הַלְלוּיָהּ הוֹדוּ לַה' כִּי טוֹב כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ

The psalm begins on a positive note with an expression of gratitude to God: Halleluya. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His kindness is everlasting. This verse is repeated several times throughout the book of Psalms and was apparently a set formulation of praise to God.

מִי יְמַלֵּל גְּבוּרוֹת ה'יַשְׁמִיעַ כָּל תְּהִלָּתוֹ

Who can recount the mighty deeds of the Lord? Who can tell all His praises?

אַשְׁרֵי שֹׁמְרֵי מִשְׁפָּט עֹשֵׂה צְדָקָה בְכָל עֵת

Happy are those who heed the law, who act with righteousness at all times. In a sense, this is a reply to the question posed in the preceding verse. The person who constantly strives to act righteously is the one who deserves to “recount the mighty deeds” and tell all God’s praises.

זָכְרֵנִי ה' בִּרְצוֹן עַמֶּךָ פָּקְדֵנִי בישׁוּעָתֶךָ

The next two verses constitute the only personal note in this psalm: Remember me, Lord, when You favor Your people. When the time comes for You to forgive and look favorably upon Your people, remember to count me among them. Be mindful of me in Your salvation,

לִרְאוֹת בְּטוֹבַת בְּחִירֶיךָ לִשְׂמֹחַ בְּשִׂמְחַת גּוֹיֶךָ לְהִתְהַלֵּל עִם נַחֲלָתֶךָ

so I might see the prosperity of Your chosen ones, rejoice in the joy of Your nation Israel, and glory with Your portion, referring both to the people and to the Land of Israel.

חָטָאנוּ עִם אֲבוֹתֵינוּ הֶעֱוִינוּ הִרְשָׁעְנוּ

The confessional portion of the psalm begins here. It opens with a succinct acknowledgement of guilt before moving to a broader historical perspective: We have sinned like our fathers; we have committed iniquity; we have behaved wickedly.

אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בְמִצְרַיִם לֹא הִשְׂכִּילוּ נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ לֹא זָכְרוּ אֶת רֹב חֲסָדֶיךָ וַיַּמְרוּ עַל יָם בְּיַם סוּף

Our fathers in Egypt did not contemplate Your wonders even as they occurred before their eyes; they did not recall Your abundant acts of kindness. They rebelled by the sea, at the Red Sea, complaining when Pharaoh pursued them to its shores.

וַיּוֹשִׁיעֵם לְמַעַן שְׁמוֹ לְהוֹדִיעַ אֶת גְּבוּרָתוֹ

Nevertheless, He rescued them despite their rebelliousness, for the sake of His name. He saved them not for their own sake, as they were undeserving, but to proclaim His might.

וַיִּגְעַר בְּיַם סוּף וַיֶּחֱרָב וַיּוֹלִיכֵם בַּתְּהֹמוֹת כּמִּדְבָּר

He rebuked the Red Sea and it dried up. The water of the Red Sea withdrew as if shamed by God’s rebuke, leaving dry land in its wake. And He led them through the depths on dry land, as if they were walking through a desert.

וַיּוֹשִׁיעֵם מִיַּד שׂוֹנֵא וַיִּגְאָלֵם מִיַּד אוֹיֵב

He saved them from those who hated them, referring to the pursuing Egyptians, and He redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

וַיְכַסּוּ מַיִם צָרֵיהֶם אֶחָד מֵהֶם לֹא נוֹתָר

Water covered their foes. Beyond preventing the Egyptians from pursuing the Israelites across the sea, the water of the Red Sea drowned them all, so that not even one of them remained.

וַיַּאֲמִינוּ בִדְבָרָיו יָשִׁירוּ תְּהִלָּתוֹ

Then, after the Israelites crossed the sea, they believed in His words; they sang His praise, referring to the Song at the Sea.

מִהֲרוּ שָׁכְחוּ מַעֲשָׂיו וְלֹא חִכּוּ לַעֲצָתוֹ

But this reconciliation did not last long: They quickly forgot His deeds; they did not await His counsel. Whenever the children of Israel encountered any difficulty, they complained immediately, rather than trusting that God, who was leading them through the desert in a miraculous manner, would provide for their needs in due time.

וַיִּתְאַוּוּ תַאֲוָה בַּמִּדְבָּר וַיְנַסּוּ אֵל בִּישִׁימוֹן

Rather, they craved with desire in the desert, yearning for items that they lacked. Worse, they tested the Almighty in the wilderness. On some occasions, even when they lacked nothing they complained, solely to see if God could perform a certain deed, testing His omnipotence. This, too, was considered sinful on their part.

וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם שֶׁאֱלָתָם וַיְשַׁלַּח רָזוֹן בְּנַפְשָׁם

He ultimately gave them their request, sending them quail to eat, but sent leanness into their souls, for this quail led to the deaths of many people.

וַיְקַנְאוּ לְמֹשֶׁה בַּמַּחֲנֶה לְאַהֲרֹן קְדוֹשׁ ה'

In addition to testing God, they became envious of Moses in the camp, speaking ill of him, particularly during the uprising of Korah and his followers, and also speaking ill of Aaron, the Lord’s holy one, questioning his right to the priesthood.

תִּפְתַּח אֶרֶץ וַתִּבְלַע דָּתָן וַתְּכַס עַל עֲדַת אֲבִירָם

The earth opened and swallowed Datan, covering over the assembly of Aviram. These two men were among the main instigators in Korah’s rebellion.

וַתִּבְעַר אֵשׁ בַּעֲדָתָם לֶהָבָה תְּלַהֵט רְשָׁעִים

A fire blazed in their assembly, among those pretenders to the priesthood who had offered incense before the Tabernacle; flames consumed the wicked, referring to the participants in this sin.

יַעֲשׂוּ עֵגֶל בְּחֹרֵב וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְמַסֵּכָה

The psalmist now describes an even more grievous sin committed in the wilderness: They made a calf in Horev, another name for Mount Sinai, bowing down to a molten image,

וַיָּמִירוּ אֶת כְּבוֹדָם בְּתַבְנִית שׁוֹר אֹכֵל עֵשֶׂב

and they exchanged their Glory, the Almighty, for the molded image of a grass-eating bull, the Golden Calf.

שָׁכְחוּ אֵל מוֹשִׁיעָם עֹשֶׂה גְדֹלוֹת בְּמִצְרָיִם

They forgot the Almighty, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,

נִפְלָאוֹת בְּאֶרֶץ חָם נוֹרָאוֹת עַל יַם סוּף

wonders in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.

וַיֹּאמֶר לְהַשְׁמִידָם לוּלֵי מֹשֶׁה בְחִירוֹ עָמַד בַּפֶּרֶץ לְפָנָיו לְהָשִׁיב חֲמָתוֹ מֵהַשְׁחִית

In the wake of the sin of the Golden Calf, He said He would destroy them, and would have done so were it not for Moses, His chosen one, who stood before Him in the breach and prayed to turn back His wrath from destruction.

וַיִּמְאֲסוּ בְּאֶרֶץ חֶמְדָּה לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ לִדְבָרוֹ

The next grievous sin recounted here is that of the spies who were sent by Moses to scout the Land of Israel prior to the arrival of the children of Israel: Because of the frightening report brought back by the spies, they despised the desirable Land of Israel, and did not want to proceed to conquer it. They did not have faith in His word, His promise that they would be able to wage a successful conquest.

וַיֵּרָגְנוּ בְאָהֳלֵיהֶם לֹא שָׁמְעוּ בְּקוֹל ה'

They grumbled in their tents; they did not heed the voice of the Lord.

וַיִּשָּׂא יָדוֹ לָהֶם לְהַפִּיל אוֹתָם בַּמִּדְבָּר

And He raised His hand in a gesture of oath concerning them, to cast them down, to cause them to perish in the desert,

וּלְהַפִּיל זַרְעָם בַּגּוֹיִם וּלְזָרוֹתָם בָּאֲרָצוֹת

to cast their seed among the nations and to scatter them among the lands.

וַיִּצָּמְדוּ לְבַעַל פְּעוֹר וַיֹּאכְלוּ זִבְחֵי מֵתִים

The last of the grievous sins committed by the Israelites in the wilderness was the worship of the idols of the Moavites: They clung to Baal Peor and ate sacrifices offered to the dead, a disparaging term for idolatrous offerings.

וַיַּכְעִיסוּ בְּמַעַלְלֵיהֶם וַתִּפְרָץ בָּם מַגֵּפָה

They provoked anger with their other deeds that they committed on that occasion, and a plague broke out among them.

וַיַּעֲמֹד פִּינְחָס וַיְפַלֵּל וַתֵּעָצַר הַמַּגֵּפָה

Pinhas stood up to carry out judgment by killing Zimri, one of the main perpetrators of sin in that incident, and thereupon the plague was stopped.

וַתֵּחָשֶׁב לוֹ לִצְדָקָה לְדֹר וָדֹר עַד עוֹלָם

He was accorded merit for all generations to come, for eternity. As a reward for his brave actions, Pinhas became the progenitor of a dynasty of priests who, aside from some brief interruptions, served as High Priests throughout the days of the Temple.

וַיַּקְצִיפוּ עַל מֵי מְרִיבָה וַיֵּרַע לְמֹשֶׁה בַּעֲבוּרָם

The psalmist mentions more sins committed by the Israelites. They provoked God at the waters of Meriva, and Moses suffered on their account, as it was he who was punished by being denied entry into the Promised Land.

כִּי הִמְרוּ אֶת רוּחוֹ וַיְבַטֵּא בִּשְׂפָתָיו

For they, the Israelites, rebelled against him, against Moses, accusing him of intentionally seeking to kill them, and because of their accusations, he made an unseemly utterance with his lips. This verse seems to imply that Moses was punished not for his actions at Meriva but for what he said.

לֹא הִשְׁמִידוּ אֶת הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר אָמַר ה' לָהֶם

Later, after entering and possessing the Land of Israel, they did not destroy the Canaanite peoples as the Lord told them to do, to kill or expel all of them.

וַיִּתְעָרְבוּ בַגּוֹיִם וַיִּלְמְדוּ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם

As a result of allowing the Canaanites to live among them, they mingled with the nations, and they learned their practices

וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֶת עֲצַבֵּיהֶם וַיִּהְיוּ לָהֶם לְמוֹקֵשׁ

and served their idols, which became a snare for them.

וַיִּזְבְּחוּ אֶת בְּנֵיהֶם וְאֶת בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם לַשֵּׁדִים

They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. While this practice is not mentioned in other sources, an implicit reference is found in Leviticus 17:7.

וַיִּשְׁפְּכוּ דָם נָקִי דַּם בְּנֵיהֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר זִבְּחוּ לַעֲצַבֵּי כְנָעַן וַתֶּחֱנַף הָאָרֶץ בַּדָּמִים

And they shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and their daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, as part of the sacrificial rites to Molekh and other idols. And the land became polluted with that spilled blood.

וַיִּטְמְאוּ בְמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וַיִּזְנוּ בְּמַעַלְלֵיהֶם

They were defiled by their practices; they went astray from the service of God with their deeds. The description of these sins sums up the era of the judges.

וַיִּחַר אַף ה' בְּעַמּוֹ וַיְתָעֵב אֶת נַחֲלָתוֹ

Such abominations did not go unpunished: The Lord’s fury blazed against His people. He abhorred His portion,

וַיִּתְּנֵם בְּיַד גּוֹיִם וַיִּמְשְׁלוּ בָהֶם שׂנְאֵיהֶם

and He delivered them into the hands of the nations, who invaded the Land of Israel periodically. Those who hated them ruled over them.

וַיִּלְחָצוּם אוֹיְבֵיהֶם וַיִּכָּנְעוּ תַּחַת יָדָם

Their enemies oppressed them; they were subdued under their power, as described in detail in the book of Judges.

פְּעָמִים רַבּוֹת יַצִּילֵם והֵמָּה יַמְרוּ בַעֲצָתָם וַיָּמֹכּוּ בַּעֲוֹנָם

Many times did He rescue them by the hand of the various judges and leaders who led them to victory. But they were defiant in their counsel; they took counsel among themselves and rebelled against God, sinking low in their iniquity.

וַיַּרְא בַּצַּר לָהֶם בְּשָׁמְעוֹ אֶת רִנָּתָם

Yet He saw their distress when time after time they cried out in prayer, and He heard their cry.

וַיִּזְכֹּר לָהֶם בְּרִיתוֹ וַיִּנָּחֵם כְּרֹב חֲסָדָו

He remembered His covenant for them and relented from His intention to punish them severely, because of His great kindness,

וַיִּתֵּן אוֹתָם לְרַחֲמִים לִפְנֵי כָּל שׁוֹבֵיהֶם

and He caused them to be pitied by all their captors.

הוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְקַבְּצֵנוּ מִן הַגּוֹיִם לְהֹדוֹת לְשֵׁם קָדְשֶׁךָ לְהִשְׁתַּבֵּחַ בִּתְהִלָּתֶךָ

The psalm closes with words of prayer: Save us, Lord our God, and gather us in from among the nations, where some of our nation are in exile, so we might give thanks to Your holy name and glory in Your praise.

בָּרוּךְ ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִן הָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם וְאָמַר כָּל הָעָם אָמֵן הַלְלוּיָהּ

The final verse of the psalm marks the conclusion of the fourth book of Psalms: Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel, forever and ever. Let the entire nation say: Amen. Halleluya.