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Psalms · Chapter 110

תהלים ק"י

א׳ לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר נְאֻ֤ם יְהוָ֨ה ׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י עַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹ֝יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃

1 Of David. A psalm.
The LORD said to my lord,
“Sit at My right hand
while I make your enemies your footstool.”

1 A Psalm of David. The LORD saith unto my lord: ‘Sit thou at My right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.'

נְאֻם ה׳ לַאדֹנִי. רַבּוֹתֵינוּ דְּרָשׁוּהוּ בְּאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ, וַאֲנִי אֲפָרְשֶׁנּוּ כְּדִבְרֵיהֶם: נְאֻם ה׳ לְאַבְרָהָם, שֶׁקְּרָאוּהוּ הָעוֹלָם אֲדֹנִי ״שְׁמָעֵנִי אֲדֹנִי״ (בראשית כג:יא):

The word of the Lord to my master Our Rabbis interpreted it as referring to Abraham our father, and I shall explain it according to their words (Mid. Ps. 110:1): The word of the Lord to Abraham, whom the world called “my master,” as it is written (Gen. 23:6): “Hearken to us, my master.”

שֵׁב לִימִינִי. הִתְעַכֵּב לִתְשׁוּעָתִי וְהִתְחוֹלֵל לַה׳, אֵין יְשִׁיבָה אֶלָּא עַכָּבָה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר: ״וַתֵּשְׁבוּ בְקָדֵשׁ״ (דברים א:מו):

“Wait for My right hand” Wait for My salvation and hope for the Lord. [The root] ישיבה means only waiting, as Scripture states (Deut. 1:46): “And you stayed (ותשבו) in Kadesh for many days.”

לִימִינִי. לִתְשׁוּעַת יְמִינִי:

for My right hand For the salvation of My right hand.

עַד אָשִׁית אוֹיְבֶיךָ. אַמְרָפֶל וַחֲבֵרָיו (בראשית יד:א):

until I make your enemies Amraphel and his allies.

ב׳ מַטֵּֽה־עֻזְּךָ֗ יִשְׁלַ֣ח יְ֭הוָה מִצִּיּ֑וֹן רְ֝דֵ֗ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֹיְבֶֽיךָ׃

2 The LORD will stretch forth from Zion your mighty scepter;
hold sway over your enemies!

2 The rod of Thy strength the LORD will send out of Zion: 'Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies.'

מַטֵּה. לְשׁוֹן מִשְׁעָן, כְּמוֹ ״כָּל מַטֵּה לֶחֶם״ (תהלים קה:טז):

The staff of [This is] an expression of support, as (above 105:16): “every staff of bread.”

מַטֵּה עֻזְּךָ יִשְׁלַח ה׳ מִצִּיּוֹן. כְּשֶׁתָּשׁוּב מִן הַמִּלְחָמָה וַאֲנָשֶׁיךָ עֲיֵפִים וְרוֹדְפִים, יִשְׁלַח לְךָ ה׳ אֶת מַלְכִּי צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם לְהוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיַיִן (בראשית יד:יז-יח):

The staff of your might the Lord will send from Zion When you return from the war and your men are weary and in pursuit, the Lord will send you Malchizedek, king of Salem, to bring out bread and wine (Gen. 14:14).

רְדֵה. בַּמִּלְחָמָה:

rule in the war.

בְּקֶרֶב אוֹיְבֶיךָ. לָבֶטַח:

in the midst of your enemies safely.

ג׳ עַמְּךָ֣ נְדָבֹת֮ בְּי֪וֹם חֵ֫ילֶ֥ךָ בְּֽהַדְרֵי־קֹ֭דֶשׁ מֵרֶ֣חֶם מִשְׁחָ֑ר לְ֝ךָ֗ טַ֣ל יַלְדֻתֶֽיךָ׃

3 Your people come forward willingly on your day of battle.
In majestic holiness, from the womb,
from the dawn, yours was the dew of youth.

3 Thy people offer themselves willingly in the day of thy warfare; in adornments of holiness, from the womb of the dawn, Thine is the dew of thy youth.

עַמְּךָ נְדָבוֹת בְּיוֹם חֵילֶךָ. כְּשֶׁתֶּאֱסֹף חַיִל לִרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵיהֶם, יִתְנַדְּבוּ עַמְּךָ וְאוֹהֲבֶיךָ לָצֵאת עִמְּךָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ (בראשית יד:יד) ״וַיָּרֶק אֶת חֲנִיכָיו יְלִידֵי בֵיתוֹ״ וְלֹא יוֹתֵר, וְעָנֵר וְאֶשְׁכֹּל וּמַמְרֵא הִתְנַדְּבוּ מֵאֲלֵיהֶם לָצֵאת לָלֶכֶת אַחֲרָיו בְּעֶזְרָתוֹ:

Your people will volunteer on the day of your host When you gather an army to pursue them, your people and your friends will volunteer to go out with you, as we find (Gen. 14:14): “and he armed his trained men, those born in his house,” and no more; and Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre volunteered by themselves to go out to his aid.

בְּהַדְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ מֵרֶחֶם מִשְׁחָר. זֹאת תִּהְיֶה לְךָ בִּזְכוּת הַדְרַת קְדֻשָּׁה שֶׁהָיָה בְּךָ מִבֶּטֶן אִמֶּךָ, שֶׁהִכִּיר בּוֹרְאוֹ בֶּן שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים (נדרים לב.):

because of the beauty of holiness when you fell from the womb And this will be to you in the merit of the beauty of holiness that was in you from your mother’s womb, for he recognized his Creator at the age of three.

מֵרֶחֶם מִשְׁחָר. מִשֶּׁנָּפַלְתָּ מִן הָרֶחֶם, כְּמוֹ מְשִׁילִין פֵּרוֹת דֶּרֶךְ אֲרֻבָּה בְּיוֹם טוֹב (ביצה לה:), וְאִיכָּא דְּתָנֵי מַשְׁחִירִין:

when you fell from the womb Heb. משחר, when you fell from the womb, like (Beizah 35b): “We may let fruit down (משילין) through a skylight on a festival,” and some learn משחירין.

לְךָ טַל יַלְדוּתֶיךָ. לְךָ יֵחָשֵׁב יַלְדוּתֶיךָ. דַּרְכֵי יֹשֶׁר שֶׁהִנְהַגְתָּ בָּהֶם בְּיַלְדוּתֶיךָ יִהְיֶה לְךָ לְנֹעַם, כַּטַּל זֶה שֶׁהוּא נָעִים וְנוֹחַ:

for you, your youth is like dew For you will be considered your youth, the ways of uprightness with which you conducted yourself in your youth will be for you as pleasantness, like this dew, which is pleasant and comforting.

ד׳ נִשְׁבַּ֤ע יְהוָ֨ה ׀ וְלֹ֥א יִנָּחֵ֗ם אַתָּֽה־כֹהֵ֥ן לְעוֹלָ֑ם עַל־דִּ֝בְרָתִ֗י מַלְכִּי־צֶֽדֶק׃

4 The LORD has sworn and will not relent,
“You are a priest forever, a rightful king by My decree.”

4 The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent: 'Thou art a priest for ever After the manner of Melchizedek.'

נִשְׁבַּע ה׳ וְלֹא יִנָּחֵם. לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה מִתְיָרֵא שֶׁלֹּא יֵעָנֵשׁ עַל הָאוּכְלוֹסִין שֶׁהָרַג, נֶאֱמַר לוֹ (בראשית טו:א) ״אַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם וְגוֹ׳״. לֹא יִנָּחֵם עַל הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר עָלֶיךָ:

The Lord swore and will not repent Since Abraham was afraid lest he be punished for the troops that he had killed, it was said to him (Gen. 15:1): “Fear not, Abraham, etc.”

אַתָּה כֹהֵן לְעוֹלָם עַל דִּבְרָתִי מַלְכִּי צֶדֶק. מִמְּךָ תֵּצֵא הַכְּהֻנָּה וּמַלְכוּת, לִהְיוֹת בָּנֶיךָ יוֹרְשִׁין אֶת שֵׁם אֲבִי אָבִיךָ הַכְּהֻנָּה וְהַמַּלְכוּת שֶׁנִּתְּנוּ לוֹ:

and will not repent over the good that He spoke about you.

דִּבְרָתִי מַלְכִּי צֶדֶק. יוֹ״ד יְתֵרָה, כְּמוֹ ״רַבָּתִי עָם״ (איכה א:א). עַל דִּבְרַת מַלְכִּי צֶדֶק – עַל פְּקֻדַּת מַלְכִּי צֶדֶק. אַתָּה כֹהֵן. יֵשׁ בְּמַשְׁמָע כֹּהֵן – כְּהֻנָּה וּשְׂרָרָה, כְּמוֹ ״וּבְנֵי דָוִד כֹּהֲנִים הָיוּ״ (שמואל ב ח:יח):

you are a priest forever because of the speech of Malchizedek From you will emerge the priesthood and the kingship that your children will inherit from Shem your progenitor, the priesthood and the kingship, which were given to him. דִבְרָתִי מלכי-צדק. The “yud” is superfluous, like (Lam. 1:1): “the city that was once so populous (רבתי).” Because of the speech of Malchizedek, because of the command of Malchizedek. You are a priest, Heb. כהן. The word כהן bears the connotation of priesthood and rulership, as (II Sam. 8:18): “and David’s sons were chief officers.”

ה׳ אֲדֹנָ֥י עַל־יְמִֽינְךָ֑ מָחַ֖ץ בְּיוֹם־אַפּ֣וֹ מְלָכִֽים׃

5 The Lord is at your right hand.
He crushes kings in the day of His anger.

5 The Lord at thy right hand Doth crush kings in the day of His wrath.

אֲדֹנָי. אֲשֶׁר הָיָה עַל יְמִינְךָ בַּמִּלְחָמָה:

The Lord Who was on your right hand in battle.

מָחַץ בְּיוֹם אַפּוֹ מְלָכִים. אֶת אַרְבָּעָה מְלָכִים הוּא יָדִין בַּגּוֹיִם מָלֵא גְוִיּוֹת, זוֹ הִיא בְּשׂוֹרַת בְּרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוֹ עַל מִצְרַיִם: ״וְגַם אֶת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ דָּן אָנֹכִי״ (בראשית טו:יד):

has crushed kings on the day of His wrath The four kings. He... will execute justice upon the nations [into] a heap of corpses This is the tidings of the ‘covenant between the segments,’ [in] which was stated to him concerning Egypt (Gen. 15:14): “But also that nation whom they will serve do I judge.”

ו׳ יָדִ֣ין בַּ֭גּוֹיִם מָלֵ֣א גְוִיּ֑וֹת מָ֥חַץ רֹ֝֗אשׁ עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ רַבָּֽה׃

6 He works judgment upon the nations,
heaping up bodies,
crushing heads far and wide.

6 He will judge among the nations; He filleth it with the dead bodies, He crusheth the head over a wide land.

מָלֵא גְוִיּוֹת. אֲסִיפַת פְּגָרִים, מָלֵא לְשׁוֹן אֲסִיפָה כְּמוֹ ״קָרְאוּ אַחֲרֶיךָ מָלֵא״ (ירמיהו יב:ו), ״אֲשֶׁר יִקָּרֵא עָלָיו מְלֹא רֹעִים״ (ישעיהו לא:ד). וְהֵיכָן דָּן מָלֵא גְוִיּוֹת? ״אֶת מִצְרַיִם מֵת עַל שְׂפַת הַיָּם״ (שמות יד:ל):

a heap of corpses Heb. מלא, a heap of corpses. מלא is an expression of gathering, as (Jer. 12:6): “have called a gang (מלא) after you”; (Isa. 31:4), “although a band (מלא) of shepherds gather against him.” Now where did He execute justice, making them a heap of corpses? (Exod. 14:30), “the Egyptians dead on the seashore.”

מָחַץ רֹאשׁ עַל אֶרֶץ רַבָּה. זוֹ הִיא דֻּגְמַת נְבוּאַת ״מָחַצְתָּ רֹּאשׁ מִבֵּית רָשָׁע״ (חבקוק ג:יג) – רֹאשׁ פַּרְעֹה, שֶׁהָיָה רֹאשׁ וְשַׂר עַל אֶרֶץ גְּדוֹלָה וַחֲשׁוּבָה עַל כָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״מוֹשֵׁל עַמִּים וַיְפַתְּחֵהוּ״ (תהלים קה:כ) – שֶׁהָיוּ כָּל הָאֻמּוֹת תַּחַת מֶמְשֶׁלֶת מִצְרָיִם:

He crushed the head on a great land This resembles the prophecy of Habakkuk (3:12): “You have crushed the head of the house of the wicked.” [This refers to] the head of Pharaoh, who was the head and the prince of a land greater and more esteemed than all the lands, as is said (above 102:20): “a ruler of peoples [sent] and loosed his bonds,” for all the nations were under the rule of Egypt.

ז׳ מִ֭נַּחַל בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּ֑ה עַל־כֵּ֝֗ן יָרִ֥ים רֹֽאשׁ׃

7 He drinks from the stream on his way;
therefore he holds his head high.

7 He will drink of the brook in the way; Therefore will he lift up the head.

מִנַּחַל בַּדֶּרֶךְ יִשְׁתֶּה וְגוֹ׳. מִנִּילוּס הַנָּהָר בְּדֶרֶךְ הֲלִיכָתוֹ הָיְתָה אַרְצוֹ שׁוֹתָה וְלֹא הָיְתָה צְרִיכָה לְמֵי גְשָׁמִים, עַל כֵּן הָיָה מֵרִים רֹאשׁ וּמִתְפָּאֵר ״לִי יְאוֹרִי וַאֲנִי עֲשִׂיתִנִי״ (יחזקאל כט:ג). עִנְיָן אַחֵר יֵשׁ לְפָרֵשׁ הַמִּזְמוֹר הַזֶּה בְּדָוִד:

From the stream on the way he would drink, etc. From the Nile River, on the way of its course, his land would drink, and it was not in need of rain water. Therefore, he would raise his head and boast (Ezek. 29:3): “My river is my own, and I made myself.” In another manner, this psalm can be explained regarding David:

(א) נְאֻם ה׳ לַאדֹנִי. עַל עִסְקֵי אֲדוֹנִי שָׁאוּל, כְּשֶׁהָיִיתִי נִרְדָּף מִפָּנָיו:

[1] The word of the Lord about my master Concerning my master, Saul, when I was pursued by him.

לַאדֹנִי. עַל אֲדוֹנִי, כְּמוֹ ״וְאָמַר פַּרְעֹה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״ (שמות יד:ג), ״וַיִּשְׁאֲלוּ אַנְשֵׁי הַמָּקוֹם לְאִשְׁתּוֹ״ (בראשית כו:ז):

about my master Heb. לאדני, about my master, as (Exod. 14:3): “Then Pharaoh will say concerning the children of (לבני) Israel”; (Gen. 26:7), “The people of the place asked him about his wife (לאשתו).”

שֵׁב לִימִינִי. הִתְעַכֵּב וְהַמְתֵּן לִישׁוּעָתִי:

“Wait for My right hand” Stay and wait for My salvation.

(ב) מַטֵּה עֻזְּךָ יִשְׁלַח ה׳ מִצִּיּוֹן. מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים הַמְצֻיָּנִין בְּיָדְךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר: עוֹד תִּמְלֹךְ בְּצִיּוֹן, וְשָׁם יְשֻׁלַּח לְךָ מַטֵּה עֹז, וְאָז תִּרְדֶּה בְּקֶרֶב אוֹיְבֶיךָ:

[2] The staff of your might the Lord will send from Zion The exceptional good deeds in your hand. Another explanation: You will yet reign in Zion, and there a staff of might will be sent to you, and then you will rule in the midst of your enemies.

(ג) עַמְּךָ נְדָבוֹת בְּיוֹם חֵילֶךָ. עַם יִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְנַדְּבוּ לְעֶזְרָתְךָ בְּיוֹם שֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂה חַיִל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ (דברי הימים א יב:כא) שֶׁהָיוּ נִקְבָּצִים עָלָיו מִכָּל שֵׁבֶט וָשֵׁבֶט ״בְּלֶכְתּוֹ אֶל צִקְלַג נָפְלוּ עָלָיו מִמְּנַשֶּׁה וְגוֹמֵר״ ״וּמִן הַגָּדִי נִבְדְּלוּ אֶל דָּוִד וְגוֹמֵר״ (שם;ט):

[3] Your people will volunteer on the day of your host The people of Israel will volunteer to your aid on the day that you form an army, as it is delineated in (I) Chronicles (12:21); that they were joining him from every tribe: “When he went to Ziklag, there deserted to him of Manasseh, etc.”; (ibid. verse 8): “And from the Gadites there separated themselves to David, etc.”

בְּהַדְרֵי קֹדֶשׁ מֵרֶחֶם מִשְׁחָר. בִּשְׁבִיל הַדְרַת קְדֻשָּׁה שֶׁהָיֳה בְךָ מִנְּעוּרֶיךָ:

because of the beauty of holiness when you fell from the womb Because of the beauty of holiness that was in you from your youth.

לְךָ טַל יַלְדוּתֶךָ. יַלְדוּת טוֹבָה וּפֶרֶק נָאֶה שֶׁהָיָה בְּךָ, תִּהְיֶה לְךָ כַּטַּל שֶׁהוּא נָעִים וְעָרֵב, וְתַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֵּרוֹת לְהַצְלִיחֲךָ:

your youth is like dew A good youth and a good period of maturity that you had will be to you like dew, which is pleasant and sweet, and will produce fruit for you to make you prosper.

(ד) נִשְׁבַּע ה׳ וְגוֹ׳. שֶׁהַמַּלְכוּת תְּהֵא שֶׁלְּךָ עוֹלָמִית:

[4] The Lord has sworn, etc. that the kingdom will be yours forever.

אַתָּה כֹהֵן לְעוֹלָם. וְאֵיזוֹ מִן הַכְּהֻנּוֹת? כְּהֻנָּה שֶׁהִיא לְמַעְלָה מִכְּהֻנַּת מַלְכִּי צֶדֶק, וְזֶהוּ הַמַּלְכוּת שֶׁהִיא לְמַעְלָה מִכְּהֻנָּה גְּדוֹלָה בִּשְׁלֹשִׁים מַעֲלוֹת (אבות ו:ה):

You are a priest forever And which of the priesthoods? A priesthood that is above the priesthood of Malchizedek, and that is the kingdom, which is above the high priesthood in thirty steps.

עַל דִּבְרָתִי מַלְכִּי צֶדֶק. לְמַעְלָה מִכְּהֻנַּת מַלְכִּי צֶדֶק שֶׁהָיָה ״כֹּהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן״ (בראשית יד:יח), וְאִם תֹּאמַר: אַף הוּא מֶלֶךְ הָיָה, מְלוּכַת מַלְכִּי צֶדֶק אֵינָהּ מְלוּכָה חֲשׁוּבָה כְּנֶגֶד יִשְׂרָאֵל:

above the charge of Malchizedek above the priesthood (Some mss. read: above the charge) of Malchizedek, who was a priest to the Most High God. Now if you challenge that he too was a king, [we answer that] the kingdom over the nations was not an esteemed kingdom when compared to Israel.

(ה) אֲדֹנִי. יִהְיֶה תָּמִיד עַל יְמִינְךָ לְהוֹשִׁיעֲךָ:

[5] The Lord will always be on your right hand to save you, Who...

אֲשֶׁר מָחַץ בְּיוֹם אַפּוֹ מְלָכִים. שֶׁנִּלְחֲמוּ עִם אַבְרָהָם (בראשית יד:טו) וְעִם יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (יהושע י-יב) וְעִם בָּרָק (שופטים ד-ה):

crushed kings on the day of His wrath Those who fought with Abraham and with Joshua and with Barak.

(ו) יָדִין בַּגּוֹיִם מָלֵא גְוִיּוֹת. וְעוֹד בִּימֵי חִזְקִיָּהוּ בִּנְךָ יָדִין בְּאוּכְלוּסֵי סַנְחֵרִיב קִבּוּץ פְּגָרִים מֵתִים, וְיִמְחַץ בְּסַנְחֵרִיב שֶׁהוּא רֹאשָׁהּ שֶׁל נִינְוֵה וְאַשּׁוּר שֶׁהִיא אֶרֶץ רַבָּה, אֲשֶׁר מִנַּחַל בַּדֶּרֶךְ הָיָה שׁוֹתֶה, שֶׁנִּתְפָּאֵר שֶׁשָּׁתוּ אוּכְלוּסָיו מִימֵי הַיַּרְדֵּן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיהו לז:כה) ״אֲנִי קַרְתִּי וְשָׁתִיתִי מַיִם וְאַחֲרִיב וְגוֹ׳״:

[6] He will execute justice upon the nations [into] a heap of corpses And further, in the days of Hezekiah your son, He will execute justice upon the armies of Sennacherib [making them] a heap of dead corpses, and He will crush Sennacherib, who is the head of Nineveh and Assyria, which is a great land, who... [7] From the stream on the way he was drinking, for he boasted that his armies drank from the waters of the Jordan, as it is said (Isa. 37:25): “I dug and drank water, and I dry up, etc.”

(ז) עַל כֵּן יָרִים רֹאשׁ. הָיָה מִשְׁתַּבֵּחַ וּמִתְפָּאֵר בְּגָדְלוֹ:

therefore, he raised his head He praised himself and boasted of his greatness.

Psalms · Chapter 110

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