וַיְדַבֵּר דָּוִד לַה' אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת בְּיוֹם הִצִּיל ה' אֹתוֹ מִכַּף כָּל אֹיְבָיו וּמִכַּף שָׁאוּל

David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. Following the stormy events of his life, in his later years David finally experienced relative tranquility. It was at this time that he authored a lengthy song of praise to God, who had saved him, redeemed him, and exalted him.

וַיֹּאמַר ה' סַלְעִי וּמְצֻדָתִי ומְפַלְטִי לִי

He said: The Lord is my rock, my fortress; my strength and protection, and not only is He my refuge, He is also my deliverer, who actively saves me from harm.

אֱלֹהֵי צוּרִי אֶחֱסֶה בּוֹ מָגִנִּי וְקֶרֶן יִשְׁעִי מִשְׂגַּבִּי וּמְנוּסִי מֹשִׁעִי מֵחָמָס תֹּשִׁעֵנִי

God, who is my rock, my source of strength, I take shelter in Him; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my savior, my stronghold and my place of refuge; my savior; You save me from villainy; You are everything to me.

מְהֻלָּל אֶקְרָא ה'וּמֵאֹיְבַי אִוָּשֵׁעַ

Praiseworthy I call the Lord, I constantly praise God when I call to Him, and this is because from my enemies I am saved. My life was filled with danger, wars, and pursuers, but I was saved from them all.

כִּי אֲפָפֻנִי מִשְׁבְּרֵי מָוֶת נַחֲלֵי בְלִיַּעַל יְבַעֲתֻנִי

For the waves of death, the hardships that threatened my life, have encompassed me; the unbridled, uncontrollable torrents have frightened me;

חֶבְלֵי שְׁאוֹל סַבֻּנִי קִדְּמֻנִי מֹקְשֵׁי מָוֶת

the cords of netting that emerge from the abyss surrounded me to trap me; the snares of death preceded me wherever I went.

בַּצַּר לִי אֶקְרָא ה' וְאֶל אֱלֹהַי אֶקְרָא וַיִּשְׁמַע מֵהֵיכָלוֹ קוֹלִי וְשַׁוְעָתִי בְּאָזְנָיו

In my distress, I would call upon the Lord, and to my God I would call; He heard my voice from His palace in the heavens, which is at the far edge of the universe, and my cry was in His ears.

וַיִּתְגָּעַשׁ וַתִּרְעַשׁ הָאָרֶץ מוֹסְדוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם יִרְגָּזוּ וַיִּתְגָּעֲשׁוּ כִּי חָרָה לוֹ

The earth erupted and quaked; the foundations of the heavens trembled. The entire world shook; they, heaven and earth, erupted, because He was incensed; God was enraged at my enemies who wished to harm me.

עָלָה עָשָׁן בְּאַפּוֹ וְאֵשׁ מִפִּיו תֹּאכֵל גֶּחָלִים בָּעֲרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ

Due to God’s anger, smoke rose in His nostrils, and fire came from His mouth that would devour, burn; coals, sparks, blazed from Him in a frightening manner.

וַיֵּט שָׁמַיִם וַיֵּרַד וַעֲרָפֶל תַּחַת רַגְלָיו

He bent the heavens and descended to assist me, and fog was beneath His feet.

וַיִּרְכַּב עַל כְּרוּב וַיָּעֹף וַיֵּרָא עַל כַּנְפֵי רוּחַ

He rode on a cherub, a type of angel, and flew; He was seen on the wings of the wind.

וַיָּשֶׁת חֹשֶׁךְ סְבִיבֹתָיו סֻכּוֹת חַשְׁרַת מַיִם עָבֵי שְׁחָקִים

On the one hand, when He appeared, He placed darkness around Him as screens; a heap of water, thick clouds of mist to conceal the skies.

מִנֹּגַהּ נֶגְדּוֹ בָּעֲרוּ גַּחֲלֵי אֵשׁ

On the other hand, from the aura before Him blazed coals of fire.

יַרְעֵם מִן שָׁמַיִם ה' וְעֶלְיוֹן יִתֵּן קוֹלוֹ

And during the terrifying storm, amidst the darkness, thick rain clouds and fire, the Lord would thunder from the heavens, the Most High would project His voice.

וַיִּשְׁלַח חִצִּים וַיְפִיצֵם בָּרָק וַיָּהֹם

He sent arrows and scattered them, my enemies; bolts of lightning, and confounded them. Alternatively, the latter phrase may be translated to mean that He shattered them.

וַיֵּרָאוּ אֲפִקֵי יָם יִגָּלוּ מֹסְדוֹת תֵּבֵל בְּגַעֲרַת ה' מִנִּשְׁמַת רוּחַ אַפּוֹ

The earth trembled, the waves ebbed and flowed; the channels of the sea became visible, the foundations of the world were exposed. The sea bed was almost entirely exposed as the sea fled by the rebuke of the Lord, by the gust of the breath of His nostrils.

יִשְׁלַח מִמָּרוֹם יִקָּחֵנִי יַמְשֵׁנִי מִמַּיִם רַבִּים

He would send His hand from on high; would take me, would draw me out of vast waters;

יַצִּילֵנִי מֵאֹיְבִי עָז מִשֹּׂנְאַי כִּי אָמְצוּ מִמֶּנִּי

He would deliver me from my mighty foe, from my enemies, for they were more powerful than I.

יְקַדְּמֻנִי בְּיוֹם אֵידִי וַיְהִי ה' מִשְׁעָן לִי

They, my enemies, would confront me on the day of my calamity, my times of crisis; but nevertheless, the Lord would be a support for me, even when I fell.

וַיֹּצֵא לַמֶּרְחָב אֹתִי יְחַלְּצֵנִי כִּי חָפֵץ בִּי

He would take me out from my distress, into the open; would extricate me, because He desired me. The salvation of David through divine providence is described in these verses using metaphors that represent miraculous disruptions of the world’s natural order. Similar imagery is employed in describing God’s intervention in the world at the time of the exodus from Egypt, the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, and in the prophecies describing the Messianic Era.

יִגְמְלֵנִי ה' כְּצִדְקָתִי כְּבֹר יָדַי יָשִׁיב לִי

David now adds an explanatory comment. God’s continuous support for him is not arbitrary or without reason. Rather, the Lord will reward me in accordance with my acts of righteousness; in accordance with the cleanliness of my hands, my honesty and faithfulness, He will recompense me.

כִּי שָׁמַרְתִּי דַּרְכֵי ה'וְלֹא רָשַׁעְתִּי מֵאֱלֹהָי

For I always kept the ways of the Lord, and I did not deviate from my God.

כִּי כָל מִשְׁפָּטָיו לְנֶגְדִּי וְחֻקֹּתָיו לֹא אָסוּר מִמֶּנָּה

For all His ordinances are always before me, and His statutes, I will not stray from any of them.

וָאֶהְיֶה תָמִים לוֹ וָאֶשְׁתַּמְּרָה מֵעֲוֹנִי

I was wholehearted toward Him, I committed myself to Him completely, and I protected myself from my iniquity. This means either that he kept himself from iniquity in general, or that he kept himself from particular sins that he had a desire to commit.

וַיָּשֶׁב ה' לִי כְּצִדְקָתִי כְּבֹרִי לְנֶגֶד עֵינָיו

Therefore the Lord recompensed me in accordance with my righteousness, in accordance with my cleanliness that has been before His eyes. I have merited divine favor and extraordinary salvations because I have always followed in His ways.

עִם חָסִיד תִּתְחַסָּד עִם גִּבּוֹר תָּמִים תִּתַּמָּם

David now addresses God directly: With the kind, You will act kindly, You act with kindness and mercy, and with the genuinely valiant one, You will act genuinely, acting faithfully and with integrity;

עִם נָבָר תִּתָּבָר וְעִם עִקֵּשׁ תִּתַּפָּל

with the innocent, righteous individuals, You will act innocently; and with the perverse, You will act tortuously, and treat them as they treat others. You respond to a person’s actions measure for measure, and act with justice.

וְאֶת עַם עָנִי תּוֹשִׁיעַ ועֵינֶיךָ עַל רָמִים תַּשְׁפִּיל

The humble, downtrodden people, You will save, and on the other hand, Your eyes will look down upon the haughty. You gaze at them from above and treat them as lowly individuals.

כִּי אַתָּה נֵירִי ה' וַה' יַגִּיהַּ חָשְׁכִּי

For You are my lamp, Lord, and the Lord will illuminate my darkness.

כִּי בְכָה אָרוּץ גְּדוּד בֵּאלֹהַי אֲדַלֶּג שׁוּר

For with You, Your help, I will pursue, or shatter, a whole troop; with my God I will leap over a wall to conquer fortified cities.

הָאֵל תָּמִים דַּרְכּוֹ אִמְרַת ה'צְרוּפָה מָגֵן הוּא לְכֹל הַחֹסִים בּוֹ

God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure, His law is perfect and His promises are fulfilled in their entirety. Even when I was ensnared in difficult situations, I was ultimately saved and I triumphed, as He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.

כִּי מִי אֵל מִבַּלְעֲדֵי ה' וּמִי צוּר מִבַּלְעֲדֵי אֱלֹהֵינוּ

For who is God, other than the Lord, and who is a rock, a stronghold, other than our God? There is no source of true strength aside from Him.

הָאֵל מָעוּזִּי חָיִל וַיַּתֵּר תָּמִים דַּרְכִּי

God is my mighty fortress; He has perfectly opened my way. He opened the path before me, removing any obstacles; alternatively, He caused me to move quickly.

מְשַׁוֶּה רַגְלַי כָּאַיָּלוֹת ועַל בָּמוֹתַי יַעֲמִדֵנִי

He steadies my feet like the hinds, which run swiftly and securely, and on my heights He will set me, like the hinds and deer that climb to the peaks of mountains.

מְלַמֵּד יָדַי לַמִּלְחָמָה וְנִחַת קֶשֶׁת נְחוּשָׁה זְרֹעֹתָי

He trains my hands for war, and my arms have bent a bow of bronze, which is harder than a bow of wood. Alternatively, this may be translated to mean that He caused my arms to be as sturdy as a bow of brass. Some interpret the subject of the latter phrase to be the bow. According to this explanation, the verse means: The bow of brass belonging to the enemy is shattered by my arms.

וַתִּתֶּן לִי מָגֵן יִשְׁעֶךָ וַעֲנֹתְךָ תַּרְבֵּנִי

You have given me Your shield of salvation, and Your response to my prayers, or alternatively, Your humility, would make me great.

תַּרְחִיב צַעֲדִי תַּחְתֵּנִי וְלֹא מָעֲדוּ קַרְסֻלָּי

You would broaden my steps beneath me, allowing me to walk confidently and effectively, and my feet did not falter.

אֶרְדְּפָה אֹיְבַי וָאַשְׁמִידֵם וְלֹא אָשׁוּב עַד כַּלּוֹתָם

I would pursue my enemies, and would destroy them; I would not return from battle until their annihilation.

וָאֲכַלֵּם וָאֶמְחָצֵם וְלֹא יְקוּמוּן וַיִּפְּלוּ תַּחַת רַגְלָי

I annihilated them and crushed them, and they will not arise; they fell beneath my feet.

וַתַּזְרֵנִי חַיִל לַמִּלְחָמָה תַּכְרִיעַ קָמַי תַּחְתֵּנִי

You girded me with might for battle; those enemies who rose against me, You would subdue under me.

וְאֹיְבַי תַּתָּה לִּי עֹרֶף מְשַׂנְאַי וָאַצְמִיתֵם

My enemies, you had them turn their backs to me; those who hate me fled from before me; I eradicated them.

יִשְׁעוּ וְאֵין מֹשִׁיעַ אֶל ה' וְלֹא עָנָם

They would plead for help, but there is no savior for them; they turned to the Lord, but He did not answer, as He had chosen me to be victorious.

וְאֶשְׁחָקֵם כַּעֲפַר אָרֶץ כְּטִיט חוּצוֹת אֲדִקֵּם אֶרְקָעֵם

I pulverized them, my enemies, like the dust of the earth; I would flatten them and trample them, crushing them like the clay of the streets.

וַתְּפַלְּטֵנִי מֵרִיבֵי עַמִּי תִּשְׁמְרֵנִי לְרֹאשׁ גּוֹיִם עַם לֹא יָדַעְתִּי יַעַבְדֻנִי

You delivered me from the internal quarrels of my own people; You would protect me to be the head of nations; a people whom I did not know will serve me. My vast conquests have encompassed distant nations with which I was not familiar.

בְּנֵי נֵכָר יִתְכַּחֲשׁוּ לִי לִשְׁמוֹעַ אֹזֶן יִשָּׁמְעוּ לִי

The sons of the foreigner, my foreign enemies, would lie to me and flatter me, as is common when one is confronted by an intimidating adversary. Upon their ear’s hearing of me, and my power, they would immediately surrender and obey me. Alternatively, this may be rendered: My words are accepted by all.

בְּנֵי נֵכָר יִבֹּלוּ וְיַחְגְּרוּ מִמִּסְגְּרוֹתָם

The sons of the stranger would dry up and wither; they would break out from their enclosures. They leaped out in confusion and shock from their fortresses and protective shelters.

חַי ה'וּבָרוּךְ צוּרִי וְיָרֻם אֱלֹהֵי צוּר יִשְׁעִי

The Lord lives and effects salvations, and blessed be my rock; exalted is God, rock of my salvation,

הָאֵל הַנֹּתֵן נְקָמֹת לִי וּמוֹרִיד עַמִּים תַּחְתֵּנִי

the same God who grants me vengeance, subjects peoples beneath me,

וּמוֹצִיאִי מאֹיְבָי וּמִקָּמַי תְּרוֹמְמֵנִי מֵאִישׁ חֲמָסִים תַּצִּילֵנִי

extricates me from the hand of my enemies, and You would lift me over those who rise against me; from the villainous man You would rescue me. These were all words of praise uttered by King David, the great military leader and conqueror.

עַל כֵּן אוֹדְךָ ה' בַּגּוֹיִם וּלְשִׁמְךָ אֲזַמֵּר

He concludes: Therefore, I will thank You among the nations, before Israel and the other nations, Lord, and to Your name I will sing.

מִגְדּוֹל יְשׁוּעוֹת מַלְכּוֹ וְעֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לִמְשִׁיחוֹ לְדָוִד וּלְזַרְעוֹ עַד עוֹלָם

He is a tower of salvation for His king, David; and He acts with kindness to His anointed, to David and to his descendants, forever.