א׳
לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר יְהוָ֥ה חֲ֝קַרְתַּ֗נִי וַתֵּדָֽע׃
1
For the leader. Of David. A psalm.
O LORD, You have examined me and know me.
1
For the Leader. A Psalm of David. O LORD, Thou hast searched me, and known me. .
ב׳
אַתָּ֣ה יָ֭דַעְתָּ שִׁבְתִּ֣י וְקוּמִ֑י בַּ֥נְתָּה לְ֝רֵעִ֗י מֵרָחֽוֹק׃
2
When I sit down or stand up You know it;
You discern my thoughts from afar.
2
Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, Thou understandest my thought afar off.
בָּנְתָה לְרֵעִי מֵרָחוֹק. בָּנְתָה מֵרָחוֹק לְמָשְׁכֵנִי אֶל רֵעוּתְךָ וְחִבָּתְךָ:
You understand how to attach me from afar You understand from afar [how] to attract me to Your friendship and to Your love.
לְרֵעִי. לְקָרְבֵנִי אֵלֶיךָ:
to attach me Heb. לרעי, to attach me to You.
ג׳
אָרְחִ֣י וְרִבְעִ֣י זֵרִ֑יתָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכַ֥י הִסְכַּֽנְתָּה׃
3
You observe my walking and reclining,
and are familiar with all my ways.
3
Thou measurest my going about and my lying down, And art acquainted with all my ways.
אָרְחִי וְרִבְעִי זֵרִיתָ. דַּרְכִּי וְרִבְצִי וְשָׁכְנִי סִבַּבְתָּ מְחִיצָה, שֶׁאֵין לִי לַעֲשׂוֹת דָּבָר בְּלֹא יְדִיעָתְךָ. זֵרִיתָ לְשׁוֹן ״זֵר זָהָב סָבִיב״ (שמות כה:כד), וְכֵן חִבְּרוֹ מְנַחֵם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָּרְשׁוּ (נדה לא.) עַל טִפַּת תַּשְׁמִישׁ שֶׁהַוָּלָד נוֹצָר מִן הַבָּרוּר שֶׁבָּהּ, וּפֵירוּשׁוֹ זֵרִיתָ לְשׁוֹן זוֹרֶה הַתְּבוּאָה לִבְרוֹר אֶת הַפְּסוֹלֶת שֶׁבָּהּ:
My going about and my lying down You encompassed My way, my lying down, and my dwelling You have encompassed with a wall, for I can do nothing without Your knowledge. You encompassed heb. זרית, an expression of (Exod. 25:24): “a gold crown (זר).” Menachem associated it in this manner (p. 82). Our Sages, however, interpreted it (Nid. 31a, Mid. Ps. 139:3) as referring to the droplet of [semen, transmitted in] sexual intercourse, from whose choicest part the fetus is formed, and the meaning of זֵרִיתָ (זורה) is an expression of winnowing the grain to purify it of the refuse it contains.
הִסְכַּנְתָּה. לָמַדְתָּ:
You are accustomed Heb. הִסכנתה, you are accustomed.
ד׳
כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין מִ֭לָּה בִּלְשׁוֹנִ֑י הֵ֥ן יְ֝הוָ֗ה יָדַ֥עְתָּ כֻלָּֽהּ׃
4
There is not a word on my tongue
but that You, O LORD, know it well.
4
For there is not a word in my tongue, But, lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether.
ה׳
אָח֣וֹר וָקֶ֣דֶם צַרְתָּ֑נִי וַתָּ֖שֶׁת עָלַ֣י כַּפֶּֽכָה׃
5
You hedge me before and behind;
You lay Your hand upon me.
5
Thou hast hemmed me in behind and before, And laid Thy hand upon me.
אָחוֹר וָקֶדֶם צַרְתָּנִי. פָּנַי וַאֲחוֹרַי:
From the rear and the front My face and my back.
כַּפֶּכָה. אֻכָּפְךָ וְרִידּוּיְךָ, דִּישְׁטְרוֹיְ״ט בְּלַעַ״ז:
Your pressure your coercion and your ruling, destroit in Old French.
ו׳
פלאיה [פְּלִ֣יאָֽה] דַ֣עַת מִמֶּ֑נִּי נִ֝שְׂגְּבָ֗ה לֹא־א֥וּכַֽל לָֽהּ׃
6
It is beyond my knowledge;
it is a mystery; I cannot fathom it.
6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; Too high, I cannot attain unto it.
פְּלִיאָה דַעַת וְגוֹ׳. מְכֻסֶּה וְנֶעְלָם מִמֶּנִּי מָקוֹם לִבְרֹחַ מִפָּנֶיךָ (מצאתי):
Knowledge is hidden from me, etc. A place to escape from You is covered up and hidden from me. (I found this.)
ז׳
אָ֭נָ֥ה אֵלֵ֣ךְ מֵרוּחֶ֑ךָ וְ֝אָ֗נָה מִפָּנֶ֥יךָ אֶבְרָֽח׃
7
Where can I escape from Your spirit?
Where can I flee from Your presence?
7
Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
ח׳
אִם־אֶסַּ֣ק שָׁ֭מַיִם שָׁ֣ם אָ֑תָּה וְאַצִּ֖יעָה שְּׁא֣וֹל הִנֶּֽךָּ׃
8
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
if I descend to Sheol, You are there too.
8
If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in the nether-world, behold, Thou art there.
וְאַצִּיעָה. מַצָּע וּמִשְׁכָּב:
and if I make my bed Heb. ואציעה, an expression of a spread (מצע) and a bed.
ט׳
אֶשָּׂ֥א כַנְפֵי־שָׁ֑חַר אֶ֝שְׁכְּנָ֗ה בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית יָֽם׃
9
If I take wing with the dawn
to come to rest on the western horizon,
9
If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
אֶשָּׂא כַנְפֵי שָׁחַר. אִם אֶשָּׂא לִי כְּנָפַיִם כַּשַּׁחַר הַזֶּה הַמַּבְהִיק לְפִי שָׁעָה מִסּוֹף הָעוֹלָם לְסוֹפוֹ, כֵּן אֲמַהֵר לָעוּף עַד אֲשֶׁר אֶשְׁכֹּן בְּאַחֲרִית יָם:
[If] I take up the wings of dawn If I take up for myself the wings of dawn, which shine at once from one end of the world to the other, so will I fly swiftly until I dwell at the end of the sea.
י׳
גַּם־שָׁ֭ם יָדְךָ֣ תַנְחֵ֑נִי וְֽתֹאחֲזֵ֥נִי יְמִינֶֽךָ׃
10
even there Your hand will be guiding me,
Your right hand will be holding me fast.
10
Even there would Thy hand lead me, And Thy right hand would hold me.
י"א
וָ֭אֹמַר אַךְ־חֹ֣שֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵ֑נִי וְ֝לַ֗יְלָה א֣וֹר בַּעֲדֵֽנִי׃
11
If I say, “Surely darkness will conceal me,
night will provide me with cover,”
11
And if I say: ‘Surely the darkness shall envelop me, And the light about me shall be night';
וָאֹמַר אַךְ חֹשֶׁךְ יְשׁוּפֵנִי. אִם אָמַרְתִּי: אֶהְיֶה נִסְתָּר בַּמַּחְשָׁךְ, וְהַחֹשֶׁךְ יַחְשִׁיךְ עָלַי וְלֹא תִרְאֵנִי. יְשׁוּפֵנִי לְשׁוֹן ״נֶשֶׁף״ (איוב כד:טו):
I said, “Darkness will darken me” If I said, “I will be hidden in the darkness, and the darkness will envelop me so that You will not see me.” יְשׁוּפֵנִי is an expression of נֶשֶׁף, evening.
וְלַיְלָה אוֹר בַּעֲדֵנִי. וְהַלַּיְלָה יְהִי מַאֲפִיל לְנֶגְדִּי, אוֹר זֶה לְשׁוֹן אֹפֶל הוּא, כְּמוֹ ״יָפִיץ עָנָן אוֹרוֹ״ (איוב לז:יא), וְכֵן ״כָּל כּוֹכְבֵי אוֹר״ (תהלים קמח:ג), וְכֵן ״וַיָּאֶר אֶת הַלַּיְלָה״ (שמות יד:כ):
“and the night will be dark about me” Heb. אור, lit. light. And the night will darken before me. This אוֹר is an expression of darkness, like (Job 37:11): “he spreads his clouds of darkness (אור)”; similarly (below 148:3), “all stars of the night (אור)”; similarly (Exod. 14:20), “and it darkened (ויאר) the night.”
י"ב
גַּם־חֹשֶׁךְ֮ לֹֽא־יַחְשִׁ֪יךְ מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָ וְ֭לַיְלָה כַּיּ֣וֹם יָאִ֑יר כַּ֝חֲשֵׁיכָ֗ה כָּאוֹרָֽה׃
12
darkness is not dark for You;
night is as light as day;
darkness and light are the same.
12
Even the darkness is not too dark for Thee, But the night shineth as the day; The darkness is even as the light.
גַּם. שָׁם אֵין לִי מָנוֹס, כִּי כָּל חֹשֶׁךְ לֹא יַחְשִׁיךְ מִמֶּךָּ:
Even there I have no asylum, for no darkness will obscure [anything] from You.
כַּחֲשֵׁיכָה כָּאוֹרָה. שְׁנֵיהֶם שָׁוִין לְךָ:
as darkness, so is the light Both are the same to You.
י"ג
כִּֽי־אַ֭תָּה קָנִ֣יתָ כִלְיֹתָ֑י תְּ֝סֻכֵּ֗נִי בְּבֶ֣טֶן אִמִּֽי׃
13
It was You who created my conscience;
You fashioned me in my mother’s womb.
13
For Thou hast made my reins; Thou hast knit me together in my mother's womb.
כִּלְיוֹתָי. הַחוֹשְׁבִים כָּל מַחְשְׁבוֹתַי:
For You created my reins which think all my thoughts.
תְּסֻכֵּנִי. תְּסוֹכְכֵנִי:
You covered me Heb. תסכני, [equivalent to] תסוֹככני.
י"ד
אֽוֹדְךָ֗ עַ֤ל כִּ֥י נוֹרָא֗וֹת נִ֫פְלֵ֥יתִי נִפְלָאִ֥ים מַעֲשֶׂ֑יךָ וְ֝נַפְשִׁ֗י יֹדַ֥עַת מְאֹֽד׃
14
I praise You,
for I am awesomely, wondrously made;
Your work is wonderful;
I know it very well.
14
I will give thanks unto Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
ט"ו
לֹא־נִכְחַ֥ד עָצְמִ֗י מִ֫מֶּ֥ךָּ אֲשֶׁר־עֻשֵּׂ֥יתִי בַסֵּ֑תֶר רֻ֝קַּ֗מְתִּי בְּֽתַחְתִּיּ֥וֹת אָֽרֶץ׃
15
My frame was not concealed from You
when I was shaped in a hidden place,
knit together in the recesses of the earth.
15
My frame was not hidden from Thee, When I was made in secret, And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
עֻשֵּׂיתִי בַסֵּתֶר. בְּתַשְׁמִישׁ:
I was made in secret In sexual intercourse.
בְּתַחְתִּיּוֹת אָרֶץ. בַּמָּדוֹר הַתַּחְתּוֹן שֶׁבִּמְעֵי אִמִּי (נידה לא.):
in the lowest parts of the earth In the lowest compartment in my mother’s womb.
ט"ז
גָּלְמִ֤י ׀ רָ֘א֤וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וְעַֽל־סִפְרְךָ֮ כֻּלָּ֪ם יִכָּ֫תֵ֥בוּ יָמִ֥ים יֻצָּ֑רוּ ולא [וְל֖וֹ] אֶחָ֣ד בָּהֶֽם׃
16
Your eyes saw my unformed limbs;
they were all recorded in Your book;
in due time they were formed,
to the very last one of them.
16
Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance, And in Thy book they were all written— Even the days that were fashioned, When as yet there was none of them.
גָּלְמִי רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ. מֵאָז בָּרָאתָ אֶת הָעוֹלָם רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ אֶת כָּל גּוֹלְמֵי הַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים:
Your eyes saw my unformed body From the time that You created the world, Your eyes saw all the forms of the coming generations.
גָּלְמִי. זָהֳרָתִי וְתַבְנִית צוּרָתִי בְּטֶרֶם הִוָּלְדִי וּבְטֶרֶם בּוֹאִי לָעוֹלָם רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ:
My unformed body Heb. גלמי. My splendor and the pattern of my form, before I was born and before I came into the world, Your eyes saw.
וְעַל סִפְרְךָ כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ. וְכָל יְצוּרֵי עוֹלָם, כָּמוֹנִי כָּמוֹהֶם, גַּם כֻּלָּם בְּטֶרֶם הִבָּרְאָם יַחְדָּיו גְּלוּיִים לְפָנֶיךָ:
and on Your book they were all written And all the creatures of the world, like me, like them, even all of them, before they were created, were together revealed before You.
יָמִים יֻצָּרוּ וְלֹא אֶחָד בָּהֶם. כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה הָאָדָם וְתַכְלִיתִיהֶם גְּלוּיִים לְפָנֶיךָ כְּאִלּוּ יֻצָּרוּ כְּבָר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה אֶחָד מִכֻּלָּם וְלֹא הָיָה עֲדַיִן כְּאֶחָד בָּעוֹלָם. וְאֵלּוּ הֵם פִּלְאֵי ״מִפְעֲלוֹת אֱלֹהִים״ (תהלים סו:ה) וּמִשְׁפַּט גְּבוּרָתוֹ, שֶׁעֲתִידוֹת גְּלוּיִים לְפָנָיו טֶרֶם תָּבֹאנָה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר ״בְּטֶרֶם אֶצָּרְךָ בַבֶּטֶן וְגוֹ׳״ (ירמיהו א:ה):
days have been formed and one of them All man’s deeds and the end of the days are revealed before You as if they were already formed, although not one of them was in existence, and not one was yet in the world. These are the wonders of God’s works and the way of His might, that future events are revealed to Him before they come. And so, Scripture says (Jer. 1:5): “When I had not yet formed you in the womb, etc.”
וְעַל סִפְרְךָ כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ. סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם שֶׁהֶרְאֵיתָ לְאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן (בראשית ה:א):
and on Your book, they were all written The book of the generations of man, which You showed to Adam.
כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ. כְּמוֹ נִכְתְּבוּ:
written lit. all of them will be written, like נכתבוּ.
יָמִים יֻצָּרוּ וְלֹא אֶחָד בָּהֶם. לְסוֹף יָמִים רַבִּים הָיוּ עֲתִידִין לְהִבָּרְאוֹת, וְלֹא הָיָה עֲדַיִן אֶחָד מֵהֶם נִבְרָא בָּהֶן. לְפִי הַמָּסֹרֶת שֶׁכָּתוּב וְלֹא זֶהוּ פֵּרוּשׁוֹ, וּלְפִי הַמִּקְרָא שֶׁהוּא נִקְרָא וְלוֹ כָּךְ פֵּרוּשׁוֹ: יָמִים יֻצָּרוּ. הֶרְאָהוּ יָמִים הָעֲתִידִים לְהִבָּרְאוֹת, וּלְחֶלְקוֹ בֵּרַר אֶחָד אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת. דָּבָר אַחֵר: זֶה יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים לִסְלִיחָה:
days were formed without one of them Ultimately, many days were destined to be created, but not one of them was yet created. According to the masoretic text, in which לא is written, this is its explanation. And according to the readingfor it is read לו this is its explanation: days have been formed—He showed the days that were destined to be created, and for His share, He chose one of them, viz. the Sabbath day. Another explanation: This is the Day of Atonement, for forgiveness.
י"ז
וְלִ֗י מַה־יָּקְר֣וּ רֵעֶ֣יךָ אֵ֑ל מֶ֥ה עָ֝צְמוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶֽם׃
17
How weighty Your thoughts seem to me, O God,
how great their number!
17
How weighty also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
וְלִי מַה יָּקְרוּ רֵעֶיךָ. כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹמֶרֶת: מַה נִּכְבְּדוּ בְּעֵינַי הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁבְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר:
And to me, how dear are Your friends The congregation of Israel says, “How esteemed in my eyes are the righteous in every generation!”
וּמֶה עָצְמוּ רָאשֵׁיהֶם. חֶשְׁבּוֹן סְפִירוֹתֵיהֶם, לְשׁוֹן ״כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״ (שמות ל:יב):
How great is their sum! The calculation of their counting, an expression of (Exod. 30:12): “When you take the sum (ראש) of the children of Israel.”
י"ח
אֶ֭סְפְּרֵם מֵח֣וֹל יִרְבּ֑וּן הֱ֝קִיצֹ֗תִי וְעוֹדִ֥י עִמָּֽךְ׃
18
I count them—they exceed the grains of sand;
I end—but am still with You.
18
If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand; Were I to come to the end of them, I would still be with Thee.
אֶסְפְּרֵם מֵחוֹל. אִם בָּאתִי לִסְפֹּר אֶת טוֹב מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, מֵחוֹל יִרְבּוּן:
I shall count them...than sand If I came to count the good of their deeds, they would be more numerous than sand.
הֱקִיצוֹתִי וְעוֹדִי עִמָּךְ. הִנְנִי בָּאתִי עַתָּה לְקֵץ הַדּוֹרוֹת אֲשֶׁר קָצַבְתָּ מֵאָז עַד הַיּוֹם, וְעוֹד דּוֹר זֶה עִמְּךָ וּבְיִרְאָתֶךָ, וְלֹא נָטִיתִי מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ:
I have come to the end, and I am still with You Behold I have now come to the end of the generations that You allotted from then until today, and this generation is still with You and in fear of You, and I have not turned away from following You.
י"ט
אִם־תִּקְטֹ֖ל אֱל֥וֹהַּ ׀ רָשָׁ֑ע וְאַנְשֵׁ֥י דָ֝מִ֗ים ס֣וּרוּ מֶֽנִּי׃
19
O God, if You would only slay the wicked—
you murderers, away from me!—
19
If Thou but wouldest slay the wicked, O God— Depart from me therefore, ye men of blood;
אִם תִּקְטֹל וְגוֹ׳. הַלְוַאי וְתִקְטוֹל אֶת עֲמָלֵק הָרָשָׁע:
If only You would slay the wicked If only You would slay the wicked.
כ׳
אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֹ֭אמְרֻךָ לִמְזִמָּ֑ה נָשֻׂ֖א לַשָּׁ֣וְא עָרֶֽיךָ׃
20
who invoke You for intrigue,
Your enemies who swear by You falsely.
20
Who utter Thy name with wicked thought, They take it for falsehood, even Thine enemies— .
יֹאמְרוּךָ לִמְזִמָּה. מַזְכִּירִים שִׁמְךָ עַל כָּל מַחְשְׁבוֹת רָעָתָם וּמְכַנִּים אֱלֹהוּתְךָ לַעֲבוֹדַת גִּלוּלִים:
Who mention You with wicked thought They mention Your name regarding all the thoughts of their evil and call their deities with Your name.
נָשֻׂא לַשָּׁוְא. כְּמוֹ נָשְׂאוּ לַשָּׁוְא:
took it up Heb. נשוא, like נשאו, they took up.
עָרֶיךָ. אוֹיְבֶיךָ. נָשְׂאוּ לַשָּׁוְא אוֹיְבֶיךָ אֶת שְׁמֶךָ:
Your enemies...in vain Your enemies took up Your name in vain.
כ"א
הֲלֽוֹא־מְשַׂנְאֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֥ה ׀ אֶשְׂנָ֑א וּ֝בִתְקוֹמְמֶ֗יךָ אֶתְקוֹטָֽט׃
21
O LORD, You know I hate those who hate You,
and loathe Your adversaries.
21
Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate Thee? And do not I strive with those that rise up against Thee?
כ"ב
תַּכְלִ֣ית שִׂנְאָ֣ה שְׂנֵאתִ֑ים לְ֝אוֹיְבִ֗ים הָ֣יוּ לִֽי׃
22
I feel a perfect hatred toward them;
I count them my enemies.
22
I hate them with utmost hatred; I count them mine enemies.
כ"ג
חָקְרֵ֣נִי אֵ֭ל וְדַ֣ע לְבָבִ֑י בְּ֝חָנֵ֗נִי וְדַ֣ע שַׂרְעַפָּֽי׃
23
Examine me, O God, and know my mind;
probe me and know my thoughts.
23
Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts;
כ"ד
וּרְאֵ֗ה אִם־דֶּֽרֶךְ־עֹ֥צֶב בִּ֑י וּ֝נְחֵ֗נִי בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ עוֹלָֽם׃
24
See if I have vexatious ways,
and guide me in ways everlasting.
24
And see if there be any way in me that is grievous, And lead me in the way everlasting.
אִם דֶּרֶךְ עֹצֶב וְגוֹ׳. אִם דֶּרֶךְ מַעֲצֵבָה וְקִלְקוּל בִּי:
whether there is any vexatious way about me Whether there is a way of vexation and deterioration in me.