א׳
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ אַל־תַּשְׁחֵ֗ת לְדָוִ֥ד מִכְתָּֽם׃
1
For the leader; al tashḥeth. Of David. A michtam.
1
For the Leader; Al-tashheth. [A Psalm] of David; Michtam.
מִכְתָּם. שֵׁם נְעִימוּת שִׁיר:
michtam The name of the melody of a song.
ב׳
הַֽאֻמְנָ֗ם אֵ֣לֶם צֶ֭דֶק תְּדַבֵּר֑וּן מֵישָׁרִ֥ים תִּ֝שְׁפְּט֗וּ בְּנֵ֣י אָדָֽם׃
2
O mighty ones, do you really decree what is just?
Do you judge mankind with equity?
2
Do ye indeed speak as a righteous company? Do ye judge with equity the sons of men?
הַאֻמְנָם. לְשׁוֹן אֱמוּנָה הוּא:
Is it true Heb. האמנם. This is an expression of truth.
הַאֻמְנָם אֵלֶם צֶדֶק תְּדַבֵּרוּן וְגוֹ׳. מִזְמוֹר זֶה אָמַר עַל שֶׁבָּא אֶל הַמַּעְגָּל אֲשֶׁר שָׁאוּל שׁוֹכֵב שָׁם, וְלָקַח אֶת הַחֲנִית וְאֶת הַצַּפַּחַת וְהָלַךְ לוֹ, וְקָרָא: ״הֲלֹא תַעֲנֶה אַבְנֵר״ (שמואל א כו:יד), כְּלוֹמַר: הֲלֹא יֵשׁ לְךָ עַתָּה לְהוֹכִיחַ לְשָׁאוּל וּלְהַרְאוֹתוֹ, שֶׁעַל חִנָּם הוּא רוֹדְפֵנִי; שֶׁאִלּוּ רָצִיתִי הֲרַגְתִּיו. וְכָךְ אָמַר בְּשִׁירוֹ: הַאֻמְנָם נֶאֱלַם מִפִּיכֶם הַצֶּדֶק שֶׁהָיָה לָכֶם לְדַבֵּר, וְהַמֵּישָׁרִים שֶׁהָיָה לָכֶם לִשְׁפֹּט הַצֶּדֶק אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּרוּן:
Is it true that you were silent about the righteousness that you should have spoken, etc. He recited this psalm concerning [the incident] when he entered the barricade where Saul was lying, took the spear and the jug, went away, and called, “Will you not answer, Abner?” (I Sam. 26:14). That is to say, “Shouldn’t you now prove to Saul and show him that he pursues me for no reason? For had I wished, I would have killed him.” And so did he say in his song: Is it true that the righteousness that you should have said and the equities with which you should have judged have been silenced from your mouth? The righteousness that you should have spoken.
ג׳
אַף־בְּלֵב֮ עוֹלֹ֪ת תִּפְעָ֫ל֥וּן בָּאָ֡רֶץ חֲמַ֥ס יְ֝דֵיכֶ֗ם תְּפַלֵּֽסֽוּן׃
3
In your minds you devise wrongdoing in the land;
with your hands you deal out lawlessness.
3
Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; Ye weigh out in the earth the violence of your hands.
אַף בְּלֵב עוֹלוֹת תִּפְעָלוּן. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא שֶׁבִּלְבַבְכֶם אַתֶּם חוֹרְשִׁים רָעָה לִפְעוֹל עָוֶל:
Even in your heart, you plot injustice And not only that, but in your heart you plot evil, to do injustice.
עוֹלוֹת. כְּמוֹ עֲוָלוֹת, כַּאֲשֶׁר יֵאָמֵר מִן שׁוֹר – שְׁוָרִים, וּמֵעִיר – עֲיָרִים: ״וּשְׁלֹשִׁים עֲיָרִים לָהֶם״ (שופטים י:ד), שֶׁהֵם לְשׁוֹן עִיר וְקִרְיָה:
injustice lit. wrongs, like עַוָלוֹת as one says from שוֹר, שורים, and from עיר, עירים (Jud. 10: 4): “and they had thirty cities (עירים),” which is an expression of עיר, a city.
בָּאָרֶץ חֲמַס יְדֵיכֶם תְּפַלֵּסוּן. בְּתוֹךְ הָאָרֶץ אַתֶּם מַכְרִיעִים חֲמַס יְדֵיכֶם, עַד שֶׁהוּא שׁוֹקֵל מִשְׁקָל רַב. תְּפַלֵּסוּן קוֹנְטֶרְפֵּיי״שׁץ בְּלַעַ״ז:
in the earth, you weigh down the violence of your hands Inside the earth, you weigh down the violence of your hands until it is very heavy. תְפַלֵּסוּן is contrepesez or contrepezeres in Old French, you outweigh. (See Isa. 26:7.)
ד׳
זֹ֣רוּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים מֵרָ֑חֶם תָּע֥וּ מִ֝בֶּ֗טֶן דֹּבְרֵ֥י כָזָֽב׃
4
The wicked are defiant from birth;
the liars go astray from the womb.
4
The wicked are estranged from the womb; The speakers of lies go astray as soon as they are born.
זֹרוּ רְשָׁעִים מֵרָחֶם. מִמְּעֵי אִמָּם הֵם נַעֲשִׂים זָרִים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה עֵשָׂו: ״וַיִּתְרוֹצְצוּ הַבָּנִים בְּקִרְבָּהּ״ (בראשית כה:כב):
The wicked become estranged [even] from the womb From their mother’s womb they become strange to the Holy One, blessed be He, in the way that Esau did (Gen. 25:22): “And the children moved violently against each other in her womb.”
זֹרוּ. נָזוֹרוּ, כְּמוֹ ״שֹׁמּוּ שָׁמַיִם״ (ירמיהו ב:יב), ״וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ וָרֹבּוּ״ (בראשית מט:כג), ״רֹמּוּ מְעָט״ (איוב כד:כד), כֻּלָּן לְשׁוֹן נִפְעֲלוּ:
become estranged Heb. זֹרו, like נזורוּ, the same construction as (Jer. 2:12): “O heavens (שֹֹֹמו), be astonished”; (Gen. 49:23), “they heaped bitter abuse upon him and became [his] opponents (ורֹבו)”; (Job 24:24), “They are taken away (רוֹמוּ) in a second.” All these are in the passive voice.
ה׳
חֲמַת־לָ֗מוֹ כִּדְמ֥וּת חֲמַת־נָחָ֑שׁ כְּמוֹ־פֶ֥תֶן חֵ֝רֵ֗שׁ יַאְטֵ֥ם אָזְנֽוֹ׃
5
Their venom is like that of a snake,
a deaf viper that stops its ears
5
Their venom is like the venom of a serpent; They are like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ear;
חֲמַת לָמוֹ. אֶרֶס יֵשׁ לָהֶם לַהֲרוֹג אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת כִּדְמוּת הַנָּחָשׁ:
They have venom They have venom to kill people, like the venom of a serpent.
כְּמוֹ פֶתֶן חֵרֵשׁ יַאְטֵם אָזְנוֹ. הַנָּחָשׁ, כְּשֶׁהוּא מַזְקִין, נַעֲשֶׂה חֵרֵשׁ בְּאָזְנוֹ אַחַת וְאוֹטֵם הַשֵּׁנִית בֶּעָפָר, שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע אֶת הַלַּחַשׁ, כְּשֶׁחַבָּר מַשְׁבִּיעוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַזִּיק:
like a deaf cobra that closes its ear When the snake ages, it becomes deaf in one ear, and closes the other ear with dust so that it should not hear the incantation of the charmer, adjuring it not to cause injury.
ו׳
אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־יִ֭שְׁמַע לְק֣וֹל מְלַחֲשִׁ֑ים חוֹבֵ֖ר חֲבָרִ֣ים מְחֻכָּֽם׃
6
so as not to hear the voice of charmers
or the expert mutterer of spells.
6
Which hearkeneth not to the voice of charmers, Or of the most cunning binder of spells.
אֲשֶׁר לֹא יִשְׁמַע וְגוֹ׳. מְחֻבָּר לַמִּקְרָא שֶׁלְּפָנָיו, וְאוֹטֵם אָזְנוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע לְקוֹל מְלַחֲשִׁים:
Which will not hear, etc. This is connected to the preceding verse: “and it closes its ear in order not to hear the voice of charmers.”
חוֹבֵר חֲבָרִים. שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ לִלְחוֹשׁ אֶת הַנְּחָשִׁים (שבת קנג:):
caster of spells who knows how to charm snakes.
ז׳
אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים הֲרָס־שִׁנֵּ֥ימוֹ בְּפִ֑ימוֹ מַלְתְּע֥וֹת כְּ֝פִירִ֗ים נְתֹ֣ץ ׀ יְהוָֽה׃
7
O God, smash their teeth in their mouth;
shatter the fangs of lions, O LORD;
7
Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth; Break out the cheek-teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
מַלְתְּעוֹת. שִׁנַּיִם הַפְּנִימִיּוֹת, שֶׁקּוֹרִין מייש״ליש בְּלַעַ״ז:
molars The inner teeth, called messelers in Old French, molars, grinders.
ח׳
יִמָּאֲס֣וּ כְמוֹ־מַ֭יִם יִתְהַלְּכוּ־לָ֑מוֹ יִדְרֹ֥ךְ חצו [חִ֝צָּ֗יו] כְּמ֣וֹ יִתְמֹלָֽלוּ׃
8
let them melt, let them vanish like water;
let Him aim His arrows that they be cut down;
8
Let them melt away as water that runneth apace; When he aimeth his arrows, let them be as though they were cut off.
יִמָּאֲסוּ. לְעַצְמָם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ נִמְאָסִים בְּעֵינֵיהֶם מִדְּאָגָה, וּכְמוֹ בַמַּיִם יִתְהַלָּכוּ. דּוּגְמָתוֹ (יחזקאל כא:יב) ״כָּל בִּרְכַּיִם תֵּלַכְנָה מַּיִם״ מִדְּמָעוֹת (ס״א אינו):
Let them be rejected by themselves, that they will be rejected in their own eyes from worry, and as [if] in water let them walk. Similar to this is (Ezek. 7:17): “and all knees will go [as in] water,” from tears.
יִדְרֹךְ חִצָּו. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְנֶגְדָּם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְמוֹלְלוּ. יִתְמוֹלְלוּ שיאנ״ט פרוייאיי״ץ בְּלַעַ״ז:
He will aim His arrows i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He, so that they will be cut off. יתמֹללוּ is soyent preciz, let them be cut off.
ט׳
כְּמ֣וֹ שַׁ֭בְּלוּל תֶּ֣מֶס יַהֲלֹ֑ךְ נֵ֥פֶל אֵ֝֗שֶׁת בַּל־חָ֥זוּ שָֽׁמֶשׁ׃
9
like a snail that melts away as it moves;
like a woman’s stillbirth, may they never see the sun!
9
Let them be as a snail which melteth and passeth away; Like the untimely births of a woman, that have not seen the sun.
שַׁבְּלוּל. יֵשׁ פּוֹתְרִין לימצ״א בְּלַעַ״ז, וְיֵשׁ פּוֹתְרִין כְּמוֹ ״שִׁבֹּלֶת מַיִם״ (תהלים סט:ג), וְכָפַל הַלָּמֶ״ד כְּמוֹ מִן ״יִמַּל קְצִירוֹ״ (איוב יח:טז), ״יְמוֹלֵל״ (תהלים צ:ו):
a snail Heb. שבלול. Some interpret it as limace in Old French, a snail (as in Lev. 11:30). Others interpret it as שבֹּלת, a current of water (below 69:16). The “lammed” is doubled, as from (Job 18: 16): “his branch will be cut off (ימל) ; (below 90:6), “will be cut off (ימולל) and will dry up.”
תֶּמֶס. נָמֵס וְהוֹלֵךְ, תֶּמֶס שֵׁם דָּבָר הוּא, הַמֵּ״ם יְסוֹד וְעִקָּר הוּא, וְהַתָּי״ו בּוֹ יְסוֹד נוֹפֵל, כְּמוֹ תָּי״ו שֶׁל ״תֶּבֶל עָשׂוּ״ (ויקרא כ:יב):
melts it continuously melts. תֶּמֶס is a noun, the “mem” being the fundamental radical and the “tav” a defective radical, like the “tav” of (Lev. 20:12): “they committed a disgraceful act (תבל).”
נֵפֶל אֵשֶׁת. טַלְפָּ״א בְּלַעַ״ז, שֶׁאֵין לָהּ עֵינַיִם, וְהִיא ״תִּנְשֶׁמֶת״ (ויקרא יא:ל) דִּמְתַרְגְּמִינָן ״אֲשׁוּתָא״, כָּךְ פֵּרְשׁוּהוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (מועד קטן ו:). וְיֵשׁ פּוֹתְרִין: נֵפֶל שֶׁל אִשָּׁה. כְּמוֹ ״אֵשֶׁת הַזִּמָּה״ (יחזקאל כג:מד), וְיֵשׁ תָּי״ו בְּלֹא דְבֵקוּת כְּמוֹ ״עֲטֶרֶת תִּפְאֶרֶת תְּמַגְּנֶךָּ״ (משלי ד:ט), כְּמוֹ נֵפֶל שֶׁל אִשָּׁה שֶׁלֹּא חָזוּ הַנְּפָלִים שֶׁמֶשׁ. וְלַלָּשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן הֲוֵי נֵפֶל וְאֵשֶׁת כְּמוֹ ״וַאֲנִי כְּכֶבֶשׂ אַלּוּף״ (ירמיה יא:יט) שֶׁהוּא כְּמוֹ כֶּבֶשׂ וְאַלּוּף, וּפֵירֵשׁ מְנַחֵם כְּכֶבֶשׂ וְאַלּוּף הוּא שׁוֹר, אַף כָּאן נֵפֶל וְאֵשֶׁת (צִוָּה לְהַגִּיהַּ ס״א אינו):
a mole Heb. נפל אשת, talpe in Old French, which has no eyes. It is identified as תִּנְשֶׁמֶת (in Lev. 11:30), translated [by Onkelos] as אשותא. So did our Sages explain it (M.K. 6b). Others explain it as a stillbirth of a woman. אשת is like (Ezek. 23:44): “women of (אשת) lewdness.” There is a “tav” without the construct state, as (Prov. 4:9): “she will transmit to you, a crown of glory (עטרת תפארת),” like “a stillbirth of a woman (אשה),” for the stillbirths born did not see the sun. According to the former explanation, it is like נפל ואשת, a stillbirth and a mole, as (Jer. 11:19): “And I was like a lamb a bull (ככבש אלוף),” which Menachem explained: like a lamb and a bull (ככבש ואלוף). That is, a bull; here too, a stillbirth and a mole נפל ואשת. It is proper to emend.
י׳
בְּטֶ֤רֶם יָבִ֣ינוּ סִּֽירֹתֵיכֶ֣ם אָטָ֑ד כְּמוֹ־חַ֥י כְּמוֹ־חָ֝ר֗וֹן יִשְׂעָרֶֽנּוּ׃
10
Before the thorns grow into a bramble,
may He whirl them away alive in fury.
10
Before your pots can feel the thorns, He will sweep it away with a whirlwind, the raw and the burning alike.
בְּטֶרֶם יָבִינוּ סִירוֹתֵיכֶם אָטָד. אֲשֶׁר בְּטֶרֶם יֵדְעוּ קוֹצִים רַכִּים שֶׁלָּכֶם לִהְיוֹת אֲטָדִים קָשִׁים, כְּלוֹמַר: עַד שֶׁלֹּא יִגְדְּלוּ בְּנֵי הָרְשָׁעִים:
Before your tender briars develop into hardened thorns lit. before your tender briars know hardened thorns. That before your tender briars know to be hardened thorns, i.e., before the children of the wicked grow up.
כְּמוֹ חַי כְּמוֹ חָרוֹן. כְּלוֹמַר: בִּגְבוּרָה וּבְחֹזֶק וּבְחָרוֹן יִסְעָרֵם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:
with vigor, with wrath i.e., with might, with strength, and with wrath will the Holy One, blessed be He, drive them away as [with] a storm wind.
חַי. לְשׁוֹן גְּבוּרָה:
with vigor חי is an expression of might.
י"א
יִשְׂמַ֣ח צַ֭דִּיק כִּי־חָזָ֣ה נָקָ֑ם פְּעָמָ֥יו יִ֝רְחַ֗ץ בְּדַ֣ם הָרָשָֽׁע׃
11
The righteous man will rejoice when he sees revenge;
he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked.
11
The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; He shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
י"ב
וְיֹאמַ֣ר אָ֭דָם אַךְ־פְּרִ֣י לַצַּדִּ֑יק אַ֥ךְ יֵשׁ־אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים שֹׁפְטִ֥ים בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
12
Men will say,
“There is, then, a reward for the righteous;
there is, indeed, divine justice on earth.”
12
And men shall say: 'Verily there is a reward for the righteous; Verily there is a God that judgeth in the earth.'
וְיֹאמַר אָדָם אַךְ פְּרִי לַצַּדִּיק. וְאָז יֹאמְרוּ הַבְּרִיּוֹת: וַדַּאי יֵשׁ פֵּרוֹת וְתַשְׁלוּם שָׂכָר בְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַצַּדִּיקִים, שֶׁנָּקַם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נִקְמָתָם:
And man will say, “Truly, the righteous man has reward” Then people will say, “Surely there is reward and recompense in the deeds of the righteous, since the Holy One, blessed be He, avenged their wrongs.”
יֵשׁ אֱלֹהִים. דַּיָּן, שׁוֹפֵט רְשָׁעִים בָּאָרֶץ:
there is a God A Judge, Who judges the wicked on the earth.