To the Chief Musician,

A psalm of the sons of Korach.

All peoples, clap hands!¹

footnotes: ¹ According to Rashi, this psalm urges the nations of the world to join hands in recognizing the sovereignty of the Almighty.

shout to God

with the voice of joyous song.²

footnotes: ² The words הָרִיעוּ לֵאלֹהִים may also be translated, “sound blasts of the horn unto Hashem.” The Malbim notes that it is customary to sound trumpets during a royal coronation ceremony. This is what the nations will do when they proclaim Hashem as their King. (See Rav Saadiah Gaon’s first reason for the shofar on Rosh Hashana.)

For Adonoy is Most High, awesome;

a great King [is He] over all the earth.

He subdues peoples under us,

and nations under our feet.

He chose for us our inheritance,

the pride of Yaakov³

footnotes: ³ The pride of Yaakov refers to the Holy Temple which is our inheritance, and wherein Hashem’s spirit resides in glorious splendor.

which He loves forever.

God has ascended with a blast—

Adonoy, with the sound of the shofar.⁴

footnotes: ⁴ According to Midrash this verse alludes to the blast of the Shofar on Rosh Hashana, and specifically to the sound of תְּרוּעָה, teruah, the broken blast which symbolizes the harsh, shattering punishment of Elokim, He Who rules with strict justice. When the Jew hears the broken notes of the teruah, he realizes that he deserves shattering punishment for his transgressions and is inspired to teshuvah, true repentance. His sins are forgiven and this forgiveness is symbolized in the ascendance of Hashem from His Throne of Strict Justice (Elokim) to sit on His Throne of Mercy. Thus Hashem ascends because of the teruah sound of the shofar.

Sing praises to God, sing praises;

sing praises to our King, sing praises.

For King of all the earth is God,

sing praises [you who are] skillful.⁵

footnotes: ⁵ Even ordinary people are urged to clap hands and call out to Hashem with joyous song (verse 2), but the art of singing praises to Hashem is reserved for the מַשְׂכִּיל, one who is skillful and of superior intelligence.

God has reigned over all nations,

God is seated upon His holy throne.

The nobles of the nations gathered⁶

footnotes: ⁶ Rabbeinu Yonah says that the נְדִיבֵי עַמִים refers to the heads of the twelve tribes of Yisrael, for the twelve tribes are called nations (see Devarim 33:19).

the nation of the God of Avraham;

for God has the power to shield the earth,⁷

footnotes: ⁷ Hashem has the power to shield those who trust in Him (Rashi).

He is greatly exalted.

From the narrowness [of distress]

I called [to God,]

He answered me

with the breath of Divine relief.

You have heard my voice;

do not shut Your ear

to my [prayer for] relief, to my cry.

The beginning of Your word is truth

and forever are all Your righteous mandates.

Be surety for Your servant for good

let me not be oppressed by insolent sinners.

I am happy with Your word

like one who finds great gain.

Good Torah reasoning and knowledge

teach me

for in Your commandments I have believed.

[With] the offerings of my mouth

be pleased, I beseech You, Adonoy;

and Your mandates, teach me.

“God has ascended with a blast—

Adonoy, with the sound of the shofar.”

Blessed are You, Adonoy,

our God, King of the Universe

Who sanctified us with His commandments

and commanded us

to hear the sound of the shofar.

Blessed are You, Adonoy,

our God, King of the Universe

Who has kept us alive and sustained us

and brought us to this season.

Fortunate is the people

that understand⁸ the call of teruah

footnotes: ⁸ The Psalmist does not say that the people who hear the call of teruah but rather those who understand the call of teruah, are fortunate. Those who understand the intrinsic power of teruah which inspires man to repent are truly fortunate.

Adonoy,

in the light of Your Presence, they walk.⁹

footnotes: ⁹ The Radak says that the man who is spiritually aroused by the blast of the teruah, perceives Divine truths which illuminate his path and keep him from stumbling.

In Your Name they exult all the day

and through Your righteousness,

they are uplifted.

For the glory of their might is You,

and through Your favor, our horn is exalted.

Fortunate are those who dwell

in Your house;

may they continue to praise You, Selah.

Fortunate is the people whose lot is thus;

fortunate is the people

for whom Adonoy is their God.

A praise by Dovid!

I will exalt You, my God, the King,

and bless Your Name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless You

and extol Your Name forever and ever.

Adonoy is great and highly extolled,

and His greatness is unfathomable.

One generation to another

will praise Your works,

and Your mighty acts they will declare.

The splendor of Your glorious majesty,

and the words of Your wonders I will speak.

Of Your awesome might, they will speak,

and Your greatness I will recount.

Mention of Your bountifulness

they will express,

and in Your righteousness joyfully exult.

Adonoy is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and great in kindliness.

Adonoy is good to all,

His mercy encompasses all His works.

All Your works will thank You, Adonoy,

and Your pious ones will bless You.

Of the honor of Your Kingship,

they will speak,

and Your might they will declare.

To reveal to men His mighty acts,

and the glorious splendor of His Kingship.

Your Kingship is the kingship for all times,

and Your dominion is in every generation.

Adonoy supports all the fallen,

and straightens all the bent.

The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

and You give them

their food at its proper time.

You open Your hand

and satisfy the desire of every living being.

Adonoy is just in all His ways

and benevolent in all His deeds.

Adonoy is near to all who call upon Him,

to all who call upon Him in truth.

The will of those who fear Him, He fulfills;

He hears their cry and delivers them.

Adonoy watches over all those who love Him,

and will destroy all the wicked.

Praise of Adonoy, my mouth will declare

and all flesh will bless

His Holy Name forever and ever.

And we will bless God

from now forever.

Praise God.

They will praise the Name of Adonoy

for His Name alone is exalted.

His majesty is over the earth and the skies.

He will raise the might of His people,

[which is] praise for all His pious ones,

for the Children of Yisrael,

the people near to Him.

Praise God.

A Psalm of Dovid:

the earth is Adonoy’s and the fullness thereof,

the inhabited world and those who dwell in it.

For He founded it upon the seas,

and established it upon rivers.

Who may ascend the mountain of Adonoy,

and who may stand

in the place of His holiness?

The clean of hands and the pure of heart,

who has not borne My soul in vain,

and has not sworn deceitfully.

He will bear Adonoy’s blessing

and righteousness

from the God of his deliverance.

This is the generation of those who seek Him,

the seekers of Your Presence,

[God of] Yaakov, selah.

Lift up your heads, gates,

and be uplifted

[you] entranceways to eternity,

so that the King of Glory may enter.

Who is this King of Glory?

Adonoy, strong and mighty;

Adonoy, the Mighty One in battle.

Lift up your heads, gates,

and lift up, entranceways to eternity,

so that the King of Glory may enter.

Who is He, this King of Glory?

Adonoy Tzevaos,

He is the King of Glory, selah.

A Psalm to Dovid.

Ascribe to Adonoy—you sons of the mighty—

ascribe to Adonoy glory and might.

Ascribe to Adonoy the glory due His Name,

prostrate yourselves before Adonoy

in the splendor of holiness.

Adonoy’s voice is upon the waters.

Almighty of glory thunders,

Adonoy is upon [the] many waters.

The voice of Adonoy is in power,

the voice of Adonoy is in beauty.

The voice of Adonoy breaks cedars,

Adonoy shatters

the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes them leap like a calf,

Lebanon and Sirion like unicorns.

The voice of Adonoy hews out flames of fire.

The voice of Adonoy

makes the desert tremble,

Adonoy makes the desert of Kadesh tremble.

The voice of Adonoy causes hinds to calve,

and strips the forests bare;

and in His Sanctuary

all proclaim [His] glory.

Adonoy sat enthroned (even) at the flood,

Adonoy is enthroned as King forever.

Adonoy will give strength to His people;

Adonoy will bless His people with peace.

And when it rested, he would say:

Return, Adonoy,

to the myriads and thousands of Yisrael.

Arise, Adonoy unto Your resting place,

You and the Ark of Your strength.

Let Your priests

clothe themselves in righteousness,

and let Your devoted ones sing in joy.

For the sake of Dovid, Your servant,

do not reject Your anointed.

For I have given you good instruction,

do not forsake My Torah.

It is a tree of life to those who grasp it,

and those who support it are fortunate.

Its ways are ways of pleasantness

and all its paths are peace.

Cause us to return to You, Adonoy,

and we shall return;

renew our days as of old.