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Rashi on Psalms Chapter 59

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אַל תַּשְׁחֵת. כָּךְ קָרָא שֵׁם הַמִּזְמוֹר, עַל שֵׁם שֶׁהָיָה קָרוֹב לָמוּת וְלִהְיוֹת נִשְׁחָת, מְבַקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים עַל הַדָּבָר:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

al tashcheth He called the psalm by this name because he was close to dying and to being destroyed, and he begged for mercy in the matter.

וַיִּשְׁמְרוּ אֶת הַבַּיִת. כְּשֶׁאָמְרָה לָהֶם מִיכַל: ״חוֹלֶה הוּא״ (שמואל א יט:יד), וְהִבְרִיחַתּוֹ בַּלַּיְלָה:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

and they guarded the house when Michal told them that he was ill (I Sam. 19:14) and she allowed him to flee at night.

יָגוּרוּ עָלַי. לָנִים בְּבֵיתִי לְשָׁמְרֵנִי:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

[they] lodge against me to enter my house, to guard me.

בְּלִי עָוֹן. לֹא חָטָאתִי לָהֶם:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

Without iniquity I did not sin against them.

וְיִכּוֹנָנוּ. מְזֻמָּנִים לַהֲרוֹג:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

and prepare themselves Ready to kill.

הָקִיצָה לִפְקֹד כָּל הַגּוֹיִם. וְאֶת הָרְשָׁעִים שְׁפוֹט כְּמִשְׁפְּטֵי הַגּוֹיִם, וַעֲלֵיהֶם אַל תָּחֹן:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

arise to visit upon all the nations And judge these wicked men according to the statutes of the nations. Do not be gracious to them.

יָשׁוּבוּ לָעֶרֶב וְגוֹ׳, הִנֵּה יַבִּיעוּן בְּפִיהֶם. פִּתְרוֹן שְׁנֵי מִקְרָאוֹת הַלָּלוּ נוֹפֵל זֶה עַל זֶה, יָשׁוּבוּ לָעֶרֶב לֹא דַיָּם מַה שֶּׁעָשׂוּ בַּיּוֹם אֶלָּא אַף לָעֶרֶב יָשׁוּבוּ עַל רָעָתָם לִשְׁמֹר שֶׁלֹּא אֶבְרַח וְאֵצֵא מִן הָעִיר, וּמַה עָשׂוּ בַּיּוֹם? הִנֵּה כָּל הַיּוֹם יַבִּיעוּ בְּפִיהֶם לְרַגֵּל עָלַי אֶל שָׁאוּל:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

They return in the evening, etc... Behold, they spew forth with their mouth The interpretation of these two verses connects one to the other. They return in the evening What they did by day does not suffice them; in the evening they repeat their evil: guarding me that I do not escape and leave the city Now what did they do by day? Behold, all day they spew forth with their mouth, to spy on me to Saul.

חֲרָבוֹת בְּשִׂפְתוֹתֵיהֶם. וְאוֹמְרִים בְּלִבָּם: מִי שׁוֹמֵעַ?

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

swords in their lips and they think to themselves, “Who hears?”

וְאַתָּה ה׳. אֲשֶׁר תִּלְעַג תִּשְׂחַק גַּם לָרְשָׁעִים הַלָּלוּ:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

But You, O Lord Who will scoff at all the nations, will mock these wicked men as well.

עֻזּוֹ אֵלֶיךָ אֶשְׁמֹרָה. עֻזּוֹ וְתָקְפּוֹ שֶׁל אוֹיְבִי הֶחָזָק עָלַי, אֵלֶיךָ אֶשְׁמֹרָה וַאֲצַפֶּה לְעָזְרֵנִי הֵימֶנּוּ:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

[Because of] his strength The strength and might of my enemy, who is stronger than I. I hope for You and I wait [for You] to rescue me from him.

יְקַדְּמֵנִי. יַקְדִּים לִי עֶזְרָתִי קוֹדֶם שֶׁתִּשְׁלוֹט בִּי יַד שׂוֹנְאַי:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

will precede He will give me His help before the hand of my enemy overwhelms me.

יַרְאֵנִי בְשׁוֹרְרָי. מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי תָּאֵב לִרְאוֹת:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

will allow me to see in those who watch me what I long to see.

אַל תַּהַרְגֵם. שֶׁאֵין זוֹ נְקָמָה הַנִּכֶּרֶת:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

Do not kill them because this is not recognizable [as] revenge.

פֶּן יִשְׁכְּחוּ עַמִּי. כִּי כָל הַמֵּתִים מִשְׁתַּכְּחִים, אֶלָּא הֲנִיעֵמוֹ מִנִּכְסֵיהֶם שֶׁיִּהְיוּ עֲנִיִּים, וְהִיא נְקָמָה שֶׁתִּזָּכֵר לְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

lest my people forget because all the dead are forgotten. Instead, deprive them of their possessions, so that they are impoverished. That is the revenge that will be long remembered.

חַטַּאת. שֶׁל פִּיהֶם הוּא דְּבַר שְׂפָתֵימוֹ, וְנִלְכָּדִים בִּגְאוֹנָם הָעֲנִיִּים הַנִּרְדָּפִים עַל יְדֵיהֶם, מִפְּנֵי הָאָלָה וְהַכַּחַשׁ שֶׁהֵם מְסַפְּרִים:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

The sin of their mouth is the word of their lips, and the poor who are pursued by them because of the curse and the lies that they tell, are seized through their haughtiness.

כַּלֵּה. אוֹתָם בַּחֲמָתְךָ מֶלֶךְ הַשּׁוֹפֵט, וְיֵדְעוּ כִּי אַתָּה מוֹשֵׁל בְּיַעֲקֹב:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

Destroy [them] with wrath Destroy them with Your wrath, O King Who judges, and let them know that You rule over Jacob.

וְיָשׁוּבוּ לָעֶרֶב. מְחֻבָּר לַמִּקְרָא הָעֶלְיוֹן חֲטַאת פִּימוֹ, הֵם מְדַבְּרִים בַּיּוֹם, וְלָעֶרֶב הֵם שָׁבִים לֶאֱרֹב אוֹתָם שֶׁהִלְשִׁינוּ עֲלֵיהֶם:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

And they will return in the evening This is attached to the preceding verse. The sin of their mouth they speak by day, and in the evening, they return to ambush those whom they slandered.

הֵמָּה יְנִיעוּן לֶאֱכֹל. כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ הַכְּלָבִים כָּל הַלַּיְלָה אִם אֵינָם שְׂבֵעִים, שֶׁיָּלִינוּ מִתּוֹךְ שָׂבְעָם וְיִישְׁנוּ:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

They will roam about to eat as the dogs do all night if they are not sated, so that they can lodge out of satiety, and sleep.

וַאֲנִי. כְּשֶׁאֶמָּלֵט מֵהֶם לַבֹּקֶר, אָשִׁיר עֻזֶּךָ:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

And I when I escape them, I will sing of Your power in the morning.

עֻזִּי אֵלֶיךָ. אֵלֶיךָ שֶׁאַתָּה ״עֻזִּי וּמָעוּזִּי״ (ירמיה טז:יט), אֵלֶיךָ אֲזַמֵּרָה:

The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

My strength! To You To You, Who are my strength and my stronghold, to You I will sing.

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