Chapter 149 is one of the "Hallelu-yah" chapters at the conclusion of the Book of Tehillim, and it is a psalm of a new song: the song of the congregation of the pious praising Hashem for the privilege of being "the people close to Him," and for the salvation and judgment destined to be executed upon the nations at the time of the Redemption. We will study the verses in order with the aid of the commentaries, primarily the Malbim.
הַלְלוּ־יָהּ שִׁירוּ לַה' שִׁיר חָדָשׁ תְּהִלָּתוֹ בִּקְהַל חֲסִידִים׃ - Hallelu-yah! Sing to Hashem a new song, His praise in the assembly of the pious.
Ibn Ezra explains that the verse is a direct continuation of the end of the previous chapter: "He raised the glory of His people, praise for all His pious ones, for the Children of Israel, the people close to Him." Hashem elevated our stature and granted us the merit to be "the people close to Him," and for the sake of that glory which Hashem bestowed upon you alone - sing to Him a new song. You, the congregation of the pious, are the ones who shall praise Him.
Radak explains that these words are addressed to Israel: it will not be enough for you to sing the songs that are already written; rather, you will compose a new song to Him for the wonders He performed for you - and this is a "new song." "His praise in the assembly of the pious" - His praise will be recited in the assembly of the pious, which is Israel. Indeed, we find that one who attains the love of Hashem writes songs to Him. In literature, it is well known that lovers write poems to one another; similarly, one who attains the love of Hashem writes songs to Him. There is a love song written by Rabbi Akiva Eiger to Hashem, Blessed be He; a poem of love and yearning to Hashem written by Rav Ba'adani was recently discovered; and there is a poem of love, yearning, and longing written by the Steipler. When a person reaches the level of love of Hashem and closeness to God, it bursts forth from within him in song.
The Malbim explains: after mentioning the praise of the pious who are close to Hashem and among whom Hashem walks, the verse now says - sing a new song to Hashem over this very praise, that His praise is in the assembly of the pious. A song celebrating the fact that one merits to be "the people close to Him." This is the praise of the pious: how do the pious praise Hashem? By the fact that we merit to be close to Him, Blessed be He.
It is told of the holy Maggid of Mezritch that he once received a letter from his chassidim containing all kinds of boundless, exalted titles: "the pure Menorah," "holy and exalted," and the like. He said to them: Now I understand what is written in Tehillim, "Sing to Hashem a new song" - we must already compose new songs for the Holy One, Blessed be He. For "His praise" - that with which people have praised Hashem until now - is already "in the assembly of the pious"; the chassidim are already praising their Rebbe with it. What was once sung to the Holy One, Blessed be He, the chassid now sings to his Rebbe.
This insight is often cited in the name of the Maggid of Mezritch, but an examination of the sources reveals that the Chida says it as well - though without the smile. The Chida explains based on what the Sages state (Bava Batra 75b), that in the future, people will say "Holy" before the righteous just as they say before the Holy One, Blessed be He. It follows that at the time of the Redemption, the praise of Hashem will be recited before the righteous. What, then, will be praised to Hashem, Blessed be He? Regarding this, the verse says: "Sing to Hashem a new song" - in the future to come, we will sing a new song to Hashem, since His praise is already "in the assembly of the pious," and that with which they praise "Holy, Holy" will be said to the holy ones of the earth. Consequently, we will need to compose a new song for Hashem, through which Hashem will receive a song and praise far superior to the previous, older songs.
יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֹשָׂיו בְּנֵי־צִיּוֹן יָגִילוּ בְמַלְכָּם׃ - Let Israel rejoice in its Maker; let the children of Zion exult in their King.
At first glance, the phrasing is difficult: "In its Maker" (be'osav) is grammatically plural, yet the Holy One, Blessed be He, made us, in the singular; how then can He be referred to in the plural? Ibn Ezra answers: Do not wonder, for scripture states, "For your Maker is your husband" (where oseyich is also plural), and the name Elokim is also written in a plural form, as is Tzeva'ot, which is a plural form and is a name of the Creator, Blessed be He.
The Malbim explains: when Israel rejoices in Hashem because He made us to be His people - "He made us, and we are His," meaning that we belong to Him - then the children of Zion, who are even closer to Him, "will exult in their King." The difference between gil (exultation) and simchah (joy) has been explained several times: gil denotes a renewal of joy, whereas simchah refers to continuous, steady joy. The children of Zion will experience constant and ever-renewing exultation, because the King walks among them. Zion is the holiest place in Jerusalem, the seat of the kings, the pious, and the holy; therefore, among them exultation will be constant - the King accompanies them continually, and they attain knowledge of Him level after level, advancing from strength to strength, until "each appears before God in Zion."
Targum Yonatan offers an intriguing explanation here: "in his Maker" (be'osav) can be understood as "in his deeds" (bema'asav) - the people of Israel will rejoice in the good deeds they perform. To understand why one should rejoice in one's deeds, we know that a person must be happy with his portion. Not in the sense of being complacent with what one has achieved and resting on one's laurels - that is certainly not the right path, as a person must always view himself as lacking and strive to advance further - but in the sense that one must never despair and think: What am I worth? What have I even accomplished? I am capable of nothing. On the contrary, let him look at the good deeds he has done, and derive encouragement from them to keep moving forward. It is important to reflect on how much ground one has covered, how much one has learned, and to see: Baruch Hashem, I have finished another tractate; I am privileged to grow spiritually; I am moving forward, not standing still, and certainly not retreating. All these thoughts encourage a person to persevere along the path that ascends to Beit El. This is the meaning of "Let Israel rejoice in his Maker" - in the deeds that he performs.
יְהַלְלוּ שְׁמוֹ בְמָחוֹל בְּתֹף וְכִנּוֹר יְזַמְּרוּ־לוֹ׃ - Let them praise His name in dance; let them sing praises to Him with timbrel and harp.
Radak explains: they will praise His name verbally, and will also sing praises to Him with musical instruments - timbrel and harp. Metzudat Tziyon interprets machol as the name of a musical instrument, meaning there is a timbrel, a harp, and a machol. However, the Malbim follows Radak's view that machol is not an instrument, explaining instead that machol means dancing. They will praise His name with dance, and while dancing they will play before Him with timbrel and harp, as this was the customary accompaniment when going out in dance, as it is written: "and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances."
The Malbim adds: the dance alludes to what the Holy One, blessed be He, will do in the future, when He becomes the leader of the circle for the righteous - meaning the leader of the dance. They will encircle Him in dance until they are privileged to be close to Him, in the aspect of "a people near unto Him." They will praise Hashem in that dance as they encircle Him, pointing and proclaiming: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us... we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation." This is that very dance that the Holy One, blessed be He, will make for the righteous in the future.
Sefer HaRemez writes homiletically: "Let them praise His name in dance (bemachol)" - this hints that a person must thank Hashem, blessed be He, for the privilege of teshuvah, forgiveness (mechilah). As Rabbeinu Yonah writes: if a person killed someone or caused destruction, could one imagine that merely saying "I repented" would settle the matter? If someone is brought before a human judge and says, "I regret it," will the judge simply send him home? He will tell him: "It is good that you regret it, but you will have the next twenty-five years in prison to think about what you have done." Yet with the Holy One, blessed be He, when a person repents, Hashem forgives him. According to this, "Let them praise His name in machol" means: how much must we praise and thank Hashem, blessed be He, for forgiving your sins when you return to Him in complete repentance!
כִּי־רוֹצֶה ה' בְּעַמּוֹ יְפָאֵר עֲנָוִים בִּישׁוּעָה׃ - For Hashem takes pleasure in His people; He will adorn the humble with salvation.
Radak explains: it is fitting for them, the people of Israel, to praise more than any other nation, because Hashem desires us more than any other nation. The principle is that the more privileges one receives, the greater one's obligation; and the Jewish people were granted the greatest privilege of all, to be "a people near unto Him," and "You are children to Hashem your God." Moreover, being the humblest of all nations, Hashem adorned them above all nations through the salvation He wrought for them. Thus, Hashem saves us in the merit of the humility of Israel, who do not exalt themselves.
The Malbim explains: "Hashem takes pleasure in His people" - He desires the nation as a whole; and as for the humble, who are the elite among the collective, the distinguished and truly humble, the righteous - them He will adorn with salvation. That is, Hashem will deliver them to such an extent that the salvation itself will become their adornment and honor, for when one is granted salvation, it brings renown, praise, and glory, as it is written: "and I will be the glory in the midst of her."
Otzrot HaAggadah explains: the humble conduct themselves with humility and lowliness, and Hashem desires to elevate them and magnify their name. How does He do so? By performing salvations for them, prompting people to praise them, thereby fulfilling the dictum of Chazal: "Whoever flees from greatness, greatness pursues him." Then it becomes truly evident how worthwhile it is to cleave to Hashem and walk in His ways, as one sees how the Holy One, blessed be He, works supernatural salvations for those who cling to Him.
Tehilot Mahari"tz explains: the leaders of Israel must conduct themselves with humility and lowliness - but when? Only when Torah and religion stand firmly on their foundations. However, when destroyers arise, when there are "little foxes that ruin the vineyards," one cannot act with humility and passivity. On the contrary, one must stand in the breach, rise from one's place, and act in the spirit of "And his heart was lifted up in the ways of Hashem," standing up to wage battle. This is alluded to here: "For Hashem takes pleasure in His people" - when the deeds of the people are pleasing before Hashem, then "He will adorn the humble with salvation," meaning humility is their glory and their path. But when people do not perform His will, that is when strength, boldness, and proud assertiveness are required to rise and fight the battle of Torah. A person must not say, "Who am I and what am I?" and sit idle while the destroyers of religion do as they please.
יַעְלְזוּ חֲסִידִים בְּכָבוֹד יְרַנְּנוּ עַל־מִשְׁכְּבוֹתָם׃ - Let the pious exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their beds.
The Radak explains: The people of Israel, who are pious, will exult in the glory that Hashem will bestow upon them, for their glory will endure forever. "Let them sing for joy upon their couches" - they will sing to God, blessed be He, for their rest. "Their couches" (*mishkevotam*) is used here in the sense of rest, as in "and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid" - meaning you will rest without disturbance, not literally lying down to sleep. Likewise, "even at night his heart does not lie down" - meaning it does not rest; and "neither do my feet lie down" - meaning they do not rest. The Radak also cites another explanation in the name of the commentators: that "upon their beds" is literal - on their beds. When they seclude themselves at night, the pious will exult and sing upon their beds as they commune with Hashem in solitude, even while resting in bed.
The Malbim explains: The pious will exult in this immense glory when the glory of Hashem hovers over them, to the point that they will sing for joy upon their couches. What is the significance of the "couches" here? Having previously spoken of the dance - the circle dance performed around Hashem, blessed be He, as Hashem is destined to make a dance for the righteous - even after the dance, when they lie down to rest, they will still continue to sing from the sheer abundance of joy. And what does this allude to? That even at the moment of expiring and lying in the grave, they will still sing for joy. For one whose soul was attached to Hashem during his lifetime dies with the kiss of death (*mitat neshikah*) and remains cleaving to Him with song, joy, and great celebration, as is known. That is to say, when a person clung to Hashem throughout his life, he continues to cling to Hashem even in the grave, and there is great celebration in heaven when the soul of a pure and righteous person arrives. Thus, those pious ones will exult even upon their couches, even when the time comes to depart from this world.
As an aside regarding grammar: Does one read it as *ya'alzu* (with a *chataf patach*) or *ya'alzu* (with a *sheva nach*)? The rule is that when two consecutive *shevas* appear, the second is vocal (*sheva na*), and therefore it is read *ya'lezu*. Furthermore, because it is preceded by a *patach*, a short vowel followed by a *sheva*, this is another reason why the first *sheva* is silent (*sheva nach*). Thus, it is pronounced as two parts: *ya'al-zu chassidim*.
רוֹמְמוֹת אֵל בִּגְרוֹנָם וְחֶרֶב פִּיפִיּוֹת בְּיָדָם׃ - High praises of God in their throat, and a double-edged sword in their hand.
Rashi explains: The fact that they extol God serves as a double-edged sword in their hand. When you praise God, that is the sword with which you conquer your enemies. The Ibn Ezra cites a different explanation in the name of Rabbi Moshe: they praise Hashem as they go out to war. That is, the high praises of God do not literally become a sword; rather, at the very moment they hold a double-edged sword in their hand and advance into battle, they extol, laud, and praise Hashem.
The Radak explains: When they go out to the war of Gog and Magog, they will pray to Hashem and praise Him for having taken them out of exile, and through this Hashem will give them strength against the enemies to destroy them - prayer on their lips and a sword in their hand. And what does *pifiyot* (double-edged) mean? A sword with two "mouths" (edges), sharpened on both sides, like a dagger that cuts both ways, unlike a knife that is sharp on only one side and dull on the spine. And why does it say "in their throat" rather than "in their mouth"? Because sound originates in the throat and finishes at the mouth, which is why the verse uses the term throat. Furthermore, the Radak explains: since they are crying out in prayer, and the throat expresses an outcry - speech being associated with the mouth and shouting with the throat, as in "Cry from the throat, do not hold back" - the verse says "high praises of God in their throat," for they praise God with a crying out voice.
The Malbim explains: In their throat will be the high praises of God, and in their hand a double-edged sword. Through the double-edged sword they will "execute vengeance upon the nations (*goyim*)," and through praising God they will bring "rebukes upon the peoples (*le'umim*)." The Malbim consistently explains the concept of *tochechah* (rebuke) as related to debate and reasoned argument, while *le'umim* generally refers to organized nations governed by religion and law. With them there will be a debate: they are the religious factions who seek to prove the validity of their faiths, and we will debate them and prove the truth of the faith of Israel. The *goyim* come to wage physical war - and against them is the double-edged sword in hand; while the *le'umim* seek to obliterate the Name of Hashem and prove the validity of their vanity and idolatry - and against them we will demonstrate the truth of our faith through the high praises of God in our throat.
In the sefer *Tehillot Maharith*, it is explained that through Torah study one can ward off all tribulations, and not only one who studies Torah himself, but also one who supports Torah study (*machzik Torah*) - he too possesses the power to repel calamities; the supporter of Torah is equal to the learner of Torah. And see how wonderfully this is hinted at here: "High praises of God in their throat" refers to Torah scholars, who have the praises of the Holy One, blessed be He, in their throats and engage in Torah with their mouths; they possess the power to stand against adversity. "And a double-edged sword in their hand" refers to those whose role is with their hands - that is, they assist and support Torah scholars with their hands and financial means. They too will have the power to battle the enemies and push back the misfortunes threatening the community, for they are supporters of Torah. In that their hands uphold Torah, this serves for them as a double-edged sword capable of striking down any evil that approaches the Jewish people.
Rav Eliyahu Lopian remarks: "A double-edged sword" is an expression frequently used to describe something hazardous that can harm you just as easily as it harms the other side, because it is sharp on both edges. So too with prayer - "high praises of God in their throat" - know that prayer is a double-edged sword. Through prayer one can pierce the heavens and alter reality entirely, but if one is not careful during prayer and entertains foreign thoughts, or even prays sincerely but is careless with words, uttering an imprecise expression - such as Chana saying, "and I shall dedicate him to Hashem forever (*ad olam*)," when the "forever" of a Levite is fifty years, leading ultimately to Shmuel passing away early due to the wording in Chana's prayer, and other similar examples - one must be exceedingly cautious. Prayer is a double-edged sword: just as it holds immense power for good, it can also harm the person praying if it is not approached properly and with due care.
The *Pri Tzaddik* states: See what we are taught here - the strength of Israel lies neither in swords nor in spears. The people of Israel are likened to "the worm of Jacob" (Tola'at Yaakov), whose power lies solely in its mouth; "high praises of God are in their throat" - this is the double-edged sword in their hand to execute vengeance upon the nations. By exalting and praising God through the power of prayer, it becomes a double-edged sword in their hand with which to take vengeance upon the nations. And in Pesikta d'Rav Kahana they explain: What are the two edges? The Written Torah and the Oral Torah. Just as a double-edged sword cuts from both sides, so too the Torah grants life both in this world and in the World to Come, which is why it is called a double-edged sword.
In *Sefer Zeh HaSha'ar*, an idea is explained by way of homiletic allusion (remez), citing the holy work *Ya'arot Devash* by Rabbi Yonatan Eybeschutz. Why did Moshe Rabbeinu say to Yehoshua, "Choose men for us and go out to battle against Amalek"? It is wondrous that Moshe Rabbeinu did not go out himself, nor did he even select the men himself, but instead said to Yehoshua: You choose men to go out and fight Amalek. He explains: whoever wishes to defeat Eisav - whose astrological sign is Mars (Ma'adim), bloodshed, and whose legacy from his father is "by your sword shall you live" - must be circumcised with a sword, meaning the scalpel (*izmel*) of milah. And the milah scalpel is called a double-edged sword, for as anyone who has seen a milah scalpel knows, it has two cutting edges and is sharpened on both sides. And as stated in the holy Zohar, it is through the holy sword that draws the blood of the covenant (*becharba kadisha dematif dam brit*) that one can wage war against Amalek, a feat reserved for one who possesses the merit of milah. Amalek sensed this; therefore, when he came to harass Israel, he would sever their foreskins, cast them upward, and taunt, "Take what You have chosen!" - for he knew that the power of milah is what subdues him. Now Moshe Rabbeinu did not have the blood of the covenant, as he was born circumcised, as it is written, "and she saw him, that he was good" - that he was born circumcised. It turns out, therefore, that he could not personally strike Amalek, for Amalek stems from the lineage of the sword, and only one who was cut by the sword and entered through the blood of the covenant could fight against him. That is why specifically Yehoshua, who underwent a physical Brit Milah, was suited to fight Amalek.
It is known that as long as the name of Amalek is not wiped out, the letters Alef, Vav, and Hei are missing from the Holy One, blessed be He. The letter Alef - as it is said, "For there is a hand upon the throne (*kes*) of Yah; Hashem will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." It says *kes* rather than *kisei* (throne); the throne is incomplete, lacking the letter Alef. Likewise, the Divine Name is divided in two, *Y-H*, lacking the letters *Vav-Hei*. Neither the Name is complete nor is the Throne complete, but when the name of Amalek is wiped out, the Throne will be completed and the Name of Hashem will be completed. The Maharsha notes that this is what is written, "For Hashem has chosen Zion; He desired it (*ivah*) for His habitation" - the letters of *ivah* (א-ו-ה), which are the missing letters Alef, Vav, and Hei, will return, and then "for His habitation" (*lemoshav lo*), the Throne will once again be complete and the Name will once again be complete.
This is what is alluded to in our verse: "High praises of God are in their throat" (*Romemot El Bigronam*) - the initials form the letters Resh, Alef, Bet, spelling *eiver* (organ), an allusion to the organ of milah, as Chazal phrase it, "man has a small organ." And when? When there is a "double-edged sword in their hand" - when a person possesses the power of the mitzvah of milah performed with a scalpel, that very double-edged sword sharpened on both sides. And when one has this - the organ through which "a double-edged sword is in their hand," having undergone Brit Milah - the verse continues, "to execute vengeance upon the nations," for through this it is possible to take vengeance upon Amalek; "rebukes upon the peoples"; "to execute upon them the written judgment" - that same Amalek regarding whom it is said, "Write this as a memorial in the book and recount it in the ears of Yehoshua"; through this you will defeat him. And "splendor is it (*hadar hu*) for all His pious ones" - in Aramaic, *hadar* means "returned," meaning that the letters of *Hu* (ה-ו-א) return: the Hei and Vav missing from the Name of Hashem, and the Alef missing from the Throne (*kisei*). By virtue of being circumcised and holding this double-edged sword, one is able to execute vengeance upon the nations and execute upon them the written judgment, and the Throne will once again be complete and the Name complete, in the words of the wise and insightful.
לַעֲשׂוֹת נְקָמָה בַּגּוֹיִם תּוֹכֵחוֹת בַּלְאֻמִּים׃ - To execute vengeance upon the nations, rebukes upon the peoples.
לֶאְסֹר מַלְכֵיהֶם בְּזִקִּים וְנִכְבְּדֵיהֶם בְּכַבְלֵי בַרְזֶל׃ - To bind their kings in chains, and their nobles in fetters of iron.
The Radak explains: "To execute vengeance upon the nations" - they came to wage war against them, and now Israel will take vengeance upon them. "Rebukes upon the peoples" - they will dispute with the kings, demanding why they attacked them; yet despite this rebuke, they will not refrain from waging war against them, and so they will execute vengeance upon them and slay all those nations. "To bind their kings in chains" - they will capture their kings alive and bind them in chains (*zikim*), which are iron fetters like handcuffs, and exact retribution from them while they are still living. For as is known, when vengeance is exacted from a king, it humiliates the entire nation, thereby deterring the people.
לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶם מִשְׁפָּט כָּתוּב הָדָר הוּא לְכָל־חֲסִידָיו הַלְלוּ־יָהּ׃ - To execute upon them the judgment that is written; this is splendor for all His pious ones. Halleluyah!
Rashi explains "written judgment" - this refers to the verse, "And I will lay My vengeance upon Edom" written in the Book of Yechezkel, when Hashem will exact retribution from the children of Edom. Rashi raises a question: Yechezkel had not yet been born when King David said here, "to execute upon them the written judgment"! But this is not surprising, for King David saw through Ruach HaKodesh (the holy spirit of prophecy), and he prophesies here concerning the final Redemption - that when the End arrives, this judgment will have already been written long before. By the time the Redemption arrives, the prophecy of Yechezkel will have been recorded long ago, and they will execute upon them a judgment that has already been inscribed from antiquity.
The Radak explains: To execute upon them the judgment decreed upon them as written in the Torah, and this is the meaning of "written." And what is written in the Torah? "I will make My arrows drunk with blood, and My sword shall devour flesh, from the blood of the slain and the captive, from the long-haired heads of the enemy"; "Sing aloud, O nations, of His people, for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to His adversaries, and will atone for His land and His people." Thus it is already written in advance that Hashem will grasp the sword to take vengeance upon the nations, and this is what is written here, in Yechezkel, and in Zechariah. "On that day, this is splendor for all His pious ones" - it will be a day of glory and majesty for the Jewish people, and regarding that day it is said, "Halleluyah" - praise Hashem, blessed be He, when His kingdom is revealed and He exacts retribution from the nations.
The Midrash Shocher Tov states: "To execute upon them the written judgment" - the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Do they imagine that I have forgotten? Do the wicked think I forgot what they did to Am Yisrael? It is written before Me! And this is the meaning of "a written judgment": "Everything you have done," says the Holy One, blessed be He, "is written before Me, and exact retribution will be collected from them down to the very last penny."
The Malbim explains: "To bind their kings with chains" - when they bind the kings of the seven nations of Canaan in chains, they will execute upon them the judgment written in the Torah, fulfilling the verse: "He will deliver their kings into your hand, and you shall destroy their name." The Malbim adds: This will not be viewed as cruelty, for "it is glory for all His pious ones" - they fulfilled Hashem's commandment rather than following human reasoning and rationalizations, unlike Shaul, who showed mercy to Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle. That is, do not think that when judgment is executed upon the nations it will be seen as cruelty; on the contrary, this is an honor and splendor for all His pious ones. When we carry out the will of Hashem, we need not fear what the nations will say; rather, it is our true glory and majesty that we fulfill the will of our Creator.
Psalm 149 opens with a call to sing a new song to Hashem - a song renewed out of love and closeness, "His praise in the congregation of the pious." Israel rejoices in their Maker with constant joy, and the children of Zion have their rejoicing constantly renewed because the King walks in their midst. They praise with dance, an allusion to the dance that the Holy One, blessed be He, will make for the righteous in the future, and they continue to sing even "upon their beds" - for one who clings to Hashem in life clings to Him even at his passing, with joyful song and celebration. "For Hashem desires His people" - the humble are crowned with salvation, and when destroyers arise, humility must make way for strength and majestic resolve in the battle of Torah. Finally, "The lofty praises of God are in their throat, and a double-edged sword is in their hand": the power of the Jewish people is in their mouth - in Torah and prayer, which are a double-edged sword requiring utmost care, with the power to subdue enemies and demonstrate the truth of our faith, until the written judgment is fulfilled, the Throne and the Name are made complete, and there is glory for all His pious ones - Halleluyah.