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Psalms · Chapter 64

תהלים ס"ד

א׳ לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃

1 For the leader. A psalm of David.

1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David.

ב׳ שְׁמַע־אֱלֹהִ֣ים קוֹלִ֣י בְשִׂיחִ֑י מִפַּ֥חַד א֝וֹיֵ֗ב תִּצֹּ֥ר חַיָּֽי׃

2 Hear my voice, O God, when I plead;
guard my life from the enemy’s terror.

2 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint; preserve my life from the terror of the enemy.

שְׁמַע אֱלֹהִים קוֹלִי בְשִׂיחִי. מִזְמוֹר זֶה דָּרְשׁוּהוּ בַּעֲלֵי אַגָּדַת תְּהִלִּים עַל דָּנִיֵּאל שֶׁהוּשְׁלַךְ לְגוֹב אֲרָיוֹת, וְיָפֶה נוֹפֵל כָּל לְשׁוֹן הַמִּזְמוֹר עַל הָאַגָּדָה. צָפָה דָוִד בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ כָּל הַמְּאוֹרָע לוֹ, וְהִתְפַּלֵּל עָלָיו; שֶׁדָּנִיֵּאל מִזַּרְעוֹ הָיָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְחִזְקִיָּה: ״וּמִבָּנֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר תּוֹלִיד יִקָּחוּ וְהָיוּ סָרִיסִים בְּהֵיכַל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל״ (ישעיהו לט:ז) – אֵלּוּ דָּנִיֵּאל חֲנַנְיָה מִישָׁאֵל וַעֲזַרְיָה:

Hear, O God, my voice in my prayer The authors of Aggadoth Tehllim (Mid. Ps.) interpreted this psalm as referring to Daniel, who was cast into the lions’ den. The language of the psalm fits the Aggadah very well. David foresaw with the holy spirit all that would happen to him [Daniel], and prayed for him, because Daniel was his descendant. As was said to Hezekiah (Isa. 39:7): “And they shall take [some] of your sons, etc., whom you shall beget, and they shall be officers in the palace of the king of Babylon.” These are Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

מִפַּחַד אוֹיֵב. אֵלּוּ הָאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנִים שֶׁנִּתְיַעֲצוּ עָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דניאל ו:ה) ״אֱדַיִן סָרְכַיָּא וַאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנַיָּא הֲווֹ בָעַיִן עִלָּה לְהַשְׁכָּחָה לְדָנִיֵּאל״:

from fear of the enemy These are the satraps, who plotted against him, as it is stated (Dan. 6:5): “Then the viziers and the satraps sought to find a pretext against Daniel.”

ג׳ תַּ֭סְתִּירֵנִי מִסּ֣וֹד מְרֵעִ֑ים מֵ֝רִגְשַׁ֗ת פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃

3 Hide me from a band of evil men,
from a crowd of evildoers,

3 Hide me from the council of evil-doers; from the tumult of the workers of iniquity;

מֵרִגְשַׁת פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן. שֶׁהֵם מִתְרַגְּשִׁים לְבַקֵּשׁ לִי עֲלִילוֹת מָוֶת, כְּדִכְתִיב ״אַרְגִּישׁוּ עַל מַלְכָּא וְגוֹ׳״ (דניאל ו:ז):

from the gathering of workers of iniquity For they gather seeking against him a pretext of death, as it is written (Dan. 6:7): “...assembled about the king, etc.”

ד׳ אֲשֶׁ֤ר שָׁנְנ֣וּ כַחֶ֣רֶב לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם דָּרְכ֥וּ חִ֝צָּ֗ם דָּבָ֥ר מָֽר׃

4 who whet their tongues like swords;
they aim their arrows—cruel words—

4 Who have whet their tongue like a sword, and have aimed their arrow, a poisoned word;

דָּרְכוּ חִצָּם. הוּא לְשׁוֹנָם הָרָע:

who aimed...their arrow That is their slander.

ה׳ לִיר֣וֹת בַּמִּסְתָּרִ֣ים תָּ֑ם פִּתְאֹ֥ם יֹ֝רֻ֗הוּ וְלֹ֣א יִירָֽאוּ׃

5 to shoot from hiding at the blameless man;
they shoot him suddenly and without fear.

5 That they may shoot in secret places at the blameless; suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

לִירוֹת בַּמִּסְתָּרִים תָּם. יוֹרוּהוּ בְּחִצֵּיהֶם:

To shoot at the innocent in secret places They will shoot him with their arrows.

ו׳ יְחַזְּקוּ־לָ֨מוֹ ׀ דָּ֘בָ֤ר רָ֗ע יְֽ֭סַפְּרוּ לִטְמ֣וֹן מוֹקְשִׁ֑ים אָ֝מְר֗וּ מִ֣י יִרְאֶה־לָּֽמוֹ׃

6 They arm themselves with an evil word;
when they speak, it is to conceal traps;
they think, “Who will see them?”

6 They encourage one another in an evil matter; they converse of laying snares secretly; they ask, who would see them.

יְסַפְּרוּ לִטְמוֹן מוֹקְשִׁים. יְדַבְּרוּ אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּעָרְמָה דְּבָרִים טְמוּנִים, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ לֹא הֵבִין לָמָּה הָיוּ עוֹשִׂין כָּךְ. וְהֵם הָיוּ מִתְכַּוְּנִים לִטְמוֹן לְדָנִיֵּאל מוֹקְשִׁים לְהִלָּכֵד בָּהֶם, שֶׁאָמְרוּ לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ: ״אִתְיְעַטוּ כָּל סָרְכֵי מַלְכוּתָא וְגוֹ׳ לְקַיָּמָא קְיָם מַלְכָּא וְגוֹ׳״ (דניאל ו:ח), שֶׁלֹּא יִתְפַּלֵּל שׁוּם אָדָם תְּפִלָּתוֹ לִפְנֵי שׁוּם אֱלוֹהַּ חוּץ מִמְּךָ עַד שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם:

they tell to hide snares They speak cunningly to the king secret words, for even the king did not know why they were doing this. But they intended to hide snares to entrap Daniel, for they said to Darius, “All the viziers of the kingdom, etc., have conferred to establish the king’s law, etc.” [stating] that no one should offer up prayer to any god except you until thirty days [have passed].

ז׳ יַֽחְפְּֽשׂוּ־עוֹלֹ֗ת תַּ֭מְנוּ חֵ֣פֶשׂ מְחֻפָּ֑שׂ וְקֶ֥רֶב אִ֝֗ישׁ וְלֵ֣ב עָמֹֽק׃

7 Let the wrongdoings they have concealed,
each one inside him, his secret thoughts,
be wholly exposed.

7 They search out iniquities, they have accomplished a diligent search; even in the inward thought of every one, and the deep heart.

יְחַפְּשׂוּ עוֹלוֹת. מְבַקְּשִׁים עֲלִילוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״הֲווֹ בָּעַיִן עִלָּה הַשְׁכָּחָה לְדָנִיֵּאל״ (דניאל ו:ה):

They seek pretexts Heb. עולות. They seek pretexts (עלילות), as it is stated (Dan. 6:5): “sought to find a pretext against Daniel.”

תַּמְנוּ. בְּלִבָּם וְלֹא גִלּוּ דַּעְתָּם אֶת חֵפֶשׂ הָעֲלִילָה הַמְחֻפָּשׂ עַל יָדָם, וְקֶרֶב מַחְשְׁבוֹתָם עֹמֶק לִבָּם:

they hid Heb. טמנו. They hid their thoughts in their heart and did not reveal the search for a pretext, which was searched out through them, and the midst of their thoughts and the depth of their heart.

וְקֶרֶב אִישׁ. אִישׁ מֵהֶם: כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד טָמַן מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ:

hidden within man Each man of them. Each one concealed his thought.

ח׳ וַיֹּרֵ֗ם אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים חֵ֥ץ פִּתְא֑וֹם הָ֝י֗וּ מַכּוֹתָֽם׃

8 God shall shoot them with arrows;
they shall be struck down suddenly.

8 But God doth shoot at them with an arrow suddenly; thence are their wounds.

וַיּוֹרֵם אֱלֹהִים. יָרָה אוֹתָם לְגוֹב הָאֲרָיוֹת, כְּדִכְתִיב (דניאל ו:כה): ״וַאֲמַר מַלְכָּא וְהַיְתִיו לְגֻבְרַיָּא אִלֵּךְ דִּי אֲכַלוּ קַרְצוֹהִי דִּי דָנִיֵּאל וּלְגֹב אַרְיָוָתָא רְמוֹ וְגוֹ׳״:

And God cast them down He cast them into the lions’ den, as it is written (Dan. 6:25): “And the king commanded, and they brought these men who had slandered Daniel, and they cast them into the lions’ den, etc.”

ט׳ וַיַּכְשִׁיל֣וּהוּ עָלֵ֣ימוֹ לְשׁוֹנָ֑ם יִ֝תְנֹדֲד֗וּ כָּל־רֹ֥אֵה בָֽם׃

9 Their tongue shall be their downfall;
all who see them shall recoil in horror;

9 So they make their own tongue a stumbling unto themselves; all that see them shake the head.

וַיַּכְשִׁילוּהוּ עָלֵימוֹ לְשׁוֹנָם. הַכִּשָּׁלוֹן שֶׁדִּמּוּ לְהַכְשִׁילוֹ, עָלֵימוֹ נֶהְפַּךְ לְשׁוֹנָם:

That which they hoped would make him stumble, their tongue brought upon them The stumbling they planned to inflict on him, their tongue turned over upon them.

יִתְנֹדְדוּ. בְּרֹאשָׁם, לְהָנִיעַ רֹאשׁ וְלִשְׂחוֹק עֲלֵיהֶם כָּל רֹאֵה בָם:

will shake their heads Heb. יתנודדו, will shake their head; all who see them should nod their head and laugh about them.

י׳ וַיִּֽירְא֗וּ כָּל־אָ֫דָ֥ם וַ֭יַּגִּידוּ פֹּ֥עַל אֱלֹהִ֗ים וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥הוּ הִשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃

10 all men shall stand in awe;
they shall proclaim the work of God
and His deed which they perceived.

10 And all men fear; and they declare the work of God, and understand His doing.

י"א יִשְׂמַ֬ח צַדִּ֣יק בַּ֭יהוָה וְחָ֣סָה ב֑וֹ וְ֝יִתְהַֽלְל֗וּ כָּל־יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃

11 The righteous shall rejoice in the LORD,
and take refuge in Him;
all the upright shall exult.

11 The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and shall take refuge in Him; and all the upright in heart shall glory.

יִשְׂמַח צַדִּיק. דָּנִיֵּאל:

The righteous will rejoice This is Daniel.

וְיִתְהַלְלוּ כָּל יִשְׁרֵי לֵב. יִתְפָּאֲרוּ עַל יֹשֶׁר לִבָּם וְיִשְׁתַּבְּחוּ בְּעַצְמָם, כִּי בְּטוּחִים הֵם שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּעֶזְרָתָם:

and all upright of heart will boast They will boast about the uprightness of their heart, and they will praise themselves because they are confident that the Holy One, blessed be He, will help them.

Psalms · Chapter 64

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