Table of Contents
Psalm 108
Psalm 108
1 O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my glory.
2 Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
3 I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.
4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;
6 That thy beloved may be delivered: save with thy right hand, and answer me.
7 God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of mine head; Judah is my lawgiver;
9 Moab is my washpot; over Edom will I cast out my shoe; over Philistia will I triumph.
10 Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?
11 Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?
12 Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.
13 Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.
Notes
Cross Reference
Concordance
Commentary
Rashi
Verse 2
<html><b>My heart is steadfast</b> faithful with You. <b>even my glory</b> Even my glory is what I sing to You. Another explanation: <b>Even my glory</b> Even according to my honor, I shall not hesitate to sing to Him, and I shall not take glory for myself.</html>
Verse 3
<html><b>I shall awaken the dawn</b> It is the custom of other kings that the dawn awakens them, but I awaken the dawn, for I rise at midnight, when the psaltery and the harp awaken me, as our Rabbis said (Ber. 3b): A harp was suspended above David’s bed. As soon as midnight arrived, the north wind would blow on it and it would play by itself.</html>
Verse 5
<html><b>above the heavens</b> and one verse says (above 57:11): “is up to the heavens.” Our Rabbis explained: This one speaks of those who perform [a commandment] for its sake [i.e., for the sole purpose of obeying the Torah], and that one deals with those who perform [the commandments] with ulterior motives.</html>
Verse 7
<html><b>and answer me</b> for all Your people and Your beloved ones are dependent upon me.</html>
Verse 8
<html><b>God spoke with His holiness</b> that I would reign and that the time would come that I would rejoice in His word. <b>that I would allot a portion</b> I shall divide the land of my enemies to Israel, like (Gen. 48: 22): “one portion (שכם) more than your brethren.”</html>
Verse 10
<html><b>Moab is my washbasin</b> i.e., my slaves and my servants, like a utensil that people use. <b>on Edom I shall cast</b> my servitude, that their kings should put my shoes on my feet. <b>I shall shout</b> I shall raise my voice to them to frighten them.</html>
Verse 11
<html><b>Who will bring me</b> in the time of the Messiah, to stretch forth my hand upon Esau in his fortified cities? <b>He Who</b> Who led us already upon Edom, that I smote them in the Valley of Salt, eighteen thousand.</html>