א׳
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־הַגִּתִּ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃
1
For the leader; on the gittith. A psalm of David.
1
For the Leader; upon the Gittith. A Psalm of David.
הַגִּתִּית. כְּלִי זֶמֶר שֶׁבָּא מִגַּת, שָׁם מְצוּיִים אוּמָּנִים לַעֲשׂוֹתָם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (בראשית רבה טז,ד): עַל אֱדוֹם שֶׁעֲתִידָה לִידָּרֵךְ כְּגַת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״פּוּרָה דָּרַכְתִּי לְבַדִּי״ (ישעיה סג:ג); אַךְ עִנְיַן הַמִּזְמוֹר אֵינוֹ מוֹכִיחַ:
the gittith A musical instrument that came from Gath, where craftsmen were found to make it (Machbereth Menachem p. 60). But our Sages said (Mid. Ps. 8:1): Concerning a nation [Edom] that is destined to be trodden like a winepress, as it is written (in Isaiah 63:3): “A winepress I trod alone.” However, the contents of the psalm do not indicate it.
ב׳
יְהוָ֤ה אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ מָֽה־אַדִּ֣יר שִׁ֭מְךָ בְּכָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּנָ֥ה ה֝וֹדְךָ֗ עַל־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃
2
O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name throughout the earth,
You who have covered the heavens with Your splendor!
2
O LORD, our Lord, How glorious is Thy name in all the earth! Whose majesty is rehearsed above the heavens.
מָה אַדִּיר שִׁמְךָ. יוֹתֵר מִכְּדֵי כֹּחַ מִדַּת הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים, לֹא הָיוּ הַתַּחְתּוֹנִים כְּדַאי שֶׁתִּשְׁרֶה שְׁכִינָתְךָ בֵּינֵיהֶם:
how mighty is Your name more than the strength of the measure of the earthlings. The earthlings did not deserve that You should cause Your Shechinah to rest among them.
אֲשֶׁר תְּנָה הוֹדְךָ עַל הַשָּׁמָיִם. רָאוּי שֶׁתִּתְּנֵהוּ עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאַתָּה בַּעֲנָוָתְךָ הַגְּדוֹלָה יִסַּדְתָּ עֹז וְגוֹמֵר:
for which You should bestow Your majesty upon the heavens It is fitting that You bestow it upon the heavens. But You, with Your great humility...
ג׳
מִפִּ֤י עֽוֹלְלִ֨ים ׀ וְֽיֹנְקִים֮ יִסַּ֪דְתָּ֫ עֹ֥ז לְמַ֥עַן צוֹרְרֶ֑יךָ לְהַשְׁבִּ֥ית א֝וֹיֵ֗ב וּמִתְנַקֵּֽם׃
3
From the mouths of infants and sucklings
You have founded strength on account of Your foes,
to put an end to enemy and avenger.
3
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou founded strength, Because of Thine adversaries; That Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
יִסַּדְתָּ עֹז מִפִּי עוֹלְלִים וְיוֹנְקִים. הִשְׁרֵיתָ שְׁכִינָתְךָ בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, וְתִקַּנְתָּ לְהוֹדוֹת לְךָ עֹז מִפִּי הַלְוִיִּם וְהַכֹּהֲנִים, שֶׁהֵם בְּנֵי אָדָם גְּדֵלִים בְּלִכְלוּךְ, כְּעוֹלְלִים וְיוֹנְקֵי שָׁדַיִם. עוֹלְלִים לְשׁוֹן ״וְעוֹלַלְתִּי בֶעָפָר קַרְנִי״ (איוב טז:טו), וְעַל שֵׁם הַלִּכְלוּךְ נִקְרְאוּ כָּל תִּינוֹקוֹת עוֹלְלִים:
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have established strength You caused Your Shechinah to rest in the Temple, and You decreed that we thank You. This is strength [that emerges] from the mouth of the Levites and the priests, who are people raised in filth like babes and sucklings. [The word] עוללים is an expression of (Job 16:15) “and sullied my radiance in the dust,” and because of the filth, all infants are called עוללים.
לְמַעַן צוֹרְרֶיךָ. לְהוֹדִיעָם כִּי עַמְּךָ אֲנַחְנוּ:
because of Your adversaries To inform them that we are Your people.
לְהַשְׁבִּית. חֶרְפַּת אוֹיֵב וּמִתְנַקֵּם, הָאוֹמֵר: לֹא טוֹבִים אַתֶּם מֵהָאֻמּוֹת. וַאֲנִי, כְּשֶׁאֲנִי רוֹאֶה שָׁמֶיךָ וְגוֹמֵר, אֲנִי תָּמֵהַּ בְּלִבִּי: מָה אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ:
to put an end to the disgrace of the enemy and avenger, who says, “You are no better than the other nations.” But I, when I see Your heavens, etc.,... I wonder in my heart, what is man that You should remember him?
ד׳
כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶ֣ה שָׁ֭מֶיךָ מַעֲשֵׂ֣י אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ יָרֵ֥חַ וְ֝כוֹכָבִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כּוֹנָֽנְתָּה׃
4
When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
the moon and stars that You set in place,
4
When I behold Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, The moon and the stars, which Thou hast established;
ה׳
מָֽה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־תִזְכְּרֶ֑נּוּ וּבֶן־אָ֝דָ֗ם כִּ֣י תִפְקְדֶֽנּוּ׃
5
what is man that You have been mindful of him,
mortal man that You have taken note of him,
5
What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou thinkest of him?
ו׳
וַתְּחַסְּרֵ֣הוּ מְּ֭עַט מֵאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְכָב֖וֹד וְהָדָ֣ר תְּעַטְּרֵֽהוּ׃
6
that You have made him little less than divine,
and adorned him with glory and majesty;
6
Yet Thou hast made him but little lower than the angels, And hast crowned him with glory and honour.
וַתְּחַסְּרֵהוּ מְעַט מֵאֱלֹהִים וְגוֹמֵר. מֵאֱלֹהִים לְשׁוֹן מַלְאָכִים, שֶׁנָּתַתָּ כֹּחַ בִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ לְהַדְמִים הַחַמָּה וּלְיַבֵּשׁ אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן, בְּמֹשֶׁה לִקְרֹעַ מֵי יַם סוּף וְלַעֲלוֹת לַמָּרוֹם, וּבְאֵלִיָּהוּ לְהַחֲיוֹת אֶת הַמֵּת:
Yet You have made him slightly less than the angels, etc. Heb. מאלהים, which is an expression of angels, for You gave power to Joshua to still the sun and to dry up the Jordan, and to Moses to split the waters of the Sea of Reeds and to ascend to the heavens, and to Elijah to resurrect the dead.
ז׳
תַּ֭מְשִׁילֵהוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣י יָדֶ֑יךָ כֹּ֝ל שַׁ֣תָּה תַֽחַת־רַגְלָֽיו׃
7
You have made him master over Your handiwork,
laying the world at his feet,
7
Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under His feet:
ח׳
צֹנֶ֣ה וַאֲלָפִ֣ים כֻּלָּ֑ם וְ֝גַ֗ם בַּהֲמ֥וֹת שָׂדָֽי׃
8
sheep and oxen, all of them,
and wild beasts, too;
8
Sheep and oxen, all of them, Yea, and the beasts of the field;
צֹנֶה וַאֲלָפִים. צֹאן וּבָקָר, כְּמוֹ (דברים ז:יג) ״שְׁגַר אֲלָפֶיךָ״. צֹנֶה לְשׁוֹן פְּעֻלָּה הוּא, כְּמוֹ ״וּגְדֵרֹת לְצֹנַאֲכֶם״ (במדבר לב:כד), אוביילדי״ץ בְּלַעַ״ז. יֵשׁ מִדְרְשֵׁי אַגָּדָה וְאֵינָם מִתְיַשְּׁבִין לְפִי הַמִּקְרָאוֹת:
Flocks and cattle Heb. צנה ואלפים [equivalent to] צאן ובקר, like (Deut. 7:13), “the young of your cattle (אלפך).” צנה is an expression of industry, as (in Num. 32:24), “and enclosures for your flocks (לצנאכם)”; oveyledic in Old French, enclosures to pen the small livestock. There are many Aggadic midrashim, but they do not fit the verses.
ט׳
צִפּ֣וֹר שָׁ֭מַיִם וּדְגֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם עֹ֝בֵ֗ר אָרְח֥וֹת יַמִּֽים׃
9
the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea,
whatever travels the paths of the seas.
9
The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea; Whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
י׳
יְהוָ֥ה אֲדֹנֵ֑ינוּ מָֽה־אַדִּ֥יר שִׁ֝מְךָ֗ בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
10
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name throughout the earth!
10
O LORD, our Lord, How glorious is Thy name in all the earth!