Psalm 7

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Psalm 7 is about failure. The first word, shiggaion, is the idea that someone had made a mistake. This being the first word of the Psalm means that whatever we are about to read is either about what made this error happen, what had actually happen or the aftermath of this error. Whether we enter a world of King David’s reflecting on past, present or future events, we know this is a meditative practice of contemplating something he had failed in. 

The mistake, as we read on in the opening line, appears to be an error of exposing his vulnerability to someone close to him. David sang about the darkness he is experiencing, yet somehow, now, he is left with no one by his side. This is an experience most people can relate to - when we reach out and do the hardest emotional move humans can do - become vulnerable with someone, exposing all your pain, worry and dark thoughts, only to find out we had opened up too much to the wrong person. Many times, those who we believe will be there for us, end up not being able to catch our fall. 

Before we take this to mean anything negative about “the strong man” that was “by my [David’s] said,” we must acknowledge that there are certain falls and certain emotional wounds that we all need to face alone - no matter how much we wish someone will save us from our internal pain, it is only us who has access to it, and therefore, it is only us who can fix it for ourselves. 

Unfortunately, sometimes we think we are sharing our challenges with someone who is our friend only to discover they are our enemy. In our life it might not be a literal enemy as it might have been for King David - nonetheless, the experience of such betrayal is one that is far too common in this day-and-age. 

Yet we are not alone on this path of healing from such types of betrayals. David has lost his trust in his ‘right-hand-man’ and turns to G-d for comfort, strength and help: G-d, he prays, will be there to help and pick us up in times of failure, betrayal and pain. 

What starts as King David’s own plea against his foes, turns into a prayer that crosses the boundaries between a personal prayer, a prayer in the name of all of the Jewish people, and a prophetic prayer that lasts through the test of time. Post-Oct. 7th, it may feel as if King David might have been writing these words as he is sitting in government, reflecting on how to proceed. 

Just like Abraham’s teachings, Moses’s construction of rules out of these teachings (as he was directed to do by G-d), here, King David shows us how our journey of personal doubt and pain, when we turn towards G-d, can lead us towards not our own redemption, but towards us praying for salvation, peace, and truthful judgment for all. For after making a mistake and feeling G-d’s judgment upon him, David now believes more deeply in the divine power of G-d and expects that the just punishment will befall on his enemies, as he received fair judgment for his errors. 

שִׁגָּי֗וֹן לְדָ֫וִ֥ד אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֥ר לַה’ עַל־דִּבְרֵי־כ֝֗וּשׁ בֶּן־יְמִינִֽי׃

The error of David, 

Who sang to G-d about-words-of-darkness,

 to the strong man by my side.

ה’ אֱ֭לֹקי בְּךָ֣ חָסִ֑יתִי הוֹשִׁיעֵ֥נִי מִכָּל־רֹ֝דְפַ֗י וְהַצִּילֵֽנִי׃

G-d, my Lord, in You I took cover,

Redeem me from all those who are after me and save me.

פֶּן־יִטְרֹ֣ף כְּאַרְיֵ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י פֹּ֝רֵ֗ק וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל׃

So that a lion will not devour my soul, breaking it apart,

And there is no one to save me.

ה’ אֱ֭לֹקי אִם־עָשִׂ֣יתִי זֹ֑את אִֽם־יֶשׁ־עָ֥וֶל בְּכַפָּֽי׃

G-d, me Lord, if I did this,

Is there sin in the palms of my hands?

אִם־גָּ֭מַלְתִּי שֽׁוֹלְמִ֥י רָ֑ע וָאֲחַלְּצָ֖ה צוֹרְרִ֣י רֵיקָֽם׃

If You repaid me with a lack of mental peace

And I escaped from the hands of my enemy, leaving them empty handed,

יִֽרַדֹּ֥ף אוֹיֵ֨ב ׀ נַפְשִׁ֡י וְיַשֵּׂ֗ג וְיִרְמֹ֣ס לָאָ֣רֶץ חַיָּ֑י וּכְבוֹדִ֓י ׀ לֶעָפָ֖ר יַשְׁכֵּ֣ן סֶֽלָה׃

My enemy will pursue my soul,

And will grow successful, and will trample to the ground my life,

And my honor will fully dwell with the dust.

ק֘וּמָ֤ה ה’ ׀ בְּאַפֶּ֗ךָ הִ֭נָּשֵׂא בְּעַבְר֣וֹת צוֹרְרָ֑י וְע֥וּרָה אֵ֝לַ֗י מִשְׁפָּ֥ט צִוִּֽיתָ׃

Rise, G-d, with Your wrath,

Tower on all sides of those who wish to harm me,

And make bare to me the judgement that You had commanded.

וַעֲדַ֣ת לְ֭אֻמִּים תְּסוֹבְבֶ֑ךָּ וְ֝עָלֶ֗יהָ לַמָּר֥וֹם שֽׁוּבָה׃

And a council of nations will gather, 

And it will elevate them towards returning to High.

ה’ יָדִ֪ין עַ֫מִּ֥ים שָׁפְטֵ֥נִי ה’ כְּצִדְקִ֖י וּכְתֻמִּ֣י עָלָֽי׃

G-d will judge the nations,

G-d has judged me with the justice I deserved,

And my stain is mine to bear.

יִגְמָר־נָ֬א רַ֨ע ׀ רְשָׁעִים֮ וּתְכוֹנֵ֪ן צַ֫דִּ֥יק וּבֹחֵ֣ן לִ֭בּ֗וֹת וּכְלָי֗וֹת אֱלֹקים צַדִּֽיק׃

Please repay evil with badness,

And up lift as You establish the righteous,

And examine the heart,

And at the end of it all, the essence of the Lord is righteous.

מָֽגִנִּ֥י עַל־אֱלֹקים מ֝וֹשִׁ֗יעַ יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃

Defenders of the Lord who rescues hearts of integrity,

אֱ֭לֹקים שׁוֹפֵ֣ט צַדִּ֑יק וְ֝אֵ֗ל זֹעֵ֥ם בְּכָל־יֽוֹם׃

The Lord judges the righteous, and will not come with fury every-day.

אִם־לֹ֣א יָ֭שׁוּב חַרְבּ֣וֹ יִלְט֑וֹשׁ קַשְׁתּ֥וֹ דָ֝רַ֗ךְ וַֽיְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ׃

If he does not sheath back his sword, 

he will draw his arrow and prepare it,

וְ֭לוֹ הֵכִ֣ין כְּלֵי־מָ֑וֶת חִ֝צָּ֗יו לְֽדֹלְקִ֥ים יִפְעָֽל׃

And if he prepares vessels-of-death,

He will work through His arrows afire.

הִנֵּ֥ה יְחַבֶּל־אָ֑וֶן וְהָרָ֥ה עָ֝מָ֗ל וְיָ֣לַד שָֽׁקֶר׃

Here they will hurt with evil, 

Pregnant with labour, and delivering lies.

בּ֣וֹר כָּ֭רָֽה וַֽיַּחְפְּרֵ֑הוּ וַ֝יִּפֹּ֗ל בְּשַׁ֣חַת יִפְעָֽל׃

Mining a hole and digging it,

And they will fall in the pitfall they have created. 

יָשׁ֣וּב עֲמָל֣וֹ בְרֹאשׁ֑וֹ וְעַ֥ל קָ֝דְקֳד֗וֹ חֲמָס֥וֹ יֵרֵֽד׃

He will be returned in the action he has conceived of himself,

And on its head, his cruelty will come down. 

אוֹדֶ֣ה ה’ כְּצִדְק֑וֹ וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה שֵֽׁם־ה’ עֶלְיֽוֹן׃

I will thank G-d in the measure of His justness,

And I will sing the-name-of-G-d is Divine.