שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד

A song, a psalm by David.

נָכוֹן לִבִּי אֱלֹהִים אָשִׁירָה וַאֲזַמְּרָה אַף כְּבוֹדִי

My heart is ready to begin this song, God; I will sing and give praise, and my soul as well. Not only will I sing to You and praise You with my mouth, but my whole soul and being will join in.

עוּרָה הַנֵּבֶל וְכִנּוֹר אָעִירָה שָּׁחַר

The psalmist addresses his musical instruments: Awaken, harp and lyre; I will wake the dawn. Let us begin to play at the first glimmering of light.

אוֹדְךָ בעַמִּים ה' וַאֲזַמֶּרְךָ בּלְאֻמִּים

I will give thanks to You, Lord, among the peoples; I will sing Your praise among the nations.

כִּי גָדוֹל מֵעַל שָׁמַיִם חַסְדֶּךָ וְעַד שְׁחָקִים אֲמִתֶּךָ

For Your kindness is greater than the heavens; Your truth in fulfilling Your covenant with us reaches the skies.

רוּמָה עַל שָׁמַיִם אֱלֹהִים וְעַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדֶךָ

Rise above the heavens, God, revealing Your presence in the world; let Your glory extend throughout the earth,

לְמַעַן יֵחָלְצוּן יְדִידֶיךָ הוֹשִׁיעָה יְמִינְךָ וַעֲנֵנִי

that Your beloved ones may be saved; deliver me with Your right hand and answer me.

אֱלֹהִים דִּבֶּר בְּקָדְשׁוֹ אֶעֱלֹזָה אֲחַלְּקָה שְׁכֶם וְעֵמֶק סֻכּוֹת אֲמַדֵּד

After an introductory section of supplication, the psalmist begins his song of praise: God spoke in His holiness to assure me of victory; I exulted. I divided Shekhem and measured out the valley of Sukot. Upon David’s victories over the nations living in these regions, these places fell under Israelite control, and he was now able to divide them among the people (see commentary on 60:8).

לִי גִלְעָד לִי מְנַשֶּׁה ואֶפְרַיִם מָעוֹז רֹאשִׁי יְהוּדָה מְחֹקְקִי

The psalmist acknowledges those tribes of Israel who came to his aid: Gilad, a branch of Manasseh, is mine, the rest of Manasseh is mine, and Ephraim is my stronghold, Judah my lawgiver.

מוֹאָב סִיר רַחְצִי עַל אֱדוֹם אַשְׁלִיךְ נַעֲלִי עֲלֵי פְלֶשֶׁת אֶתְרוֹעָﬠ

Now he mentions the enemies against whom he has fought: Moav, whom I have vanquished, I regard with contempt as if it is nothing more than my washbasin; I will throw my shoe in scorn at Edom; against Philistia I will deliver a crushing defeat.

מִי יֹבִלֵנִי עִיר מִבְצָר מִי נָחַנִי עַד אֱדוֹם

Who leads me to a fortified city? Who guides me to Edom to conquer it?

הֲלֹא אֱלֹהִים זְנַחְתָּנוּ וְלֹא תֵצֵא אֱלֹהִים בְּצִבְאֹתֵינוּ

Is it not You, God, who had abandoned us in the past, You, God, who would not go forth with our armies, and that is why we were not victorious in the past? Now that You have come to our aid, however, we are triumphant.

הָבָה לָּנוּ עֶזְרָת מִצָּר ושָׁוְא תְּשׁוּעַת אָדָם

Give us aid against the foe, for deliverance by man is in vain. Only God’s assistance is of any avail.

בֵּאלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה חָיִל וְהוּא יָבוּס צָרֵינוּ

The point is reiterated in the conclusion: With God we will triumph, and He will rout our foes.