א׳
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־מָחֲלַ֗ת מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִֽד׃
1
For the leader; on mahalath. A maskil of David.
1
For the Leader; upon Mahalath. Maschil of David.
עַל מָחֲלַת. שֵׁם כְּלִי שִׁיר. דָּבָר אַחֵר: עַל מַחֲלָתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּשֶׁיַּחֲרִיב הַבַּיִת. וּכְבָר אָמַר מִזְמוֹר אַחֵר דּוּגְמַת זֶה ״אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ אֵין אֱלֹהִים וְגוֹ׳״ (תהלים יד:א), הָאֶחָד עַל חֻרְבַּן בַּיִת רִאשׁוֹן, וְזֶה עַל בַּיִת שֵׁנִי:
on machalath The name of a musical instrument. Another explanation: concerning the malady (מחלתן) of Israel when the Temple will be destroyed. He already recited another psalm resembling this one (above 14): “The fool said in his heart, ‘there is no God, etc.’ “, One relates to the destruction of the First Temple and this one, to the Second Temple.
ב׳
אָ֘מַ֤ר נָבָ֣ל בְּ֭לִבּוֹ אֵ֣ין אֱלֹהִ֑ים הִֽ֝שְׁחִ֗יתוּ וְהִֽתְעִ֥יבוּ עָ֝֗וֶל אֵ֣ין עֹֽשֵׂה־טֽוֹב׃
2
The benighted man thinks,
“God does not care.”
Man’s wrongdoing is corrupt and loathsome;
no one does good.
2
The fool hath said in his heart: 'There is no God'; They have dealt corruptly, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none that doeth good.
אָמַר נָבָל בְּלִבּוֹ. זֶה עַל טִיטוּס, כְּשֶׁגִּדֵּר אֶת הַפָּרֹכֶת וְחַרְבּוֹ מְטַפְטֵף דָּם. אָמַר: הָרַג אֶת עַצְמוֹ (גיטין נו:):
The fool said in his heart This is Titus; when he cut into the curtain and his sword was dripping with blood, he said that he had killed [God] Himself.
ג׳
אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים מִשָּׁמַיִם֮ הִשְׁקִ֪יף עַֽל־בְּנֵ֫י אָדָ֥ם לִ֭רְאוֹת הֲיֵ֣שׁ מַשְׂכִּ֑יל דֹּ֝רֵ֗שׁ אֶת־אֱלֹהִֽים׃
3
God looks down from heaven on mankind
to find a man of understanding,
a man mindful of God.
3
God looked forth from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there were any man of understanding, that did seek after God.
ד׳
כֻּלּ֥וֹ סָג֮ יַחְדָּ֪ו נֶ֫אֱלָ֥חוּ אֵ֤ין עֹֽשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב אֵ֝֗ין גַּם־אֶחָֽד׃
4
Everyone is dross,
altogether foul;
there is none who does good,
not even one.
4
Every one of them is unclean, they are together become impure; There is none that doeth good, no, not one.
כֻּלּוֹ סָג. לְשׁוֹן ״סִיגִים״ (יחזקאל כב:יח):
dross Heb. סג, an expression of סיגים, dross.
אֵין גַּם אֶחָד. מִכָּל חֵילָיו שֶׁיִּמְחֶה בְּיָדוֹ:
not even one of all his armies will protest against his deeds.
ה׳
הֲלֹ֥א יָדְעוּ֮ פֹּ֤עֲלֵ֫י אָ֥וֶן אֹכְלֵ֣י עַ֭מִּי אָ֣כְלוּ לֶ֑חֶם אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים לֹ֣א קָרָֽאוּ׃
5
Are they so witless, those evildoers,
who devour my people as they devour food,
and do not invoke God?
5
’Shall not the workers of iniquity know it, Who eat up My people as they eat bread, And call not upon God?'
הֲלֹא. יֵשׁ לֵידַע לְאוֹכְלֵי עַמִּי כְּמַאֲכַל לֶחֶם וֵאלֹהִים לֹא קָרָאוּ, שֶׁסּוֹפָם שֶׁיִּפְחֲדוּ שָׁם פַּחַד בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים:
Did not Should not those who devour My people like a meal of bread, and who did not call upon the Lord, know that ultimately they will experience there a great fear at the end of days?
ו׳
שָׁ֤ם ׀ פָּֽחֲדוּ־פַחַד֮ לֹא־הָ֪יָה֫ פָ֥חַד כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֗ים פִּ֭זַּר עַצְמ֣וֹת חֹנָ֑ךְ הֱ֝בִשֹׁ֗תָה כִּֽי־אֱלֹהִ֥ים מְאָסָֽם׃
6
There they will be seized with fright
—never was there such a fright—
for God has scattered the bones of your besiegers;
you have put them to shame,
for God has rejected them.
6
There are they in great fear, where no fear was; For God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee; Thou hast put them to shame, because God hath rejected them.
לֹא הָיָה פַחַד. זֶה כַּפַּחַד הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁאֵרַע לְבֵלְשַׁצַּר, כִּי בַּגְּאֻלָּה זוֹ פִּזַּר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַצְמוֹת חוֹנָךְ הַחוֹנִים עָלַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הָמֵק בְּשָׂרוֹ וְגוֹ׳״ (זכריה יד:יב). וְכֵן פְּתָרוֹ מְנַחֵם, וְדוּנַשׁ פָּתַר אוֹתוֹ כְּמוֹ ״חֲנֹךְ לַנַּעַר עַל פִּי דַרְכּוֹ״ (משלי כב:ו), וְכָ״ף שֶׁל חוֹנָךְ הִיא יְסוֹד בַּמִּלָּה כְּכָ״ף שֶׁל חֲנוֹךְ (ס״א אינו):
there was never such fear This fear was not like the first fear that came over Belshazzar, for in this redemption the Holy One, blessed be He, scattered the bones of חוֹנָךְ, those who camp around you, Jerusalem, as the matter that is stated (Zech. 14:12): “His flesh will waste away, etc.” Menachem (p. 91) interpreted it that way, but Dunash (pp. 63f.) interpreted it as (Prov. 22:6): “Train (חנך) a child according to his way”; the “chaph” of חוֹנָךְ is a radical as the “chaph” of חֲנֹךְ, train.
הֱבִישׁוֹתָה. אַתָּה ה׳ אֶת כָּל אוֹיְבַי, כִּי מְאַסְתָּם:
You have put them to shame You, O Lord, have put all my enemies to shame, for You have rejected them.
ז׳
מִ֥י יִתֵּ֣ן מִצִּיּוֹן֮ יְשֻׁע֪וֹת יִשְׂרָ֫אֵ֥ל בְּשׁ֣וּב אֱ֭לֹהִים שְׁב֣וּת עַמּ֑וֹ יָגֵ֥ל יַ֝עֲקֹ֗ב יִשְׂמַ֥ח יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
7
O that the deliverance of Israel might come from Zion!
When God restores the fortunes of His people,
Jacob will exult, Israel will rejoice.
7
Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God turneth the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.