Introduction: Continuation of the Psalm - David in Gath
This psalm was recited, as its heading attests, "when the Philistines seized him in Gath," at the time when David fled from Saul and fell into the hands of the Philistines, feigning madness to save his life. In this section of the psalm, David continues to describe the persecution: how his words are distorted, how his pursuers lie in wait and spy on his footsteps, and how he turns to the Holy One, Blessed be He, asking Him to count his wanderings and his tears - ultimately offering praise and thanksgiving for both strict justice and divine mercy alike.
"All day long they distort my words" - When Words are Twisted
כׇּל־הַיּוֹם דְּבָרַי יְעַצֵּבוּ עָלַי כׇּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם לָרָע׃ (ו) - All day long they distort my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.
Rashi explains: "they cause me grief." They pursued me to the point where all my words were reduced to cries and weeping before Hashem, a plea that He save me. The Radak explains ye'atzeivu from the root of provocation and anger, connecting this back to what was said earlier, "In God I will praise His word" - and what was "His word"? The promise given that I would receive the monarchy. It is regarding this very matter that they provoke and persecute me. For why was Saul pursuing him? Because he knew: "I know well that you shall surely reign." Thus, the very word of Hashem through Shmuel, which I praise, is what now causes me grief and persecution, "and all their thoughts are against me for evil" - to keep me far from the throne so that I will not attain it.
The Malbim explains that here David returns to speaking about the Philistines. David feigned foolishness and madness, as if to say: this is not David, this is not Saul's army commander. But they did not buy this easily, and began watching him closely to see if it was true. And ye'atzeivu means they tried to cause the king grief and concern over him, inciting Achish: "Look, this is David, beware of him, he has come to spy, he has come to conquer." That is, ye'atzeivu does not mean that they themselves became sad, but that they inflicted grief and agitation upon others, distressing the king and saying to him: seize him, imprison him, beware of him. "All their thoughts are against me for evil" - even after Achish dismissed him, they continued to pursue him and seek his harm.
The Ya'avetz: When to Listen to Criticism
The Ya'avetz explains: David is saying, if they spoke ill of me one day and remained silent the next, I would try to listen to the criticism they leveled and learn from it what I need to correct in myself. For with great people, even when someone insults and reviles them, they listen. They might not react outwardly, but they take the words to heart.
A story often recounted about the Chazon Ish illustrates this well. On doctor's orders, he needed to walk for half an hour a day in the fresh air. He would walk through the orchards not far from his home. There, an elderly man - from a time when people in Bnei Brak did not yet universally recognize the Chazon Ish - saw him and said: "Elderly Jew, you are no longer young, what a waste of your life! Sit and learn instead of wasting time strolling." The Chazon Ish thanked him and continued on his way, resolving to take a different path the next day. However, he forgot, and the following day he passed the same spot again. The man shouted once more: "Didn't you understand what I told you yesterday? What a waste of your life, sit and learn!" And what could the Chazon Ish say to him - that even if the man learned his entire life, he would not reach what the Chazon Ish had already forgotten? He simply thanked him and continued on. On another occasion, the elderly man added: "If you cannot learn, at least recite some Tehillim." Again the Chazon Ish thanked him, and from then on took care not to walk there anymore.
One day, that man's son fell ill, and people advised him: "A great sage has arrived in Bnei Brak, who also understands medicine and all matters. Go to him and receive his blessing." He went with the child, and when the Chazon Ish opened the door, the man nearly fainted. This was the Chazon Ish? The very man to whom he had been shouting reproaches? He immediately began begging for forgiveness, apologizing for how he had spoken. The Chazon Ish told him: "No, no, nothing is wrong. Ever since you said what you said to me, I have been careful to recite several chapters of Tehillim every day. You told me, 'recite some Tehillim,' and I saw in it a possible message from Heaven; since then, I recite them every day." A truly great person is always receptive to what others say about him, looking to see what he might improve.
This is what David means, according to the Ya'avetz: if they spoke against me one day and were quiet the next, I would bend my ear to hear what they were saying in order to improve. Likewise, if they leveled harsh criticisms against me but praised me for at least one or two things - "here David acted well, all credit to David" - I would listen, wondering if there was a lesson I ought to take, suspecting that perhaps I truly am flawed and need to rectify myself. But here, "all day long they distort my words": they never have a good word to say, nor do they rest even for a single day, but persist day after day. From this I know that "all their thoughts are against me for evil," and there is nothing for me to gain from listening to them. These are biased people with one-sided agendas; they have their preconceived theories and do not want to be confused by facts. Therefore, David says, from the outset I do not even wish to listen.
Rabbi Mazuz, as is known from his shiurim, often laments that people twist his words and attribute opinions to him that he never held or imagined, all in order to oppose him. In his commentary on Tehillim, Emet Keneh, he explains here: "All day long they distort [ye'atzeivu] my words" - they alter and reshape (me'atzvim) the things I said to manufacture a flaw, and then declare: "Look what he says! Look at his views!" He adds there: "This is well known among certain people in our day who consider themselves wise; their way is to search high and low for any supposed defect or shortcoming, and to reshape a person's words to fit their narrative so they can attack him."
"They gather, they hide" - The Surveillance on David
יָגוּרוּ (יצפינו) [יִצְפּוֹנוּ] הֵמָּה עֲקֵבַי יִשְׁמֹרוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר קִוּוּ נַפְשִׁי׃ (ז) - They gather, they lurk, they watch my steps, as they hope for my life.
Rashi explains: The enemies lie in wait and lodge - yaguru from the root of dwelling (megurim) - in the place where they expect me to pass, and "they watch my steps" to spy on me so that the pursuers can arrive. They conduct surveillance: where is David? And immediately inform, "Behold, David is hiding among us." This was done by the wicked among Israel, those individuals who sought favor in Shaul's eyes and trailed David to direct Shaul where to pursue him - and because of this, Rashi notes, David fled to Achish, king of Gath.
Rashi explains yaguru from the concept of lodging, spending the night there and waiting. The Radak, by contrast, explains yaguru like ya'agru, from an expression of gathering, as found in the verse: "Fierce men gather against me (yaguru alai azim)" - insolent men have assembled to pursue me, and similarly, "behold, they shall surely gather (gor yagur)." Along the same lines is "You shall not fear (lo taguru) any man," which Chazal interpret to mean that a judge is forbidden to gather in (withhold) his words out of fear of any person - holding back what he meant to say and closing his mouth. Thus, lagur means to assemble and gather, and yaguru means: they gather and conceal themselves to put me to death.
The Malbim explains that this is a continuation of his previous interpretation: The Pelishtim, who had grieved the king with their slander, continued to trail David because they suspected that this whole madman act was nothing but a performance. Therefore, "they lurk" (yitzponu) - they concealed themselves when he left the land of the Pelishtim to track him and see where he would go: was this truly King David or just a local madman? "They watch my steps" - to see whether he would suddenly begin acting with composure and sanity, or continue his wild behavior. It is like someone who walks into the social security office on a cane and limping, but the moment he steps outside, he tosses the cane and runs like a gazelle - and then you realize the whole thing was an act. So too, they wanted to check whether David remained mad all the way through, or whether he would subsequently prove sane. They did this of their own accord, and "as they hoped for my life" - for their ultimate hope was to kill him.
"For iniquity, cast them out"
עַל־אָוֶן פַּלֶּט־לָמוֹ בְּאַף עַמִּים הוֹרֵד אֱלֹהִים׃ (ח) - Because of iniquity, shall there be escape for them? In anger bring down the peoples, O God.
According to the Radak, this is phrased as a question of astonishment: For the iniquity - the wickedness - they perpetrate against me, shall "there be escape for them"? Will You deliver them and save them after all the evil they have done to me? Absolutely not! Rather, "in anger bring down the peoples, O God" - bring them down in Your wrath, reveal Your fury against them so that they are not spared. And "peoples" refers to his enemies from the tribes of Israel.
The Malbim explains that this gives the reason for "as they hoped for my life": My escaping their hands is regarded by them as "iniquity," an injustice - how dare he be saved? In their view, justice demanded my execution, and my deliverance is seen by them as a wrongdoing. And who are they? Those Pelishtim who trailed his steps, claiming that the whole thing was an act and that this was truly David, and who grieved the king by demanding: Why did you release him? Therefore David pleads, "in anger bring down the peoples, O God" - in Your wrath, bring them down and humble them.
And in the book Nora Tehillot, cited in Me'am Lo'ez, it is explained as follows: David says, if they pursue me because of iniquity that is within me - "grant them escape," save them and let them be, for they pursue me justly and there is evil in me. But "in anger" - if they pursue me purely out of their own rage, because they heard the women singing, "Shaul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands," and became incensed over it - then I request, "bring down the peoples, O God." And "peoples" here, according to Nora Tehillot, refers to factions within the people of Israel. That is: Master of the Universe, if their pursuit stems from their own corrupted traits, exact retribution from them accordingly; but if they pursue me justly, leave them alone and do nothing to them, for it is truly deserved.
"You have counted my wanderings" - The Reckoning of Wanderings and Tears
נֹדִי סָפַרְתָּה אָתָּה שִׂימָה דִמְעָתִי בְנֹאדֶךָ הֲלֹא בְּסִפְרָתֶךָ׃ (ט) - You have counted my wanderings; put my tears into Your flask; are they not in Your book?
This is a poetic verse, for the very same expression appears here with two different meanings. "Nodi" comes from the language of wandering (nedudim), as in "Flee [nudi], bird, to your mountain." That is to say: Master of the Universe, You know how much wandering I have endured in fleeing from my enemies; You have counted how many times I had to move from place to place. "Put my tears into Your flask [nodecha]" - place the tears I wept over all those wanderings into Your flask; a nod is a leather container for liquids - so that they may be preserved before You. And the Ibn Ezra says that this is an elegant wordplay: "nodi" with "nodecha," a pun, even though each carries a different meaning.
"Are they not in Your book / counting [b'sifratecha]?" - What is added by this? That You should count them and include them in Your tally together with the rest of my troubles, so that the tears are counted and numbered before You. And Rashi cites in the name of Menachem that "b'sifratecha" is an expression of "in Your book [b'sifrecha]" - that it be inscribed before You in a book, not from the root of counting (sefirah), but from the root of a book (sefer).
The Malbim explains: "You have counted my wanderings [nodi safarta atah]" - You, Master of the Universe, have counted the number of my wanderings, how many days I wandered and in how many places. And I ask that the tears also be factored into that tally. This is a wonderful explanation: If, for example, ten wanderings were decreed upon me, and in a single wandering I suffered great anguish equivalent to eight of them, consider it for me as if I wandered eight times, leaving only two remaining. This is "are they not in Your counting [b'sifratecha]": Master of the Universe, combine the tears into the count so that they join the tally, and deduct them for me from the number of wanderings I was destined to undergo.
This accords with what we know regarding the exile in Egypt: although the decree was for four hundred years, Israel dwelled in Egypt for only two hundred and ten years, and of those, only eighty-six were under harsh subjugation. And the reason, as brought in holy books, is: the intensity of the subjugation completed the term. A harsh servitude in a short time can substitute for a lighter servitude over a longer period. Thus David asks: Count the tears shed in the few wanderings I have already endured, and let their count equal many wanderings.
"Then my enemies will turn back"
אָז יָשׁוּבוּ אוֹיְבַי אָחוֹר בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָא זֶה־יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־אֱלֹהִים לִי׃ (י) - Then my enemies will turn back on the day I call; this I know, for God is with me. (10)
When my enemies turn back on the day I call to You - through this I know that God is with me. When I see my enemies fearful and turning their backs to me at the time I cry out to You, from this I know that You are with me, that I cry out and the Holy One, blessed be He, listens to me.
The Malbim connects this to what came before: after David prayed, those Pelishtim who were tailing him and claiming that David was lying and was not truly insane but was indeed David - stopped their ambushes. David says: After I prayed, thank God I see that those tracking me are no longer lying in wait or trailing me; rather, they have returned to the Pelishtim and no longer seek my life. And through this, "I know that God is with me" - that Hashem watches over me with Divine Providence and has removed the pursuers from me.
"In God I will praise the word" - For Judgment and for Mercy
בֵּאלֹהִים אֲהַלֵּל דָּבָר בַּיהֹוָה אֲהַלֵּל דָּבָר׃ (יא) - In God I will praise the word, in Hashem I will praise the word. (11)
Rashi explains that the repetition refers to the Attribute of Strict Justice and the Attribute of Mercy: "Elokim" denotes justice, and the Tetragrammaton (Hashem) denotes mercy. And the Radak cites in the name of his father: He said "In Elokim," which is the Attribute of Justice, and he said "In Hashem," which is the Attribute of Mercy; that is to say, both for the good and for the bad I will praise the word of Hashem and give thanks to Him. Both for the good and for the bad, I give thanks and offer praise.
And so it is found in Midrash Shocher Tov: Wherever it says "Elokim," it refers to the Attribute of Justice, for "elohim" is also a term for judges: "You shall not revile a judge [elohim]," "the case of both parties shall come before the judges [elohim]." And wherever the Tetragrammaton is used, it refers to the Attribute of Mercy, as it says, "Hashem, Hashem, God, merciful and gracious" - the Name Hashem is mentioned in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. David says: Whether You judge me with the Attribute of Justice, I praise You; or whether You judge me with the Attribute of Mercy, I praise You. That is, whatever You do to me and however You do it, for everything I say thank You, and I praise Hashem for all that He gives me.
The Malbim explains: "In God I will praise the word" - I trust in God and praise the word, which corresponds to what was said earlier, "In God I will praise His word." There we explained that "His word" refers to the word He spoke to me through Shmuel that I would be king. And in the second stage, Gad the prophet came, whom Hashem sent to the land of Judah to promise him a second time and encourage him. This stems from the attribute of mercy, for You sent me a prophet once more to strengthen me while I was being pursued, and regarding this: "In Hashem I will praise the word."
And perhaps one can add: The first declaration, "In God (Elohim) I will praise the word," was made, so to speak, in accordance with strict justice - for in His supreme wisdom it was decreed that David would be king, which is an aspect of Din, and therefore associated with the name "Elohim." But to come and deliver this news to him once again through Gad the Seer while he was being pursued - that was already from the attribute of mercy. After all, he had already been informed of this in accordance with Din at the outset through Shmuel, and here the message came solely to strengthen and encourage him. Therefore, regarding this it is said, "In Hashem I will praise the word," invoking the Name of Mercy.
"What Can Man Do to Me" - The Distinction Between Flesh and Man
בֵּאלֹהִים בָּטַחְתִּי לֹא אִירָא מַה־יַּעֲשֶׂה אָדָם לִי׃ (יב) - In God I have trusted; I will not fear: what can man do to me?
Since I have trusted in Him, I will not fear what man might do to me - human beings will not be able to harm me. Earlier he said, "In God I have trusted, I will not fear: what can flesh do to me?" whereas here he says "man" (adam). The Radak explains that "man" and "flesh" are synonymous, as in "and all flesh shall bless His holy name forever and ever," and "all flesh shall come to prostrate themselves." And we have already learned that according to the Radak, poetic parallelism (repeating an idea with different words) is commonplace in prophetic writing, so this poses no difficulty for him.
But according to the methodology of the Malbim, we know that there is a distinction between "flesh" and "man." If he previously said "flesh," it was deliberate, and if he now says "man," this too serves a specific purpose, for there is never mere repetition of meaning in different words, and every single word comes to convey a distinct idea. Here the Malbim does not elaborate on the difference, but the holy Alshich addresses it, explaining in short: "What can flesh do to me" mentioned earlier refers to Achish, king of Gath, whom David feared greatly. Achish cannot be referred to as "adam," for Chazal teach: "You are called adam, but the nations of the world are not called adam." What can he be called? "Flesh." "Flesh" is a base, physical designation referring strictly to materiality rather than spiritual human essence, for the word "adam" denotes edameh le-Elyon - "I will resemble the Most High."
The nations of the world can be called "anashim" (people/men), but not "adam." And what is the difference? The word "adam" does not admit a plural form - one never says "adamim"; "adam" is always singular. This dimension of a unified essence belongs exclusively to Israel. The nations exist in the category of ish and anashim, individual and plural, whereas the people of Israel are in the category of adam, a single unified essence that cannot be divided into a plural form. Thus, initially he spoke of "flesh" - referring to Achish, king of Gath - and here of "man" - referring to Shaul. David declares: I do not fear what Shaul might do to me; He who saved me from the "flesh" when I trusted in Him will likewise save me from the "man" as I trust in Him now.
"Upon Me, O God, Are Your Vows"
עָלַי אֱלֹהִים נְדָרֶיךָ אֲשַׁלֵּם תּוֹדֹת לָךְ׃ (יג) - Upon me, O God, are Your vows; I will render thanksgiving offerings to You.
According to the simple meaning (peshat): The vows I vowed to You during my exile - it is upon me to fulfill them, and their payment is my obligation. Likewise, the thanksgiving offerings - for a person delivered from distress brings a thanksgiving sacrifice - these too I will fulfill: "I will render thanksgiving offerings to You."
The Malbim explains differently: "Your vows" are upon me - You made a vow on my behalf, through the prophet's promise, which is, so to speak, a vow that the Holy One, Blessed be He, is committed to fulfill. And there were two vows here: the first vow was the promise of kingship through Shmuel; and the second vow was that he would return to the Land of Israel without fear, as we saw that Gad the Seer was sent to David to encourage him and reassure him that he could return. Concerning both of them he says: "O God, Your vows" - the vows You made, both the tidings through Shmuel and the tidings through Gad the Seer, and corresponding to them, "I will render thanksgiving offerings to You." And "thanksgiving offerings" (todot) is in the plural, corresponding to the two promises with two expressions of thanks.
Conclusion of the Psalm: "To Walk Before God in the Light of Life"
כִּי הִצַּלְתָּ נַפְשִׁי מִמָּוֶת הֲלֹא רַגְלַי מִדֶּחִי לְהִתְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵי אֱלֹהִים בְּאוֹר הַחַיִּים׃ (יד) - For You have delivered my soul from death, indeed, my feet from stumbling, to walk before God in the light of the living. (14)
David concludes the psalm with thanksgiving. Yet he is still in the midst of distress, so the meaning of his words is: when You deliver my soul from death, I will then fulfill my vows and thank You for having saved me. "Indeed, my feet from stumbling [dechi]" - that You saved my feet from being banished; a nidach is something cast far away, as in the expressions "gather my dispersed [nidchai]" and "that an outcast [nidach] not remain banished from Him." That is, my feet will no longer be forced to wander to distant lands.
And where are they now? "To walk before God in the light of the living." Radak explains: when I am exiled and banished, I have no time to occupy myself with the service of God; I am occupied with survival and cannot serve Hashem properly. But when You rescue me and I return to Eretz Yisrael, I will join with the sages of Israel, enter the Beit Midrash, and delve with them into spiritual matters - and I will be privileged to walk before God in the light of the living, in the Beit Midrash and through immersion in Torah. Similarly, Midrash Shocher Tov states: "To walk before God" - this refers to Eretz Yisrael; "in the light of the living" - this refers to Gan Eden.
The Malbim explains that two distinct rescues are mentioned here: "For You have delivered my soul from death" - this is the salvation from the hands of the Philistines, which came about through the power of Shmuel's promise that I would be king; "indeed, my feet from stumbling" - that I would not be banished outside the land, and this was accomplished through Gad, who was sent to bring me back to Eretz Yisrael. And I will walk before God here in Eretz Yisrael and behold the light of the living - which is the opposite of "my soul from death." They sought to bring my soul to death, as we saw that the Philistines sought to kill him, yet through You I have merited the light of the living, a life that is the very opposite of death. With this, David concludes the chapter.
In Summary:
In this section of the psalm, David describes the persecution surrounding him: they twisted and distorted his words all day long, lay in wait for his footsteps, and spied on him in the hope of taking his life, viewing his salvation as an injustice. From this he learned that one must not heed criticism that is completely malicious from every angle - unlike constructive criticism to which a great person readily listens in order to improve himself, as seen in the story of the Chazon Ish, who accepted the elderly man's reproof to recite Tehillim. Out of his distress, he turns to Hashem: count my wanderings, and place my tears into Your flask so they may be counted and shorten the days of affliction. Finally, he offers a double thanksgiving: for the attribute of strict justice and the attribute of mercy, for Shmuel's promise and Gad's message, for deliverance from death and the return from banishment, culminating in walking before God in Eretz Yisrael in the light of the living.