Table of Contents
Psalm 7
Psalm 7
1 O Lord my God, in thee do I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me:
2 Lest he tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
3 O Lord my God, If I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands;
4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)
5 Let the enemy persecute my soul, and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust. Selah.
6 Arise, O Lord, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me to the judgment that thou hast commanded.
7 So shall the congregation of the people compass thee about: for their sakes therefore return thou on high.
8 The Lord shall judge the people: judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness, and according to mine integrity that is in me.
9 Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.
10 My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart.
11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
12 If he turn not, he will whet his sword; he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors.
14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
15 He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
17 I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.
Notes
Cross Reference
Concordance
Commentary
Rashi
Verse 1
<html><b>A shiggayon of David</b> Menachem says (p. 170) that this, too, is one of the names of a melody named for the instrument, and so he explained “on shigyonoth,” [in Habakkuk 3:1]. But our Sages (Mid. Ps. 7:18) explained it as an expression of error, that he confessed and prayed about the error that he had [committed by] reciting a song upon Saul’s downfall, as it is stated (in II Sam. 22:1): “And David spoke to the Lord, etc.” The contents of the psalm, however, do not indicate this, because it speaks of the nations (in verse 9): “May the Lord judge the peoples.” I, therefore, say that he recited it concerning Ishbi in Nob (II Sam. 21:16), who came upon him as a punishment for Saul; as our Rabbis explained, that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Through you, Doeg the Edomite was banished; through you, Saul and his sons were slain, etc.” as is stated in “Chelek” (Sanh. 95a). The errors that David asked of the Holy One, blessed be He, [were] that he [himself] be delivered into the hands of his enemies and that his descendants should not be destroyed. (The last sentence does not appear in all editions.) [Therefore, because his life was endangered,] David reversed his prayer and prayed that he should not fall into the hands of his enemies. Now this is its meaning: An error that David sang to the Lord because he had erred in saying to the Holy One, blessed be He, to deliver him into the hands of his enemies on account of Saul, who was slain because of him. Another explanation: Concerning the error of the skirt of Saul’s coat, which he had severed. <b>Cush</b> Just as a Cushite has unusual skin, so did Saul have unusual deeds.</html>
Verse 3
<html><b>rending it to pieces</b> Heb. פרק, an expression of (Exod. 32:2): “Break off (פרקו) the golden rings.”</html>
Verse 4
<html><b>if I have done this</b> What is delineated after it.</html>
Verse 5
<html><b>if I repaid the one who did evil to me</b> If I repaid him according to his deeds. <b>and I stripped my adversary into emptiness</b> I destroyed his garment when I severed the skirt of his coat. Did I do it to destroy and to strip him and cause him to stand empty, and [was it done] with hatred? Only to let him know that he was delivered into my hand to kill him, and I did not kill him. [The word] חלצה is an expression of stripping off clothing.</html>
Verse 7
<html><b>Arise, O Lord, with Your wrath</b> against my enemies, such as Ishbi and his brothers and the Philistines, that I should not be delivered into their hands. <b>exalt Yourself</b> boast, to show me the revenge of Your anger when You become angry with them. <b>and awaken for me</b> that I should be able to execute upon them the judgment of revenge that You commanded. Now where did You command [it]? “You shall break them with an iron rod” (above 2:9). “Then I will be an enemy to your enemies” (Exod. 23:22). I found this in the Midrash (Mid. Ps. 7:6; Tan. Ki Thissa 20, Buber 13 with variations).</html>
Verse 8
<html><b>And [if] a congregation of kingdoms surrounds You</b> If troops of nations follow You to save them, do not hearken to their voice. Distance Yourself from them and go back to sit in Your place on high; repoxa in Old French, repose. Another interpretation: Return on high to show them that You have the upper hand.</html>
Verse 9
<html><b>May the Lord judge the peoples</b> Reverse the sentence from upon us and place it upon the nations. <b>judge</b> An expression of chastisements. <b>judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness</b> But judge Israel according to the good deeds they have done and not according to the sins.</html>
Verse 10
<html><b>destroy</b> Heb. יגמר, lit. finish. An expression of destruction, and so did Menachem (p. 57) interpret: (77:9), “destroyed (גמר) His word”; (12:2), “a pious man has perished (גמר),” and so all of them. (This does not appear in certain editions.) <b>and may You establish the righteous…tests the hearts</b> You know who is the righteous man that You may establish him. <b>the righteous God</b> That is Your name.</html>
Verse 12
<html><b>a righteous judge</b> are You to judge with righteousness. <b>is incensed every day</b> when He sees the deed of the wicked.</html>
Verse 13
<html><b>If he does not repent</b> [i.e., if] the wicked [does not repent] of his wickedness. <b>He will whet His sword</b> The Holy One, blessed be He, [will whet His sword] for him. ילטוש means forbira in Old French, to polish, furbish; and He will tread His bow.</html>
Verse 14
<html><b>And…for him</b> And for the wicked man, the Holy One, blessed be He, has prepared deadly weapons. <b>for pursuers</b> Heb. לדלקים, for pursuers, as (in Gen. 31:36): “that you pursued (דלקת) me.” And this is its meaning: His arrows to slay the wicked who pursue the righteous, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make and prepare them to slay them. Every [instance of] דליקה is an expression of pursuit.</html>
Verse 15
<html><b>Behold, he travails</b> Heb. יחבל an expression of conception and birth, as (in Song 8:5): “there your mother was in travail with you (חבלתך).” <b>he conceives mischief, and gives birth to lies</b> Whatever he begets and toils, everything betrays him. The adage says: Whatever lies beget, diminution takes.</html>
Verse 18
<html><b>I will thank the Lord according to His righteousness</b> When He executes strict justice with righteousness, to judge the wicked according to their wickedness.</html>