| 1A song of David when he was in the desert of Judah. |
|
אמִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִ֑ד בִּ֜הְיוֹת֗וֹ בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר יְהוּדָֽה: |
| in the desert of Judah: when he was fleeing from Saul. |
|
|
| 2O God, You are my God, I seek You. My soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You, in an arid and thirsty land, without water. |
|
באֱלֹהִ֚ים | אֵלִ֥י אַתָּ֗ה אֲשַֽׁחֲ֫רֶ֥ךָּ צָֽמְאָ֬ה לְךָ֨ | נַפְשִׁ֗י כָּמַ֣הּ לְךָ֣ בְשָׂרִ֑י בְּאֶֽרֶץ־צִיָּ֖ה וְעָיֵ֣ף בְּלִי־מָֽיִם: |
| I seek You: Heb. אשחרך, I seek and search for You, as (Job 7:21): “and You shall seek me (ושחרתני) , but I am not here” ; (Job 8:5), “If you seek (תשחר) God.” |
|
|
| My soul thirsts for You: I thirst and long to come to You in Your house of prayer. |
|
|
| my flesh longs for You: Heb. כמה, an expression of desire. There is no similar [Scriptural expression]. |
|
|
| in an arid land: in the desert. |
|
|
| 3As I saw You in the Sanctuary, [so do I long] to see Your strength and Your glory. |
|
גכֵּן בַּקֹּ֣דֶשׁ חֲזִיתִ֑ךָ לִרְא֥וֹת עֻ֜זְּךָ֗ וּכְבוֹדֶֽךָ: |
| As I saw You in the Sanctuary, etc.: Heb. כן, like כאשר, as. I thirst to see Your strength and Your glory as I saw You in the Sanctuary, the Tabernacle of Shiloh. My soul will be sated with the visions of Your strength and Your glory. |
|
|
| 4For Your kindness is better than life; my lips will praise You. |
|
דכִּֽי־ט֣וֹב חַ֖סְדְּךָ מֵֽחַיִּ֗ים שְׂפָתַ֥י יְשַׁבְּחֽוּנְךָ: |
| 5Then I shall bless You in my lifetime; in Your name I shall lift my hands. |
|
הכֵּן אֲבָֽרֶכְךָ֣ בְחַיָּ֑י בְּ֜שִׁמְךָ֗ אֶשָּׂ֥א כַפָּֽי: |
| Then I shall bless You in my lifetime: Heb. כן, like אָז, then, because אָז is translated ובכן. That is to say: Then, when I come before You, I shall bless You all the days of my life. |
|
|
| in Your name I shall lift my hands: to pray and laud. |
|
|
| 6[As] with choice foods and fat, my soul will be sated, when my mouth praises with expressions of song. |
|
וכְּמ֚וֹ חֵ֣לֶב וָ֖דֶשֶׁן תִּשְׂבַּ֣ע נַפְשִׁ֑י וְשִׂפְתֵ֥י רְ֜נָנ֗וֹת יְהַלֶּל־פִּֽי: |
| when my mouth praises with expressions of song: Heb. ושפתי, languages of songs, as (Gen. 11:1): “And all the earth was of one language (שפה),” which is translated: לישן חד. |
|
|
| 7When I remember You on my couch; in the watches I meditate about You. |
|
זאִם־זְכַרְתִּ֥יךָ עַל־יְצוּעָ֑י בְּ֜אַשְׁמֻר֗וֹת אֶהְגֶּה־בָּֽךְ: |
| on my couch: When I lie on my couch, I remember Your love. |
|
|
| in the watches: of the night. |
|
|
| I meditate about You: Heb. אהגה. I think about You. |
|
|
| 8For You were my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I shall praise. |
|
חכִּֽי־הָיִ֣יתָ עֶזְרָ֣תָה לִּ֑י וּבְצֵ֖ל כְּנָפֶ֣יךָ אֲרַנֵּֽן: |
| 9My soul has clung after You; Your right hand has supported me. |
|
טדָּֽבְקָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֣י אַֽחֲרֶ֑יךָ בִּ֜֗י תָּֽמְכָ֥ה יְמִינֶֽךָ: |
| Your right hand has supported me: that I should not fall. |
|
|
| 10But they seek my soul to make it desolate; may they come into the depths of the earth. |
|
יוְהֵ֗מָּה לְ֖שׁוֹאָה יְבַקְשׁ֣וּ נַפְשִׁ֑י יָ֜בֹ֗אוּ בְּתַחְתִּיּ֥וֹת הָאָֽרֶץ: |
| But they: My enemies. |
|
|
| seek my soul to make it desolate: They come upon me in ambush on a dark day so that I should not sense their presence. |
|
|
| may they come into the depths of the earth: In a low place; let them come and fall into the grave and the pit. |
|
|
| 11May he be dragged by the sword; they will be the portion of foxes. |
|
יאיַגִּירֻ֥הוּ עַל־יְדֵי־חָ֑רֶב מְנָ֖ת שֻֽׁעָלִ֣ים יִֽהְיֽוּ: |
| May he be dragged by the sword: May enemies come upon my pursuers and drag each one of them with a sword, killing him. This is an elliptical verse, since it does not explain who will drag him. יגירהוּ is an expression of dragging, as (Micah 1:4): “as water poured down (המוגרים) a steep place” ; (Job. 28:4), “A stream bursts forth from the place of its flow (גר).” |
|
|
| the portion of foxes: (I found: the portion of foxes May their dwellings be destroyed, that foxes should walk there.) |
|
|
| 12And may the king rejoice with God; may all who swear by Him boast, for the mouth of those who speak lies will be closed. |
|
יבוְהַמֶּלֶךְ֘ יִשְׂמַ֪ח בֵּֽאלֹ֫הִ֥ים יִ֖תְהַלֵּל כָּל־הַנִּשְׁבָּ֣ע בּ֑וֹ כִּ֥י יִ֜סָּכֵ֗ר פִּ֣י דּֽוֹבְרֵי־שָֽׁקֶר: |
| And may the king rejoice: He says this about himself because he had already been anointed. |
|
|
| may all who swear by Him boast: When they see that You will save me, all those who cleave to You and swear by Your name will boast and praise themselves. |
|
|
| for… will be closed: Heb. יסכר, will be closed up, as (Gen. 8:2).“The fountains of the great deep… were closed (ויסכרו).” |
|
|
