Introduction
Psalm 57 was composed by King David when he fled from Saul in the cave. In this section, we continue from the verse "Be exalted above the heavens, O God" through the end of the psalm, observing how David transitions from describing the dire danger - the net spread for his steps and the pit dug before him - to song and thanksgiving: "My heart is steadfast, O God," "Awake, my glory!" The psalm concludes with the very same verse that opened this thematic movement, "Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be over all the earth," and in it lies the entire secret of David's salvation.
"Be Exalted Above the Heavens" - Three Dimensions of Interpretation
ר֣וּמָה עַל־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם אֱלֹהִ֑ים עַ֖ל כׇּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃ - Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be over all the earth.
Rashi explains: "Be exalted above the heavens" - withdraw from the earthly beings below, who are unworthy of having Your Shechinah dwell among them. Master of the Universe, elevate Yourself, as it were, and let Your Shechinah rest above the heavens, for those down here are not fitting for it. "And over all the earth Your glory" - and in doing so, You will be honored throughout all the earth.
Radak explains: "Be exalted above the heavens" - deliver me from their hands, and then "over all the earth Your glory," because through this salvation all will realize that Hashem has the power to save. For it is impossible for a human being to be saved on his own, especially myself, a lone individual against a king, unless it comes through Your power, Hashem. And why use the expression "be exalted"? It is by way of metaphor: as though until now Hashem was not exalted, since He had not yet delivered me, but when He saves me, it is as if Hashem is now rising up and acting to rescue me. This is akin to the verse, "Then the Lord awoke as from sleep... like a warrior shouting from wine," meaning that Hashem is now taking action, rising up, as it were, to deliver me.
The Malbim explains this based on the preceding verses: David asked that "He will send from heaven and save me," meaning that salvation should come about through supernatural means. Corresponding to his declaration, "I will call upon God Most High" - that Hashem is the First Cause, the initial source of all unfolding reality, from which everything originates from Above - David says, "Be exalted above the heavens, O God." Corresponding to his words, "To the God Who completes all things for me" - that Hashem is also the Final Cause, the culmination and end of all causes - he says, "Over all the earth Your glory." That is, the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not merely issue the decree on high, but He also carries it out through its concrete realization down below. The inception of salvation will occur miraculously from above the heavens, demonstrating that natural providence and the cosmic order emanate entirely from on high, and that the Holy One directs nature according to His will; and the culmination of salvation will likewise be from You alone without any intermediaries, until Your glory is revealed on earth - for the final outcome of all operating causes is what materializes here below. In simple terms: that everything should stem entirely from Your power, from the highest heights to the earth below.
The Spider in the Cave - Targum Yonatan
Here Targum Yonatan offers a fascinating commentary: "Etzalei kedam Elaha ila'ah takifa, defakid le'akuvita, degamar be'aspalda, azla emtulti." Its meaning is: "I will pray before the supreme, mighty God, Who commanded the spider to finish spinning for me in the cave (azla means spinning) - to spin its web for my sake." As is well known, when Saul wanted to enter the cave, he wondered whether someone might be hiding inside, but he was told there was no need to worry, for spiderwebs covered the cave entrance, proving that no one had entered. This is the Targum's explanation of "Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be over all the earth": I pray to You, Hashem, Whose glory fills all the earth, that You command the spider to complete its work, and that through this I may be delivered from Saul's hand.
Net and Pit - The Way of Hunters
רֶ֤שֶׁת הֵכִ֣ינוּ לִפְעָמַי֮ כָּפַ֢ף נַ֫פְשִׁ֥י כָּר֣וּ לְפָנַ֣י שִׁיחָ֑ה נָפְל֖וּ בְתוֹכָ֣הּ סֶֽלָה׃ - They prepared a net for my steps; my soul was bent low. They dug a pit before me; they fell into it themselves, Selah.
"Pe'amay" means my steps, just as Saul said to the Ziphites, "And see his place where his foot shall be" - there they prepared the net for my feet. "Kafaf nafshi" - Saul bent and subdued my soul; and according to another explanation cited by Radak, they prepared a net to the point that the net itself bowed my soul down. "Shichah" is explained by Radak as synonymous with shuchah, a deep pit dug in the earth, akin to "a deep pit is the mouth of strange women."
As for the phrase "they fell into it" in the past tense, even though they had not yet fallen - the Radak explains that one should not be surprised, for it is the style of the language to speak in the past tense instead of the future, as is common in most words of prophecy. The prophet relates to future events as though they have already occurred, because he sees them as though they have already been brought to fruition; and certainly once it is a prophecy, there is no doubt that it will be fulfilled.
The Malbim explains: The Holy One, blessed be He, heard my prayer, for after they had prepared everything needed to destroy David, and had already reached the cave and entered it, David was in the greatest imaginable danger. The way of hunters involves two steps: first they spread a net, and then they dig a pit beneath; the animal gets caught in the net and falls into the pit, and can no longer escape. So too here: first, "they prepared a net for my steps," for the place of my footing, and "my soul was bowed down" to enter the net. Not only that, but "they dug a pit before me," like hunters who dig a pit for the beast to fall into, and I was already on the verge of falling into it - but I did not fall; rather, "they fell into it," they fell. With this, the matter concludes, which is the meaning of "Selah."
What Is the Net? The Trait of Sadness
The author of Tehilos Maharitz (Rav Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky) asks: What was the net that David's enemies laid to trap him? He explains that the net with which they sought to bring David down was sadness. This is the state in which a person falls into crisis, becomes depressed, and loses a taste for life - and in such a situation, "we will prevail over him, he is in our hands." But as long as King David was full of joy, singing, praising, and playing music to Hashem, they could not confront him, for when David sang to Hashem, the Ruach HaKodesh rested upon him - and King David was foremost in Ruach HaKodesh, and no one could overcome him. What could they do? Depress him. For when a person is immersed in depression, the spirit of Hashem does not rest upon him, resting only through joy - "And it came to pass, when the musician played." Therefore, they sought all kinds of schemes and stratagems to shatter his composure and bring him into sadness and depression, for then the Shechinah would not rest upon him and he would be unable to prevail against his pursuers. This is "they prepared a net for my steps." And what is the net? "My soul was bowed down" - lowliness of spirit, brokenness, depression. But David says: all their toil was in vain. In the end, the Shechinah departed from them, while as for me - "My heart is steadfast, O God... I will sing and give praise." Their plan did not succeed; they fell into depression, while I continued to sing and praise. And indeed we see this: King David was always joyful, singing and playing music, while the one who fell into melancholy and sadness was Shaul.
"My Heart Is Steadfast" - In the Attribute of Justice and the Attribute of Mercy
נָכ֤וֹן לִבִּ֣י אֱלֹהִים נָכ֣וֹן לִבִּ֑י אָ֝שִׁ֗ירָה וַאֲזַמֵּֽרָה׃ - My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and give praise.
Rashi explains the repetition: faithful to You in the Attribute of Justice, faithful to You in the Attribute of Mercy. Often, a person is faithful to the Holy One, blessed be He, in the Attribute of Mercy - when Hashem treats him with mercy, how much he loves Hashem and cleaves to Him. But "put forth Your hand now, and touch all that he has," as the Satan said of Iyov, "surely he will blaspheme You to Your face." In simple terms: specifically when things are difficult for a person, that is where his love of Hashem and his connection to the Master of the Universe are truly tested. Therefore, David says "my heart is steadfast" twice: in the Attribute of Mercy it is no great feat, but my heart is steadfast in the Attribute of Justice as well; even when it is not easy for me, my heart is steadfast and true with You, cleaving to You.
The Radak explains that the repetition is for emphasis, and "Elohim" is an address: My heart is steadfast, O God! My heart is firm and upright, and even though I am pursued - despite all this, my heart is steadfast and trusting in You that You will save me, and I will yet sing and make music to You.
The Malbim explains that here David describes the moment Shaul was in his power in the cave, when in a single second he could have seized him, and David's men urged him: Take advantage of the opportunity, kill him, after all there is no one with him, he came into the cave alone to relieve himself. And David required tremendous self-mastery to withstand this test. The heart, as the Malbim consistently explains, is the governing power within man - that which rules over his inclinations and desires. David says: "My heart is steadfast" - my heart is resolved to overcome my inclination, I will not lay my hand upon him. And for this, "I will sing and give praise" - I thank You, Hashem, for keeping me from coming into bloodshed, preventing me from stretching out my hand against the anointed of Hashem.
"Awake, My Glory" - Who Awakens Whom
ע֤וּרָה כְבוֹדִ֗י ע֭וּרָֽה הַנֵּ֥בֶל וְכִנּ֗וֹר אָעִ֥ירָה שָּֽׁחַר׃ - Awake, my glory; awake, harp and lyre; I will awaken the dawn.
Rashi explains: "Awake, my glory" - I do not sleep in my royal honor until three hours into the day like other kings, who rise late while I do not. "Awake, harp and lyre" - the harp hanging above my bed is what awakens me. And Chazal taught: As soon as midnight arrived, a northern wind would blow through it, through the harp, and David would rise and engage in Torah - "At midnight I rise to give thanks to You." He would rise at midnight, give thanks to Hashem, and engage in Torah. "I will awaken the dawn" - there are those whom not only the dawn does not awaken, but perhaps only noon does; whereas David says: I would awaken the dawn, rising so early that it is as if I tell the dawn, "Rise already, day has arrived" - I awaken the morning, and the morning does not awaken me.
Awakening Through Children - or from Within Oneself
Maharitz Dushinsky, in his work on Tehillim, explains this here by way of a wonderful homiletic allusion. There are people who do not awaken to the service of Hashem on their own. You see a lightheaded person, acting without seriousness; he might wear a yarmulke, but he is truly far from doing what is expected of him. And what often succeeds in influencing him? Children. In quite a few cases, it is a person's children who bring him to shul: until today you got up at ten, and today your six-year-old child wakes you up, "Abba, it's late, we need to go to shul" - and immediately you get up and run. Your wife has been shouting at you for five years to get up and you didn't budge, but the child woke you up. What happened? "I am now an educational role model; I have a child." Many times, what reason fails to do, children accomplish: the children compel him to learn a little, to come to shul, so that he will not be a negative example - for if he asks them to be serious and well-behaved, he cannot act like a clown himself. It turns out that he does it for the children, not for himself.
With David HaMelech, says Maharitz Dushinsky, it was not so. Through what came his awakening? Through the harp that hung above his bed. And what is meant by "above his bed"? A "bed" alludes to one's children, as the bed is the place of procreation; just as we find regarding Yaakov Avinu that "his bed was complete" - did it mean his wooden bed was intact without a broken leg? Rather, it meant that all his children were righteous and God-fearing. If so, when the harp hung above his bed and it was what awakened David, Scripture comes to teach that David's awakening did not come from his bed - from his children. They were not the ones who brought him to serve Hashem. Rather, it was "above his bed", higher than and prior to his bed: "I will awaken the dawn" - I would awaken myself to the service of Hashem already in the dawn of my youth, while still young, and not through the influence of my children.
And there is an explicit allusion to this dynamic in the Torah: "And Chanoch walked with God after he begot Metushelach three hundred years" (Bereishis 5:22). When did he walk with God? After he begot Metushelach. God forbid to suggest this of Chanoch himself, who was always a tzaddik, but Scripture hints at such a reality: that a person walks with God only after children are born to him, for only then is he a role model and can no longer engage in foolishness. Even the name Chanoch hints at this (from *chinuch*, education): one must educate the child, and therefore one cannot be a negative example. With David it was not so; his awakening came from within himself, not from the need to educate his children.
"Awaken, My Glory" - The Soul and Song
Radak explains: When You save me from their hands, I will sing to You both with my mouth and with an instrument. "My glory" refers to my soul, and I say to my soul: Awaken, rouse yourself to compose songs and give thanks to Hashem. And likewise I say to the harp and lyre when I awaken the dawn, when I rise early and rouse the dawn - "Awaken!", that they should stir on their own to play music to Hashem, blessed be He.
The Malbim explains: "Awaken" - then all the emotions of my soul stirred; "my glory" is his soul, which until now had been dwelling in the dust and now awakened. "The harp and lyre" refers to the sweet singer of Israel's musical gift, which until now had fallen silent, and now suddenly awakens to sing and chant praises. This aligns very well with what was explained earlier in the name of Maharitz Dushinsky, that his enemies sought to crush his spirit; David says: No! My glory awakens and sings joyously.
Incidentally, Rav Samson Raphael Hirsch offers a wonderful explanation: Who is permitted to awaken his self-honor? One who is persecuted and crushed into the dust. "My glory" refers to self-dignity; if a person is thoroughly crushed and simply resigned to it, heaven forbid - he will lose his entire personality. To such a person we say: on the contrary, awaken your dignity! Even though you are enduring terrible humiliations, remember that you are the son of a King, remember that you possess virtues, remember that you were granted Ruach HaKodesh from Hashem, remember the good qualities within you. Who is permitted to do this? One who undergoes terrible humiliation like David HaMelech, who was hunted "as the partridge is hunted in the mountains", like someone chasing a cricket or a mosquito. One who is humbled so terribly is permitted to awaken his dignity and remember his virtues, so that he may find renewal and strength.
"I will awaken the dawn" - the Malbim explains that dawn symbolizes the sun of success, which until now was darkened, and now will awaken and shine like morning light. Through this, Shaul too would recognize his greatness, as he said to him: "You are more righteous than I" (I Shmuel 24:18), and "I know that you will surely reign" (ibid. 24:21). Even his enemy recognized his stature. This does not mean Shaul stopped pursuing him, for an evil spirit tormented him and there were also people inciting and inflaming him against David.
Nations and Peoples, Thanksgiving and Song
אוֹדְךָ֖ בָעַמִּ֥ים אֲדֹנָ֑י אֲ֝זַמֶּרְךָ֗ בַּלְאֻמִּֽים׃ - I will thank You among the peoples, O Lord; I will sing praises to You among the nations.
Ibn Ezra explains: "I will thank You among the peoples (*amim*)" - among the multitudes of Israel. This does not refer to the Gentile nations, but rather "peoples" refers to the Jewish people, as it is written, "Peoples will call to the mountain" (Devarim 33:19), and "After you, Binyamin, among your peoples" (Shoftim 5:14) - meaning the tribes of Israel. "I will sing praises to You among the nations (*le'umim*)" - *le'umim* refers to the other nations of the world.
The Malbim explains the difference between thanksgiving (hoda'ah) and singing praise (zemer): Thanksgiving is for the benefit one has received, as we recite at the conclusion of the Shemoneh Esrei, "We give thanks to You... The Beneficent is Your Name, and to You it is fitting to give thanks"; whereas zemer is praising His greatness for its own sake, like the opening blessings: "Shield of Avraham," "You are mighty... Who revives the dead," "the Holy God" - the praise and glory of the Creator, blessed be He.
In his analysis of the words, the Malbim adds that there is a distinction between amim (peoples) and le'umim (nations), as he explained earlier: The le'umim are the more civilized nations that possess a system of law - not necessarily religion in the sense of faith, but in the sense of an orderly legal code. Like the contrast between uncivilized tribes and developed societies: where there are established laws and courts, versus places where there is no law, only factions and the rule of might - in many places, though not all. Therefore: The amim do not recognize the praises of Hashem; they only acknowledge Him when they receive some direct benefit - "They did something for me, they gave to me" - this they grasp, but they do not recognize the Creator's praise for His own sake. Thus, "I will give thanks to You (odecha)," which is thanksgiving for a favor, is said "among the peoples (ba'amim)." By contrast, the le'umim, who are more enlightened, can appreciate His intrinsic praises. Therefore, "I will sing to You (azamerecha) among the nations (bal'umim)" - through them I will be able to sing, for they will comprehend the song and the praises of the Creator.
Your Kindness Extends to the Heavens - Concluding the Psalm
כִּי־גָדֹ֣ל עַד־שָׁמַ֣יִם חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וְעַד־שְׁחָקִ֥ים אֲמִתֶּֽךָ׃ - For Your kindness is great unto the heavens, and Your truth unto the skies.
The Radak explains: I thank You for the kindness You have shown me, which is an infinite kindness - "great unto the heavens," as in the verse, "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His kindness toward those who fear Him." And the Malbim explains that both modes of divine guidance, kindness (chesed) and truth (emet), exist in both the heavens and the upper skies, and through them Hashem directs creation.
ר֣וּמָה עַל־שָׁמַ֣יִם אֱלֹהִ֑ים עַ֖ל כׇּל־הָאָ֣רֶץ כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃ - Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be over all the earth.
The Malbim explains that this verse parallels what was stated earlier: "Be exalted above the heavens, O God" corresponds to "I call to God Most High," for Hashem is the beginning of everything, the prime cause of all causes, and everything unfolds under Heavenly Providence. "Let Your glory be over all the earth" corresponds to "to the God Who completes everything for me," for Hashem also brings everything to completion, orchestrating all events from beginning to end through the entire unfolding chain of causality. For if one looks only at the progression of causes here on earth, there appear to be obstacles - King Shaul pursues me, and there are forces that seemingly impede the divine will; to this he says: You, Hashem, "complete everything for me" and will ensure that all culminates for the good, through celestial power, through the Supreme Will. Thus, "Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be over all the earth" - may it begin in the heavens and culminate here on earth.
Notice that this verse was already mentioned earlier in verse 6, with only a slight variation: there it says "above the heavens (al hashamayim)" and here "above heavens (al shamayim)." We conclude with the words of the Tehillot Yisrael by Maharitz Dushinsky: "Be exalted above the heavens, O God" alludes to the arrogant, who raise themselves up to the heavens; while "let Your glory be over all the earth" refers to the humble, the lowly who abase themselves to the earth. King David pleads: Concerning the arrogant and haughty - "be exalted above the heavens," rise above them and do not let Your Shechinah rest upon them. And upon whom should it rest? "Let Your glory be over all the earth" - let Your glory and Your Shechinah rest upon those who conduct themselves like the earth, who humble and lower themselves, saying, "May my soul be like dust to all"; upon them may the glory of Your Shechinah dwell forever.
Summary:
In this part of the psalm, David asks that salvation come entirely from Hashem - from the origin of the chain of causality in heaven to its realization on earth, "Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be over all the earth," where even a spider in a cave becomes His emissary. His enemies spread a net for him and dug a pit in the manner of hunters, and even sought to cast him into the trap of sadness and depression so as to drive away the Ruach HaKodesh from him - but in vain: they fell into it themselves. David says, "My heart is steadfast, O God," faithful to You in the attribute of Justice just as in the attribute of Mercy, and my heart masters my inclination, preventing me from laying a hand on the anointed of Hashem. "Awaken, my glory" - David awakens the dawn through his own merit and not merely through the merit of his descendants, arousing his soul to give thanks and sing: among the peoples, thanksgiving for the benefit received; and among the nations, praise of the Creator for His own sake. And the psalm concludes with the same theme with which it began: May You be exalted, Hashem, above the arrogant, and let Your glory rest upon the humble who abase themselves like the earth.