לַמְנַצֵּחַ שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר

For the chief musician, a song, a psalm. This psalm seems to allude to some kind of military victory, as it speaks of former obstacles and enemies who have now passed from existence. It is a hymn of gratitude to God, with its main theme expressed in the opening verse: Shout out with joy and thanks to God, all the earth.

הָרִיעוּ לֵאלֹהִים כָּל הָאָרֶץ זַמְּרוּ כְבוֹד שְׁמוֹ שִׂימוּ כָבוֹד תְּהִלָּתוֹ

Sing the glory of His name; make His praise glorious.

אִמְרוּ לֵאלֹהִים מַה נּוֹרָא מַעֲשֶׂיךָ בְּרֹב עֻזְּךָ יְכַחֲשׁוּ לְךָ אֹיְבֶיךָ

Say to God: How awesome are Your works! Because of Your great power, Your enemies feign obedience to You. God’s enemies have been vanquished and subjugated; they are compelled to act with obedience, even if it is insincere.

כָּל הָאָרֶץ יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְךָ וִיזַמְּרוּ לָךְ יְזַמְּרוּ שִׁמְךָ סֶלָה

The entire earth will bow down to You and sing praises to You; they will sing praises to Your name, Selah.

לְכוּ וּרְאוּ מִפְעֲלוֹת אֱלֹהִים נוֹרָא עֲלִילָה עַל בְּנֵי אָדָם

The psalmist now expresses specific praises of God: Come and see the works of God, the awesome acts that He has done for the sons of man.

הָפַךְ יָם לְיַבָּשָׁה בַּנָּהָר יַעַבְרוּ בְרָגֶל שָׁם נִשְׂמְחָה בּוֹ

He turned the Red Sea into dry land for the children of Israel; afterward they passed through the Jordan River on foot. There we rejoiced in Him.

מֹשֵׁל בִּגְבוּרָתוֹ עוֹלָם עֵינָיו בַּגּוֹיִם תִּצְפֶּינָה הַסּוֹרְרִים אַל יָרוּמוּ לָמוֹ סֶלָה

He rules the world with His might; His eyes keep watch on the nations, ensuring that they are accorded their proper place. The people who are rebellious against God will not be exalted, for He will subdue them. Selah.

בָּרְכוּ עַמִּים אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְהַשְׁמִיעוּ קוֹל תְּהִלָּתוֹ

Bless our God, you nations; God’s kindness toward Israel benefits all nations, and it is therefore fitting for all to praise Him. Raise a voice in His praise,

הַשָּׂם נַפְשֵׁנוּ בַּחַיִּים וְלֹא נָתַן לַמּוֹט רַגְלֵנוּ

to Him who keeps us alive and does not allow our feet to stumble. This is the case even though, as described in the following verses, there have been many periods of struggle and testing.

כִּי בְחַנְתָּנוּ אֱלֹהִים צְרַפְתָּנוּ כִּצְרָף כָּסֶף

Though You have tested us, God; You refined us as silver is refined. You have put us through many ordeals, similar to the harsh conditions of the refinement process.

הֲבֵאתָנוּ בַמְּצוּדָה שַׂמְתָּ מוּעָקָה בְמָתְנֵינוּ

You brought us into the net and placed a tight belt around our loins. These are all metaphors for situations of difficulty and distress.

הִרְכַּבְתָּ אֱנוֹשׁ לְרֹאשֵׁנוּ בָּאנוּ בָאֵשׁ וּבַמַּיִם וַתּוֹצִיאֵנוּ לָרְוָיָה

You let people ride over our heads; that is, You have allowed us to be subjugated by others. We went through fire and water, both literally and figuratively. But in the end, You drew us out of these situations of pressure and anxiety to a situation of relief. The word revaya, translated here as “relief,” literally refers to the slaking of thirst. Here it conveys the sense of relief felt by those who have been rescued and are now able to rest.

אָבוֹא בֵיתְךָ בְעוֹלוֹת אֲשַׁלֵּם לְךָ נְדָרָי

The psalmist continues on a personal note: I will come to Your House with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows,

אֲשֶׁר פָּצוּ שְׂפָתָי וְדִבֶּר פִּי בַּצַּר לִי

those uttered by my lips and spoken by my mouth when I was in distress. It is usually during difficult times that people make such vows.

עֹלוֹת מֵחִים אַעֲלֶה לָּךְ עִם קְטֹרֶת אֵילִים; אֶעֱשֶׂה בָקָר עִם עַתּוּדִים סֶלָה

I will offer You burnt offerings of fattened animals with the smoking of rams, that is, rams that are completely burned into smoke on the altar. I will sacrifice bulls and he-goats, Selah.

לְכוּ שִׁמְעוּ וַאֲסַפְּרָה כָּל יִרְאֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְנַפְשִׁי

Come and hear, all who fear God, and I will tell of what He has done for me. I can personally attest to what God has done for me.

אֵלָיו פִי קָרָאתִי וְרוֹמַם תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנִי

I called to Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue.

אָוֶן אִם רָאִיתִי בְלִבִּי לֹא יִשְׁמַע אֲדֹנָי

Even if I sense wickedness in my heart, the Lord does not take notice. Even if, like most people, I occasionally have wicked thoughts, God does not judge me harshly. He does not take my aberrant thoughts into consideration.

אָכֵן שָׁמַע אֱלֹהִים הִקְשִׁיב בְּקוֹל תְּפִלָּתִי

Indeed, God listens, and He attends to the sound of my prayer.

בָּרוּךְ אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא הֵסִיר תְּפִלָּתִי וְחַסְדּוֹ מֵאִתִּי

The psalmist concludes: Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer nor withheld His kindness from me.