מִזְמוֹר שִׁיר לְיוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת

A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day. Although it was sung in the Temple every Sabbath, this psalm is not really about the Sabbath day as such, but rather what the Sages refer to as “the day that is entirely a Sabbath,” that is, the Messianic Era, when a final reckoning will enable everything to be understood clearly in hindsight. In essence, the psalm is a reflection and overview of history, in which all negative events will be understood as ephemeral phenomena, and precursors of evil’s ultimate downfall. The righteous, by contrast, will prove to have permanence, stability, and continuous prosperity.

טוֹב לְהֹדוֹת לַה' וּלְזַמֵּר לְשִׁמְךָ עֶלְיוֹן

How good it is to give thanks to the Lord. Gratitude is expressed for man’s very ability to give thanks to God. We appreciate our ability to sing praises to Your name, Most High,

לְהַגִּיד בַּבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךָ ואֱמוּנָתְךָ בַּלֵּילוֹת

to tell of Your kindness in the morning. “In the morning” is a metaphor for a period when God’s mercy is evident and revealed to us. And we express gratitude for Your faithfulness in the nights. The phrase “the nights” symbolizes dark times or periods of despondency, when it may appear as though God has withdrawn. At such times, it is faith in God that sustains a person.

עֲלֵי עָשׂוֹר וַעֲלֵי נָבֶל עֲלֵי הִגָּיוֹן בְּכִנּוֹר

We praise God with a ten-stringed lute and with a harp, with meditative music on the lyre, an instrument similar to a harp but with fewer strings (see commentary on 33:2). The word higayon, translated here as “meditative music,” may refer to a certain type of melody or a specific style of playing the lyre.

כִּי שִׂמַּחְתַּנִי ה' בְּפָעֳלֶךָ בְּמַעֲשֵׂי יָדֶיךָ אֲרַנֵּן

Here begins the actual content of the song: For You, Lord, have made me happy by Your actions in creating the world; I will sing for joy at the work of Your hands, all the creations found in the world.

מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה' מְאֹד עָמְקוּ מַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ

How great are Your works, Lord. The quantity and quality of Your creations, which are manifest before us, give some indication of Your infinite greatness. How profound are Your thoughts. Aside from that which we can see ourselves, we realize the depth of Your thoughts, which are beyond our grasp.

אִישׁ בַּעַר לֹא יֵדָע וּכְסִיל לֹא יָבִין אֶת זֹאת

And because of the depth of the divine thoughts, a boor cannot know their meaning and a fool cannot understand this.

בִּפְרֹחַ רְשָׁעִים כְּמוֹ עֵשֶׂב וַיָּצִיצוּ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן לְהִשָּׁמְדָם עֲדֵי עַד

They cannot understand, for instance, that when the wicked sprout like grass, everywhere, seemingly with no limitation, and when evildoers flourish, it is only toward their eternal destruction. In fact, the apparent success of the wicked is nothing more than a means leading to their total destruction. The metaphor is that of ridding a field of weeds: If one waters the ground, the weeds sprout and can be readily identified and eradicated, preparing the field for the sowing of crops.

וְאַתָּה מָרוֹם לְעֹלָם ה'

And You, Lord, are forever on high. You see everything from above, and both the apparent rise of the wicked and their subsequent downfall are part of Your plan.

כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ ה' כִּי הִנֵּה אֹיְבֶיךָ יֹאבֵדוּ יִתְפָּרְדוּ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן

For behold Your enemies, Lord, behold Your enemies perish in the end; all evildoers are scattered.

וַתָּרֶם כִּרְאֵים קַרְנִי בַּלֹּתִי בְּשֶׁמֶן רַעֲנָן

As for me, the righteous one who serves You faithfully, You raise my horn, a metaphor for stature and power, like the tall, upright horns of an oryx. I am anointed with fresh oil, as I have achieved a position of greatness.

וַתַּבֵּט עֵינִי בְּשׁוּרָי ; בַּקָּמִים עָלַי מְרֵעִים תִּשְׁמַעְנָה אָזְנָי

In my prosperity I have reached a position in which my eye has seen the downfall of my foes. When the wicked rise against me, my ears will hear of their defeat.

צַדִּיק כַּתָּמָר יִפְרָח כְּאֶרֶז בַּלְּבָנוֹן יִשְׂגֶּה

The righteous man flourishes like a palm tree, which soars to great heights and bears fruit even in the arid desert. Like a lofty cedar in Lebanon he grows tall.

שְׁתוּלִים בְּבֵית ה'; בְּחַצְרוֹת אֱלֹהֵינוּ יַפְרִיחוּ

Planted in the House of the Lord and blessed by Him, they blossom in the courts of our God.

עוֹד יְנוּבוּן בְּשֵׂיבָה דְּשֵׁנִים וְרַעֲנַנִּים יִהְיוּ

Even if they experience occasional hardship and adversity, they will continue to yield fruit, even in old age. While others wither and fade, they will remain full and fresh.

לְהַגִּיד כִּי יָשָׁר ה' צוּרִי וְלֹא עַוְלָתָה בּוֹ

This serves to tell all that the Lord is upright and His laws are just and true, even when His justice is concealed from human understanding. He is my rock, and there is no wrongdoing in Him. Even if the righteousness of God’s justice is not evident to me, I must consider the future time, the End of Days, when it will become apparent that evil will have been eradicated from the world while goodness will remain permanent, vibrant, and fresh.