א׳
לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ אַל־תַּ֭שְׁחֵת לְדָוִ֣ד מִכְתָּ֑ם בְּבָרְח֥וֹ מִפְּנֵי־שָׁ֝א֗וּל בַּמְּעָרָֽה׃
1
For the leader; al tashḥeth. Of David. A michtam; when he fled from Saul into a cave.
1
For the Leader; Al-tashheth. [A Psalm] of David; Michtam; when he fled from Saul, in the cave.
לַמְנַצֵּחַ אַל תַּשְׁחֵת. כָּךְ כִּנָּה דָּוִד הַמִּזְמוֹר הַזֶּה בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁהָיָה קָרוֹב לָמוּת, וְיִסֵּד מִזְמוֹר זֶה לֵאמֹר: אַל תַּשְׁחֵת אוֹתִי ה׳:
For the conductor, al tashcheth David called this psalm by this name because he was near death, and he established this psalm, saying, “Do not destroy me, O Lord.”
ב׳
חָנֵּ֤נִי אֱלֹהִ֨ים ׀ חָנֵּ֗נִי כִּ֥י בְךָ֮ חָסָ֪יָה נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י וּבְצֵֽל־כְּנָפֶ֥יךָ אֶחְסֶ֑ה עַ֝֗ד יַעֲבֹ֥ר הַוּֽוֹת׃
2
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,
for I seek refuge in You,
I seek refuge in the shadow of Your wings,
until danger passes.
2
Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me, for in Thee hath my soul taken refuge; yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I take refuge, until calamities be overpast.
חָנֵּנִי, חָנֵּנִי. חָנֵּנִי שֶׁלֹּא אֶהֱרֹג וְשֶׁלֹּא אֵהָרֵג (שמואל א כד:יא):
Be gracious to me, etc., be gracious to me that I should neither kill nor be killed.
עַד יַעֲבֹר הַוּוֹת. עַד תַּעֲבֹר הָרָעָה:
until the destruction passes Heb. הוות, until the evil passes.
ג׳
אֶ֭קְרָא לֵֽאלֹהִ֣ים עֶלְי֑וֹן לָ֝אֵ֗ל גֹּמֵ֥ר עָלָֽי׃
3
I call to God Most High,
to God who is good to me.
3
I will cry unto God Most high; unto God that accomplisheth it for me.
ד׳
יִשְׁלַ֤ח מִשָּׁמַ֨יִם ׀ וְֽיוֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי חֵרֵ֣ף שֹׁאֲפִ֣י סֶ֑לָה יִשְׁלַ֥ח אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים חַסְדּ֥וֹ וַאֲמִתּֽוֹ׃
4
He will reach down from heaven and deliver me:
God will send down His steadfast love;
my persecutor reviles. Selah.
4
He will send from heaven, and save me, when he that would swallow me up taunteth, Selah; God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.
חֵרֵף שֹׁאֲפִי. וְיוֹשִׁיעֵנִי מֵחֶרְפַּת שֹׁאֲפִי הָאוֹמֵר לְבָלְעֵנִי. שֹׁאֲפִי גּוֹלוֹשְׁנְטְמוֹ״י בְּלַעַ״ז:
from the disgrace of him who yearns to swallow me up And He will save me from the disgrace of ֹשֹאַפִי, who says to swallow me up, golosa moy in Old French, longs to swallow me up. (See above 56: 2.)
ה׳
נַפְשִׁ֤י ׀ בְּת֥וֹךְ לְבָאִם֮ אֶשְׁכְּבָ֪ה לֹ֫הֲטִ֥ים בְּֽנֵי־אָדָ֗ם שִׁ֭נֵּיהֶם חֲנִ֣ית וְחִצִּ֑ים וּ֝לְשׁוֹנָ֗ם חֶ֣רֶב חַדָּֽה׃
5
As for me, I lie down among man-eating lions
whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongue is a sharp sword.
5
My soul is among lions, I do lie down among them that are aflame; Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, And their tongue a sharp sword.
נַפְשִׁי בְּתוֹךְ לְבָאִם. אַבְנֵר וְעַמָשָׂא, שֶׁהָיוּ לְבָאִים בַּתּוֹרָה וְאֵינָם מוֹחִים בְּשָׁאוּל:
My soul is among lions Abner and Amassa, who were “lions” [leaders] the in Torah, and who do not protest against Saul.
אֶשְׁכְּבָה לוֹהֲטִים. אֶשְׁכְּבָה בְּלוֹהֲטִים, אַנְפַנְבְּלוֹיְיאַנְ״ץ בְּלַעַ״ז, בֵּין הַזִּיפִים שֶׁלּוֹהֲטִים אַחַר לָשׁוֹן הָרָע (שמואל א כג:יט-כ):
I lie among men who are aflame En flanboyanz, or enflamoyonz, among those who are flaming. Among the Ziphim, who are aflame after slander.
ו׳
ר֣וּמָה עַל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם אֱלֹהִ֑ים עַ֖ל כָּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃
6
Exalt Yourself over the heavens, O God,
let Your glory be over all the earth!
6
Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; Thy glory be above all the earth.
רוּמָה עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם. הִסְתַּלֵּק מִן הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, שֶׁאֵינָם כְּדַי שֶׁתִּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָתְךָ בֵּינֵיהֶם, וְעַל הָאָרֶץ תִּתְכַּבֵּד בָּזוֹ:
Be exalted above the heavens Withdraw from the earthlings, who are unworthy of having Your Shechinah rest among them, and on the earth You shall be honored by this.
ז׳
רֶ֤שֶׁת ׀ הֵכִ֣ינוּ לִפְעָמַי֮ כָּפַ֪ף נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י כָּר֣וּ לְפָנַ֣י שִׁיחָ֑ה נָפְל֖וּ בְתוֹכָ֣הּ סֶֽלָה׃
7
They prepared a net for my feet to ensnare me;
they dug a pit for me,
but they fell into it. Selah.
7
They have prepared a net for my steps, My soul is bowed down; They have digged a pit before me, They are fallen into the midst thereof themselves. Selah
כָּפַף נַפְשִׁי. הָאוֹיֵב:
he bent down my soul i.e., the enemy.
נָפְלוּ בְתוֹכָהּ. סוֹפָן לִיפּוֹל בְּתוֹכָהּ. כָּפַף קְלִינָ״א בְּלַעַ״ז, לְשׁוֹן ״וְזוֹקֵף לְכָל הַכְּפוּפִים״ (תהלים קמה:יד):
they will fall into it They will ultimately fall into it. כפף is cline, or clina in Old French, bent, bent down, an expression of (below 145:14): “and straightens all who are bent down (הכפופים).”
ח׳
נָ֘כ֤וֹן לִבִּ֣י אֱ֭לֹהִים נָכ֣וֹן לִבִּ֑י אָ֝שִׁ֗ירָה וַאֲזַמֵּֽרָה׃
8
My heart is firm, O God;
my heart is firm;
I will sing, I will chant a hymn.
8
My heart is stedfast, O God, my heart is stedfast; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises.
נָכוֹן לִבִּי אֱלֹהִים נָכוֹן לִבִּי. נֶאֱמָן עִמְּךָ בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין וְנֶאֱמָן עִמְּךָ בְּמִדַּת הָרַחֲמִים (ירושלמי ברכות ט,ה):
My heart is steadfast with God, my heart is steadfast Faithful to You in the Divine standard of justice and faithful to You in the Divine standard of mercy.
ט׳
ע֤וּרָה כְבוֹדִ֗י ע֭וּרָֽה הַנֵּ֥בֶל וְכִנּ֗וֹר אָעִ֥ירָה שָּֽׁחַר׃
9
Awake, O my soul!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will wake the dawn.
9
Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp; I will awake the dawn.
עוּרָה כְבוֹדִי. וְלֹא אִישַׁן עַד שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁעוֹת בִּכְבוֹדִי כִּשְׁאָר מְלָכִים (משנה ברכות א:ב):
Awaken, my honor and let me not sleep until three hours [of the day have passed], as other kings do.
עוּרָה הַנֵּבֶל וְכִנּוֹר. הָעִירָה אוֹתִי אַתָּה, הַנֵּבֶל וְכִנּוֹר הַתָּלוּי עַל מִטָּתִי, פָּתוּחַ לְצַד הַצָּפוֹן; וְכֵיוָן שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ חֲצוֹת לַיְלָה, רוּחַ צְפוֹנִית מְנַשֶּׁבֶת בּוֹ, וְדָוִד עוֹמֵד וְעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה (ברכות ג:):
awaken [me], lyre and harp Awaken me, you lyre and harp hanging on my bed, open to the north side. And as soon as midnight arrived, the north wind would blow on it, and David would get up and engage in Torah.
אָעִירָה שָּׁחַר. אֲנִי מְעוֹרֵר אֶת הַשַּׁחַר, וְאֵין הַשַּׁחַר מְעוֹרְרֵנִי (ברכות ג:):
I will awaken the dawn I awaken the dawn; the dawn does not awaken me.
י׳
אוֹדְךָ֖ בָעַמִּ֥ים ׀ אֲדֹנָ֑י אֲ֝זַמֶּרְךָ֗ בַּל־אֻמִּֽים׃
10
I will praise You among the peoples, O Lord;
I will sing a hymn to You among the nations;
10
I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations.
י"א
כִּֽי־גָדֹ֣ל עַד־שָׁמַ֣יִם חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וְֽעַד־שְׁחָקִ֥ים אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃
11
for Your faithfulness is as high as heaven;
Your steadfastness reaches to the sky.
11
For Thy mercy is great unto the heavens, And Thy truth unto the skies.
י"ב
ר֣וּמָה עַל־שָׁמַ֣יִם אֱלֹהִ֑ים עַ֖ל כָּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃
12
Exalt Yourself over the heavens, O God,
let Your glory be over all the earth!
12
Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; Thy glory be above all the earth.