(א) לְ֭כוּ נְרַנְּנָ֣ה לַה' נָ֝רִ֗יעָה לְצ֣וּר יִשְׁעֵֽנוּ׃ (ב) נְקַדְּמָ֣ה פָנָ֣יו בְּתוֹדָ֑ה בִּ֝זְמִר֗וֹת נָרִ֥יעַֽ לֽוֹ׃ (ג) כִּ֤י אֵ֣ל גָּד֣וֹל ה' וּמֶ֥לֶךְ גָּ֝ד֗וֹל עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹקִֽים׃ (ד) אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּ֭יָדוֹ מֶחְקְרֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְתוֹעֲפ֖וֹת הָרִ֣ים לֽוֹ׃ (ה) אֲשֶׁר־ל֣וֹ הַ֭יָּם וְה֣וּא עָשָׂ֑הוּ וְ֝יַבֶּ֗שֶׁת יָדָ֥יו יָצָֽרוּ׃ (ו) בֹּ֭אוּ נִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֣ה וְנִכְרָ֑עָה נִ֝בְרְכָ֗ה לִֽפְנֵי־ה' עֹשֵֽׂנוּ׃ (ז) כִּ֘י ה֤וּא אֱלֹקֵ֗ינוּ וַאֲנַ֤חְנוּ עַ֣ם מַ֭רְעִיתוֹ וְצֹ֣אן יָד֑וֹ הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אִֽם־בְּקֹל֥וֹ תִשְׁמָֽעוּ׃ (ח) אַל־תַּקְשׁ֣וּ לְ֭בַבְכֶם כִּמְרִיבָ֑ה כְּי֥וֹם מַ֝סָּ֗ה בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (ט) אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִ֭סּוּנִי אֲבוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם בְּ֝חָנ֗וּנִי גַּם־רָא֥וּ פָעֳלִֽי׃ (י) אַרְבָּ֘עִ֤ים שָׁנָ֨ה ׀ אָ֘ק֤וּט בְּד֗וֹר וָאֹמַ֗ר עַ֤ם תֹּעֵ֣י לֵבָ֣ב הֵ֑ם וְ֝הֵ֗ם לֹא־יָדְע֥וּ דְרָכָֽי׃ (יא) אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּ֥עְתִּי בְאַפִּ֑י אִם־יְ֝בֹא֗וּן אֶל־מְנוּחָתִֽי׃
(1) Come, let us sing joyously to the LORD, raise a shout for our rock and deliverer; (2) let us come into His presence with praise; let us raise a shout for Him in song! (3) For the LORD is a great God, the great king of all divine beings. (4) In His hand are the depths of the earth; the peaks of the mountains are His. (5) His is the sea, He made it; and the land, which His hands fashioned. (6) Come, let us bow down and kneel, bend the knee before the LORD our maker, (7) for He is our God, and we are the people He tends, the flock in His care. O, if you would but heed His charge this day: (8) Do not be stubborn as at Meribah, as on the day of Massah, in the wilderness, (9) when your fathers put Me to the test, tried Me, though they had seen My deeds. (10) Forty years I was provoked by that generation; I thought, “They are a senseless people; they would not know My ways.” (11) Concerning them I swore in anger, “They shall never come to My resting-place!”
- Analyze the structure of verses 1-7 (until the word yado/His care). Do any elements repeat? Try dividing the text into 2 parts. How would you characterize each one?
- There is a significant shift in this Psalm in tone and person (who is speaking to whom). Can you locate it? How would you characterize what comes before it and after it?
- What seems to be the concern of the speaker of verses 8-11? If you don’t catch the reference to Massa and Meribah, consult Exodus 17: 1-7 (Etz Hayim pg. 419).
- Does anything in the psalm connect to the themes of Shabbat?
(א) שִׁ֣ירוּ לַ֭ה' שִׁ֣יר חָדָ֑שׁ שִׁ֥ירוּ לַ֝ה' כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ב) שִׁ֣ירוּ לַ֭ה' בָּרֲכ֣וּ שְׁמ֑וֹ בַּשְּׂר֥וּ מִיּֽוֹם־לְ֝י֗וֹם יְשׁוּעָתֽוֹ׃ (ג) סַפְּר֣וּ בַגּוֹיִ֣ם כְּבוֹד֑וֹ בְּכָל־הָֽ֝עַמִּ֗ים נִפְלְאוֹתָֽיו׃ (ד) כִּ֥י גָ֘ד֤וֹל ה' וּמְהֻלָּ֣ל מְאֹ֑ד נוֹרָ֥א ה֝֗וּא עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹהִֽים׃ (ה) כִּ֤י ׀ כָּל־אֱלֹקֵ֣י הָעַמִּ֣ים אֱלִילִ֑ים וַֽ֝ה' שָׁמַ֥יִם עָשָֽׂה׃ (ו) הוֹד־וְהָדָ֥ר לְפָנָ֑יו עֹ֥ז וְ֝תִפְאֶ֗רֶת בְּמִקְדָּשֽׁוֹ׃ (ז) הָב֣וּ לַ֭ה' מִשְׁפְּח֣וֹת עַמִּ֑ים הָב֥וּ לַ֝ה' כָּב֥וֹד וָעֹֽז׃ (ח) הָב֣וּ לַ֭ה' כְּב֣וֹד שְׁמ֑וֹ שְׂאֽוּ־מִ֝נְחָ֗ה וּבֹ֥אוּ לְחַצְרוֹתָֽיו׃ (ט) הִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ לַ֭ה' בְּהַדְרַת־קֹ֑דֶשׁ חִ֥ילוּ מִ֝פָּנָ֗יו כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (י) אִמְר֤וּ בַגּוֹיִ֨ם ׀ ה' מָלָ֗ךְ אַף־תִּכּ֣וֹן תֵּ֭בֵל בַּל־תִּמּ֑וֹט יָדִ֥ין עַ֝מִּ֗ים בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃ (יא) יִשְׂמְח֣וּ הַ֭שָּׁמַיִם וְתָגֵ֣ל הָאָ֑רֶץ יִֽרְעַ֥ם הַ֝יָּ֗ם וּמְלֹאֽוֹ׃ (יב) יַעֲלֹ֣ז שָׂ֭דַי וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בּ֑וֹ אָ֥ז יְ֝רַנְּנ֗וּ כָּל־עֲצֵי־יָֽעַר׃ (יג) לִפְנֵ֤י ה' ׀ כִּ֬י בָ֗א כִּ֥י בָא֮ לִשְׁפֹּ֪ט הָ֫אָ֥רֶץ יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל בְּצֶ֑דֶק וְ֝עַמִּ֗ים בֶּאֱמוּנָתֽוֹ׃
(1) Sing to the LORD a new song, sing to the LORD, all the earth. (2) Sing to the LORD, bless His name, proclaim His victory day after day. (3) Tell of His glory among the nations, His wondrous deeds, among all peoples. (4) For the LORD is great and much acclaimed, He is held in awe by all divine beings. (5) All the gods of the peoples are mere idols, but the LORD made the heavens. (6) Glory and majesty are before Him; strength and splendor are in His temple. (7) Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. (8) Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name, bring tribute and enter His courts. (9) Bow down to the LORD majestic in holiness; tremble in His presence, all the earth! (10) Declare among the nations, “The LORD is king!” the world stands firm; it cannot be shaken; He judges the peoples with equity. (11) Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult; let the sea and all within it thunder, (12) the fields and everything in them exult; then shall all the trees of the forest shout for joy (13) at the presence of the LORD, for He is coming, for He is coming to rule the earth; He will rule the world justly, and its peoples in faithfulness.
- Is there anything particularly Israelite/Jewish about this Psalm? What’s the significance of its presence or absence?
- Look for words that repeat more than twice in the Psalm. (Ask if you need a hint.) Do you see any significance to these repetitions?
- What is this Psalm’s attitude to the nations of the world? To their gods?
- What are the two aspects of God’s kingdom that are mentioned in verses 10-13?
- What, if anything, might this Psalm have to do with Shabbat?