From here, explains the Malbim, begins the third section of the psalm, describing how the covenant that the Holy One, blessed be He, made with David was seemingly broken. Until now, we heard about the covenant and the oath, and from here onward the psalmist depicts the bitter reality in which it appears as though the covenant has been annulled: destruction, exile, disgrace, and concealment of the Divine face. Yet as we will see, the conclusion of the psalm teaches that all these grievances are voiced out of complete faith, not out of doubt.
וְאַתָּה זָנַחְתָּ וַתִּמְאָס הִתְעַבַּרְתָּ עִם־מְשִׁיחֶךָ׃ - "Yet You have cast off and abhorred; You have been furious with Your anointed."
The Malbim explains the verse in an original way, thereby bypassing the famous question raised by Ibn Ezra and Radak. The intention is not that the psalmist is complaining against the Holy One, blessed be He, saying "You cast off and abhorred," but rather: "You have been furious with Your anointed" - You engaged in strife and wrath with the anointed, speaking to him in anger. And what was Your grievance against him? "You cast off and abhorred" - you, the anointed king, you, the dynasty of the House of David, you, the People of Israel, cast off the covenant and abhorred it. The Holy One, blessed be He, says: I have a covenant with you; you are obligated to uphold your side of it, and then I am, as it were, bound to you. But when one party breaches their part of the agreement first, the other party is no longer bound.
נֵאַרְתָּה בְּרִית עַבְדֶּךָ חִלַּלְתָּ לָאָרֶץ נִזְרוֹ׃ - "You have spurned the covenant of Your servant; You have profaned his crown to the ground."
The Malbim explains: since the anointed went and breached his part of the contract, then You too, Master of the Universe, "spurned the covenant of Your servant" - You, too, broke the covenant. This corresponds to what we saw earlier: "I have made a covenant with My chosen one, I have sworn to David My servant." Behold, You have breached the covenant as a consequence of our actions. The emphasis here is on "Your servant": the oath based on his status as a servant relates to the dimension of faithfulness (emunah) - what is truly due to him according to his deeds. Once his deeds are improper, it is no longer deserved.
Yet there is another dimension, the dimension of lovingkindness (chesed): "I have sworn to My chosen one" - I chose him because I desired him, without a cause, neither because it was earned nor because he was My servant. And this is what is meant by "I have found David My servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him" - the anointing stems from chesed, from the fact that the Holy One, blessed be He, desired him. Regarding this, the verse says, "You have profaned his crown to the ground": that holy crown (nezer) that came through anointing - You made it unconsecrated, withholding the chesed You had bestowed until now, and casting his crown to the ground. The Malbim notes that a nezer is a crown denoting holiness, as in "the crown of the head of him who was separated from his brothers," "the gold plate, the holy crown," and "the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him." It is a crown of sanctity, unlike an ordinary royal crown, for the kings of Israel were anointed with oil, such as Saul, Yoash, and David. In the removal of this crown, it is as though we say: even the benevolent promise You gave through chesed - even that You have withheld from us.
פָּרַצְתָּ כׇל־גְּדֵרֹתָיו שַׂמְתָּ מִבְצָרָיו מְחִתָּה׃ - "You have broken down all his fences; You have brought his strongholds to ruin."
Rashi explains: all the fences he built in Jerusalem. "You have brought his strongholds to ruin (mechittah)" - this denotes destruction, with "mechittah" deriving from fear and shattered ruin. Thus, it refers to literal destruction. Radak explains: You breached all the fences that You previously placed around him, meaning it serves more as a metaphor - for it was stated earlier, "The enemy shall not exact upon him," meaning until now You did not allow enemies to harm him. The fences and strongholds are those Divine boundaries that Hashem established, not necessarily physical fortifications; and You breached them, allowing foreign nations to come and plunder.
The Malbim illustrates the metaphor: a king builds a fence around the country to prevent the feet of strangers from entering and plundering it, and builds fortresses within the country, so that in times of war and attack, they may enter them to defend themselves, shoot from within them, and find security from the enemy. But here: Master of the World, You have broken down all his fences until strangers have entered his land, and You have also turned his strongholds into ruins, so that he has no place of shelter from the enemy.
שַׁסֻּהוּ כׇּל־עֹבְרֵי דָרֶךְ הָיָה חֶרְפָּה לִשְׁכֵנָיו׃ - All who pass along the way plunder him; he has become a reproach to his neighbors.
This verse corresponds to "You have broken down all his fences." The Malbim explains: the borders and fences that kings set up around their territory - that is, the guards and soldiers stationed along the border - serve two purposes. The first is to prevent an enemy from entering within. And this no longer held true: the fence was breached, and immediately "all who pass along the way plunder him." Thus we see that Pharaoh Necho in the days of Yoshiyahu entered here and moved about freely, until Yoshiyahu went out to battle and met his death. "Plunder him" (shassuhu) - the Radak explains this as looting him, as in the phrase "Who gave Yaakov over to plunder?"; when there is no fence, people come and loot. The second purpose for erecting a boundary fence is because of the neighbors, so they do not cross the border, ensuring it is clear that up to here is my territory and beyond is theirs. But now, "he has become a reproach to his neighbors" - the Jewish people have become a disgrace, and the neighbors mock them. The Radak notes that this is the exact opposite of how it was previously, when all the neighbors served him, and all the surrounding kings brought tribute to Shlomo and were subservient to him.
הֲרִימוֹתָ יְמִין צָרָיו הִשְׂמַחְתָּ כׇּל־אוֹיְבָיו׃ - You have raised the right hand of his adversaries; You have made all his enemies rejoice.
The Malbim explains: this verse corresponds to "You have turned his strongholds into ruins" - the adversaries defeated him in battle, and thereby You made all his enemies rejoice. We have already explained the distinction between an adversary (tzar) and an enemy (oyev): an adversary is one who actively oppresses, whereas an enemy harbors hatred in his heart without actively attacking. The example previously mentioned is the distinction between Europe and the Islamic world: the Islamic world is the active oppressor, while Europe is the enemy - funding them, promoting legislation against us in the UN, and passing resolutions against us. They do not come to fight physically, but they fuel those who do. This is the meaning of "You have raised the right hand of his adversaries" - the hand of the active warrior was elevated and advanced against us, and then "You have made all his enemies rejoice" - those who wish us ill in their hearts, even if they do not actively fight, rejoice inwardly when they witness our downfall and destruction.
The Radak explains that "You have raised the right hand of his adversaries" is the opposite of what was stated earlier, "My arm shall also strengthen him": instead of the divine arm strengthening him, the right hand of victory now belongs to the adversaries and they are the ones who succeed. "You have made all his enemies rejoice" - until now they were grieved and terrified of us, as it is written, "and the fear of Hashem was upon all the kingdoms," whereas now the enemy holds his head high, feels no dread, and on the contrary rejoices over our distress.
אַף־תָּשִׁיב צוּר חַרְבּוֹ וְלֹא הֲקֵימֹתוֹ בַּמִּלְחָמָה׃ - You have even turned back the edge of his sword, and have not sustained him in battle.
Rashi explains that "the edge of his sword" (tzur charbo) refers to the sharpness of the sword, related to the expression "flint knives" (charvot tzurim), and "no weapon formed (yutzar) against you," meaning sharpened against you. Thus, Master of the World, You blunted the sharpness of his sword - his weapons were, so to speak, rendered useless against his foes. Behold: the kingdom of the House of David is conquered and subdued. Not only that, but "and have not sustained him in battle" - in the war against his enemies You did not uphold him; rather, he fell before them.
The Malbim explains that this refers back to the era when Nevuchadnezzar conquered the land of Yehudah. Had Tzidkiyahu not rebelled against him, Nevuchadnezzar would not have abolished his monarchy. But Tzidkiyahu saw him eating a live hare, as Chazal recount, and swore to him not to reveal it, yet later went and publicized the matter; moreover, he rebelled against him and refused to accept his authority. According to this, "You have turned back the edge of his sword" means: You brought back the sharp edge of his sword to return and fight a second time - Tzidkiyahu once again raised his sword against Nevuchadnezzar, rising in rebellion against him. But here You no longer helped him: "and have not sustained him in battle" - You did not aid him in this war, and on the contrary, he fell in his struggle against Nevuchadnezzar.
הִשְׁבַּתָּ מִטְּהָרוֹ וְכִסְאוֹ לָאָרֶץ מִגַּרְתָּה׃ - You brought an end to his brightness, and cast his throne down to the ground.
Radak notes that the correct reading is not as it appears in some editions, but rather that beneath the letter tet there is a chataf kamatz. This is also cited in the Tehillim Emet Keneh of Rav Mazuz, which is very meticulous in its cantillation marks and vocalization. A chataf kamatz is pronounced "o", as in oniyah or chochmah, and therefore it should be read hishbata mi-ttohoro. And what is this purity (tohar)? Rashi explains that it refers to shining - as if his light no longer shines. Proof of this: tzohorayim (noon) is translated into Aramaic as tihara, and similarly "like the essence of heaven for purity (la-tohar)" denotes illumination. Thus: You extinguished his light.
"And cast his throne down to the ground" - You brought his throne low to the earth. The word migartah is a hapax legomenon, appearing nowhere else in the entire Tanach, so its meaning must be sought out. Radak explains that its source is in Targum Onkelos: for "and his rider falls backward," the Aramaic translates ve-yimagar rochveihon le-achora, showing that the root m-g-r denotes falling or casting down. In modern Hebrew the term lemager is usually used in the sense of eradicating, but as we see in the Targum, its fundamental meaning is falling down. Rashi likewise explains: "Migartah - you humbled and brought low," from the language of bowing down and bending, an expression of humiliation. Thus: You humbled his throne and cast it down to the earth.
Radak explains "You brought an end to his purity" - his merit, for royal majesty is an aspect of his merit and purity, and that You put an end to. And why is there a dagesh in the letter tet, when it should grammatically have been mitoro without a dagesh? Radak says: for beauty of reading, similar to "the sanctuary of the Lord (mikdash Hashem) Your hands established," where the letter kaf should grammatically be without a dagesh, but received one for beauty of pronunciation and emphasis.
The Malbim explains: The first time Nebuchadnezzar subdued the kings of Yehudah, even though their sword was not strong enough to resist him, they nonetheless retained their purity - they had clean hands and were not defiled. Here, however, Tzidkiyahu's sword against Nebuchadnezzar was not a clean sword; it was not a purified sword, since it was raised through rebellion and the violation of an oath. He had sworn to serve him and then broke his oath, going to the Sages to annul his oath, and the like. And such conduct is not pure: if you swore, you were obligated to keep your oath even when unpleasant, especially since this was by the word of Hashem, for the enemies came by Hashem's decree, as the prophets had rebuked and forewarned earlier. They ought to have listened to the prophet and subordinated their will to Nebuchadnezzar. Once you went and swore and then violated your oath, "You brought an end to his purity" - there is no longer purity and innocence here, no righteous and decent man who fell, but rather a violator of an oath and a covenant. Therefore, "and cast his throne down to the ground" - through this, the kingdom of Yehudah was brought to a complete end.
הִקְצַרְתָּ יְמֵי עֲלוּמָיו הֶעֱטִיתָ עָלָיו בּוּשָׁה סֶלָה׃ - You have shortened the days of his youth; You have cloaked him in shame, Selah.
"The days of his youth" refers to the days of the monarchy. Radak explains that this refers to a person's youth, the good days regarding the physical body - when the body is healthy and strong, when a person can eat whatever he wants and possesses vigor. The days of old age, by contrast, are called the bad days, as it is written, "Before the days of evil come." And alumav (his youth) comes from the word elem, a young lad. Why is a young man called a bachur (chosen youth)? Because he is in the prime of his years (mivchar shenotav); and furthermore, because this is the stage at which he is truly meant to choose (livchor) and determine his life's path, for now he makes his definitive decisions, whereas at age thirty or forty a person moves largely by momentum. And why is he called an elem? Because his true potential is still concealed (ne'elam), still in potential rather than actualized, and we do not yet know what will become of him. In a lighter vein, one might add: elem - because he disappears (ne'elam); just a moment ago he was at home, and suddenly he vanishes and returns five hours later, and things around the house disappear as well... It is a stage of disappearances, which is why he is called an elem.
In any case, the verse means: the days of the monarchy were short, while the days of affliction and the days of exile are long. And this is the grievance: Master of the Universe, see how long the exile drags on! "You have shortened the days of his youth" - You cut short the days of monarchy, the days when he was in his vigor and his youth, while the days of exile are prolonged. "You have cloaked him in shame, Selah" - as if he is put to shame because of the promise You made to him: there is a covenant between You and us, yet all the nations see us brought low and taunt, "Well, where are you? You claimed you had a promise from Hashem, an oath from Hashem, and a covenant - yet here you are in exile, degraded, pushed aside, and despised." And this shame is an enduring shame.
The Malbim continues applying this theme to Tzidkiyahu: "You have shortened the days of his youth" - Nebuchadnezzar slaughtered his sons before his eyes and then blinded him, and this brought about his downfall, dying an early death. Through this, too, "You have cloaked him in shame" - behold, see what you brought upon yourself and what you caused by breaking the oath you swore to Nebuchadnezzar.
עַד־מָה יְהֹוָה תִּסָּתֵר לָנֶצַח תִּבְעַר כְּמוֹ־אֵשׁ חֲמָתֶךָ׃ - How long, Hashem? Will You hide Yourself forever? Will Your wrath burn like fire?
The Metzudat David explains: Although what You have done, Master of the Universe, is just, how long can this continue? Will Hashem hide His face forever from the Davidic dynasty and from the people of Israel? Will Your wrath burn like a fire that consumes everything? The Malbim explains that a new section begins here: when the cessation of the Davidic dynasty has extended for so long and the duration of the exile is immense, he prays - Master of the Universe, will You hide Your face forever from saving us? Will You still remain in wrath and fury against the generation? After all, anger usually subsides, fury is not perpetual, as it says, "and the wrath of the king abated"; yet here it is as if contrary to nature - "shall Your wrath burn like fire," how long will Your fury burn against us while You do not redeem us?
זְכׇר־אֲנִי מֶה־חָלֶד עַל־מַה־שָּׁוְא בָּרָאתָ כׇל־בְּנֵי־אָדָם׃ - Remember how short my time is; for what vanity have You created all the children of man!
Rashi explains: What old age do I have? After all, my days are few, and if so, it is enough that You exact retribution from me and shorten my days. "Remember how short my time is" - remember the brevity of my lifespan. "For what vanity have You created all the children of man" - as if to say, did You create all human beings for naught and futility, since now You destroy them and are angry with them, meaning they were created in vain?
The Malbim delves deeper: The establishment of the Davidic dynasty is a process leading toward ultimate perfection. It is an integral part of the arrival of Mashiach, the redemption of Israel, and the rectifying of the world under the sovereignty of the Almighty (Tikkun Olam b'malchut Shaddai), and one cannot speak of rectifying the world without the Davidic kingdom. This is why we pray every day: "May the sprout of David Your servant flourish speedily, and may his horn be exalted through Your salvation." Thus, the name of Mashiach is among the things that preceded the creation of the world, for he is the purpose of the world; and whatever preceded the world is part of its ultimate purpose - "the end of the deed was first in thought," and the ultimate goal comes first in thought. If so, the plea is: Master of the Universe, if You do not bring the true salvation, then "remember what this world is" (cheled meaning the world) - my entire existence in this world is in vain, so why did You create it for naught? "For what vanity have You created all the children of man" - the entire existence of humanity is futile, for they do not reach their ultimate purpose! And when will they reach it? At the time of the coming of Mashiach, when the world will be perfected under the sovereignty of the Almighty, and everyone will recognize Hashem and serve Him with one accord. That is the goal, and if the process does not lead there and the Davidic kingdom lies dormant - for what purpose were the world and humanity created?
מִי גֶבֶר יִחְיֶה וְלֹא יִרְאֶה־מָּוֶת יְמַלֵּט נַפְשׁוֹ מִיַּד־שְׁאוֹל סֶלָה׃ - What man can live and not see death, that he may deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah.
There is no person in the world who can live and not see death, and there is no one who can escape the grave, the grasp of Sheol; every human being eventually ends up there. A cemetery is called "beit mo'ed lechol chai" (the meeting place for all living) - the place where all people ultimately convene, where everyone meets. One could also interpret "mo'ed" in the sense of stumbling and falling: it is the place where all human beings stumble and fall, as everyone is destined to fall there. And "Sheol" generally refers to the grave.
The Malbim explains: All generations are destined to die as a result of the sin of Adam HaRishon, which brought death upon all of mankind. This causes that a person cannot attain rectification unless the soul separates from the body, at which point it achieves its rectification, whereas while in the physical body such rectification cannot be attained. "What man can live and not see death" - who is the person who will not see death, like Eliyahu who remained alive, or who at least will deliver his soul from the grasp of Sheol? Yet during the exile the suffering is immense, and the salvation we await is that death will be swallowed up forever, that evil will no longer exist, that there will no longer be an infant of days or an old man who dies prematurely - yet this reality seems so distant from us, and we do not see when it will arrive. If so, Master of the Universe, "for what vanity have You created all the children of man"? After all, the entire purpose is to bring the world to its rectification, so that ultimately man will live forever once the primordial sin of Adam HaRishon is rectified, yet I do not see this coming to fruition.
אַיֵּה חֲסָדֶיךָ הָרִאשֹׁנִים אֲדֹנָי נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לְדָוִד בֶּאֱמוּנָתֶךָ׃ - Where are Your former kindnesses, my Lord, which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?
What are the "former kindnesses"? That which You swore to David in Your faithfulness - You swore to him faithfully, yet now that oath is not being fulfilled. Where are those kindnesses? Why do You abandon us in exile? And where is that oath? The Malbim explains that here he prays that Hashem remember both the chessed and the emunah that He made with David: "Where are Your former kindnesses" corresponds to the dimension of chessed, and "which You swore to David in Your faithfulness" corresponds to the dimension of emunah. As we have explained throughout the psalm, there are two dimensions: chessed, through which the Holy One, blessed be He, makes promises whether one is worthy or unworthy; and emunah, which is truth, based on what is deserved. The aspect of emunah guarantees that ultimately the promise will indeed be fulfilled, for the oath was given for the overarching process of world perfection, as it says, "and You have spoken also of Your servant's house for a great while to come, and this is the law of man, Lord Hashem" - where the Malbim explains that the Davidic kingdom is an essential component in sustaining and rectifying the world. If so, Master of the Universe, where is the fulfillment of that which You swore to David in Your faithfulness?
זְכֹר אֲדֹנָי חֶרְפַּת עֲבָדֶיךָ שְׂאֵתִי בְחֵיקִי כׇּל־רַבִּים עַמִּים׃ - Remember, Lord, the reproach of Your servants, that I bear in my bosom from all the many nations.
Remember, Master of the World, how the enemies taunt us and say that there is no longer any salvation for us, "There is no salvation for him in God, Selah" - it is over, they will never be redeemed. "I bear in my bosom all the many nations" - I bear in my bosom the reproach of the many nations. Radak explains: "All many nations" (*kol rabim amim*) means all the many nations (*kol amim rabim*), and the verse reverses the order, similar to *avtit* [Habakkuk 2:6], which means thick clay (*tit av*), and like "a place where there is a grave" (*makom sham kever*), which means the place of a grave there. Sometimes a phrase appears inverted, and so it is here: I bear in my bosom the indignities and reproach of all the many nations.
אֲשֶׁר חֵרְפוּ אוֹיְבֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר חֵרְפוּ עִקְּבוֹת מְשִׁיחֶךָ׃ - Wherewith Your enemies have taunted, Hashem; wherewith they have taunted the footsteps of Your anointed.
The Malbim explains: Even though You have reason to remember the reproach of Your servants - how the nations taunt Israel in their exile for being servants of Hashem, mocking us for still clinging to You, and I bear in my bosom the taunts of the many nations - nevertheless, the real issue is not me. "Wherewith Your enemies have taunted, Hashem" - set aside my disgrace, but what about the disgrace to Your Name? For when they taunt us, they are ultimately taunting Hashem, as if to say that Hashem lacks the power to save His servants: look at His servants, downtrodden, beaten, and persecuted, where is their God? This is an accusation against the Master of the World. Therefore, remember what the enemies taunt, for the true target is not us, but You; the enemy seeks to blaspheme You, they contest Your Divinity. Therefore, Master of the World, act for the sake of Your Name, act so that Your Name will not be desecrated.
And in explaining "wherewith they have taunted the footsteps of Your anointed," the Malbim offers an original insight: the very fact that they taunted is what brings about the footsteps of Your anointed. Through this reproach will come the footsteps of Mashiach; when the taunts multiply, that is the sign that we are beginning to hear the footsteps of Mashiach. Just as we saw in the Egyptian exile: when did redemption draw near? When the exile worsened - "No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, Make bricks!" When the troubles intensified, as the Gemara says regarding the morning star (*ayelet hashachar*), that just before dawn the darkness deepens, we know we are one step before redemption.
Ibn Ezra explains: "Your enemies have taunted, Hashem" - those who taunt are Hashem's enemies. And what are "the footsteps of Your anointed" (*ikvot meshichecha*)? As in "holding the heel of Esau" (*be'akev Eisav*), and "and Your footsteps (*ve'ikvotecha*) were not known." Their taunt is over the fact that Mashiach is delayed: as if to say his heels are broken, and therefore Mashiach is tarrying; the footsteps of Mashiach are fractured and disrupted, so there will be no redemption.
Radak offers an interesting interpretation: "They have taunted the footsteps (*ikvot*) of Your anointed" means the delay of Your anointed, similar to "and He will not delay them (*ve-lo ye'akvem*) when His voice is heard" [Job 37:4] - although spelled with a *kof*, it carries the connotation of hindrance and delay, meaning He will not delay them. Why does *la'akov* mean to delay? Because the heel (*akev*) is the rearmost part of the body. And what are they taunting about? About the fact that Mashiach is delayed.
Rav Mazuz, in his book *Emet Kenei*, also cites Sefer HaIkkarim, who explains that "Your enemies have taunted, Hashem" is a euphemism, in the way Chazal say "destruction was almost decreed upon the enemies of Israel," when they do not wish to utter "upon Israel"; or when one wishes to refer to blaspheming and says "blessing God." Here too, the Psalmist does not wish to say that they curse Hashem, so he uses a euphemism: they taunt the enemies of Hashem, meaning - You, Master of the World. According to this, one can understand why the following verse is "Blessed be Hashem forever, Amen and Amen": after mentioning something that implies, as it were, a flaw or a curse directed toward the Holy One, blessed be He, he immediately adds a blessing, so as not to conclude with a curse, but rather with praise and blessing.
The Tiklal of the Maharitz explains "wherewith Your enemies have taunted, Hashem; wherewith they have taunted the footsteps of Your anointed" in light of Rashi, that this refers to *Ikvesa D'Meshicha* (the era preceding Mashiach), and based on what the Gemara says, that in the footsteps of Mashiach insolence will increase (*chutzpa yasgei*). And we see this reality today, where unfortunately even a blind person can see and a deaf person can hear just how deep we are inside the era of *Ikvesa D'Meshicha*, how immensely insolence has grown. And why? Because *ikvesa* relates to what people trample with their heels (*akev*), as in "And it shall come to pass, because (*ekev*) you listen" - mitzvot that a person tramples under his heels. In the period before the coming of Mashiach, people will trample the mitzvot under their heels and treat them lightly, and therefore impudence increases.
Based on this, he explains the verse here: Why have "Your enemies taunted, Hashem," why do the enemies blaspheme the Master of the World? Because beforehand, "they taunted the footsteps of Your anointed" - they trampled Hashem's mitzvot under their heels. In simple terms: it all starts with us. This explains what we once discussed regarding why the Holy One, blessed be He, began the Torah with Bereishit: "He declared the power of His works to His people, to give them the heritage of the nations" [Tehillim 111:6], so that if the nations come and say, "You are robbers," we will answer them: The Holy One, blessed be He, created the world; by His will He gave it to you, and by His will He took it from you and gave it to us. The question arises: Which gentile has ever been convinced by this? When in history did we see a gentile convinced merely by this claim? The answer is: the gentile will be convinced when you are convinced. This was not meant to convince the gentile, but to convince us first - so that we are convinced that we have a right to the Land and that the Land is ours, so that we stop apologizing and stop constantly projecting that they too are entitled. When you abandon weakness and have complete faith in your right to the Land, the gentile will also begin to listen; but when you yourself are full of doubts and hesitations, projecting insecurity, do not wonder why the gentile does not listen.
So too here: the Jewish people first taunted the footsteps of Your anointed, trampling the mitzvot under their heels - and afterward, do not wonder why the enemies taunt the Holy One, blessed be He. When you cling to Hashem, even the enemy believes in Him and acknowledges Him. In the era of Shlomo, nations came to learn the service of Hashem from him; they brought him tribute from all over the world, came to recognize his kingship, and gave him their daughters so that he might raise kings from them. But when we do not hold fast properly to the service of Hashem and are embarrassed by His mitzvot, do not be surprised that the gentile reaches a point where he taunts Hashem.
בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן׃ - Blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen.
Rashi explains: Blessed is Hashem forever for everything He has done for us. Ibn Ezra explains that the reason is that the psalmist foresaw through Ruach HaKodesh the coming of Mashiach, and therefore gave thanks to Hashem. In other words, after mentioning "the footsteps of Your anointed," he envisions the Mashiach through prophetic inspiration and immediately bursts forth: "Blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen." This calls to mind the words of the Kuzari regarding bowing during "Modim": the simple understanding is that I am giving thanks to Hashem, and when giving thanks one must bow; however, the Kuzari explains differently - after saying "Blessed are You, Hashem, Who restores His Shechinah to Zion," I was reminded of Zion and immediately I bow. So too here: since he mentioned "the footsteps of Your anointed" and recalled Mashiach through his prophetic spirit, immediately - "Blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen," thank You, Master of the Universe, Mashiach will soon arrive and we will merit the complete redemption.
And some say, as Ibn Ezra cites, that this follows the approach of Iyov: the wise man (Maskil) blesses Hashem even though the enemy taunts Him, and he endures his reproach. The enemies taunt Hashem, but the wise person, even though he is the one suffering, remains silent at that time - and not only remains silent, but also thanks, lauds, and praises the Creator. Therefore: "Blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen" - they taunt, and I bless. Even though he described a very difficult reality here: "Remember how brief my life is," "for what futility have You created all the sons of man," "what man can live and not see death," "where are Your former kindnesses," "the reproach of Your servants" - despite all this, the God-fearing and wise person thanks Hashem day by day for everything Hashem does: both on a good day and on a day that is not good, for everything he gives thanks to Hashem.
Ibn Ezra cites a third interpretation in the name of a great Sephardic sage: the scribe who originally transcribed the book wrote at its conclusion, "Blessed is Hashem Who helped us write all of it." And should you ask, does the book not continue beyond this point? In truth, this marks the conclusion of the third book of Tehillim, and therefore the scribe concludes in the manner customary when concluding a book, like the formula "Blessed is the Merciful One Who assisted us" (Berich Rachmana desayan) that sometimes appears at the end of sefarim, and in the manner people write today, "Blessed is He Who gives strength to the weary" and the like - an expression of gratitude to Hashem for having merited to complete the book.
And the Malbim concludes: "Blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen" - for He will preserve His faithfulness and His promise, and it will be verified forever. In other words: do not imagine that everything stated here comes to express a lack of faith, for he raised difficult questions and forceful grievances here - heaven forbid to say that there is no redemption, or that there is no faith in the coming of Mashiach and the resurrection of the dead. "Amen" is an expression of truth (emet): the Holy One, Blessed is He, is blessed forever, and He will verify and confirm His words, and fulfill all His promises forever, and in this I have no doubt whatsoever. With this he concludes his words, so that you should not think, heaven forbid, that they were uttered out of doubt.