א׳
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינֹ֑ת מִזְמ֖וֹר לְאָסָ֣ף שִֽׁיר׃
1
For the leader; with instrumental music.
A psalm of Asaph, a song.
1
For the Leader; with string-music. A Psalm of Asaph, a Song.
ב׳
נוֹדָ֣ע בִּֽיהוּדָ֣ה אֱלֹהִ֑ים בְּ֝יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל גָּד֥וֹל שְׁמֽוֹ׃
2
God has made Himself known in Judah,
His name is great in Israel;
2
In Judah is God known; His name is great in Israel.
ג׳
וַיְהִ֣י בְשָׁלֵ֣ם סֻכּ֑וֹ וּמְע֖וֹנָת֣וֹ בְצִיּֽוֹן׃
3
Salem became His abode;
Zion, His den.
3
In Salem also is set His tabernacle, And His dwelling-place in Zion.
ד׳
שָׁ֭מָּה שִׁבַּ֣ר רִשְׁפֵי־קָ֑שֶׁת מָגֵ֬ן וְחֶ֖רֶב וּמִלְחָמָ֣ה סֶֽלָה׃
4
There He broke the fiery arrows of the bow,
the shield and the sword of war. Selah.
4
There He broke the fiery shafts of the bow; The shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah
שָׁמָּה שִׁבַּר רִשְׁפֵי קָשֶׁת. שֶׁל סַנְחֵרִיב וְאוּכְלוּסָיו (מלכים ב יט:לה):
There He broke the arrows of the bow of Sennacherib and his hosts.
רִשְׁפֵי קָשֶׁת. אֵין רִשְׁפֵי קֶשֶׁת לְשׁוֹן ״רִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ״ (שיר השירים ח:ו) שֶׁאֵין לְשׁוֹן רִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ נוֹפְלִים בְּקֶשֶׁת, וְזֶה רָפֵי וְרִשְׁפֵּי אֵשׁ דָּגוּשׁ. וְרִשְׁפֵי קֶשֶׁת לְשׁוֹן ״וּלְחוּמֵי רֶשֶׁף״ (דברים לב:כד) דִּמְתַרְגְּמִינָן ״עוֹף״, ״וּבְנֵי רֶשֶׁף יַגְבִּיהוּ עוּף״ (איוב ה:ז). וְכֵן ״וּמִקְנֵיהֶם לָרְשָׁפִים״ (תהלים עח:מח) לְצִפֳּרִים, וְכֵן וּבְנֵי רֶשֶׁף בְּנֵי עֲפִיפָה הֵם שֵׁדִים יַגְבִּיהוּ לָעוּף. אַף זֶה לְשׁוֹן חִצִּים הַמְעוֹפְפִים כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וּמֵחֵץ יָעוּף יוֹמָם״ (תהלים צא:ה), שָׁמָּה שִׁבַּר רִשְׁפֵי קָשֶׁת חִצִּים שֶׁהַקֶּשֶׁת מְעוֹפֵף. וְכָל הַמִּזְמוֹר הַזֶּה מְדַבֵּר בְּמַפֶּלֶת סַנְחֵרִיב שֶׁלֹּא מָצִינוּ אוֹיֵב נוֹפֵל בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם אֶלָּא הוּא:
the arrows of the bow Heb. רשפי. רִשְׁפֵי is not an expression of sparks of fire, because sparks of fire are not appropriate to a bow. Moreover, this word has no “dagesh,” yet רִשְׁפֵּי does have a “dagesh.” Rather, רִשְׁפֵי is an expression of (Deut. 32:24): “fought by demons (רשף),” which is translated as עוֹף, flying creatures, as (Job 5:7): “but flying creatures fly (רשף) upward.” Similarly (below 78:48): “and their cattle to the flying creatures (לרשפים). to the birds. Similarly, בְּנֵי רֶשֶׁף are flying creatures, demons, who fly upward. This one too is an expression of arrows, which fly, as the matter that is stated (below 91:5): “from an arrow that flies by day.” There He broke the arrows (רִשְׁפֵי) of the bow, the arrows that the bow lets fly, and this entire psalm speaks of the downfall of Sennacherib, for we find no enemy falling in Jerusalem but he.
ה׳
נָ֭אוֹר אַתָּ֥ה אַדִּ֗יר מֵֽהַרְרֵי־טָֽרֶף׃
5
You were resplendent,
glorious, on the mountains of prey.
5
Glorious art Thou and excellent, coming down from the mountains of prey.
נָאוֹר אַתָּה אַדִּיר. לְשׁוֹן ״נִאֵר מִקְדָּשׁוֹ״ (איכה ב:ז), ״נֵאַרְתָּ בְרִית עַבְדֶּךָ״ (תהלים פט:מ) – מְנָאֵר אֶת אוֹיְבֶיךָ וְקָמֶיךָ וּמְטַאטְאָן מִן הָעוֹלָם. נָאוֹר עַל שֵׁם מַעֲשָׂיו נִקְרָא, כְּמוֹ ״חַנּוּן״ (שמות כב:כו), וְ״רַחוּם״ (תהלים קיא:ד), וְ״קַנּוֹא״ (יהושע כד:יט) – עַל שֵׁם שֶׁהוּא חוֹנֵן, שֶׁהוּא מְרַחֵם, שֶׁהוּא מְקַנֵּא:
You are destructive; mightier Heb. נאור, an expression of (Lam. 2:7): “He destroyed His Sanctuary”; (below 89:40), “You abolished the covenant of Your servant.” You destroy Your enemies and those who rise up against You and sweep them from the world. Because of His deeds, He is called נאור, destructive, like חנוּן, gracious; רחום, merciful; קנוא jealous, because He grants, because He pities, because He acts with zeal.
אַדִּיר מֵהַרְרֵי טָרֶף. חָזָק מֵעֲנָקִים טוֹרְפִים הַגְּבוֹהִים כְּהָרִים, וּלְנֶגְדְּךָ אֵין גְּבוּרָתָם נוֹדַעַת:
mightier than the mountains of prey Stronger than the predatory giants, who are as tall as mountains, but against You, their might is not known.
ו׳
אֶשְׁתּוֹלְל֨וּ ׀ אַבִּ֣ירֵי לֵ֭ב נָמ֣וּ שְׁנָתָ֑ם וְלֹא־מָצְא֖וּ כָל־אַנְשֵׁי־חַ֣יִל יְדֵיהֶֽם׃
6
The stout-hearted were despoiled;
they were in a stupor;
the bravest of men could not lift a hand.
6
The stout-hearted are bereft of sense, they sleep their sleep; And none of the men of might have found their hands.
אֶשְׁתּוֹלְלוּ. כְּמוֹ הִשְׁתּוֹלְלוּ; כְּמוֹ ״וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן אֶתְחַבַּר אֲחַזְיָה וְגוֹ׳״ (דברי הימים ב כ:לה) – כְּמוֹ הִתְחַבֵּר. וְנִגְזַר אֶשְׁתּוֹלְלוּ מִגִּזְרַת ״מוֹלִיךְ יוֹעֲצִים שׁוֹלָל״ (איוב יב:יז), וְהוּא לְשׁוֹן מִשְׁגֶּה וְ״שָׁלוּ״ (דניאל ג:כט), כְּשׁוֹטִים שׁוֹגִים; וְהַתָּי״ו נוֹפֶלֶת בִּלְשׁוֹן הַמִּתְפַּעֵל בְּאֶמְצַע הַתֵּיבָה, בְּכָל תֵּיבָה שֶׁתְּחִלָּתָהּ שִׁי״ן:
became mad Heb. אשתוללו, like השתוללוּ. As (II Chron. 20:35): “And afterwards, Jehoshaphat the king of Judah joined (אתחבר) Ahaziah the king of Israel,” like התחבר. [The word] אשתוללוּ is derived from (Job 12:17): “He leads counselors away with madness (שולל).” It is an expression of error and tranquility, as madmen err, and the “tav” falls into the middle of the word in the reflexive, as in every word beginning with “shin.”
נָמוּ שְׁנָתָם. נִרְדְּמוּ בְּשֵׁינָה, לְשׁוֹן ״תְּנוּמָה״ (תהלים קלב:ד):
slumbered in their sleep They Heb. נמו. They fell into a deep sleep, an expression of תנוּמה slumber.
וְלֹא מָצְאוּ יְדֵיהֶם. וְכֹחָם, כְּשֶׁבָּאתָ לִפָּרַע מֵהֶם:
and none...found their hands and their strength when You came to punish them.
ז׳
מִ֭גַּעֲרָ֣תְךָ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֑ב נִ֝רְדָּ֗ם וְרֶ֣כֶב וָסֽוּס׃
7
At Your blast, O God of Jacob,
horse and chariot lay stunned.
7
At Thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, They are cast into a dead sleep, the riders also and the horses.
נִרְדָּם וְרֶכֶב וָסוּס. וָי״ו שֶׁל וְרֶכֶב טְפֵלָה הִיא, כְּמוֹ ״אֵלֶּה בְנֵי צִבְעוֹן וְאַיָּה וַעֲנָה״ (בראשית לו:כד) – וָי״ו שֶׁל וְאַיָּה טְפֵלָה הִיא:
chariot and horse were stunned Heb. ורכב וסוס. The “vav” of ורכב is superfluous, as (Gen. 36: 24): “These are the sons of Ziv’on: Ayyah (ואיה) and Anah.” The “vav” of ואיה is superfluous.
ח׳
אַתָּ֤ה ׀ נ֥וֹרָא אַ֗תָּה וּמִֽי־יַעֲמֹ֥ד לְפָנֶ֗יךָ מֵאָ֥ז אַפֶּֽךָ׃
8
O You! You are awesome!
Who can withstand You
when You are enraged?
8
Thou, even Thou, art terrible; And who may stand in Thy sight when once Thou art angry?
מֵאָז אַפֶּךָ. מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁאַתָּה כּוֹעֵס:
once You are angry From the time You became angry.
ט׳
מִ֭שָּׁמַיִם הִשְׁמַ֣עְתָּ דִּ֑ין אֶ֖רֶץ יָֽרְאָ֣ה וְשָׁקָֽטָה׃
9
In heaven You pronounced sentence;
the earth was numbed with fright
9
Thou didst cause sentence to be heard from heaven; The earth feared, and was still,
מִשָּׁמַיִם הִשְׁמַעְתָּ דִּין. כְּשֶׁנִּתְנַבֵּא יְשַׁעְיָה עַל פּוּרְעָנוּתוֹ שֶׁל סַנְחֵרִיב, וְנִתְקַיֵּם בּוֹ: אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁיָּרְאָה מִמֶּנּוּ וּמֵאוּכְלוּסָיו, אָז שָׁקָטָה:
From heaven, You let judgment be heard When Isaiah prophesied concerning the retribution of Sennacherib and it was fulfilled in him, then Eretz Israel, which feared him and his hosts, became calm.
י׳
בְּקוּם־לַמִּשְׁפָּ֥ט אֱלֹהִ֑ים לְהוֹשִׁ֖יעַ כָּל־עַנְוֵי־אֶ֣רֶץ סֶֽלָה׃
10
as God rose to execute judgment,
to deliver all the lowly of the earth. Selah.
10
When God arose to judgment, To save all the humble of the earth. Selah
בְּקוּם לַמִּשְׁפָּט אֱלֹהִים. לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט מֵאוֹיְבָיו, לְהוֹשִׁיעַ חִזְקִיָּהוּ וְסִיעָתוֹ:
When God rises for judgment to execute judgment upon His enemies, to save Hezekiah and his company.
י"א
כִּֽי־חֲמַ֣ת אָדָ֣ם תּוֹדֶ֑ךָּ שְׁאֵרִ֖ית חֵמֹ֣ת תַּחְגֹּֽר׃
11
The fiercest of men shall acknowledge You,
when You gird on the last bit of fury.
11
Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee; The residue of wrath shalt Thou gird upon Thee.
כִּי חֲמַת אָדָם תּוֹדֶךָּ. כַּעֲסָן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים גּוֹרֵם שֶׁהַבְּרִיּוֹת מוֹדִים לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כְּשֶׁהֵם מַרְאִין כַּעֲסָם וְהַקָּבָּ״ה נִפְרָע מֵהֶם הַכֹּל מְקַלְּסִין לְפָנָיו, וְאַף הֵם עַצְמָם מְקַלְּסִין לְפָנָיו כְּשֶׁרוֹאִין שֶׁאֵין כַּעֲסָן כְּלוּם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בִּנְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר כְּשֶׁהִשְׁלִיךְ חֲנַנְיָה מִישָׁאֵל וַעֲזַרְיָה לְכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ מַה נֶּאֱמַר שָׁם ״יְהֵא שְׁמֵיהּ דֶּאֱלָהָא מְבָרַךְ וְגוֹ׳״ (דניאל ג:כח). וְעַל יְדֵי כֵן שְׁאֵרִית הַחֵמֹת תַּחְגֹּר תְּעַכֵּב וְתַחְדֹּל, שְׁאָר הָרְשָׁעִים מְעֻכָּבִים וְנִמְנָעִים מִלְּהַרְאוֹת גַּאֲוָתָם וַחֲמָתָם. תַּחְגֹּר לְשׁוֹן עֲכָבָה בִּלְשׁוֹן מִשְׁנָה (בכורות לז:): פְּגִימַת הַסַּכִּין כְּדֵי שֶׁתַּחְגֹּר בּוֹ הַצִּפֹּרֶן. וְשָׁמַעְתִּי מִשְּׁמוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַגָּאוֹן בַּר׳ יִצְחָק שֶׁהָיָה מֵבִיא הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה עֵדוּת לְאוֹתָהּ מִשְׁנָה. וְיֵשׁ עוֹד לִפְתֹּר חֲגִירָה זוֹ כְּמַשְׁמָעָהּ לְשׁוֹן חֲגוֹרָה, וּפֵרוּשׁוֹ לְךָ נָאֶה לַחֲגֹר חֵמָה וְלַעֲטוֹת קִנְאָה כִּי הַכֹּחַ וְהַיְּכֹלֶת שֶׁלְּךָ, וּלְשׁוֹן שְׁאֵרִית זֶה הוּא מֵאַחַר שֶׁחֲמַת אָדָם אֵינוֹ כְּלוּם נִשְׁאֲרוּ כָּל חֲגוֹרוֹת חֵמָה לְךָ:
For man’s anger will thank you The anger of the wicked results in the creatures thanking the Holy One, blessed be He. When they show their anger and the Holy One, blessed be He, punishes them, everyone praises Him when they see that their anger is of no avail. As we find (Dan. 3:28) concerning Nebuchadnezzar, when he cast Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah into the fiery furnace, what is said there? “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, etc.” And thereby...it will prevent the residue of wrath Heb. תחגר. It will prevent and stop; the remaining wicked men are prevented and restrained from showing their pride and their wrath. תחגר is an expression of restraint in the language of the Mishnah (Chul. 18a): “The nick in a knife must be deep enough to catch (תחגר) the nail to disqualify it from slaughtering].” I heard in the name of Rabbi Eleazar the Gaon, the son of Rabbi Isaac, who brought this verse as testimony to that Mishnah (sic). It is also possible to interpret this according to its usual meaning of an expression of girding, and can be explained as follows: It is fitting for You to gird Yourself with wrath and to enwrap Yourself with zeal, for strength and ability are Yours; the expression of “residue” is that since man’s wrath is of no account, the girding of all wrath is reserved for You.
י"ב
נִֽדֲר֣וּ וְשַׁלְּמוּ֮ לַיהוָ֪ה אֱֽלֹהֵ֫יכֶ֥ם כָּל־סְבִיבָ֑יו יוֹבִ֥ילוּ שַׁ֝֗י לַמּוֹרָֽא׃
12
Make vows and pay them to the LORD your God;
all who are around Him shall bring tribute to the Awesome One.
12
Vow, and pay unto the LORD your God; Let all that are round about Him bring presents unto Him that is to be feared;
נִדְרוּ וְשַׁלְּמוּ. נִדְרֵיכֶם:
Vow and pay your vows.
כָּל סְבִיבָיו. הַשּׁוֹמְעִים תְּשׁוּעָה זוֹ, וְכֵן עָשׂוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיהו יט:יח) ״יִהְיוּ חָמֵשׁ עָרִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מְדַבְּרוֹת שְׂפַת כְּנַעַן וְנִשְׁבָּעוֹת לַה׳ צְבָאוֹת״:
all those around Him who hear of this salvation, and so they did, as it is stated (Isa. 19:18): “there will be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan and swearing to the Lord of Hosts.”
יוֹבִילוּ שַׁי לַמּוֹרָא. לָמָּה? לְפִי שֶׁבְּעֵת חֶפְצוֹ:
will bring a gift to Him Who is to be feared Why? Because at the time of His desire...
י"ג
יִ֭בְצֹר ר֣וּחַ נְגִידִ֑ים נ֝וֹרָ֗א לְמַלְכֵי־אָֽרֶץ׃
13
He curbs the spirit of princes,
inspires awe in the kings of the earth.
13
He minisheth the spirit of princes; He is terrible to the kings of the earth.
יִבְצֹר רוּחַ. גַּסָּה שֶׁל נְדִיבִים, מְמַעֵט גַּאֲוָתָם. יִבְצֹר יְמַעֵט, כְּמוֹ (בראשית יא:ו) ״לֹא יִבָּצֵר מֵהֶם״:
He will cut down the spirit the spirit of haughtiness of the princes and lessen their arrogance. יבצֹר means “He will lessen,” as (Gen. 11:6): “will it not be withheld (יבצר) from them?”