א׳
מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִ֑ד בְּ֝בָרְח֗וֹ מִפְּנֵ֤י ׀ אַבְשָׁל֬וֹם בְּנֽוֹ׃
1
A psalm of David when he fled from his son Absalom.
1
A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.
מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד בְּבָרְחוֹ. הַרְבֵּה דְּרָשׁוֹת דָּרְשׁוּ בְּנֵי אַגָּדָה בַּדָּבָר, וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (ברכות ז:): מִשֶּׁאָמַר לוֹ הַנָּבִיא ״הִנְנִי מֵקִים עָלֶיךָ רָעָה מִתּוֹךְ בֵּיתֶךָ״ (שמואל ב יב:יא) הָיָה לִבּוֹ סוֹעֵר שֶׁמָּא עֶבֶד אוֹ מַמְזֵר יָקוּם עָלַי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְרַחֵם עָלַי, כֵּיוָן שֶׁיָּדַע שֶׁבְּנוֹ הוּא שָׂמַח. וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה: עַל שֶׁרָאָה טַכְסִיסוֹ קַיֶּמֶת, שֶׁהָיוּ עֲבָדָיו וְהַכְּרֵתִי וְהַפְּלֵתִי, שֶׁהֵם סַנְהֶדְרִין, מַחֲזִיקִים אֲדָנוּתוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם; כְּשֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם ״קוּמוּ וְנִבְרְחָה מִפְּנֵי אַבְשָׁלוֹם״ (שמואל ב טו:יד), מַה כְּתִיב שָׁם? ״כֹּל אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ הִנֵּה עֲבָדֶיךָ״ (שמואל ב טו:טו); וּכְשֶׁבָּא מַחֲנַיִם, ״וְשֹׁבִי בֶן נָחָשׁ וּמָכִיר בֶּן עַמִּיאֵל וּבַרְזִלַּי הַגִּלְעָדִי״ (שמואל ב יז:כז) יָצְאוּ לִקְרָאתוֹ וְכִלְכְּלוּהוּ שָׁם:
A song of David, when he fled The Aggadists expounded many homilies on this matter. Our Sages said (Ber. 7a): When the prophet said to him (in II Sam. 12:11), “Behold I will raise up against you evil out of your own house etc.,” his heart was quaking, perhaps a slave or a mamzer [a child of an illicit union] will rise up against me, who will not have mercy on me. As soon as he found out that it was his son, he was happy. The Midrash Aggadah (Midrash Psalms 3:3) [states]: Because he saw his order intact, for his servants, and the Kerethite and Pelethite, who were the Sanhedrin were affirming his lordship over themselves. When he said to them (ibid. 15:14), “Arise and let us flee etc. from Absalom,” what is written there? (verse 15) “Whatever my lord the king shall choose, behold your servants [are ready to do].” And when he came to Mahanaim (ibid. 17:27), “Shobi, etc. and Machir the son of Amiel, etc. and Barzilai the Gileadite” came to meet him and sustained him there.
ב׳
יְ֭הוָה מָֽה־רַבּ֣וּ צָרָ֑י רַ֝בִּ֗ים קָמִ֥ים עָלָֽי׃
2
O LORD, my foes are so many!
Many are those who attack me;
2
LORD, how many are mine adversaries become! Many are they that rise up against me.
רַבִּים קָמִים עָלָי. בְּנֵי אָדָם גְּדוֹלִים בַּתּוֹרָה, גְּדוֹלִים בְּחָכְמָה, גְּדוֹלִים בְּעֹשֶׁר, גְּדוֹלִים בְּקוֹמָה; כְּגוֹן שָׁאוּל (שמואל א טז:ז) וִילִידֵי הָרָפָה (שמואל ב כא:טז-כב), דּוֹאֵג (שמואל א כא:ח) וַאֲחִיתֹפֶל (שמואל ב טו:יב):
Great men rise up against me Men great in Torah, great in wisdom, great in wealth, tall in stature, such as Saul; the children of Raphah; Doeg, and Ahitophel.
ג׳
רַבִּים֮ אֹמְרִ֪ים לְנַ֫פְשִׁ֥י אֵ֤ין יְֽשׁוּעָ֓תָה לּ֬וֹ בֵֽאלֹהִ֬ים סֶֽלָה׃
3
many say of me,
“There is no deliverance for him through God.” Selah.
3
Many there are that say of my soul: 'There is no salvation for him in God.' Selah
אוֹמְרִים לְנַפְשִׁי. עַל נַפְשִׁי:
say concerning my soul Heb. לנפשי, concerning my soul.
אֵין יְשׁוּעָתָה לּוֹ בֵאלֹהִים סֶלָה. לְפִי שֶׁבָּא עַל אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ:
“He has no salvation in God to eternity” Because he was intimate with a married woman.
ד׳
וְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֭הוָה מָגֵ֣ן בַּעֲדִ֑י כְּ֝בוֹדִ֗י וּמֵרִ֥ים רֹאשִֽׁי׃
4
But You, O LORD, are a shield about me,
my glory, He who holds my head high.
4
But thou, O LORD, art a shield about me; My glory, and the lifter up of my head.
ה׳
ק֭וֹלִי אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה אֶקְרָ֑א וַיַּֽעֲנֵ֨נִי מֵהַ֖ר קָדְשׁ֣וֹ סֶֽלָה׃
5
I cry aloud to the LORD,
and He answers me from His holy mountain. Selah.
5
With my voice I call unto the LORD, and He answereth me out of His holy mountain. Selah
ו׳
אֲנִ֥י שָׁכַ֗בְתִּי וָֽאִ֫ישָׁ֥נָה הֱקִיצ֑וֹתִי כִּ֖י יְהוָ֣ה יִסְמְכֵֽנִי׃
6
I lie down and sleep and wake again,
for the LORD sustains me.
6
I lay me down, and I sleep; I awake, for the LORD sustaineth me.
אֲנִי שָׁכַבְתִּי וָאִישָׁנָה. לִבִּי אָטוּם בִּדְאָגָה וָפַחַד:
I lay down and slept My heart was clogged from worry and fear.
הֱקִיצוֹתִי. מִדְּאָגָתִי, כִּי בָטַחְתִּי כִּי ה׳ יִסְמְכֵנִי:
I awoke from my worry, because I trusted that the Lord would support me.
ז׳
לֹֽא־אִ֭ירָא מֵרִבְב֥וֹת עָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר סָ֝בִ֗יב שָׁ֣תוּ עָלָֽי׃
7
I have no fear of the myriad forces
arrayed against me on every side.
7
I am not afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
שָׁתוּ. לְשׁוֹן ״שְׁאִיָּה״ (ישעיה כד:יב) גאטירנ״ט בְּלַעַ״ז. וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: שָׁתוּ כְּמוֹ שָׂמוּ, כְּמוֹ ״לְמַעַן שִׁתִי אֹתֹתַי״ (שמות י:א):
have set themselves Heb. שתו, an expression of desolation, gatiront in Old French, to destroy. Others say that שתו is like שמו, they placed, like (Exod. 10:1): “in order that I set up (שתי) my signs.”
ח׳
ק֘וּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ הוֹשִׁ֘יעֵ֤נִי אֱלֹהַ֗י כִּֽי־הִכִּ֣יתָ אֶת־כָּל־אֹיְבַ֣י לֶ֑חִי שִׁנֵּ֖י רְשָׁעִ֣ים שִׁבַּֽרְתָּ׃
8
Rise, O LORD!
Deliver me, O my God!
For You slap all my enemies in the face;
You break the teeth of the wicked.
8
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God; for Thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek, Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.
כִּי הִכִּיתָ אֶת כָּל אוֹיְבַי לֶחִי. מַכַּת בִּזָּיוֹן הִיא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר: ״יִתֵּן לְמַכֵּהוּ לֶחִי״ (איכה ג:ל), ״בַּשֵּׁבֶט יַכּוּ עַל הַלֶּחִי״ (מיכה ד:יד). וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה: מַכַּת הַפֶּה, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר: ״וַיְצַו אֶל בֵּיתוֹ וַיֵּחָנַק״ (שמואל ב יז:כג):
for You have struck all my enemies on the cheek This is a disgraceful blow, as you say (Lam. 3: 30): “Let him offer his cheek to the smiter”; (Micah 4:14), “with a rod they strike...on the cheek.” According to the Midrash Aggadah (Mid. Ps. 3:7), this is a sickness of the mouth, [choking, croup] as you say (II Sam. 17:23): “And he [Ahithophel] gave charge to his household and he strangled himself.
שִׁנֵּי רְשָׁעִים. גְּבוּרָתָם:
the teeth of the wicked Their might.
ט׳
לַיהוָ֥ה הַיְשׁוּעָ֑ה עַֽל־עַמְּךָ֖ בִרְכָתֶ֣ךָ סֶּֽלָה׃
9
Deliverance is the LORD’s;
Your blessing be upon Your people! Selah.
9
Salvation belongeth unto the LORD; Thy blessing be upon Thy people. Selah
לַה׳ הַיְשׁוּעָה וְגוֹ׳. עָלָיו לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶת עֲבָדָיו וְאֶת עַמּוֹ, וְעַל עַמּוֹ מוּטָּל לְבָרֵךְ וּלְהוֹדוֹת לוֹ סֶּלָה:
It is incumbent upon the Lord to save, etc. It is incumbent upon Him to save His servants and His people, and it is incumbent upon His people to bless Him and thank Him forever.