תהלים ק״מ | Psalms 140, a mizmor by David

Contributor(s):

R' Hillel Ḥayyim Lavery-Yisraëli, the Masoretic Text and David ben Yishai (traditional attribution)

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14 October 2023 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

Categories:

Tehilim Book 5 (Psalms 107–150)

Tags:

protection, מזמור Mizmor, למנציח Lamnatse'aḥ, apotropaic prayers of protection, Psalms 140

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Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
לַמְנַצֵּֽחַ מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד׃	For the choir leader, a psalm by David.
חַלְּצֵֽנִי יְהוָה מֵאָדָם רָ֑ע מֵאִישׁ חֲמָסִים תִּנְצְרֵֽנִי׃ אֲשֶׁר חָשְׁבוּ רָעוֹת בְּלֵ֑ב כׇּל יוֹם יָגֽוּרוּ מִלְחָמֽוֹת׃ שָׁנְנוּ לְשׁוֹנָם כְּמוֹ נָחָ֑שׁ חֲמַת עַכְשׁוּב תַּֽחַת שְׂפָתֵֽימוֹ סֶֽלָה׃	Rescue me, YHVH, from evil people, protect me from violent criminals. Those who think evil thoughts in their hearts, and plan wars every day. They sharpen their tongues to be like a snake’s, saving venom under their lips.
שׇׁמְרֵֽנִי יְהוָה מִידֵי רָשָׁע, מֵאִישׁ חֲמָסִים תִּנְצְרֵ֑נִי אֲשֶׁר חָשְׁבוּ לִדְחוֹת פְּעָמָֽי׃ טָמְנוּ גֵאִים פַּח לִי וַחֲבָלִים פָּֽרְשׂוּ רֶֽשֶׁת לְיַד מַעְגָּ֑ל מֹקְשִׁים שָֽׁתוּ לִי סֶֽלָה׃	Guard me, YHVH, from evil people’s hands, protect me from violent criminals, who intend to cause me to fall. Arrogant people set traps for me, surrounding me with nets, putting out snares for me.
אָמַֽרְתִּי לַיהוָה אֵֽלִי אָ֑תָּה הַאֲזִֽינָה יְהוָה קוֹל תַּחֲנוּנָֽי׃ אֱלֹהִים אֲדֹנָי עֹז יְשׁוּעָתִ֑י סַכֹּֽתָה לְרֹאשִׁי בְּיוֹם נָֽשֶׁק׃ אַל תִּתֵּן יְהוָה מַאֲוַיֵּי רָשָׁ֑ע זְמָמוֹ אַל תָּפֵק, יָרֽוּמוּ סֶֽלָה׃	I said to YHVH, you are my el, listen, YHVH, to the sound of my prayers. Elohim Adonai, whose strength rescues me: you protect my life in days of war. YHVH, don’t allow evil people’s wishes to be fulfilled; do not let their plans succeed.
רֹאשׁ מְסִבָּ֑י עֲמַל שְׂפָתֵֽימוֹ יְכַסֵּֽמוֹ׃ יִמּֽוֹטוּ עֲלֵיהֶם גֶּחָלִים, בָּאֵשׁ יַפִּלֵ֑ם בְּמַהֲמֹרוֹת בַּל יָקֽוּמוּ׃ אִישׁ לָשׁוֹן בַּל יִכּוֹן בָּאָ֑רֶץ, אִישׁ חָמָס רָע יְצוּדֶֽנּוּ לְמַדְחֵפֹֽת׃	Let enemy leaders’ harmful speech backfire and hurt only them. May their burning coals fall only upon themselves, may they be knocked into their own fires, or caught in inescapable traps. May those with hateful speech not be able to live in the Land; may evil violent criminals be apprehended and rendered powerless.
יָדַֽעְתִּי כִּי יַעֲשֶׂה יְהוָה דִּין עָנִ֑י מִשְׁפַּט אֶבְיֹנִֽים׃ אַךְ צַדִּיקִים יוֹדוּ לִשְׁמֶ֑ךָ יֵשְׁבוּ יְשָׁרִים אֶת פָּנֶֽיךָ׃	I know that YHVH will defend the poor, and bring justice for the unfortunate. Righteous people will thank your name; honest people will live in your presence.

Psalms 140 attributed to David ben Yishai, with an English translation by Rabbi Hillel Ḥayyim Lavery-Yisraeli from Prayers for Israel, for Protection from Terror Attacks, and In Memory of the Victims (15 October 2023), page 1.

Source(s)

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“תהלים ק״מ | Psalms 140, a mizmor by David” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

R' Hillel Ḥayyim Lavery-Yisraëli

Hillel Lavery-Yisraëli is the rabbi of Israel Center of Conservative Judaism in Queens, New York. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, he did most of his rabbinical training in Jerusalem. He lived in Israel for 16 years, during which time he taught at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem and served as the rabbi of Conservative Congregation Beit Israel in Netanya. From 2012-2015 he served as chief rabbi of Gothenburg, Sweden. Until August 2022, he served as the rabbi of Beth Jacob Synagogue in Hamilton, Canada. In keeping with his position as rabbi, he is an activist for human rights, women’s rights, anti-racism, 2S LGBTQIA+ rights and basic income. He has authored numerous articles, some of which can be seen here and here. Click here to watch his lecture, "Gender, Sexuality and Identity in the Jewish Tradition". More of his instructional videos can be found on youtube here and here. Rabbi Hillel is married to Yonah who is also a rabbi, a soferet and an artist. He is the proud father of four children.

the Masoretic Text

The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the Tanakh for Karaite and Rabbinic Judaism. It was primarily copied, edited and distributed by a group of Jews known as the Masoretes between the 7th and 10th centuries CE. The Masoretic Text defines the Jewish canon and its precise letter-text, with its vocalization and accentuation known as the Masorah.

David ben Yishai (traditional attribution)

David ben Yishai was the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah, reigning ca. 1010–970 BCE. While almost half of the Psalms are headed "l'David" and tradition identifies several with specific events in David’s life (e.g., Psalms № 3, 7, 18, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 63 and 142), most scholars consider these headings to be late additions and that no psalm can be attributed to David with certainty. 1 Samuel 16:15-18 describes David as a skillful harp (lyre) player and "the sweet psalmist of Israel."

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." –Psalms 90:17