To the chief Musician, A Psalm, a Poem of David.

For the conductor of the singing, a psalm, a song.

Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: and let those who hate him flee before him.

Let G d arise, let His enemies [(Amalek and the like)] be scattered, and let all His foes flee before Him.

As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

As smoke is driven away, drive [them] away; as wax melts in fire, let the wicked go lost before G d [(before the ark in the days of Moses)].

But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: and let them joyfully exult.

And the righteous will be happy. They will revel before G d and rejoice in happiness, [saying]:

Sing to God, sing praises to his name: extol him who rides upon the clouds; Ya is his name: and rejoice before him.

Sing to G d, sing His name; exalt the Rider on aravoth [(the heavens)] by His name Kah [(connoting fear)], and rejoice before Him [viz. 2:11].

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of widows, is God in his holy habitation.

[(His praises [until the end of the psalm]):] The father of orphans [Israel (viz. Eichah 5:3)] and the judge [on behalf] of widows [Jerusalem (viz. Eichah 1:1)] is G d in His holy abode.

God makes the lonely ones dwell in a house: he brings out the prisoners into prosperity; but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

G d settles [the scattered] individuals [of Israel] in a [single] house [i.e., a united congregation]. He releases the prisoners [(from Egypt)] in an equable [month (neither too hot nor too cold)], but the renegades [the Egyptians] remain in aridity [(a land that is dry and parched)].

O God, when Thou didst go out before Thy people, when Thou didst march through the wilderness; (Sela;)

O G d, when You went out before Your people [(in the pillar of cloud)], when You [set] Your step in the wilderness, [(You showed this — for every affliction, redemption — to be Your way)] forever.

the earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinay itself at the presence of God, the God of Yisra᾽el.

The land quaked. Even the heavens dripped before G d. This is Sinai! [(It, too, quaked)] before G d, the G d of Israel.

Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby Thou didst strengthen Thy inheritance, when it languished.

[(Whenever they were in need)] You streamed down [for them] beneficent rain, O G d. When Your inheritance [(the land)] was weary [i.e., in need of rain], You prepared it.

Thy flock found a dwelling in it: Thou, O God, preparest of Thy goodness for the poor.

Your congregation dwelt therein. In Your goodness You prepared [the land] for the poor one [Israel], O G d. [(You led them through the desert for forty years while the Canaanites replanted what they had uprooted)].

The Lord gives the word: great is the company of those who bear the tidings.

The L rd will give out a word to apprise a great host.

Kings of armies flee, they flee: and she who dwells in the house divides the spoil.

[The word:] The kings of the hosts [(of the nations)] will be made to move [(out of Eretz Yisrael)], and the [(traditional)] dweller of the house [i.e., Israel] will divide the spoils.

When you lie among the sheep folds you shall shine as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her pinions with yellow gold.

If you have lain between the borders [and indulged yourself in delights, this becomes you, for you are My "dove," the congregation of Israel, whose wings are] the wings of a dove, covered with silver, and its pinions, with brilliant gold.

When the Almighty scatters kings in it, snow falls in Żalmon.

[(And when was this eminence conferred upon them?)] When the Almighty spread forth [His Torah before them], wherewith kings [i.e., Torah scholars] are "snowed upon" [and whitened] in [a land of] darkness [— at that time her wings were covered with the "silver" of Torah and mitzvoth].

O mighty hill, O hill of Bashan; O high peaked hill, hill of Bashan:

[(And where did this "spreading forth" occur?)] On the mountain of G d [Sinai], the mountain [near] Bashan, the mount of mountains, Mount Bashan.

why dost thou look askance, O high peaked hill, at the mountain which God has desired for his abode? truly the Lord will dwell there forever.

[(continuation of verse 12)] Why do you lurk, you lofty mountains, against the mount [the Temple Mount)], which G d desired as His dwelling? And, indeed, the L rd will dwell [there] forever.

The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands: the Lord is among them: Sinay in holiness!

[continuation of verse 12 (in praise of Israel)] [Even when there appeared upon Sinai] the chariot of G d, two ten thousands of thousands of [scintillating] angels, the L rd among them in [His] holiness,

Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts from men; yea, from the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell there.

You [(Moses, the prince of His people,)] ascended to the heights, you captured the spoil [the Torah] — (taking gifts [from the celestial beings] for [the sons of] man, even in [the midst of those who had been] rebellious ones) — [wherein (the tabernacle of Torah)] Kah, G d would dwell.

Blessed be the Lord who day by day bears our burden. God is our salvation. (Sela.)

[continuation of verse 5] Blessed is the L rd. Every day the Almighty heaps upon us [(as much of)] our salvation [as we can bear], forever.

He That is our God is the God of salvations; and to God the Lord belong the issues of death.

The Almighty, to us, is a G d of salvations, though the L rd G d commands many exits [of the soul from the body] for death.

But God will smite through the head of his enemies, the hairy scalp of such as goes on still in his trespasses.

But [(with those deaths)] G d will smash the heads of His foes, the pate of the hairy one [(Esav)], who walks [always] in his guilt.

The Lord said, I will bring back from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea:

The L rd has said: I will return you [Israel] from Bashan [the nations]; I will return you from the depths of the sea.

that thy foot may wade in blood; and the tongue of thy dogs have its portion of thy enemies.

[("G d will smash the heads of His foes")] so that your foot will wade through blood. The tongues of your dogs, from the [blood of your] foes will have their sustenance.

They see Thy processions, O God; the processions of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

[(And, indeed, it is fitting that You save Israel, for when)] they witnessed Your goings, O G d [at the Red Sea], the goings of my G d, my King, in holiness,

The singers go before, the players on instruments follow after; among them are maidens beating tambourines.

Singers came forward [(to sing the Song of the Sea)], and afterwards, minstrels [i.e., angels], in the midst of [Miriam and her] maidens playing timbrels, [and saying:]

Bless God in the congregations, the Lord, from the fountain of Yisra᾽el.

In congregations, bless G d; the L rd, from the womb of Israel [(The fetuses, too, chanted song)].

There is Binyamin, the youngest, ruling them, the princes of Yehuda, their council, the princes of Zevulun, and the princes of Naftali.

There [(at the splitting of the sea)] Benjamin, the youngest [of the tribes, acquired the merit of becoming] their king [(as was realized by Saul of the tribe of Benjamin) because of their having been first into the sea]. The lords of Judah stoned them [in envy, as did] the lords of Zevulun and the lords of Naftali, [whereupon He said:]

Thy God has commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which Thou hast wrought for us,

The L rd commanded your [(Benjamin's)] strength! [(The singer now reverts to his prayer:)] Strengthen Yourself, O G d, [(to save us)], You who wrought [all] this for us!

out of Thy temple at Yerushalayim, whither kings shall bring Thee gifts.

By [witnessing the glory of] Your sanctuary on Jerusalem, the kings will bring gifts to You.

Rebuke the wild beast of the reed grass, the company of bulls with the calves of the peoples, who seek to ingratiate themselves with pieces of silver; the prodigality of nations desiring to approach Thee.

Shout down the beast of the reeds [(Yishmael, who is like a swine living among the reeds)], the congregation of mighty bulls among the calves of the peoples, humbled [only] by conciliation with silver, scattering peoples [(the tribes)], desiring battles.

Nobles shall come out of Miżrayim; Kush shall soon stretch out her hands to God.

[In the future] they will bring us gifts from Egypt. Kush will hasten its hands to [bring gifts] to G d.

Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; O sing praise to the Lord; (Sela;)

Kingdoms of the earth, sing to G d [(who showed His strength and redeemed His people)]. Sing to the L rd, always.

to him that rides upon the heavens of heavens, which are of old; lo, he sends out his voice, a mighty voice.

[Sing] to the Rider in the heavens [above] the primal heavens. Behold, He sends forth His voice [in] a sound of strength.

Ascribe strength to God: his majesty is over Yisra᾽el, and his strength is in the clouds.

Ascribe strength to G d. Because of Israel [He has manifested] His majesty, and His strength is [discernible] in the heights.

O God, Thou art terrible out of Thy holy places: the God of Yisra᾽el: he gives strength and power to his people. Blessed is God.

[You are] feared, O G d, from [what You have done to] Your sanctuary. [(If He did not grant grace to His sanctuary, how much more so will He not grant grace to the wicked idolators!)]. He is the Might of Israel. He gives strength and power to the people. Blessed is G d.