Psalms · Chapter 31 — Open Pardes

א׳ לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃

1 For the leader. A psalm of David.

1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David.

ב׳ בְּךָ֖ יְהוָ֣ה חָ֭סִיתִי אַל־אֵב֣וֹשָׁה לְעוֹלָ֑ם בְּצִדְקָתְךָ֥ פַלְּטֵֽנִי׃

2 I seek refuge in You, O LORD;
may I never be disappointed;
as You are righteous, rescue me.

2 In thee, O LORD, have I taken refuge; let me never be ashamed; Deliver me in Thy righteousness.

ג׳ הַטֵּ֤ה אֵלַ֨י ׀ אָזְנְךָ֮ מְהֵרָ֪ה הַצִּ֫ילֵ֥נִי הֱיֵ֤ה לִ֨י ׀ לְֽצוּר־מָ֭עוֹז לְבֵ֥ית מְצוּד֗וֹת לְהוֹשִׁיעֵֽנִי׃

3 Incline Your ear to me;
be quick to save me;
be a rock, a stronghold for me,
a citadel, for my deliverance.

3 Incline Thine ear unto me, deliver me speedily; Be Thou to me a rock of refuge, even a fortress of defence, to save me.

מְצוּדוֹת. פְּלֵיְישִׁי״ץ בְּלַעַ״ז:

a stronghold Pleysiz in Old French, a fortress.

ד׳ כִּֽי־סַלְעִ֣י וּמְצוּדָתִ֣י אָ֑תָּה וּלְמַ֥עַן שִׁ֝מְךָ֗ תַּֽנְחֵ֥נִי וּֽתְנַהֲלֵֽנִי׃

4 For You are my rock and my fortress;
You lead me and guide me as befits Your name.

4 For Thou art my rock and my fortress; Therefore for Thy name's sake lead me and guide me.

תַּנְחֵנִי. מוֹנַארַאשְׁמוֹ״י בְּלַעַ״ז, כְּמוֹ ״לֵךְ נְחֵה אֶת הָעָם וְגוֹ׳״ (שמות לב:לד):

You shall lead me Heb. תנחני, mene moi in French, lead me, as (in Exod. 32:34): “go lead (נחה) the people.”

ה׳ תּוֹצִיאֵ֗נִי מֵרֶ֣שֶׁת ז֭וּ טָ֣מְנוּ לִ֑י כִּֽי־אַ֝תָּה מָֽעוּזִּֽי׃

5 You free me from the net laid for me,
for You are my stronghold.

5 Bring me forth out of the net that they have hidden for me; For Thou art my stronghold.

ו׳ בְּיָדְךָ֮ אַפְקִ֪יד ר֫וּחִ֥י פָּדִ֖יתָה אוֹתִ֥י יְהוָ֗ה אֵ֣ל אֱמֶֽת׃

6 Into Your hand I entrust my spirit;
You redeem me, O LORD, faithful God.

6 Into Thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD, Thou God of truth.

בְּיָדְךָ אַפְקִיד רוּחִי. קוֹמַנְדְרִיָ״ה בְּלַעַ״ז, אַפְקִיד רוּחִי תָּמִיד לְפִי שֶׁאַתָּה פָּדִיתָה אוֹתִי מִצָּרָה:

I entrust Heb. אפקיד, komondere in Old French, I will entrust. I always entrust my spirit because You redeemed me from trouble.

ז׳ שָׂנֵ֗אתִי הַשֹּׁמְרִ֥ים הַבְלֵי־שָׁ֑וְא וַ֝אֲנִ֗י אֶל־יְהוָ֥ה בָּטָֽחְתִּי׃

7 I detest those who rely on empty folly,
but I trust in the LORD.

7 I hate them that regard lying vanities; But I trust in the LORD.

הַשּׁוֹמְרִים הַבְלֵי שָׁוְא. הַמְצַפִּים לִתְשׁוּעַת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה:

those who await worthless vanities Who await the salvation of pagan deities.

ח׳ אָגִ֥ילָה וְאֶשְׂמְחָ֗ה בְּחַ֫סְדֶּ֥ךָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָ֭אִיתָ אֶת־עָנְיִ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתָּ בְּצָר֥וֹת נַפְשִֽׁי׃

8 Let me exult and rejoice in Your faithfulness
when You notice my affliction,
are mindful of my deep distress,

8 I will be glad and rejoice in Thy lovingkindness; For Thou hast seen mine affliction, Thou hast taken cognizance of the troubles of my soul,

ט׳ וְלֹ֣א הִ֭סְגַּרְתַּנִי בְּיַד־אוֹיֵ֑ב הֶֽעֱמַ֖דְתָּ בַמֶּרְחָ֣ב רַגְלָֽי׃

9 and do not hand me over to my enemy,
but grant me relief.

9 And Thou hast not given me over into the hand of the enemy; Thou hast set my feet in a broad place.

הִסְגַּרְתַּנִי. לִיבְרַאשְׁ״מְווִי. וּמְנַחֵם חִבֵּר אוֹתוֹ לְשׁוֹן סְגִירָה, וְכֵן כָּל לְשׁוֹן סָגַר:

deliver me Heb. הסגרתני, livras moi in French, but Menachem (p. 125) associated it as an expression of closing, and likewise every expression of סגר.

י׳ חָנֵּ֥נִי יְהוָה֮ כִּ֤י צַ֫ר־לִ֥י עָשְׁשָׁ֖ה בְכַ֥עַס עֵינִ֗י נַפְשִׁ֥י וּבִטְנִֽי׃

10 Have mercy on me, O LORD,
for I am in distress;
my eyes are wasted by vexation,
my substance and body too.

10 Be gracious unto me, O LORD, for I am in distress; Mine eye wasteth away with vexation, yea, my soul and my body.

עָשְׁשָׁה. כָּהֲתָה, לְשׁוֹן עֲשָׁשִׁית. שֶׁאָדָם נוֹתֵן זְכוּכִית לְנֶגֶד עֵינָיו לִרְאוֹת לְעֵבֶר הַזְּכוּכִית דָּבָר, אֵין אוֹתָהּ מַרְאָה בְּרוּרָה:

is dimmed Heb. עששה, an expression of a lantern, עששית. If a person puts glass in front of his eyes to see something on the other side of the glass, the appearance (of that thing) is unclear.

י"א כִּ֤י כָל֪וּ בְיָג֡וֹן חַיַּי֮ וּשְׁנוֹתַ֪י בַּאֲנָ֫חָ֥ה כָּשַׁ֣ל בַּעֲוֺנִ֣י כֹחִ֑י וַעֲצָמַ֥י עָשֵֽׁשׁוּ׃

11 My life is spent in sorrow,
my years in groaning;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
my limbs waste away.

11 For my life is spent in sorrow, and my years in sighing; My strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are wasted away.

וַעֲצָמַי עָשֵׁשׁוּ. לְשׁוֹן רָקָב, כְּאִלּוּ אֲכָלָם עָשׁ:

and my bones have decayed Heb. עששו, an expression of decay, as though a moth (עש) had eaten them.

י"ב מִכָּל־צֹרְרַ֨י הָיִ֪יתִי חֶרְפָּ֡ה וְלִשֲׁכֵנַ֨י ׀ מְאֹד֮ וּפַ֪חַד לִֽמְיֻדָּ֫עָ֥י רֹאַ֥י בַּח֑וּץ נָדְד֥וּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃

12 Because of all my foes
I am the particular butt of my neighbors,
a horror to my friends;
those who see me on the street avoid me.

12 Because of all mine adversaries I am become a reproach, Yea, unto my neighbours exceedingly, and a dread to mine acquaintance; They that see me without flee from me.

מִכָּל צוֹרְרַי. מֵאֵת כָּל צוֹרְרַי, הָיִיתִי חֶרְפָּה לְגִדּוּף:

From all my tormentors From all my tormentors [not because of my tormentors]. I have become a reproach Heb. חרפה, a reproach.

וְלִשְׁכֵנַי. אֲנִי חֶרְפָּה מְאֹד וּפַחַד לִמְיֻדָּעָי. אֵמִישְׁקְטִיֵישְׁנ״ץ. מִתְפַּחֲדִים עַל קוֹרוֹתַי:

to my neighbors I am very much a reproach. and fright to my acquaintances A mes connaissances in French, to my acquaintances. They are frightened by what happens to me.

י"ג נִ֭שְׁכַּחְתִּי כְּמֵ֣ת מִלֵּ֑ב הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כִּכְלִ֥י אֹבֵֽד׃

13 I am put out of mind like the dead;
I am like an object given up for lost.

13 I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind; I am like a useless vessel.

כִּכְלִי אוֹבֵד. הַהוֹלֵךְ לְאִבּוּד; כָּל לְשׁוֹן אֲבֵדָה, אֵין הַלָּשׁוֹן נוֹפֵל עַל בַּעַל אֲבֵדָה, לוֹמַר ׳הוּא אִבֵּד אוֹתָהּ׳, אֶלָּא ׳הָאֲבֵדָה אוֹבֶדֶת מִמֶּנּוּ׳, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר: ״אֲשֶׁר תֹּאבַד מִמֶּנּוּ״ (דברים כב:ג); ״הָאֹבֶדֶת לֹא בִקַּשְׁתֶּם״ (יחזקאל לד:ד):

like a lost utensil Which is in the process of becoming lost. Any expression of אבדה, loss, does not refer to the owner of the lost article, saying that he lost it, but that the lost article is lost from him, as is stated (in Deut. 22:3): “which will be lost from him”; (in Ezek. 34:4), “the lost one you did not seek.”

י"ד כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֨עְתִּי ׀ דִּבַּ֥ת רַבִּים֮ מָג֪וֹר מִסָּ֫בִ֥יב בְּהִוָּסְדָ֣ם יַ֣חַד עָלַ֑י לָקַ֖חַת נַפְשִׁ֣י זָמָֽמוּ׃

14 I hear the whisperings of many,
intrigue on every side,
as they scheme together against me,
plotting to take my life.

14 For I have heard the whispering of many, Terror on every side; While they took counsel together against me, They devised to take away my life.

דִּבַּת רַבִּים. עֲצַת רַבִּים. דִּבַּת לְשׁוֹן ״דּוֹבֵב שִׂפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִים״ (שיר השירים ז:י) וְכֵן כָּל דִּבָּה שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא פרלר״יץ בְּלַעַ״ז:

the gossip of many Heb. דבת, the counsel of many. דבת is an expression of (Song 7:10): “making the lips of the sleeping speak (דבב).” Likewise, every דבת in Scripture, parledic in Old French, gossip (so Gen. 37:2, Num. 14:36, Ezek. 36:3).

מָגוֹר מִסָּבִיב. שֶׁמְּיָרְאִין וּמְפַחֲדִין אוֹתִי:

terror from all sides that they scare and frighten me.

בְּהִוָּסְדָם. בְּהִתְיַעֲצָם:

when they take counsel Heb. בהוסדם, when they take counsel.

זָמָמוּ. לְשׁוֹן מַחֲשָׁבָה:

they plotted Heb. זממו, an expression of thought.

ט"ו וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ עָלֶ֣יךָ בָטַ֣חְתִּי יְהוָ֑ה אָ֝מַ֗רְתִּי אֱלֹהַ֥י אָֽתָּה׃

15 But I trust in You, O LORD;
I say, “You are my God!”

15 But as for me, I have trusted in Thee, O LORD; I have said: 'Thou art my God.'

ט"ז בְּיָדְךָ֥ עִתֹּתָ֑י הַצִּ֘ילֵ֤נִי מִיַּד־א֝וֹיְבַ֗י וּמֵרֹדְפָֽי׃

16 My fate is in Your hand;
save me from the hand of my enemies and pursuers.

16 My times are in Thy hand; Deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

בְּיָדְךָ עִתּוֹתָי. עִתִּים הָעוֹבְרִים עָלַי, עַל פִּיךָ הֵם וּבִגְזֵרוֹתֶיךָ:

My times are in Your hands The times that pass over me are through Your orders and by Your decrees.

י"ז הָאִ֣ירָה פָ֭נֶיךָ עַל־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ ה֖וֹשִׁיעֵ֣נִי בְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃

17 Show favor to Your servant;
as You are faithful, deliver me.

17 Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; Save me in Thy lovingkindness.

י"ח יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־אֵ֭בוֹשָׁה כִּ֣י קְרָאתִ֑יךָ יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ רְ֝שָׁעִ֗ים יִדְּמ֥וּ לִשְׁאֽוֹל׃

18 O LORD, let me not be disappointed when I call You;
let the wicked be disappointed;
let them be silenced in Sheol;

18 O LORD, let me not be ashamed, for I have called upon Thee; Let the wicked be ashamed, let them be put to silence in the nether-world.

אַל אֵבוֹשָׁה וְגוֹ׳. אַחֲרֵי שֶׁקְּרָאתִיךָ, אֵין נָאֶה שֶׁאֵבוֹשׁ:

let me not be shamed because I called out to You Since I called You, it is not fitting that I should be shamed.

יִדְּמוּ לִשְׁאוֹל. יִשְׁתַּתְּקוּ וְיֵאָלְמוּ לָמוּת:

let them be silenced to the grave Heb. ידמו, let them be silenced and made dumb to die.

י"ט תֵּ֥אָלַ֗מְנָה שִׂפְתֵ֫י שָׁ֥קֶר הַדֹּבְר֖וֹת עַל־צַדִּ֥יק עָתָ֗ק בְּגַאֲוָ֥ה וָבֽוּז׃

19 let lying lips be stilled
that speak haughtily against the righteous
with arrogance and contempt.

19 Let the lying lips be dumb, Which speak arrogantly against the righteous, With pride and contempt.

הַדּוֹבְרוֹת עַל צַדִּיק עָתָק. שֶׁאוֹמְרוֹת לְשָׁאוּל עָלַי: דָּוִד מְבַקֵּשׁ רָעָתְךָ:

that speak against a righteous man falsely That say to Saul concerning me, “David seeks to harm you.”

עָתָק. סָרָה, דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ; כְּמוֹ ״וַיַּעְתֵּק מִשָּׁם״ (בראשית יב:ח). וְדוּנָשׁ פָּתַר אוֹתוֹ לְשׁוֹן דָּבָר גָּדוֹל וְקָשֶׁה, כְּמוֹ ״עָתְקוּ גַם גָּבְרוּ חָיִל״ (איוב כא:ז); ״הוֹן עָתֵק״ (משלי ח:יח); ״וְלִמְכַסֶּה עָתִיק״ (ישעיה כג:יח) (ס״א אינו):

falsely Heb. עתק, untruth, something unfounded, as (Gen. 12:8): “And he moved (ויעתק) from there” [i.e., something removed from the truth]. Dunash (pp. 17f.) however, interpreted it as an expression of a great and strong thing, as (in Job 21:7): “grow strong (עתקו) and powerfully rich”; (Prov. 8:18), “powerful (עתק) wealth”; (Isa. 23:18), “and for stately (עתקו) clothing.”

כ׳ מָ֤ה רַֽב־טוּבְךָ֮ אֲשֶׁר־צָפַ֪נְתָּ לִּֽירֵ֫אֶ֥יךָ פָּ֭עַלְתָּ לַחֹסִ֣ים בָּ֑ךְ נֶ֝֗גֶד בְּנֵ֣י אָדָם׃

20 How abundant is the good
that You have in store for those who fear You,
that You do in the full view of men
for those who take refuge in You.

20 Oh how abundant is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee; Which Thou hast wrought for them that take their refuge in Thee, in the sight of the sons of men!

מָה רַב טוּבְךָ. יָדַעְתִּי לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא יֵשׁ שָׂכָר טוֹב לִירֵאֶיךָ, וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה שֶׁהָרְשָׁעִים מַקִּיפִים אוֹתָם, אֲנִי מִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁתַּסְתִּירֵם בְּסֵתֶר פָּנֶיךָ:

How great is Your goodness I knew that those who fear You have good reward in the world to come, nevertheless, in this world, because the wicked surround them, I pray for them that You hide them in the secrecy of Your countenance.

כ"א תַּסְתִּירֵ֤ם ׀ בְּסֵ֥תֶר פָּנֶיךָ֮ מֵֽרֻכְסֵ֫י אִ֥ישׁ תִּצְפְּנֵ֥ם בְּסֻכָּ֗ה מֵרִ֥יב לְשֹׁנֽוֹת׃

21 You grant them the protection of Your presence
against scheming men;
You shelter them in Your pavilion
from contentious tongues.

21 Thou hidest them in the covert of Thy presence from the plottings of man; Thou concealest them in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

מֵרֻכְסֵי אִישׁ. מֵחֲבוּרֵי רְשָׁעִים הַמִּתְקַשְּׁרִים יַחַד לְהָרַע לָהֶם:

from bands of men Heb. מרכסי, from the groups of wicked men who group together to harm them.

כ"ב בָּר֥וּךְ יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֥י הִפְלִ֘יא חַסְדּ֥וֹ לִ֝֗י בְּעִ֣יר מָצֽוֹר׃

22 Blessed is the LORD,
for He has been wondrously faithful to me,
a veritable bastion.

22 Blessed be the LORD; For He hath shown me His wondrous lovingkindness in an entrenched city.

בְּעִיר מָצוֹר. בִּקְעִילָה, כְּשֶׁאָמַר שָׁאוּל עָלַי ״נִסְגַּר לָבוֹא בְּעִיר דְּלָתַיִם וּבְרִיחַ״ (שמואל א כג:ז):

for He has been wondrously kind to me in a beseiged city In Keilah, when Saul said concerning me (I Sam. 23:7): “for he has been shut in by coming into a city with doors and bars.”

כ"ג וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ אָ֘מַ֤רְתִּי בְחָפְזִ֗י נִגְרַזְתִּי֮ מִנֶּ֪גֶד עֵ֫ינֶ֥יךָ אָכֵ֗ן שָׁ֭מַעְתָּ ק֥וֹל תַּחֲנוּנַ֗י בְּשַׁוְּעִ֥י אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

23 Alarmed, I had thought,
“I am thrust out of Your sight”;
yet You listened to my plea for mercy
when I cried out to You.

23 As for me, I said in my haste: 'I am cut off from before Thine eyes'; Nevertheless Thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto Thee.

וַאֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי בְחָפְזִי. כְּשֶׁיָּצָאתִי מִקְּעִילָה וּבָאתִי אֶל מִדְבַּר מָעוֹן, וְהָיִיתִי נֶחְפָּז לָלֶכֶת מִפְּנֵי שָׁאוּל כִּי הִשִּׂיגַנִי, וְשָׁאוּל וַאֲנָשָׁיו עוֹטְרִים אֵלַי וְאֶל אֲנָשַׁי לְתָפְשָׂם (שמואל א כג:כו):

But I said in my haste When I left Keilah and came to the desert of Maon, I was hastening to leave because Saul and his men were surrounding me and my men, to seize us.

אָמַרְתִּי. בְּלִבִּי:

I said in my heart.

נִגְרַזְתִּי. נִכְרַתְּתִי, לְשׁוֹן גַּרְזֶן הַכּוֹרֵת אֶת הָעֵץ. עַל שֵׁם גְּזִירָתוֹ נִקְרָא גַּרְזֶן. כָּךְ פֵּרֵשׁ דּוּנַשׁ. וּמְנַחֵם חִבְּרוֹ כְּמוֹ ״נִגְרַשְׁתִּי״ (יונה ב:ה), וְאֵין לוֹ דִּמְיוֹן בַּתּוֹרָה (ס״א אינו):

I have been cut off Heb. נגרזתי, I have been cut off, an expression of an ax (גרזן) which cuts the tree. Because of its cutting (גרזתו), it is called גרזן, an ax. This is how Dunash explained it (p. 57). (Menachem, however, defined it like נגרשתי, I have driven out, but it has no parallel in the Torah. (p. 59).

כ"ד אֶֽהֱב֥וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֗ה כָּֽל־חֲסִ֫ידָ֥יו אֱ֭מוּנִים נֹצֵ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה וּמְשַׁלֵּ֥ם עַל־יֶ֝֗תֶר עֹשֵׂ֥ה גַאֲוָֽה׃

24 So love the LORD, all you faithful;
the LORD guards the loyal,
and more than requites
him who acts arrogantly.

24 O love the LORD, all ye His godly ones; The LORD preserveth the faithful, And plentifully repayeth him that acteth haughtily.

אֱמוּנִים נֹצֵר ה׳. שׁוֹמֵר ה׳ אֶת הַמַּאֲמִינִים בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ וְסוֹמְכִים עָלָיו:

The Lord guards those who believe in His salvation and rely on Him.

עַל יֶתֶר. מִדָּה בְּמִדָּה, מְכֻוֶּנֶת כְּחֵץ עַל יֶתֶר הַקֶּשֶׁת. אוֹ יֵשׁ לִפְתּוֹר עַל יֶתֶר – חֶבֶל כְּנֶגֶד חֶבֶל, קַו כְּנֶגֶד קַו. לָשׁוֹן אַחֵר: יֶתֶר הוּא לְשׁוֹן גַּאֲוָה, כְּמוֹ ״יִתְרָה עָשָׂה״ (ישעיהו טו:ז), פֵּרוּשׁ וּמְשַׁלֵּם עַל יֶתֶר – בְּגַאֲוָה לְעוֹשֵׂי גַאֲוָה (ס״א אינו):

with a bowstring Heb. יתר (with measure for measure and with exactitude, like an arrow on a bowstring. Not in all editions.) Or, יתר can be interpreted as a rope for a rope, a line for a line. Another interpretation: יתר is an expression of haughtiness, as (in Isa. 15:7): “Because of the haughtiness (יתרה) with which they acted.”

כ"ה חִ֭זְקוּ וְיַאֲמֵ֣ץ לְבַבְכֶ֑ם כָּל־הַ֝מְיַחֲלִ֗ים לַיהוָֽה׃

25 Be strong and of good courage,
all you who wait for the LORD.

25 Be strong, and let your heart take courage, All ye that wait for the LORD.

חִזְקוּ וְיַאֲמֵץ לְבַבְכֶם. כְּמוֹ שֶׁרְאִיתֶם שֶׁעָשָׂה לִי לְהוֹשִׁיעֵנִי, שֶׁהוֹחַלְתִּי לוֹ:

Strengthen yourselves, and He will give your heart courage as you see that He did for me, to save me because I hoped for Him.

Psalms · Chapter 31

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