תהלים כ״ז | Psalms 27, an interpretive translation by Zackary Sholem Berger

Contributor(s):

Zackary Sholem Berger, the Masoretic Text and David ben Yishai (traditional attribution)

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

Categories:

Tehilim Book 1 (Psalms 1–41)

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interpretive translation, אלול elul, זמן תשובה Zman teshuvah, Psalms 27, Prayers as poems

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Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
לְדָוִ֨ד ׀	Psalm twenty-seven (David’s.)
יְהוָ֤ה ׀ אוֹרִ֣י וְ֭יִשְׁעִי מִמִּ֣י אִירָ֑א יְהוָ֥ה מָֽעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י מִמִּ֥י אֶפְחָֽד׃	God is my light, my salvation. Who am I scared of. My life’s fortress. Who frightens me.
בִּקְרֹ֤ב עָלַ֨י ׀ מְרֵעִים֮ לֶאֱכֹ֪ל אֶת־בְּשָׂ֫רִ֥י צָרַ֣י וְאֹיְבַ֣י לִ֑י הֵ֖מָּה כָשְׁל֣וּ וְנָפָֽלוּ׃	Villains approach to devour my flesh. Foes. Enemies. They collapse, fall!
אִם־תַּחֲנֶ֬ה עָלַ֨י ׀ מַחֲנֶה֮ לֹֽא־יִירָ֪א לִ֫בִּ֥י אִם־תָּק֣וּם עָ֭לַי מִלְחָמָ֑ה בְּ֝זֹ֗את אֲנִ֣י בוֹטֵֽחַ׃	If you assemble a camp against me my heart will not fear. If you mount a war against me, I’ll be sure of this–
אַחַ֤ת ׀ שָׁאַ֣לְתִּי מֵֽאֵת־יְהוָה֮ אוֹתָ֪הּ אֲבַ֫קֵּ֥שׁ שִׁבְתִּ֣י בְּבֵית־יְ֭הוָה כָּל־יְמֵ֣י חַיַּ֑י לַחֲז֥וֹת בְּנֹֽעַם־יְ֝הוָ֗ה וּלְבַקֵּ֥ר בְּהֵיכָלֽוֹ׃	I’ll ask one thing of God (request) To be settled in God’s house all my days To view God’s pleasant side To visit God’s palace
כִּ֤י יִצְפְּנֵ֨נִי ׀ בְּסֻכֹּה֮ בְּי֪וֹם רָ֫עָ֥ה יַ֭סְתִּרֵנִי בְּסֵ֣תֶר אָהֳל֑וֹ בְּ֝צ֗וּר יְרוֹמְמֵֽנִי׃	Yes they’ll hide me from catastrophe in their sukkah. In their tent, conceal me. Lift me in strength.
וְעַתָּ֨ה יָר֪וּם רֹאשִׁ֡י עַ֤ל אֹֽיְבַ֬י סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗י וְאֶזְבְּחָ֣ה בְ֭אָהֳלוֹ זִבְחֵ֣י תְרוּעָ֑ה אָשִׁ֥ירָה וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה לַיהוָֽה׃	Right now. Lifting my head above surrounding foes I’ll sacrifice pealing offerings I’ll sing to God. I’ll chant.
שְׁמַע־יְהוָ֖ה קוֹלִ֥י אֶקְרָ֗א וְחָנֵּ֥נִי וַעֲנֵֽנִי׃	Listen, God. I’m calling. Feel sorry for me, respond.
לְךָ֤ ׀ אָמַ֣ר לִ֭בִּי בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֣ה אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃	My heart says we are requesting you God I am requesting you God
אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֬ר פָּנֶ֨יךָ ׀ מִמֶּנִּי֮ אַֽל־תַּט־בְּאַ֗ף עַ֫בְדֶּ֥ךָ עֶזְרָתִ֥י הָיִ֑יתָ אַֽל־תִּטְּשֵׁ֥נִי וְאַל־תַּֽ֝עַזְבֵ֗נִי אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי׃	Don’t hide from me. Don’t be angry at me, my support. Don’t abandon or leave me, my solution.
כִּי־אָבִ֣י וְאִמִּ֣י עֲזָב֑וּנִי וַֽיהוָ֣ה יַֽאַסְפֵֽנִי׃	Parents leave me and God — take me in.
ה֤וֹרֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֗ה דַּ֫רְכֶּ֥ךָ וּ֭נְחֵנִי בְּאֹ֣רַח מִישׁ֑וֹר לְ֝מַ֗עַן שׁוֹרְרָֽי׃	Show me your route. Guide me to the straight path because of those exploiting me.
אַֽל־תִּ֭תְּנֵנִי בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ צָרָ֑י כִּ֥י קָֽמוּ־בִ֥י עֵֽדֵי־שֶׁ֝֗קֶר וִיפֵ֥חַ חָמָֽס׃	Don’t give me up to the bodies of those who hate. False witnesses have stood up against me Panting violence
לׅׄוּלֵׅׄ֗אׅׄ הֶ֭אֱמַנְתִּי לִרְא֥וֹת בְּֽטוּב־יְהוָ֗ה בְּאֶ֣רֶץ חַיִּֽים׃ קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל־יְה֫וָ֥ה חֲ֭זַק וְיַאֲמֵ֣ץ לִבֶּ֑ךָ וְ֝קַוֵּ֗ה אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃	If only I could believe that I’ll see Divine good in life’s land Aim your hope Godward. Strengthen the nerves of your heart. Once again aim your hope

This is an interpretive translation of Psalms 27 first published by Zackary Sholem Berger on medium.

. Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike . 4.0 . International .

“תהלים כ״ז | Psalms 27, an interpretive translation by Zackary Sholem Berger” is shared through the Open Siddur Project with a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International copyleft license.

Zackary Sholem Berger

Zackary Sholem Berger is a poet in English, Yiddish, and Hebrew living in Baltimore, where he is a member of Beth Am and Hinenu.

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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Works of related interest:

Lulei ("if only") - Aharon Varady, Shofar CLM font

תהלים כ״ז | Psalms 27 (interpretive translation by Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z”l)

תהלים כ״ט | Psalms 29, an interpretive translation by Avi Dolgin

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תהלים ל׳ | Psalms 30 by David (interpretive translation by Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z”l)

"landscape, tree, nature, forest, rock, wilderness, mountain, hiking, trail, adventure, valley, mountain range, cliff, jungle, hike, park, canyon, terrain, ridge, outdoors, geology, footpath, dangerous, landform, mountain path, geographical feature, mountainous landforms" (credit: n/a, license: CC0)

תהלים כ״ז | Psalms 27 (translation by Yosef Razin)

תהלים כ״ז | Psalms 27, abridged translation by Rabbi Levi Weiman-Kelman & Shaul Vardi

Still from an animation, "Lunar Eclipse: Light Scattering Seen From The Moon" The way that light is scattered by the Earth's atmosphere to turn the moon red during an eclipse is similar to how the sky turns red at sunset. (credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Scientific Visualization Studio, license PD)

תהלים ס״ז | Psalms 67 (interpretive translation by Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, z”l)

"Knitting needle knit" (credit: MabelAmber, license: CC0)

תהלים קל״ט | Psalms 139, interpretive translation by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

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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