מִזְמוֹר לְאָסָף אֵל אֱלֹהִים ה' דִּבֶּר וַיִּקְרָא אָרֶץ מִמִּזְרַח שֶׁמֶשׁ עַד מְבֹאוֹ

A psalm by Asaf. The Almighty God, the Lord, has spoken, addressing all people of the earth, from the rising of the sun to its setting, from east to west.

מִצִּיּוֹן מִכְלַל יֹפִי אֱלֹהִים הוֹפִיעַ

Out of Zion, the Temple Mount, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. The focal point of God’s revelation is the Temple in Jerusalem.

יָבֹא אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְאַל יֶחֱרַשׁ אֵשׁ לְפָנָיו תֹּאכֵל וּסְבִיבָיו נִשְׂעֲרָה מְאֹד

Our God arrives and is not silent; His words will be heard. Before Him a fire consumes all, and surrounding Him it is exceedingly stormy. Divine revelation is accompanied by fire and stormy winds.

יִקְרָא אֶל הַשָּׁמַיִם מֵעָל וְאֶל הָאָרֶץ לָדִין עַמּוֹ

He summons the heavens above, and He also calls upon the earth, in order to judge His people.

אִסְפוּ לִי חֲסִידָי כֹּרְתֵי בְרִיתִי עֲלֵי זָבַח

This is what He says to the earth: Gather My devoted ones, those who establish a covenant with Me by sacrifice.

וַיַּגִּידוּ שָׁמַיִם צִדְקוֹ כִּי אֱלֹהִים שֹׁפֵט הוּא סֶלָה

In parallel: The heavens declare His righteousness, for God Himself is Judge, Selah.

שִׁמְעָה עַמִּי וַאֲדַבֵּרָה; יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָעִידָה בָּךְ אֱלֹהִים אֱלֹהֶיךָ אָנֹכִי

God now directs His speech to His people in general, and more specifically to those who fear Him: Hear, My people, and I will speak; hear, Israel, and I will bear witness to you. Remember that I am God, your God. This is an allusion to the first of the Ten Precepts: “I am the Lord your God.”

לֹא עַל זְבָחֶיךָ אוֹכִיחֶךָ וְעוֹלֹתֶיךָ לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד

Although the Torah encourages animal sacrifices and gives extensive instructions concerning them, I do not rebuke you for not having offered your sacrifices to Me. Nor are your burnt offerings always before Me. They are not the focus of My attention. I do not need any of your sacrifices for My own sake. This point is clarified further in the following verses.

לֹא אֶקַּח מִבֵּיתְךָ פָר מִמִּכְלְאֹתֶיךָ עַתּוּדִים

I will not take for Myself a young bull from your house, or he-goats from your pens.

כִּי לִי כָל חַיְתוֹ יָעַר בְהֵמוֹת בְּהַרְרֵי אָלֶף

I have no need of your animals, for every beast of the forest is Mine, as are the cattle on thousands of hills.

יָדַעְתִּי כָּל עוֹף הָרִים וְזִיז שָׂדַי עִמָּדִי

I know every bird of the mountains; so too the large fowl of the field are with Me. Ziz, translated here as “large fowl,” is of uncertain meaning, but it appears to refer to a species of giant bird.

אִם אֶרְעַב לֹא אֹמַר לָךְ כִּי לִי תֵבֵל וּמְלֹאָהּ

Even if it were possible to imagine that I were hungry, I would not tell you and ask you to fulfill My need, for the world and all it contains is Mine.

הַאוֹכַל בְּשַׂר אַבִּירִים ו דַם עַתּוּדִים אֶשְׁתֶּה

Of course, the scenario in the preceding verse is an absurdity, expressed ironically, for do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of he-goats? To believe that would be ludicrous.

זְבַח לֵאלֹהִים תּוֹדָה וְשַׁלֵּם לְעֶלְיוֹן נְדָרֶיךָ

It is clear, then, that God does not need the sacrifices we offer. Rather, they are a means by which we can express our relationship with God. Offer God a thanksgiving sacrifice, and pay your sacrificial vows to the Most High if you have pledged to bring a sacrifice in His honor.

וּקְרָאֵנִי בְּיוֹם צָרָה אֲחַלֶּצְךָ וּתְכַבְּדֵנִי

And if you do fulfill your vows faithfully, you can always call upon Me in times of trouble, situations in which people are most inclined to make vows. I will accept your vow and rescue you, and you will subsequently honor Me by fulfilling the sacrificial vow.

וְלָרָשָׁע אָמַר אֱלֹהִים מַה לְּךָ לְסַפֵּר חֻקָּי וַתִּשָּׂא בְרִיתִי עֲלֵי פִיךָ

All the foregoing relates to ordinary or specifically God-fearing individuals. But to the wicked one God says: What right have you to speak of My statutes or to invoke My covenant with Israel? Why do you profess to be a member of the holy nation of Israel and a party to their covenant with God?

ואַתָּה שָׂנֵאתָ מוּסָר וַתַּשְׁלֵךְ דְּבָרַי אַחֲרֶיךָ

For despite your claims, you hate reproof, and you cast My words behind you, following various paths of evil, as described in the following verses.

אִם רָאִיתָ גַנָּב וַתִּרֶץ עִמּוֹ וְעִם מְנָאֲפִים חֶלְקֶךָ

When you see a thief, you run to participate with him in his crime; you join in with adulterers.

פִּיךָ שָׁלַחְתָּ בְרָעָה וּלְשׁוֹנְךָ תַּצְמִיד מִרְמָה

You let your mouth spew out evil, and you affix your tongue to deceit.

תֵּשֵׁב בְּאָחִיךָ תְדַבֵּר בְּבֶן אִמְּךָ תִּתֶּן דֹּפִי

You sit and speak even against your brother when in the company of others. You slander your own mother’s son.

אֵלֶּה עָשִׂיתָ וְהֶחֱרַשְׁתִּי דִּמִּיתָ הֱיוֹת אֶהְיֶה כָמוֹךָ אוֹכִיחֲךָ וְאֶעֶרְכָה לְעֵינֶיךָ

You have done these evil things, and I kept silent, not immediately responding to them. Did you think I was like you, that I would lower Myself to your level and come to reprove you and set it, your nefarious behavior, before your eyes?

בִּינוּ נָא זֹאת שֹׁכְחֵי אֱלֹהַ פֶּן אֶטְרֹף וְאֵין מַצִּיל

God does not respond to evil in that way. But in the end, He does judge man: Ponder this well, you who have forgotten God, who believe that God has overlooked their sins entirely. Realize that the time of punishment will ultimately arrive, and repent, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you.

זֹבֵחַ תּוֹדָה יְכַבְּדָנְנִי ושָׂם דֶּרֶךְ אַרְאֶנּוּ בְּיֵשַׁע אֱלֹהִים

The concluding verse is addressed to those who heed God’s word: But he who offers a thanksgiving sacrifice, acting on his desire to show his gratitude to Me, honors Me. Such a sacrifice, made out of personal devotion, as opposed to an offering brought by one who thinks he is doing Me a favor, is a means of honoring Me. And as for he who sets his path, who consciously chooses to follow the paths of righteousness and propriety, I will show him the salvation of God.