שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת לְדָוִד שָׂמַחְתִּי בְּאֹמְרִים לִי בֵּית ה' נֵלֵךְ

A song of ascents, of David. “Of David” could indicate David’s authorship of this psalm, but it can also mean that it was written by someone else in his honor. I rejoiced when they said to me: Let us go to the House of the Lord. The ascent to Jerusalem is a joyous experience in its own right.

עֹמְדוֹת הָיוּ רַגְלֵינוּ בִּשְׁעָרַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלִָם

As the pilgrims approach the entrance to Jerusalem, they say: Our feet are standing at your gates, Jerusalem.

יְרוּשָׁלִָם הַבְּנוּיָה כְּעִיר שֶׁחֻבְּרָה לָּהּ יַחְדָּו

From our vantage point at the city’s gates, we can see how the built-up Jerusalem is like a city that has been joined together, in a literal sense. The city was built on a cluster of adjacent hills that, before the time of David, may have been separate civic, and perhaps also military, units. It was David who unified the city, though it was only during the reign of Solomon that the wall encompassing it was built.

שֶׁשָּׁם עָלוּ שְׁבָטִים שִׁבְטֵי יָהּ עֵדוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְהֹדוֹת לְשֵׁם ה'

There, to Jerusalem, the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, a testimony for Israel, who made the pilgrimage there to give thanks to the name of the Lord.

כִּי שָׁמָּה יָשְׁבוּ כִסְאוֹת לְמִשְׁפָּט כִּסְאוֹת לְבֵית דָּוִד

The psalmist sings the praise of Jerusalem, which is not only the Holy City but also the capital: For there stood the thrones of judgment, as it was the seat of the supreme court of justice, which convened near the Temple and the king’s palace, and it was there that were situated the thrones of the house of David. David and his descendants who reigned after him acted as both rulers and judges in all civil matters.

שַׁאֲלוּ שְׁלוֹם יְרוּשָׁלִָם יִשְׁלָיוּ אֹהֲבָיִךְ

The psalmist offers his blessing to Jerusalem: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may those who love you be tranquil.

יְהִי שָׁלוֹם בְּחֵילֵךְ שַׁלְוָה בְּאַרְמְנוֹתָיִךְ

A further prayer for Jerusalem: May peace be within your walls, ḥeilekh referring to a secondary, lower wall that surrounds parts of the main, fully fortified city wall. May there be tranquility within your towers. Armonot, translated here as “towers,” usually refers to large palaces, but it can also connote fortresses.

לְמַעַן אַחַי וְרֵעָי אֲדַבְּרָה נָּא שָׁלוֹם בָּךְ

For the sake of my brothers and companions I now say: Peace be with you. My prayer for Jerusalem is on behalf of all those in the city, whether residents or visitors.

לְמַעַן בֵּית ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֲבַקְשָׁה טוֹב לָךְ

For the sake of the House of the Lord our God, itself located here in Jerusalem, I seek your good.