Psalms · Chapter 40 — Open Pardes

א׳ לַ֝מְנַצֵּ֗חַ לְדָוִ֥ד מִזְמֽוֹר׃

1 For the leader. A psalm of David.

1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David.

ב׳ קַוֺּ֣ה קִוִּ֣יתִי יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֥ט אֵ֝לַ֗י וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע שַׁוְעָתִֽי׃

2 I put my hope in the LORD;
He inclined toward me,
and heeded my cry.

2 I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

קַוֺּה קִוִּיתִי ה׳. בְּמִצְרַיִם, וּמִזְמוֹר זֶה גַּם הוּא כְּנֶגֶד כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל:

I have greatly hoped for the Lord in Egypt, and this psalm is meant for all Israel.

וַיֵּט אֵלַי. אָזְנוֹ:

and He extended to me His ear.

ג׳ וַיַּעֲלֵ֤נִי ׀ מִבּ֥וֹר שָׁאוֹן֮ מִטִּ֪יט הַיָּ֫וֵ֥ן וַיָּ֖קֶם עַל־סֶ֥לַע רַגְלַ֗י כּוֹנֵ֥ן אֲשֻׁרָֽי׃

3 He lifted me out of the miry pit,
the slimy clay,
and set my feet on a rock,
steadied my legs.

3 He brought me up also out of the tumultuous pit, out of the miry clay; and He set my feet upon a rock, He established my goings.

מִבּוֹר שָׁאוֹן. מֵאֲסִירִים שֶׁל מִצְרַיִם וּמִשָּׁאוֹן הֲמִיַּת יָם:

out of the roaring pit From the imprisonment of Egypt and from the roaring of their tumult.

מִטִּיט הַיָּוֵן. מִן הַיָּם. הַיָּוֵן לְשׁוֹן רֶפֶשׁ, פיינ״ש בְּלַעַ״ז:

from the thick mire From the sea. היון is an expression of mud, fanyas in Old French (fange in modern French), slime.

כּוֹנֵן. הֵכִין אֲשׁוּרַי וּצְעָדַי:

He established Heb. כונן, He prepared my steps.

ד׳ וַיִּתֵּ֬ן בְּפִ֨י ׀ שִׁ֥יר חָדָשׁ֮ תְּהִלָּ֪ה לֵֽאלֹ֫הֵ֥ינוּ יִרְא֣וּ רַבִּ֣ים וְיִירָ֑אוּ וְ֝יִבְטְח֗וּ בַּיהוָֽה׃

4 He put a new song into my mouth,
a hymn to our God.
May many see it and stand in awe,
and trust in the LORD.

4 And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God; many shall see, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

שִׁיר חָדָשׁ. שִׁירַת הַיָּם (שמות טו:א-כו):

a new song The song of the sea.

ה׳ אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי הַגֶּ֗בֶר אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם יְ֭הֹוָה מִבְטַח֑וֹ וְֽלֹא־פָנָ֥ה אֶל־רְ֝הָבִ֗ים וְשָׂטֵ֥י כָזָֽב׃

5 Happy is the man who makes the LORD his trust,
who turns not to the arrogant or to followers of falsehood.

5 Happy is the man that hath made the LORD his trust, and hath not turned unto the arrogant, nor unto such as fall away treacherously.

רְהָבִים. לְשׁוֹן גַּסּוּת, כְּמוֹ ״יִרְהֲבוּ הַנַּעַר״ (ישעיהו ג:ה), ״שֶׁהֵם הִרְהִיבוּנִי״ (שיר השירים ו:ה):

the haughty Heb. רהבים, an expression of haughtiness, as (in Isa. 3:5): “they shall behave haughtily (ירהבו), the youth”; (Song 6:5) “for they have made me haughty (הרהבותי).”

וְשָׂטֵי כָזָב. מְשַּׁטִים מִדֶּרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר אַחֲרֵי הַכָּזָב. שָׂטֵי – אִיטוּרְנָ״אנְץ בְּלַעַ״ז:

and those who turn to falsehood Those who turn from the straight way to follow the falsehood of pagan deities; e tornons in Old French, and those who turn away; in modern French, et se tournant.

ו׳ רַבּ֤וֹת עָשִׂ֨יתָ ׀ אַתָּ֤ה ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהַי֮ נִֽפְלְאֹתֶ֥יךָ וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֶ֗יךָ אֵ֫לֵ֥ינוּ אֵ֤ין ׀ עֲרֹ֬ךְ אֵלֶ֗יךָ אַגִּ֥ידָה וַאֲדַבֵּ֑רָה עָ֝צְמ֗וּ מִסַּפֵּֽר׃

6 You, O LORD my God, have done many things;
the wonders You have devised for us
cannot be set out before You;
I would rehearse the tale of them,
but they are more than can be told.

6 Many things hast Thou done, O LORD my God, even Thy wonderful works, and Thy thoughts toward us; there is none to be compared unto Thee! If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be told.

נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ אֵלֵינוּ. בִּשְׁבִילֵנוּ בָּרָאתָ עוֹלָמְךָ, קָרַעְתָּ לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם וְחָשַׁבְתָּ מֵרָחוֹק לְהֵיטִיב לָנוּ. אִחַרְתָּנוּ בַמִּדְבָּר אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה מִפְּנֵי הָאֱמוֹרִים, שֶׁקִּצְּצוּ אֶת הָאִילָנוֹת וְהֶחֱרִיבוּ אַרְצָם כְּשֶׁשָּׁמְעוּ שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל יוֹצְאִין לָלֶכֶת לָרֶשֶׁת אֶת אַרְצָם (מכילתא בשלח ויהי פתיחתא):

Your wonders and Your thoughts are for us You created Your world for us; You split the sea for us, and You thought for us to benefit us in our end [by keeping us] in the desert for forty years because of the Amorites, who cut down the trees and made their land desolate when they heard that Israel was coming out to go to inherit their land.

אֵין עֲרוֹךְ אֵלֶיךָ. אֵין לְדַמּוֹת לְךָ כָּל שַׂר וּמוֹשִׁיעַ, לְשׁוֹן עֵרֶךְ כְּמוֹ ״כְּעֶרְכְּךָ״ (ויקרא כז:יב), אהפרישי״ר בְּלַעַ״ז:

There is none to equal You We cannot compare any king or savior to You. The expression ערך is like (Lev. 27:12): “valuation (כערכך),” a prizjjr in Old French, to estimate, [a priser, in modern French].

אַגִּידָה וַאֲדַבֵּרָה. אִם בָּאתִי לְהַגִּיד וּלְדַבֵּר, עָצְמוּ מִסַּפֵּר:

were I to tell and speak Were I to come and tell and speak, they would be too many to tell.

ז׳ זֶ֤בַח וּמִנְחָ֨ה ׀ לֹֽא־חָפַ֗צְתָּ אָ֭זְנַיִם כָּרִ֣יתָ לִּ֑י עוֹלָ֥ה וַ֝חֲטָאָ֗ה לֹ֣א שָׁאָֽלְתָּ׃

7 You gave me to understand that
You do not desire sacrifice and meal offering;
You do not ask for burnt offering and sin offering.

7 Sacrifice and meal-offering Thou hast no delight in; mine ears hast Thou opened; burnt-offering and sin-offering hast Thou not required.

זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה לֹא חָפַצְתָּ. בְּיוֹם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וְעַתָּה אִם תִּשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל ה׳ וְגוֹ׳״ (שמות יט:ה), וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר ״כִּי לֹא דִבַּרְתִּי אֶת אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם וְלֹא צִוִּיתִים וְגוֹ׳ עַל דִּבְרֵי עוֹלָה אוֹ זָבַח״ (ירמיהו ז:כב) ״כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם״ אָמַרְתִּי (ויקרא א:ב) וְלֹא הִזְקַקְתִּי חוֹבָה לְהַכְבִּיד עֲלֵיהֶם, תְּמִידִין וּמוּסָפִין אֵינָם אֶלָּא נַחַת רוּחַ שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי וְנַעֲשָׂה רְצוֹנִי וְדָבָר מוּעָט (ס״א אינו):

You desired neither sacrifice nor meal offering on the day of the giving of the Torah, as the matter that is stated (in Exod. 19:5): “And now, if you will earnestly hearken to My voice, etc.,” and likewise (in Jer. 7:22) Scripture states: “For neither did I speak with your forefathers nor did I command them, etc., concerning a burnt offering or a sacrifice.” I said, (Lev. 1:2) “If...from among you,” but I did not require it as an obligation to burden you. The daily sacrifices and the additional sacrifices are only to bring Me pleasure, that I ordained and My will was performed, but it is a small matter.

אָזְנַיִם כָּרִיתָ לִּי. לֵאמֹר ״שִׁמְעוּ בְקוֹלִי״ (ירמיה ז:כג):

You dug ears for me saying, “Hearken to My voice.”

כָּרִיתָ. עֲשִׂיתָם חֲלוּלִים לִשְׁמֹעַ:

You dug You made them hollow [enabling me] to hear.

ח׳ אָ֣ז אָ֭מַרְתִּי הִנֵּה־בָ֑אתִי בִּמְגִלַּת־סֵ֝֗פֶר כָּת֥וּב עָלָֽי׃

8 Then I said,
“See, I will bring a scroll recounting what befell me.”

8 Then said I: 'Lo, I am come with the roll of a book which is prescribed for me;

אָז. בִּשְׁעַת מַתַּן תּוֹרָה אָמַרְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ: הִנֵּה בָאתִי אֵלֶיךָ בִּמְסוֹרֶת בְּרִיתְךָ (יחזקאל כ:לז), ״נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע״ (שמות כד:ז). דָּבָר זוֹ כָּתוּב עֵדוּת עָלַי בִּמְגִלַּת סֵפֶר. בְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה:

Then at the time of the giving of the Torah, behold I came to You to be bound in Your covenant. (Exod. 24:7): “We will do and hear,” and this matter is written as testimony concerning me in the scroll of the book, i.e., in the Law of Moses.

ט׳ לַֽעֲשֽׂוֹת־רְצוֹנְךָ֣ אֱלֹהַ֣י חָפָ֑צְתִּי וְ֝ת֥וֹרָתְךָ֗ בְּת֣וֹךְ מֵעָֽי׃

9 To do what pleases You, my God, is my desire;
Your teaching is in my inmost parts.

9 I delight to do Thy will, O my God; yea, Thy law is in my inmost parts.'

וְתוֹרָתְךָ בְּתוֹךְ מֵעָי. אַף מַאֲכָלִי, עַל פִּי תוֹרָתְךָ הוּא:

and [to have] Your law within my innards Even my food is according to Your law; I ate neither unclean beasts nor untithed produce.

י׳ בִּשַּׂ֤רְתִּי צֶ֨דֶק ׀ בְּקָ֘הָ֤ל רָ֗ב הִנֵּ֣ה שְׂ֭פָתַי לֹ֣א אֶכְלָ֑א יְ֝הוָ֗ה אַתָּ֥ה יָדָֽעְתָּ׃

10 I proclaimed [Your] righteousness in a great congregation;
see, I did not withhold my words;
O LORD, You must know it.

10 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation, Lo, I did not refrain my lips; O LORD, Thou knowest.

בִּשַּׂרְתִּי צֶדֶק. שִׁירָה עַל הַיָּם (שמות טו:א-כ), וְשִׁירָה עַל הַבְּאֵר (במדבר כא:יז-כ), שִׁירַת דְּבוֹרָה (שופטים ה):

I brought tidings of righteousness The song by the sea, the song by the well (Num. 21:17-20), and the song of Deborah (Jud. 5).

לֹא אֶכְלָא. לֹא אֶמְנַע, לְשׁוֹן ״וַיִּכָּלֵא הַגֶּשֶׁם״ (בראשית ח:ב):

I will not withhold Heb. אכלא, I will not withhold, an expression of (Gen. 8:2): “And the rain was restrained (ויכלא).”

י"א צִדְקָתְךָ֬ לֹא־כִסִּ֨יתִי ׀ בְּת֬וֹךְ לִבִּ֗י אֱמוּנָתְךָ֣ וּתְשׁוּעָתְךָ֣ אָמָ֑רְתִּי לֹא־כִחַ֥דְתִּי חַסְדְּךָ֥ וַ֝אֲמִתְּךָ֗ לְקָהָ֥ל רָֽב׃

11 I did not keep Your beneficence to myself;
I declared Your faithful deliverance;
I did not fail to speak of Your steadfast love in a great congregation.

11 I have not hid Thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy mercy and Thy truth from the great congregation.

י"ב אַתָּ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה לֹא־תִכְלָ֣א רַחֲמֶ֣יךָ מִמֶּ֑נִּי חַסְדְּךָ֥ וַ֝אֲמִתְּךָ֗ תָּמִ֥יד יִצְּרֽוּנִי׃

12 O LORD, You will not withhold from me Your compassion;
Your steadfast love will protect me always.

12 Thou, O LORD, wilt not withhold Thy compassions from me; let Thy mercy and Thy truth continually preserve me.

לֹא תִכְלָא רַחֲמֶיךָ. לֹא תִמְנַע:

do not withhold Your mercies Heb. לא תכלא, do not withhold.

יִצְּרוּנִי. יִשְׁמְרוּנִי:

watch me Heb. יצרוני, watch me.

י"ג כִּ֤י אָפְפ֥וּ־עָלַ֨י ׀ רָע֡וֹת עַד־אֵ֬ין מִסְפָּ֗ר הִשִּׂיג֣וּנִי עֲ֭וֺנֹתַי וְלֹא־יָכֹ֣לְתִּי לִרְא֑וֹת עָצְמ֥וּ מִשַּֽׂעֲר֥וֹת רֹ֝אשִׁ֗י וְלִבִּ֥י עֲזָבָֽנִי׃

13 For misfortunes without number envelop me;
my iniquities have caught up with me;
I cannot see;
they are more than the hairs of my head;
I am at my wits’ end.

13 For innumerable evils have compassed me about, mine iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart hath failed me.

אָפְפוּ. סָבְבוּ:

have encompassed Heb. אפפו, have surrounded.

י"ד רְצֵ֣ה יְ֭הוָה לְהַצִּילֵ֑נִי יְ֝הוָ֗ה לְעֶזְרָ֥תִי חֽוּשָׁה׃

14 O favor me, LORD, and save me;
O LORD, hasten to my aid.

14 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me.

ט"ו יֵ֘בֹ֤שׁוּ וְיַחְפְּר֨וּ ׀ יַחַד֮ מְבַקְשֵׁ֥י נַפְשִׁ֗י לִסְפּ֫וֹתָ֥הּ יִסֹּ֣גוּ אָ֭חוֹר וְיִכָּלְמ֑וּ חֲ֝פֵצֵ֗י רָעָתִֽי׃

15 Let those who seek to destroy my life
be frustrated and disgraced;
let those who wish me harm
fall back in shame.

15 Let them be ashamed and abashed together that seek after my soul to sweep it away; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion that delight in my hurt.

לִסְפּוֹתָהּ. לְכַלּוֹתָהּ, כְּדִמְתַרְגְּמִינָן (דברים ב:יד) ״עַד תֹּם כָּל הַדּוֹר״ – ״עַד דְּסָף כָּל דָּרָא״:

to destroy it Heb. לספותה, to destroy it, as we translate (in Deut. 2:14): “until the entire generation...had vanished, עד דסף כל-דרא.

ט"ז יָ֭שֹׁמּוּ עַל־עֵ֣קֶב בָּשְׁתָּ֑ם הָאֹמְרִ֥ים לִ֝֗י הֶ֘אָ֥ח ׀ הֶאָֽח׃

16 Let those who say “Aha! Aha!” over me
be desolate because of their frustration.

16 Let them be appalled by reason of their shame that say unto me: 'Aha, aha.'

יָשֹׁמּוּ. יִתְמָהוּ:

may they be bewildered [as translated,] may they be bewildered.

עַל עֵקֶב בָּשְׁתָּם. כְּשֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ בָּשְׁתָּם עַל עֵקֶב, הַכֹּל בְּמִדָּה שֶׁמָּדְדוּ וּבְדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהָלְכוּ לְמוּלִי. עַל עֵקֶב ״וְעִקְּבוֹתֶיךָ לֹא נוֹדָעוּ״ (תהלים עז:כ); ״צְאִי לָךְ בְּעִקְבֵי הַצֹּאן״ (שיר השירים א:ח) – כֻּלָּם לְשׁוֹן מִדְרַךְ כַּף רֶגֶל הֵם, טְרַצִי״שׁ בְּלַעַ״ז. עַל עֵקֶב אַנְצִי״שׁ טְרַצִ״ישׁ:

afterwards because of their shame Heb. על-עקב. When they receive their shame in the wake of everything [they have done], in the measure that they measured out and in the way they walked against Me. עקב is like (below 77: 20): “and your steps (ועקבותיך) were not known”; (Song 1:8), “go your way in the footsteps of (בעקבי) the flocks.” They are all an expression of footsteps, in French traces, footprints on the heel.

הָאוֹמְרִים לִי הֶאָח. הָאוֹמְרִים עָלַי בִּשְׁבִילִי הֶאָח, כְּשֶׁהַצָּרָה בָּאָה מִתְהַלְּלִים בְּאֵידִי. כָּל עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן שֶׁבִּתְהִלִּים אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא כְּנֶגֶד יִשְׂרָאֵל:

those who say about me, “Aha! Aha!” Those who say about me and for me, “Aha!” When trouble comes, they pray for our misfortune.

י"ז יָ֘שִׂ֤ישׂוּ וְיִשְׂמְח֨וּ ׀ בְּךָ֗ כָּֽל־מְבַ֫קְשֶׁ֥יךָ יֹאמְר֣וּ תָ֭מִיד יִגְדַּ֣ל יְהוָ֑ה אֹֽ֝הֲבֵ֗י תְּשׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃

17 But let all who seek You be glad and rejoice in You;
let those who are eager for Your deliverance always say,
“Extolled be the LORD!”

17 Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee; let such as love Thy salvation say continually: 'The LORD be magnified.'

י"ח וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְיוֹן֮ אֲדֹנָ֪י יַחֲשָׁ֫ב לִ֥י עֶזְרָתִ֣י וּמְפַלְטִ֣י אַ֑תָּה אֱ֝לֹהַ֗י אַל־תְּאַחַֽר׃

18 But I am poor and needy;
may the Lord devise [deliverance] for me.
You are my help and my rescuer;
my God, do not delay.

18 But, as for me, that am poor and needy, the Lord will account it unto me; Thou art my help and my deliverer; O my God, tarry not.

יַחֲשָׁב לִי. יִתֵּן לִי לֵב לַחֲשֹׁב עֲנִיּוּתִי וְאֶבְיוֹנוּתִי לְהוֹשִׁיעֵנִי:

poor Every expression of poor and needy in Psalms refers only to Israel.

יַחֲשָׁב לִי. פֶּנְשׁוֹיִי״ט בְּלַעַ״ז:

may...think of me Heb יחשב. May He pay heed to me to think of my poverty and neediness, to save me. Pensa in French, to think.

Psalms · Chapter 40

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