(א) לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר חֶסֶד וּמִשְׁפָּט אָשִׁירָה לְךָ ה‘ אֲזַמֵּרָה:
(1) A Mizmor by David. Of [Your] kindness and justice I will sing. To You, Hashem, I will sing.
NOTE: For a PDF of this mizmor, please click here. This will enable you to print out the entire text of the article. [Rev. 0]
Key Concepts of Mizmor 101 (Self-Dedication)
This mizmor is a song of renewed self-dedication in which David declares his intent to devote himself and his kingdom to the goal of moral and ethical perfection. He commits himself to modeling his kingdom on the qualities of kindness and justice with which Hashem rules the world. He wants to banish from his court all behavior that is unworthy or morally base and evil.
But he realizes that before seeking to impose high standards on others he must first overcome his own deficiencies. After internalizing the principles of sincerity and integrity within his personal behavior, he is determined to share these principles with all who look to him for guidance.
Exploring the Mizmor
PART 1. CHOOSING THE GOOD WAY. David begins by declaring his commitment to the way of perfection, as symbolized by the Creator Himself. This involves adherence to complete sincerity and integrity, even within the privacy of his own home.
(א) לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר חֶסֶד וּמִשְׁפָּט אָשִׁירָה לְךָ ה‘ אֲזַמֵּרָה: (ב) אַשְׂכִּילָה בְּדֶרֶךְ תָּמִים מָתַי תָּבוֹא אֵלָי אֶתְהַלֵּךְ בְּתָם לְבָבִי בְּקֶרֶב בֵּיתִי: (ג) לֹא אָשִׁית לְנֶגֶד עֵינַי דְּבַר בְּלִיָּעַל עֲשֹׂה סֵטִים שָׂנֵאתִי לֹא יִדְבַּק בִּי:
(1) A Mizmor by David. Of [Your] kindness and justice I will sing. To You, Hashem, I will sing. (2) I will contemplate the way of perfection . When will it come to me? I will walk in sincerity of heart [even] within my home. (3) I will not place before my eyes anything unworthy. I despise all crooked practice; it will not cling to me.
PART 2. CHOOSING GOOD PEOPLE. David resolves to apply the same high standards of ethics and morality to the people he recruits to carry out the functions of his kingdom.
(ד) לֵבָב עִקֵּשׁ יָסוּר מִמֶּנִּי רָע לֹא אֵדָע: (ה) מְלָשְׁנִי בַסֵּתֶר רֵעֵהוּ אוֹתוֹ אַצְמִית גְּבַהּ עֵינַיִם וּרְחַב לֵבָב אֹתוֹ לֹא אוּכָל: (ו) עֵינַי בְּנֶאֶמְנֵי אֶרֶץ לָשֶׁבֶת עִמָּדִי הֹלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ תָּמִים הוּא יְשָׁרְתֵנִי: (ז) לֹא יֵשֵׁב בְּקֶרֶב בֵּיתִי עֹשֵׂה רְמִיָּה דֹּבֵר שְׁקָרִים לֹא יִכּוֹן לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי: (ח) לַבְּקָרִים אַצְמִית כָּל רִשְׁעֵי אָרֶץ לְהַכְרִית מֵעִיר ה‘ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן:
(4) A perverse heart shall remain removed from me. I will have nothing to do with evil. (5) The person who secretly speaks ill of his neighbor, him will I cut off. I will not tolerate a person of proud looks and a conceited heart. (6) My eyes are on the trustworthy of the land that they may dwell with me. He that walks in the path of absolute integrity shall serve me. (7) The practitioner of deceit shall not stay within my house. One who tells lies, shall not remain in my sight. (8) Every morning I will [work to] eliminate all the wicked of the land, to cut off all doers of evil from the City of Hashem.
Learning the Mizmor
PART 1. CHOOSING THE GOOD WAY.
(א) לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר
A mizmor composed by David — לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר after a period of reflection and moral self-examination. He began the mizmor with the word לְדָוִד because he could not expect to be inspired until he was spiritually ready. Only then would he be able to guide others in achieving the high standards of morality and integrity upon which his kingdom was to be modeled.
חֶסֶד וּמִשְׁפָּט אָשִׁירָה
לְךָ ה‘ אֲזַמֵּרָה:
לְךָ ה‘ אֲזַמֵּרָה:
Hashem, whether You act toward me with kindness or with harsh justice, I will gratefully sing to You — חֶסֶד וּמִשְׁפָּט אָשִׁירָה , for Your kindness is pure and Your justice atones for my sins. To You, Hashem, I will sing praises — לְךָ ה’ אֲזַמֵּרָה for with this mizmor I dedicate myself to Your service. And so I will speak of your virtues for You have enabled me to emulate them.
(ב) אַשְׂכִּילָה בְּדֶרֶךְ תָּמִים
מָתַי תָּבוֹא אֵלָי
מָתַי תָּבוֹא אֵלָי
I will contemplate the meaning of what is happening in my life and learn from my experiences. I will try to achieve the way of perfection — אַשְׂכִּילָה בְּדֶרֶךְ תָּמִים . This means not being motivated by the possibility of any personal benefit, other than just doing what is right. When will it come to me — מָתַי תָּבוֹא אֵלָי through Your holy inspiration? I will be continually on the lookout for the opportunity to do what is right in every situation.
אֶתְהַלֵּךְ בְּתָם לְבָבִי
בְּקֶרֶב בֵּיתִי:
בְּקֶרֶב בֵּיתִי:
I will constantly walk in search of pefect integrity and sincerity of heart even within the privacy of my home — אֶתְהַלֵּךְ בְּתָם לְבָבִי בְּקֶרֶב בֵּיתִי . I will consistently work to free myself from all ulterior motives, even when I am under duress.
(ג) לֹא אָשִׁית לְנֶגֶד עֵינַי דְּבַר בְּלִיָּעַל
עֲשֹׂה סֵטִים שָׂנֵאתִי לֹא יִדְבַּק בִּי:
עֲשֹׂה סֵטִים שָׂנֵאתִי לֹא יִדְבַּק בִּי:
I will not emulate the practices and behavior of the wicked even when they seem to be benefitting thereby. This means I will not place before my eyes anything unworthy of coming up before Hashem — לֹא אָשִׁית לְנֶגֶד עֵינַי דְּבַר בְּלִיָּעַל nor will I contemplate it in my mind’s eye. I despise all crooked practice — עֲשֹׂה סֵטִים שָׂנֵאתִי ; it will not cling to me — לֹא יִדְבַּק בִּי .
PART 2. CHOOSING GOOD PEOPLE.
(ד) לֵבָב עִקֵּשׁ יָסוּר מִמֶּנִּי
רָע לֹא אֵדָע:
רָע לֹא אֵדָע:
In contrast with the practices other kings and leaders, I will not keep company with people of perverse character. A perverse heart shall remain removed from me — לֵבָב עִקֵּשׁ יָסוּר מִמֶּנִּי . I will have nothing to do with evil — רָע לֹא אֵדָע even in my heart.
(ה) מְלָשְׁנִי בַסֵּתֶר רֵעֵהוּ
אוֹתוֹ אַצְמִית
גְּבַהּ עֵינַיִם וּרְחַב לֵבָב
אֹתוֹ לֹא אוּכָל:
אוֹתוֹ אַצְמִית
גְּבַהּ עֵינַיִם וּרְחַב לֵבָב
אֹתוֹ לֹא אוּכָל:
The person who secretly speaks ill of his neighbor — מְלָשְׁנִי בַסֵּתֶר רֵעֵהוּ him will I cut off from my fellowship — אוֹתוֹ אַצְמִית . I will not tolerate a person of proud looks and a conceited heart — גְּבַהּ עֵינַיִם וּרְחַב לֵבָב אֹתוֹ לֹא אוּכָל .
(ו) עֵינַי בְּנֶאֶמְנֵי אֶרֶץ לָשֶׁבֶת עִמָּדִי
הֹלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ תָּמִים הוּא יְשָׁרְתֵנִי:
הֹלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ תָּמִים הוּא יְשָׁרְתֵנִי:
Instead of having evil men around me I will keep the company those who are honest. My eyes will be on the trustworthy of the land — עֵינַי בְּנֶאֶמְנֵי אֶרֶץ , that they may dwell with me — לָשֶׁבֶת עִמָּדִי . The man that walks in the path of absolute integrity — הֹלֵךְ בְּדֶרֶךְ תָּמִים , he shall serve me — הוּא יְשָׁרְתֵנִי by giving me the benefit of his counsel.
(ז) לֹא יֵשֵׁב בְּקֶרֶב בֵּיתִי עֹשֵׂה רְמִיָּה
דֹּבֵר שְׁקָרִים לֹא יִכּוֹן לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי:
דֹּבֵר שְׁקָרִים לֹא יִכּוֹן לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי:
The practitioner of deceit will not be allowed to stay within my house — לֹא יֵשֵׁב בְּקֶרֶב בֵּיתִי עֹשֵׂה רְמִיָּה . One who tells lies, even harmless lies, — דֹּבֵר שְׁקָרִים shall not remain in my sight — לֹא יִכּוֹן לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי . I want to avoid interacting with such people lest I become accustomed to their ways and find myself adopting their habits.
(ח) לַבְּקָרִים אַצְמִית כָּל רִשְׁעֵי אָרֶץ
לְהַכְרִית מֵעִיר ה‘ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן:
לְהַכְרִית מֵעִיר ה‘ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן:
Starting early every morning I will actively diminish and ultimately get rid of all the wicked of the land — לַבְּקָרִים אַצְמִית כָּל רִשְׁעֵי אָרֶץ , especially to cut off all doers of evil from Yerushalayim, the city of Hashem — לְהַכְרִית מֵעִיר ה’ כָּל פֹּעֲלֵי אָוֶן .
Sources
The primary sources used in the interpretation of the verses in this mizmor are listed below.
א – רש”י, אבן עזרא, מצודות, בן רמוך, אלשיך, מלבי”ם, רשר”ה
ב – רש”י, אבן עזרא, רד”ק, מצודות, אלשיך, מלבי”ם, רשר”ה, נר לרגלי
ג – אבן עזרא, רד”ק, מצודות, נר לרגלי
ד – רד”ק, מצודות, מלבי”ם,
ה – המאירי, אבן יחייא
ו – המאירי, רשר”ה
ז – רד”ק, ספורנו
ז – רד”ק, ספורנו
ח – רד”ק, מצודות, נר לרגלי