א׳
מִזְמ֗וֹר לְדָ֫וִ֥ד יְהוָ֣ה קְ֭רָאתִיךָ ח֣וּשָׁה לִּ֑י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה ק֝וֹלִ֗י בְּקָרְאִי־לָֽךְ׃
1
A psalm of David.
I call You, O LORD, hasten to me;
give ear to my cry when I call You.
1
A Psalm of David. LORD, I have called Thee; make haste unto me; Give ear unto my voice, when I call unto Thee.
ב׳
תִּכּ֤וֹן תְּפִלָּתִ֣י קְטֹ֣רֶת לְפָנֶ֑יךָ מַֽשְׂאַ֥ת כַּ֝פַּ֗י מִנְחַת־עָֽרֶב׃
2
Take my prayer as an offering of incense,
my upraised hands as an evening sacrifice.
2
Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee, The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
מַשְׂאַת כַּפַּי. מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי נוֹשֵׂא כַּפַּי אֵלֶיךָ:
the lifting of my hands What I lift up my hands to You.
ג׳
שִׁיתָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה שָׁמְרָ֣ה לְפִ֑י נִ֝צְּרָ֗ה עַל־דַּ֥ל שְׂפָתָֽי׃
3
O LORD, set a guard over my mouth,
a watch at the door of my lips;
3
Set a guard, O LORD, to my mouth; Keep watch at the door of my lips.
שִׁיתָה ה׳ שָׁמְרָה לְפִי. בְּהִתְפַּלְּלִי לְפָנֶיךָ, לִהְיוֹתִי מְדַבֵּר צַחוֹת, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן:
O Lord, place a guard for my mouth when I pray before You, that I should speak poetically, that it should be acceptable.
דַּל שְׂפָתָי. הִיא שָׂפָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה (כְּמוֹ דְּלָתוֹת שִׂפְתֵי):
the portal of my lips That is the upper lip (like portals of my lips).
ד׳
אַל־תַּט־לִבִּ֨י לְדָבָ֪ר ׀ רָ֡ע לְהִתְע֘וֹלֵ֤ל עֲלִל֨וֹת ׀ בְּרֶ֗שַׁע אֶת־אִישִׁ֥ים פֹּֽעֲלֵי־אָ֑וֶן וּבַל־אֶ֝לְחַ֗ם בְּמַנְעַמֵּיהֶֽם׃
4
let my mind not turn to an evil thing,
to practice deeds of wickedness
with men who are evildoers;
let me not feast on their dainties.
4
Incline not my heart to any evil thing, To be occupied in deeds of wickedness With men that work iniquity; And let me not eat of their dainties.
אַל תַּט לִבִּי. אַל יִהְיֶה נוֹטֶה לָרָע:
Do not incline my heart May my heart not be inclined toward evil.
אֶת אִישִׁים. עִם אֲנָשִׁים (מצאתי):
וּבַל אֶלְחַם בְּמַנְעַמֵּיהֶם. וְלֹא אֶהְיֶה מֵסֵב בִּסְעוּדָתָם:
and may I not partake of their feasts And I shall not sit at their feasts.
ה׳
יֶֽהֶלְמֵֽנִי־צַדִּ֨יק ׀ חֶ֡סֶד וְֽיוֹכִיחֵ֗נִי שֶׁ֣מֶן רֹ֭אשׁ אַל־יָנִ֣י רֹאשִׁ֑י כִּי־ע֥וֹד וּ֝תְפִלָּתִ֗י בְּרָעוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃
5
Let the righteous man strike me in loyalty,
let him reprove me;
let my head not refuse such choice oil.
My prayers are still against their evil deeds.
5
Let the righteous smite me in kindness, and correct me; Oil so choice let not my head refuse; For still is my prayer because of their wickedness.
יֶהֶלְמֵנִי צַדִּיק חֶסֶד וְיוֹכִיחֵנִי. טוֹב לִי שֶׁיּוֹכִיחֵנִי וִייַסְּרֵנִי נָבִיא אֱמֶת וְצֶדֶק, שֶׁכָּל מַהֲלוּמָיו וְתוֹכַחְתּוֹ חֶסֶד:
May a righteous man strike me with kindness and reprove me It is better that a true and righteous prophet reprove me and chastise me, for all his blows and his reproof are kindness.
שֶׁמֶן רֹאשׁ אַל יָנִי רֹאשִׁי. שֶׁמֶן מַלְכוּת שֶׁהוּצַק עַל רֹאשִׁי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״דִּשַּׁנְתָּ בַשֶּׁמֶן רֹאשִׁי״ (תהלים כג:ה), אַל יָסִיר אֶת רֹאשִׁי מִתּוֹכַחַת הַצַּדִּיק לָלֶכֶת וְלִלְחֹם אֶת פּוֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן:
may the oil of the anointment of my head not turn my head away The royal oil that was poured onto my head, as it is said (above 23:5): “You anointed my head with oil,” should not turn my head away from the reproof of the righteous man, to go and eat bread with the workers of iniquity.
כִּי עוֹד. כִּי כָּל עוֹד וּתְפִלָּתִי בְּפִי, הֲרֵי הִיא בִּשְׁבִיל רָעוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל פּוֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן, שֶׁלֹּא אֶכָּשֵׁל בָּהֶם:
for as long as For as long as my prayer is in my mouth, it is about the evils of the workers of iniquity, that I should not stumble on them.
ו׳
נִשְׁמְט֣וּ בִֽידֵי־סֶ֭לַע שֹׁפְטֵיהֶ֑ם וְשָׁמְע֥וּ אֲ֝מָרַ֗י כִּ֣י נָעֵֽמוּ׃
6
May their judges slip on the rock,
but let my words be heard, for they are sweet.
6
Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock; And they shall hear my words, that they are sweet.
נִשְׁמְטוּ בִידֵי סֶלַע שׁוֹפְטֵיהֶם. כִּי דַיָּנֵיהֶם וּמַנְהִיגֵיהֶם שֶׁל אֵלּוּ נִשְׁמְטוּ מִדֶּרֶךְ הַטּוֹב בְּיַד יֵצֶר הָרָע וְלֵב הָאֶבֶן וְקָשֶׁה כַּסֶּלַע:
Their judges were led astray by [their hearts of] stone For the judges and leaders of these [people] have been led astray from the good way by the evil inclination and the heart of stone, and it is as hard as a rock.
וְשָׁמְעוּ אֲמָרַי. הַנְּעִימִים שֶׁאֲנִי מְדַבֵּר בְּמִצְוֹתָיו שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, וְאֵינָם שָׁבִים מִדַּרְכָּם הָרָעָה. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ בִּבְרַיְתָא דְּסִפְרָא דְּרָשׁוּהוּ (ספרי דברים כו) בְּמֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן שֶׁמֵּתוּ עַל יְדֵי הַסֶּלַע (במדבר כ:יב), אֲבָל אֵינִי יָכוֹל לְיַשֵּׁב הַמִּקְרָא סוֹפוֹ לְרֹאשׁוֹ. וְיֵשׁ לְיַשְּׁבוֹ וְלוֹמַר: דּוֹמִין אֵלּוּ לְעִקְּשׁוּת לְאוֹתָן שֶׁמֵּתוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן עַל יְדֵי הַסֶּלַע עַל יְדֵיהֶם, כִּי אַף אֵלּוּ שָׁמְעוּ אֲמָרַי נְעִימִים וְאֵינָם שָׁבִים:
although they heard my words [my] pleasant [words], which I speak of the commandments, and they do not repent of their evil way. Our Rabbis in the Baraitha of Sifrei (Deut. 3: 23) interpreted it concerning Moses and Aaron, but I cannot reconcile the end of the verse with its beginning. I can perhaps reconcile it and say that in stubbornness, these people equal the stubbornness of those through whom Moses and Aaron died through the rock, for these too heard the pleasant words but do not repent.
ז׳
כְּמ֤וֹ פֹלֵ֣חַ וּבֹקֵ֣עַ בָּאָ֑רֶץ נִפְזְר֥וּ עֲ֝צָמֵ֗ינוּ לְפִ֣י שְׁאֽוֹל׃
7
As when the earth is cleft and broken up
our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
7
As when one cleaveth and breaketh up the earth, Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth.
כְּמוֹ פוֹלֵחַ. עֵצִים:
As one who chops wood.
וּבוֹקֵעַ בָּאָרֶץ. כֵּן נִפְזְרוּ עֲצָמֵינוּ לְהַגִּיעַ לְפֶתַח הַמָּוֶת בִּשְׁבִיל רָעוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל עוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵרָה:
and splits on the ground So were our bones scattered to reach the entrance of death because of the evils of the transgressors.
פּוֹלֵחַ. לְשׁוֹן בִּקּוּעַ, כְּמוֹ ״יְפַלַּח כִּלְיוֹתָי״ (איוב טז:יג):
Chops Heb. פלח, an expression of splitting, as (Job 16:13): “He splits my kidneys.”
ח׳
כִּ֤י אֵלֶ֨יךָ ׀ יְהֹוִ֣ה אֲדֹנָ֣י עֵינָ֑י בְּכָ֥ה חָ֝סִ֗יתִי אַל־תְּעַ֥ר נַפְשִֽׁי׃
8
My eyes are fixed upon You, O GOD my Lord;
I seek refuge in You, do not put me in jeopardy.
8
For mine eyes are unto Thee, O GOD the Lord; In Thee have I taken refuge, O pour not out my soul.
כִּי אֵלֶיךָ ה׳ אֲדֹנָי עֵינָי. מוּסָב לַמִּקְרָאוֹת שֶׁל מַעְלָה שִׁיתָה שָׁמְרָה לְפִי וְאַל תַּט, כִּי עָלֶיךָ עֵינָי וְגוֹ׳:
For to You, etc., are my eyes This goes back to the above verses (3f.): Place a guard for my mouth...Do not incline...for to You...are my eyes, etc.
אַל תְּעַר נַפְשִׁי. אַל תְּשַׁלַּח נַפְשִׁי מִלְּפָנֶיךָ, כְּמוֹ ״וַתְּעַר כַּדָּהּ אֶל הַשֹּׁקֶת״ (בראשית כד:כ):
do not cast out my soul Heb. אל תער. Do not cast me from before You, like (Gen. 24:20): “and emptied (ותער) her pitcher into the watering trough.”
ט׳
שָׁמְרֵ֗נִי מִ֣ידֵי פַ֭ח יָ֣קְשׁוּ לִ֑י וּ֝מֹקְשׁ֗וֹת פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃
9
Keep me from the trap laid for me,
and from the snares of evildoers.
9
Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, And from the gins of the workers of iniquity.
י׳
יִפְּל֣וּ בְמַכְמֹרָ֣יו רְשָׁעִ֑ים יַ֥חַד אָ֝נֹכִ֗י עַֽד־אֶעֱבֽוֹר׃
10
Let the wicked fall into their nets
while I alone come through.
10
Let the wicked fall into their own nets, Whilst I withal escape.
יִפְּלוּ בְמַכְמוֹרָיו רְשָׁעִים. יִפּוֹל הָרָשָׁע עַצְמוֹ בְּמַכְמוֹרָיו שֶׁהוּא פּוֹרֵשׂ לְרַגְלִי:
May the wicked fall...into his nets May the wicked man himself fall into his nets that he spreads at my feet.