א׳
מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִ֑ד יְהוָ֥ה רֹ֝עִ֗י לֹ֣א אֶחְסָֽר׃
1
A psalm of David.
The LORD is my shepherd;
I lack nothing.
1
A Psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד. אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ : כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד״, מְנַגֵּן וְאַחַר כָּךְ שׁוֹרָה עָלָיו שְׁכִינָה. מִזְמוֹר, לְהָבִיא רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ לְדָוִד. וְכָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ ״לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר״, שָׁרְתָה עָלָיו שְׁכִינָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ אָמַר שִׁירָה:
A song of David The Rabbis said: Wherever it says: “A song of David,” he would play [his musical instrument] and afterwards the Shechinah would rest on him. It is a song to bring the holy spirit upon David. And, wherever it says: “Of David, a song,” the Shechinah rested on him [first] and then he recited a song.
ה׳ רוֹעִי. בַּמִּדְבָּר הַזֶּה שֶׁאֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ בּוֹ בָּטוּחַ אֲנִי, שֶׁלֹּא אֶחְסָר כְּלוּם:
The Lord is my shepherd In this desert where I am going, [therefore] I am confident that I will lack nothing.
ב׳
בִּנְא֣וֹת דֶּ֭שֶׁא יַרְבִּיצֵ֑נִי עַל־מֵ֖י מְנֻח֣וֹת יְנַהֲלֵֽנִי׃
2
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me to water in places of repose;
2
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.
בִּנְאוֹת דֶּשֶׁא. בִּנְוֵה דְּשָׁאִין, לְפִי שֶׁהִתְחִיל לְדַמּוֹת מְזוֹנוֹתָיו לְמִרְעֵה בְּהֵמָה שֶׁאָמַר ה׳ רוֹעִי, נוֹפֵל עַל הַלָּשׁוֹן שֶׁל ה׳ רוֹעִי נְאוֹת דֶּשֶׁא. וּמִזְמוֹר זֶה אָמַר דָּוִד בְּיַעַר חֲרֵת (שמואל א כב:ה). לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ יַעַר חֲרֵת? שֶׁהָיָה מְנֻגָּב כַּחֶרֶס וְהִרְטִיבוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מִטּוּב שֶׁל הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא (מדרש תהלים כג:ו):
in green pasture In grassy pastures. Since he commences to compare his sustenance to the pasture of an animal by saying, “The Lord is my shepherd,” “green pastures” is appropriate for the expression, “the Lord is my shepherd.” David recited this psalm in the forest of Hereth (I Sam. 22:5). Why was it called Hereth? Because it was as dry as a potsherd (חרס) and the Holy One, blessed be He, moistened it with the good of the world to come (Mid. Ps. 23:6).
ג׳
נַפְשִׁ֥י יְשׁוֹבֵ֑ב יַֽנְחֵ֥נִי בְמַעְגְּלֵי־צֶ֝֗דֶק לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֽוֹ׃
3
He renews my life;
He guides me in right paths
as befits His name.
3
He restoreth my soul; He guideth me in straight paths for His name's sake.
נַפְשִׁי יְשׁוֹבֵב. רוּחִי, שֶׁהוּפַג בַּצָּרוֹת וּבַמְּנוּסָה, יְשׁוֹבֵב לְקַדְמוּתוֹ:
He restores my soul My spirit, which has been weakened by troubles and haste, He will restore to its previous status.
בְּמַעְגְּלֵי צֶדֶק. בְּדַרְכֵי מִישׁוֹר, שֶׁלֹּא אֶפּוֹל בְּיַד אוֹיְבִי:
in paths of righteousness In straight paths, so that I should not fall into the hands of my enemies.
ד׳
גַּ֤ם כִּֽי־אֵלֵ֨ךְ בְּגֵ֪יא צַלְמָ֡וֶת לֹא־אִ֘ירָ֤א רָ֗ע כִּי־אַתָּ֥ה עִמָּדִ֑י שִׁבְטְךָ֥ וּ֝מִשְׁעַנְתֶּ֗ךָ הֵ֣מָּה יְנַֽחֲמֻֽנִי׃
4
Though I walk through a valley of deepest darkness,
I fear no harm, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.
4
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
בְּגֵיא צַלְמָוֶת. בְּאֶרֶץ חֹשֶׁךְ, וְעַל מִדְבַּר זִיף אָמַר (שמואל א כג:יג,כח). כָּל צַלְמָוֶת לְשׁוֹן חֹשֶׁךְ פֵּרְשׁוֹ דוּנַשׁ בֶּן לַבְרַט:
in the valley of darkness Heb. צלמות, in a land of darkness. He alludes to the desert of Ziph (I Sam. 23:13 28). Every [mention of] צלמות is an expression of darkness. Dunash ben Labrat defined it [in this manner].
שִׁבְטְךָ וּמִשְׁעַנְתֶּךָ. יִסּוּרִים שֶׁבָּאוּ עָלַי וּמִשְׁעָן שֶׁאֲנִי בָּטוּחַ עַל חַסְדְּךָ, שְׁנֵיהֶם יְנַחֲמוּנִי – שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לִי לִסְלֹחַ עָוֹן; וּבָטוּחַ אֲנִי, שֶׁתַּעֲרֹךְ לְפָנַי שֻׁלְחָן – הִיא הַמַּלְכוּת:
Your rod and Your staff The pains that came upon me, and the support, that I rely upon Your loving kindnessboth of them will comfort me, for they will serve to expiate my iniquity, and I am confident that You will set a table before me. That is the throne.
ה׳
תַּעֲרֹ֬ךְ לְפָנַ֨י ׀ שֻׁלְחָ֗ן נֶ֥גֶד צֹרְרָ֑י דִּשַּׁ֖נְתָּ בַשֶּׁ֥מֶן רֹ֝אשִׁ֗י כּוֹסִ֥י רְוָיָֽה׃
5
You spread a table for me in full view of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my drink is abundant.
5
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou hast anointed my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
דִּשַּׁנְתָּ בַשֶּׁמֶן רֹאשִׁי. כְּבָר נִמְשַׁחְתִּי עַל פִּיךָ לְמֶלֶךְ:
You anointed my head with oil I have already been anointed king by Your orders.
כּוֹסִי רְוָיָה. לְשׁוֹן שֹׂבַע:
my cup overflows Heb. רויה, an expression of fullness.
ו׳
אַ֤ךְ ׀ ט֤וֹב וָחֶ֣סֶד יִ֭רְדְּפוּנִי כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיָּ֑י וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְּבֵית־יְ֝הוָ֗ה לְאֹ֣רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃
6
Only goodness and steadfast love shall pursue me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for many long years.
6
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.