pine, for You extricated my soul from death. |
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| I wished that the Lord would hear: Heb. אהבתי, I wished (תאבתי) that God would hear my voice. |
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| 2. For He extended His ear to me, and I shall call out in my days. |
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ב. כִּי הִטָּה אָזְנוֹ לִי וּבְיָמַי אֶקְרָא: |
| and I shall call out in my days: In the days of my distress I shall call Him, and in the days of my redemption I shall praise Him. |
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| 3. [When] bands of death surrounded me and the boundaries of the grave befell me, and I found trouble and grief, |
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ג. אֲפָפוּנִי | חֶבְלֵי מָוֶת וּמְצָרֵי שְׁאוֹל מְצָאוּנִי צָרָה וְיָגוֹן אֶמְצָא: |
| bands of death: Heb. חבלי, bands of enemies who sought to kill me. [The expressions] חבלי מות, שאוֹל חבלי, are all an expression of bands, like (I Sam. 10:5): “a band of (חבל) prophets.” |
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| 4. And I called out in the name of the Lord, "Please, O Lord, save my soul! |
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ד. וּבְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֶקְרָא אָנָּה יְהֹוָה מַלְּטָה נַפְשִׁי: |
| 5. The Lord is gracious and righteous, and our God is merciful. |
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ה. חַנּוּן יְהֹוָה וְצַדִּיק וֵאלֹהֵינוּ מְרַחֵם: |
| 6. The Lord protects the simple; when I was poor, He saved me. |
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ו. שֹׁמֵר פְּתָאיִם יְהֹוָה דַּלֹּתִי וְלִי יְהוֹשִׁיעַ: |
| 7. Return, my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. |
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ז. שׁוּבִי נַפְשִׁי לִמְנוּחָיְכִי כִּי יְהֹוָה גָּמַל עָלָיְכִי: |
| 8. For You have rescued my soul from death, my eye from tears, and my foot from stumbling. |
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ח. כִּי חִלַּצְתָּ | נַפְשִׁי מִמָּוֶת אֶת עֵינִי מִן דִּמְעָה אֶת רַגְלִי מִדֶּחִי: |
| 9. I shall walk before the Lord in the lands of the living. |
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ט. אֶתְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה בְּאַרְצוֹת הַחַיִּים: |
| in the lands of the living: The land of Israel, for my enemies and my pursuers chased me out of it in the days of Saul, and against their will, I returned. |
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| 10. I believed so that I spoke; I humble myself exceedingly. |
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י. הֶאֱמַנְתִּי כִּי אֲדַבֵּר אֲנִי עָנִיתִי מְאֹד: |
| I believed so that I spoke: I believed the words of Ziba which he spoke about Mephibosheth, so that I should say (II Sam. 16:4), “Behold, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.” Then I humbled myself exceedingly. I had spoken harshly, and I submitted myself to you [Mephibosheth]. |
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| 11. I said in my haste, "All men are liars." |
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יא. אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי בְחָפְזִי כָּל הָאָדָם כֹּזֵב: |
| I said in my haste: to flee from before Absalom. |
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| “All men are liars”: Heb. כזב, [meaning that one] betrays his friend, for I saw my son betray me and seek my life, and [I saw] all Israel repay me with evil for good; therefore, I believed Ziba and said that Mephibosheth also lies and betrays me. Every expression of כָּזָב is purely an expression of lack of trust that they trusted in him; falenze in Old French, betrayal, deceit, like (Isa. 58:11): “whose water does not fail (יכזבו).” Others interpret it: |
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| I said in my haste: at the Rock of the Divisions, when Saul and his men were encircling me and my men, to seize me, and there it says (I Sam. 23:26): “and David was hastening to get away.” |
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| “All men are liars”: Even the prophet Samuel, who is faithful as a prophet, even he is a deceiver, for he anointed me king. |
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| 12. How can I repay the Lord for all His favors upon me? |
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יב. מָה אָשִׁיב לַיהֹוָה כָּל תַּגְמוּלוֹהִי עָלָי: |
| 13. I shall lift up a cup of salvations, and I shall call out in the name of the Lord. |
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יג. כּוֹס יְשׁוּעוֹת אֶשָּׂא וּבְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֶקְרָא: |
| I shall lift up a cup of salvations: I shall bring the libations for the thanksgiving offerings that I vowed, as he says, “To You I shall slaughter a thanksgiving offering,” and on that cup I shall call out about this salvation, for the Levite does not recite a song unless over the wine [libations]. |
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| 14. I shall pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people. |
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יד. נְדָרַי לַיהֹוָה אֲשַׁלֵּם נֶגְדָה נָּא לְכָל עַמּוֹ: |
| in the presence of all His people: Heb. נגדה, in the presence of (נגד) all His people. |
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| 15. Difficult in the eyes of the Lord is the death of His pious ones. |
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טו. יָקָר בְּעֵינֵי יְהֹוָה הַמָּוְתָה לַחֲסִידָיו: |
| Difficult in the eyes of the Lord: The Holy One, blessed be He, showed me that it is a difficult thing and heavy in His eyes to kill His pious ones. |
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| the death: המותה, the death (המות) , [the final “hey” being superfluous] like (Gen. 39: 11, 12): “into the house (הביתה) … outside (החוצה).” |
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| 16. Please, O Lord, for I am Your servant; I am Your servant the son of Your maidservant; You have loosed my thongs. |
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טז. אָנָּה יְהֹוָה כִּי אֲנִי עַבְדֶּךָ אֲנִי עַבְדְּךָ בֶּן אֲמָתֶךָ פִּתַּחְתָּ לְמוֹסֵרָי: |
| Your servant the son of Your maidservant: There is no comparison between the training of a slave who was bought in the market and one who was born to a maidservant in the house. |
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| You loosed my thongs: You untied from my neck the bars and the thongs. |
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| 17. To You I shall slaughter a thanksgiving offering, and I shall call out in the name of the Lord. |
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יז. לְךָ אֶזְבַּח זֶבַח תּוֹדָה וּבְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה אֶקְרָא: |
| thanksgiving: Sacrifices of thanksgiving for the miracles that You performed for me. |
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| 18. I shall pay my vows to the Lord now in the presence of all His people, |
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יח. נְדָרַי לַיהֹוָה אֲשַׁלֵּם נֶגְדָה נָּא לְכָל עַמּוֹ: |
| my vows: The sacrifices that I vowed. |
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| 19. In the courtyards of the house of the Lord, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah! |
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יט. בְּחַצְרוֹת | בֵּית יְהֹוָה בְּתוֹכֵכִי יְרוּשָׁלִָם הַלְלוּיָהּ: |
| in your midst: Heb. בתוככי, like בְּתוֹכֵ. |
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Mitzvahs & Traditions
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