1 Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
2 I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4 My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
8 Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
9 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
11 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.
<html><b>For the conductor, al tashcheth</b> David called this psalm by this name because he was near death, and he established this psalm, saying, “Do not destroy me, O Lord.”</html>
<html><b>Be gracious to me, etc., be gracious to me</b> that I should neither kill nor be killed. <b>until the destruction passes</b> Heb. הוות, until the evil passes.</html>
<html><b>from the disgrace of him who yearns to swallow me up</b> And He will save me from the disgrace of ֹשֹאַפִי, who says to swallow me up, golosa moy in Old French, longs to swallow me up. (See above 56: 2.)</html>
<html><b>My soul is among lions</b> Abner and Amassa, who were “lions” [leaders] the in Torah, and who do not protest against Saul. <b>I lie among men who are aflame</b> En flanboyanz, or enflamoyonz, among those who are flaming. Among the Ziphim, who are aflame after slander.</html>
<html><b>Be exalted above the heavens</b> Withdraw from the earthlings, who are unworthy of having Your Shechinah rest among them, and on the earth You shall be honored by this.</html>
<html><b>he bent down my soul</b> i.e., the enemy. <b>they will fall into it</b> They will ultimately fall into it. כפף is cline, or clina in Old French, bent, bent down, an expression of (below 145:14): “and straightens all who are bent down (הכפופים).”</html>
<html><b>My heart is steadfast with God, my heart is steadfast</b> Faithful to You in the Divine standard of justice and faithful to You in the Divine standard of mercy.</html>
<html><b>Awaken, my honor</b> and let me not sleep until three hours [of the day have passed], as other kings do. <b>awaken [me], lyre and harp</b> Awaken me, you lyre and harp hanging on my bed, open to the north side. And as soon as midnight arrived, the north wind would blow on it, and David would get up and engage in Torah. <b>I will awaken the dawn</b> I awaken the dawn; the dawn does not awaken me.</html>