שִׁירָא דְאִתְאֲמַר עַל מַסוּקִין דִתְהוֹמָא עַל יַד שְׁלֹמֹה אִין מֵימְרָא דַייָ לָא יִבְנֵי קַרְתָּא מַגָן לָעָן אַרְדִיכְלוֹי בֵּיהּ אִין מֵימְרָא דַייָ לָא נְטַר קַרְתָּא דִירוּשְׁלֵם מַגָן אִתְּעַר נָטֵיר.
1. A song of ascents | שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת – Regarding the meaning of this title, see the note on Tehillim 120:1.
2. Of Shelomo | לִשְׁלֹמֹה – This heading might mean either that Shelomo composed the psalm (the commentary attributed to Rashbam) or that it was composed in his honor or about him (R. Saadia, Ibn Ezra, and others). As such, the commentary attributed to Rashbam suggests that Shelomo wrote it when the nation ascended to Jerusalem after the Temple was built, while Ibn Ezra posits that David wrote it after he was denied permission to build the Mikdash but was told that his son would merit to do so.
3. a house | בַיִת – The verse can refer to the need for Hashem's support in building and maintaining any house, but many commentators assume the psalmist is speaking of the Temple in particular. Radak suggests that David alludes to his own desire to build the Mikdash which ran counter to Hashem's will and was therefore not actualized, while the commentary attributed to Rashbam suggests that Shelomo admonishes the people not to pride themselves on the Temple's construction for it was only possible with Hashem's aid. Cf. Radak (at the end of his comments to the chapter) that the word "בית" might instead refer to a dynasty (as per usage of the noun in Divrei HaYamim I 17:10), with the psalmist emphasizing how the stability of one's reign is dependent on God.