For the Precentor: 'al muth labben: A Psalm of David. – The majority of the interpreters (Rabbi Dunash the Levite and Ibn Ezra) say that David uttered it with reference to one of his enemies who died, one of the princes of the heathen, who oppressed Israel and whose name was Labben; and that when he died David uttered this Psalm. Some also say (Ibn Ezra, ad loc.) that Labben (לבן) is an inversion of Nabal (נבל), and they say that David uttered this Psalm when Nabal the Carmelite died. But this is very far–fetched; for the subject–matter of the Psalm tells of a man who did evil to Israel, while Nabal did no harm to anyone, but simply was avaricious. And some say (ibid.) that לבן is to be read as if written with a yodh (לבין), and then the reference is to Goliath, who is called a champion (הַבֵּנַיִם אִישׁ); and when David had killed him he uttered this Psalm. My revered father, of blessed memory, has (also) written that this Psalm was (originally) uttered with reference to Goliath; but he explained לבן (as referring) to a singer whose name was Ben (בֵּן), as it is written in Chronicles (I Chron. 15:1 8): "and with them their brethren of the second degree, Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel; "and he explained מות על, which is two words [= on the death of], as one word, עלמות, from (the expression) שׁיר עלמות; and similar instances of words divided into two, but with the significance of a single word, are קוח פקח (= release, Is. 61:1), פיה יפה (= very fair, Jer. 46:20), and יונים לגאי (= proud, Ps. 123:4). And although the lamedh of לַבֵּן, is vocalised with the vowel pathah, and this is not in accordance with usage in the case of a man's name – for you do not say ליצחק, לַידותון, because the article is not employed with a proper name – nevertheless the article here is employed to indicate that he speaks with reference to Ben the singer; for if he had said לְבן (pointed) with sheva it would not have been clear that he was speaking of the singer whose name was Ben. At all events, it is admissible to interpret the subject–matter of the Psalm as having reference to Goliath the Philistine.

I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart – for the death of Goliath the Philistine was a great deliverance to David and to Israel; and for this (reason) he says with my whole heart.

I will recount all Thy marvellous works – for, in addition to every individual wonder, a man recounts other wonders which are past; as it says, "He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered" (Ps. 111:4).

I will be glad and exult in Thee – for in Thee I trusted when I came to the fight with him, though I was a youth and he a man of war.

I will sing to Thy Name, Thou Most High – for Thou art exalted above all, and vain is the might of man.

When my enemies turn back, They stumble and perish at Thy presence. – For all the Philistine armies fled and turned back, as it is written (1 Sam. 17:51): "And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead they fled.⁠"

For Thou hast maintained my right and my cause – Thou hast fought for me, for it was a great miracle that the stone reached his forehead, as he was altogether clad in iron; and it found an exposed place in his forehead.

Thou didst take Thy seat in the throne – Thou satest on the throne of judgment, Thou who art

A judge of righteousness, – to exact Thy judgment from him who reviled the armies of the living God. The lamedh of לכסא is used in the place of beth. And so also lamedh is used in the phrase לחרב לפניכם, "(they shall fall) before you by the sword" (Lev. 26:7), where לחרב is equivalent to בחרב; (and again in the verse) "I have slain (a man) by my wounding" (לפצעי, Gen. 4:23).

Thou hast rebuked the nations (גוִֹיִם גערת) – (The expression for) rebuke when used without the preposition beth has the meaning of destruction, as: "Rebuke the wild beast of the reed" (Ps. 68:31); and as, "Behold, I will rebuke the seed for your sake" (Mal. 2:3); and so Thou hast rebuked (the) nations here. And he says, Thou hast rebuked the nations – these being the Philistines.

Thou hast destroyed the wicked (man) – viz. Goliath the Philistine.

Thou hast blotted out their name – speaking of the dead in the war, as it is said (1 Sam. 17:52), "And the despatched of the Philistines fell.⁠"

forever and aye (וָעֶד) – This word (וָעֶד) signifies a longer duration of time than עולם (forever). Unless immediately before the end of a verse, it is pointed with pathah; (and so also) when without (the accent) 'athnah, as (in the passage): "And do not forever (לָעַד) remember iniquity" (Is. 64:8); and (even) with 'athnah, as (in the passage): "Knowest thou this from old time (מִנִּי⁠־עַד)" (Job 20:4); but at the end of a verse (in the form) לעולם ועד, with seghol.

And thou, O Enemy, they have come to an end, they are desolate forever; Even the cities which thou hast overthrown, Their very memorial is perished. – The he (of הָאוֹיֵב) is he of the vocative, as (in the passage), "O assembly (הקהל), one statute for you" (Num. 15:15); and as, "O generation (הדור), see ye the word of the Lord" (Jer. 20:31). And as he said, their name Thou hast blotted out, so here he addresses the enemy: "thy name is blotted out as the name of the cities thou hast devastated is blotted out; or, as they have come to an end forever and their memorial is perished, so has thy memorial perished now.⁠" And my revered father, of blessed memory, expounds: destructions have come to an end, חרבות תמו – i.e. the destructions thou wast making shalt thou cause no more. And the learned Rabbi Abraham ben Ezra, of blessed memory, ex–pounds (ad loc.): because the destructions which thou hast made have come to an end and the cities which thou hast uprooted, their memorial is perished, thou hast thought to escape; and hast forgotten that the Lord sitteth enthroned forever. The explanation (of המה in) המה וזכרם (their very memorial) is, it intensifies the pronominal suffix, for (the sense) would have been represented sufficiently by the mem of זכרם (their memorial). Or its interpretation may be their memorial has perished so (completely) that those who see it shall say: "These surely are not the cities that were built!⁠" And on this interpretation המה will be explained as (to be read) with a mark of interjection.

But the Lord sitteth enthroned forever – These every one may perish; but the Lord sitteth enthroned forever, and judges these every one. And this is what he means when he says:

He hath prepared His throne for judgment, – as it says (Ps. 102:27), "they shall perish, but Thou remainest.⁠" And the significance of sitteth enthroned (יֵשֵׁב) is that of enduring and stability; and so (in the passage) "The Lord sat enthroned at the flood" (Ps. 29:10).

And He shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall minister judgment to the people in equity. – תבל (world) is the inhabited part. He says: As He will judge my cause in righteousness, so He judges the peoples in righteousness and in equity always and at all times; and when one people prevails over another it is (equally) a judgment from Him.

The Lord also will be a high tower for the oppressed, A high tower in times of trouble – On every occasion that He judges the world He is a high tower of refuge for the poor. Although he may be lowly and without power and strength, He dare not leave him to those who are stronger, but is to him a high tower. And the poor has safety in Him as a man finds safety in a strong tower, and as Israel have found safety in Him to–day, and He is to them a strong tower. And a high tower also in times when they are in trouble, for Israel were now in great trouble on account of this Philistine, and Philistines who were making themselves masters over them, as it is said in (the section about) King Saul (1 Sam. 9:16), "because their cry is come unto Me.⁠"

And they will trust in Thee – It is right that they should trust in Thee – viz.

those that know Thy Name – as Israel to–day – for they have seen

That Thou, Lord, didst not forsake them that seek Thee – but that Thou wast with them in the time of their trouble.

Sing praises to the Lord which dwelleth in Sion – He says: which dwelleth in Sion, and (that) in spite of the fact that Sion was still in the hands of the Jebusites, because they had a tradition that the Glory should dwell there and the Sanctuary be built there; and Sion is the principal part (head) of Jerusalem.

Declare among the peoples His doings – In every place whither ye go, tell the doings and the wonders He worked among you.

For He that maketh inquisition for blood remembered them – God, who makes inquisition for the blood of the poor from their oppressors, remembered that blood which the Philistines had shed in Israel.

He did not forget the cry of the meek (ענוים) – The Kethib is written with a yodh (עניים = poor), but the Keri (needs) a waw (ענוים = meek), for the meek are for the most part the poor and helpless.

Have mercy upon me, Lord – (The word חננני is) pointed with pathah under the heth, shewing that it is from the Piel, though undoubted, as (Gen. 42:21): אלינו בהתחננו

See my affliction at the hands of them that hate me – as Thou hast seen (me suffer) from this enemy – namely, Goliath.

Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death – for all were of opinion that I should fall at the hand of Goliath. The (phrase) gates of death means "near to death,⁠" as the gate is to the house.

That I may recount – so that, when I am delivered from those that hate me, I may recount

all Thy praises: in the gates of the daughter of Sion – for there shall be the thanks–giving, and songs and psalms shall be uttered there, for there the Glory shall rest.

I will exult in Thy deliverance – i.e. the deliverance which Thou shalt effect for me from every single enemy I have. And he says in the gates of (in the same sense as in the verse) "to the gate unto the elders" (Deut. 25:7); and the word תְּהִלָּתֶיךָ is written with yodh (in the suffix), for he intends to speak of many praises. It lacks the complete sign of the plural feminine, having the plural masculine suffix termination only. And similar examples are: "I am wearied in the multitude of thy counsels" (עֲצָתָיִךְ, Is. 47:13); "And thy sisters (וַאֲחוֹתַיִךְ, Ezek. 16:55), Sodom and her daughters" (see the interpretation our rabbi (ad loc.) gives). And in that he says here all Thy praises; and in another place (Ps. 106:2) asks, "Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord?⁠" David says, I will shew forth all Thy praises. In spite of all the troubles which came upon him, he gave praise and (made) confession to God, who delivered him from the enemies; but when he comes to narrate the wondrous signs He had given Israel generation after generation, he asks, "Who can make known all His praise?⁠" And so the individual alone is not able to tell the wondrous signs of goodness and mercy which the Holy One – Blessed be He! – worketh for him, as he says (ibid. 40. 6), "If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.⁠" For sometimes God – Blessed be He! – does a wondrous sign for a man who is unaware of it until later when he reflects upon it. And so our rabbis of blessed memory have said (Bavli Niddah 31 a), "Even he to whom the wondrous sign happens does not recognise it.⁠" And when David says all Thy praises, he speaks of the wondrous signs which He had wrought for him which were evident and known to all in the war with the enemies.

The nations are sunk down in the pit that they made – The Philistines who came to fight against us thought to cause us to fall, and they have fallen themselves

In a net which they hid – and in a net which they hid to take us

is their own foot fallen – And the explanation of the particle זוּ is that it is equivalent to אשׁר; and so (in the passage) לו חטאנו זוּ, "He against whom we have sinned" (Is. 42:24); but it is possible to take it in its usual sense as equivalent to זֶה, this (i.e. in this net).

The Lord hath made Himself known – Now the Lord has made Himself known in this war, for Israel had conquered them with but little strength and power, compared with theirs; and they would not have been able to conquer them except the Lord had fought for Israel.

He hath executed judgment – on the Philistines.

The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands – This (wicked one) is Goliath, for with his own sword was he killed. And the word נוֹקֵשׁ (snared) is written (here) with sere equivalent to pathah, and is the niphal form with the same root–meaning as מוֹקְשִׁים, snares. It is possible also to explain the nun as radical, and then it is an intransitive verb, of which the meaning can be exemplified in the verse: "they that seek my life laid snares (וינקשו)" (Ps. 38:13). And נוקשׁ and יקשׁ have the same meaning.

Higgayon. Selah – This deliverance is the subject of our meditation (higgayon) and thanksgiving.

The wicked shall return to Sheol, Even all the nations that forget God. The wicked shall return to the grave. And he says, they shall return just as "and unto dust shalt thou return" (Gen. 3:19). And shall return is used (in the manner of) a prayer, as if saying: Just as all these haters of Israel have died, so let all those perish who forget God. And in the Haggadic interpretation (Bavli Sanhedrin 105a, and Shoher Tod, ad loc.) "to Sheol is Gehinnom. And they say (ibid. with a slight verbal change), Why does he say לשׁאולה, to Sheol? Is not every he at the end of a word equivalent to lamedh at the commencement? Why, then, does he say לשאולה with lamedh? To say that they shall descend to the very heart, or to the lowest degree, of Sheol" (Gen. Rabbah 50 and 68).