לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל הַגִּתִּית לְאָסָף

For the chief musician, on the gitit (see 8:1), a psalm by Asaf.

הַרְנִינוּ לֵאלֹהִים עוּזֵּנוּ הָרִיעוּ לֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב

Sing for joy to God, our strength; shout with joy to the God of Jacob.

שְׂאוּ זִמְרָה וּתְנוּ תֹף כִנּוֹר נָעִים עִם נָבֶל

Take up the song. Sound the timbrel, a tuneful lyre with a harp.

תִּקְעוּ בַחֹדֶשׁ שׁוֹפָר בַּכֶּסֶה לְיוֹם חַגֵּנוּ

Blow the shofar at the showing of the New Moon, at the appointed time of our holiday. The word ḥodesh, related to ḥadash, new, refers to the New Moon. Here it refers to the specific New Moon of Rosh HaShana, a holiday marked by the blowing of the shofar.

כִּי חֹק לְיִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא מִשְׁפָּט לֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב

For it, blowing the shofar on this day, is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob.

עֵדוּת בִּיהוֹסֵף שָׂמוֹ בְּצֵאתוֹ עַל אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם שְׂפַת לֹא יָדַעְתִּי אֶשְׁמָע

The psalmist now reminds us of times past, when God’s kindness toward the Israelites in general, as well as toward specific individuals, was manifest: He established it as a precept for Joseph when he went out as ruler over Egypt. Speaking in Joseph’s words, the psalmist says: I learned a language I had not known as a newcomer to Egypt.

הֲסִירוֹתִי מִסֵּבֶל שִׁכְמוֹ כַּפָּיו מִדּוּד תַּעֲבֹרְנָה

Now the psalmist speaks in God’s voice: I removed a burden from his, Joseph’s, shoulders, as he had been imprisoned until I released him from prison, and thereby freed his hands from such menial chores as working with foodstuffs in the cooking pot.

בַּצָּרָה קָרָאתָ וָאֲחַלְּצֶךָּ אֶעֶנְךָ בְּסֵתֶר רַעַם אֶבְחָנְךָ עַל מֵי מְרִיבָה סֶלָה

God then speaks to Israel: When you called in distress, during your enslavement in Egypt, I rescued you; I answered your secret call with thunder. Though you prayed to Me silently, I rescued you with great commotion. This may also be an allusion to the giving of the Torah, which was accompanied by lightning and thunder. I also tested you at the waters of Meriva, Selah. Although it was a test, the result was beneficial to you.

שְׁמַע עַמִּי וְאָעִידָה בָּךְ; יִשְׂרָאֵל אִם תִּשְׁמַע לִי

God now addresses the nation: Listen, My people; I will warn you, Israel, if you listen to Me.

לֹא יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֵל זָר וְלֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לְאֵל נֵכָר

Salvation from God is dependent on obedience to Him and to the laws of His Torah. Such obedience begins with the rejection of false gods: Let there be no strange god among you; you shall not worship any foreign god. This, along with the following verse, constitutes the first of the Ten Precepts; it is also the essence of the entire acceptance of God’s rule.

אָנֹכִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ הַמַּעַלְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם הַרְחֶב פִּיךָ וַאֲמַלְאֵהוּ

I am the Lord your God who brought you up from the land of Egypt. If you follow these basic precepts, I will provide you with all your needs, as one might say to a child: Open your mouth wide, as if requesting food, and I will fill it.

וְלֹא שָׁמַע עַמִּי לְקוֹלִי וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא אָבָה לִי

But My people did not listen to My voice; Israel did not heed Me and keep My commandments.

ואֲשַׁלְּחֵהוּ בִּשְׁרִירוּת לִבָּם יֵלְכוּ בְּמוֹעֲצוֹתֵיהֶם

So I sent them in the way of their willful hearts. I allowed them to follow their own will and to walk in their own counsel, and to suffer the consequences of their choices and their actions, without any assistance from Me.

לוּ עַמִּי שֹׁמֵעַ לִי יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּדְרָכַי יְהַלֵּכוּ

If only My people would listen to Me, if only Israel would walk in My ways, for if they did, the outcome would be a dramatic change for the better with regard to their fate.

כִּמְעַט אוֹיְבֵיהֶם אַכְנִיעַ וְעַל צָרֵיהֶם אָשִׁיב יָדִי

I would subdue their enemies in an instant; I would turn My hand against their foes.

מְשַׂנְאֵי ה' יְכַחֲשׁוּ לוֹ וִיהִי עִתָּם לְעוֹלָם

Those who hate the Lord would feign obedience to Him, as defeated enemies must do; their time of punishment would last forever,

וַיַּאֲכִילֵהוּ מֵחֵלֶב חִטָּה וּמִצּוּר דְּבַשׁ אַשְׂבִּיעֶךָ

while, after subduing and punishing Israel’s enemies, He would feed them, the Israelites themselves, the finest of wheat and sate them with honey drawn from the rock.