פירוש על תהילים 40:20

I have greatly hoped for the Lord in Egypt, and this psalm is meant for all Israel.

and He extended to me His ear.

out of the roaring pit From the imprisonment of Egypt and from the roaring of their tumult.

from the thick mire From the sea. היון is an expression of mud, fanyas in Old French (fange in modern French), slime.

He established Heb. כונן, He prepared my steps.

a new song The song of the sea.

the haughty Heb. רהבים, an expression of haughtiness, as (in Isa. 3:5): “they shall behave haughtily (ירהבו), the youth”; (Song 6:5) “for they have made me haughty (הרהבותי).”

and those who turn to falsehood Those who turn from the straight way to follow the falsehood of pagan deities; e tornons in Old French, and those who turn away; in modern French, et se tournant.

Your wonders and Your thoughts are for us You created Your world for us; You split the sea for us, and You thought for us to benefit us in our end [by keeping us] in the desert for forty years because of the Amorites, who cut down the trees and made their land desolate when they heard that Israel was coming out to go to inherit their land.

There is none to equal You We cannot compare any king or savior to You. The expression ערך is like (Lev. 27:12): “valuation (כערכך),” a prizjjr in Old French, to estimate, [a priser, in modern French].

were I to tell and speak Were I to come and tell and speak, they would be too many to tell.

You desired neither sacrifice nor meal offering on the day of the giving of the Torah, as the matter that is stated (in Exod. 19:5): “And now, if you will earnestly hearken to My voice, etc.,” and likewise (in Jer. 7:22) Scripture states: “For neither did I speak with your forefathers nor did I command them, etc., concerning a burnt offering or a sacrifice.” I said, (Lev. 1:2) “If...from among you,” but I did not require it as an obligation to burden you. The daily sacrifices and the additional sacrifices are only to bring Me pleasure, that I ordained and My will was performed, but it is a small matter.

You dug ears for me saying, “Hearken to My voice.”

You dug You made them hollow [enabling me] to hear.

Then at the time of the giving of the Torah, behold I came to You to be bound in Your covenant. (Exod. 24:7): “We will do and hear,” and this matter is written as testimony concerning me in the scroll of the book, i.e., in the Law of Moses.

and [to have] Your law within my innards Even my food is according to Your law; I ate neither unclean beasts nor untithed produce.

I brought tidings of righteousness The song by the sea, the song by the well (Num. 21:17-20), and the song of Deborah (Jud. 5).

I will not withhold Heb. אכלא, I will not withhold, an expression of (Gen. 8:2): “And the rain was restrained (ויכלא).”

do not withhold Your mercies Heb. לא תכלא, do not withhold.

watch me Heb. יצרוני, watch me.

have encompassed Heb. אפפו, have surrounded.

to destroy it Heb. לספותה, to destroy it, as we translate (in Deut. 2:14): “until the entire generation...had vanished, עד דסף כל-דרא.

may they be bewildered [as translated,] may they be bewildered.

afterwards because of their shame Heb. על-עקב. When they receive their shame in the wake of everything [they have done], in the measure that they measured out and in the way they walked against Me. עקב is like (below 77: 20): “and your steps (ועקבותיך) were not known”; (Song 1:8), “go your way in the footsteps of (בעקבי) the flocks.” They are all an expression of footsteps, in French traces, footprints on the heel.

those who say about me, “Aha! Aha!” Those who say about me and for me, “Aha!” When trouble comes, they pray for our misfortune.

poor Every expression of poor and needy in Psalms refers only to Israel.

may...think of me Heb יחשב. May He pay heed to me to think of my poverty and neediness, to save me. Pensa in French, to think.