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Tehillim: Psalm 12 – a Jewish interpretation

In Psalm 12, King David requests HaShem (G-d) to save us from corruption. People not only lie, but they believe these lies. The atmosphere is so corrupt that people do not even expect to hear the truth. No one believes each other anymore because everyone knows the other is lying. Our hope lies only in HaShem. With sincere prayer we will see evil ultimately defeated.

  • Text Psalm 12
  • The Hebrew text of Psalm 12 – תהילים יב
  • Listen to Psalm 12
  • Explanation of Psalm 12 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin
  • Rashi’s commentary on Psalm 12
  • Further explanation of the above Jewish comments
  • Psalm 1 to 92

 

Text Psalm 12

Seize in Eternal One! No one is faithful anymore, no one speaks the truth anymore. They all lie to each other, their word is false and treacherous… Keep them, O Lord, always protect them from that people. Traitors are sneaking around everywhere and evil is spreading among the people.

The Hebrew text of Psalm 12 – תהילים יב

A for victory on the octave, a psalm to David. 2 Yahweh saved because he was a follower because people lost their faith. 3 How shall a man speak to his neighbor the language of parts in the heart and in the heart they shall speak. D Yahweh knows all the parts of a tongue that speaks great things. The one who said to our tongue we will increase our lips with us who is our master. And from the hand of the poor from the groaning of the Ebionites, now and then Yahweh will say, “I will rest in Yeshua,” he said to him. 7 Jehovah’s words are pure words, silver added to the canvas for the earth refined seven times. You, Jehovah, will preserve us from this generation forever. 9 Around the wicked will walk the vine of cheapness for the sons of men.

Listen to Psalm 12

Listen to Psalm 12 in Hebrew.

Explanation of Psalm 12 by Rabbi Yitzchok Rubin

corruption
King David requests HaShem to save us from corruption. People not only lie, but they believe these lies. The atmosphere is so corrupt that people do not even expect to hear the truth. No one believes each other anymore because everyone knows the other is lying. This applies not only to merchants, but also to world leaders. ,those who say, We are strong with our tongue; our lips are with us – who is lord over us?, This is the sad situation today. Those with the flattering lips rule us with their lies.

the seven lean and fat cows How did we get to this state? The Torah relates: ,But behold, seven other cows came up from the Nile after these, ugly in appearance and thin in flesh, and they stood beside those cows on the bank of the Nile. And the cows that were ugly in appearance and thin in flesh were of flesh, they ate the seven cows, which were fair in appearance and fat.” Sfas Emes says that evil’s control over a person comes first as a passerby, then as a guest, and finally as a master.
The foolishness we see today has reached such proportions that even those who should be moral teachers are behind the fences, afraid to stick their necks out. Morality is sold cheaply to the masses and ultimately becomes worthless.

HaShem will bring salvation The current scenario was also foreseen by King David. “For the oppression of the afflicted, and for the groaning of the poor, I now rise up, saith the Lord; HaShem will save us if we at least see ourselves as oppressed and truly yearn for HaShem.

Divine truths The connection between HaShem and His people has become a source of conflict. The politicians do not dare to tell the world that we are the people of the Torah and that the same Torah obliges us with the responsibility of living in Eretz Yisrael in holiness.
Outside the holy land there is also unrest about politics and not about Divine truths. But people’s souls long for the real. It is not without reason that many return to Judaism.

evil is finally vanquished. The chapter ends with: ,always protect us from this generation; the wicked run about, while wickedness rears its head among the children of men., Our hope lies only in HaShem. With sincere prayer we will see evil ultimately defeated.

Rashi’s commentary on Psalm 12

Per verse the commentary of Rashi, the Jewish Bible commentator who lived from 1040-1105. Rashi is considered the teacher of teachers. All traditional Jews regard Rashi as an authority on the Jewish Bible and Talmud. Hence it is important to record his commentary on the Psalms. Rashi uses new Hebrew supplemented with Old French words. His language is sometimes somewhat oracularly short. For further explanation it is wise to consult an orthodox Jewish rabbi.

Verse 1
For the conductor at the sheminith, a song by David.

on the sheminith : The eight-string harp.

Verse 2
Save, O Lord, for the righteous are perished, for those who believe are perished from the sons of men.

are gone : Hebrew גמר, literally, finished, destroyed.

have disappeared : Hebrew פסו, faylirt in Old French, lack of, failure.

for those who believe are gone from the sons of men : Everyone betrays me and spies on the places where I hide and tells Saul (54:2): “Is not David hiding from us?”

Verse 3
One speaks to another with falsehood, smooth talk; they speak with a double heart.

with a double heart : Literally, with one heart and one heart; with two hearts. They feign kindness, but there is hatred hidden in their hearts.

Verse 5
Who said, ,With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are with us. Who is lord over us?,

With our tongue we will overwhelm : With our tongue we will become stronger.

Verse 6
Because of the plunder of the poor, because of the cry of the needy: Now will I arise, the Lord will say; I will grant them salvation, He will speak of them.

Because of the plunder of the poor : Because of the plunder of the poor who have been robbed by you, for example, myself and my men and the priests of Noband because of the cry of the needy, the Lord will say: “Now I will arise for their help. ,

I will grant them salvation, He will speak of them : I will grant them salvation, He will speak of them. יפיח is an expression of speech. There are many [examples] in the book of Proverbs and in Habakkuk (2:3): ,and He will speak (יפח) of the end, and it will not fail., However, Menachem (p. 141), interpreted as an expression of a snare, as (below 124:7) ,the snare (הפח) broke.,

Verse 7
The sayings of the Lord are pure sayings, like silver refined, exposed to the earth, clarified sevenfold.

The sayings of the Lord are pure sayings : for He has the ability to fulfill them, but the words of the children of men are not words if they die and are not able to fulfill [them].

pure : Clear and permanent. Whatever He promises He does, for He promised me salvation and the throne.

silver refined : They are like refined silver exposed to the whole country.

exposed : Hebrew בעליל, an expression of revelation; in the language of the Mishnah (Rosh Hashanah 21b, see Gemara): ,whether it was clearly (בעליל) visible or not clearly (בעליל) visible, etc., Others explain בעליל as an expression of exaltation, and this is his explanation: silver refined with the best earth. That is, like silver refined with the best earth and its top layer, because a person makes a crucible to refine the silver from the best earth. Another explanation: בעליל is like בעלי, with a mortar (as in Proverbs 27:22): ,under grain with a pestle,, which is the name of a utensil in which [grain] is crushed. Likewise, בעליל is the crucible in which gold and silver are melted. However, this does not seem correct, because he does not mention לי the mortar in which [the grain] is crushed, but the handle of the pestle with which they crush it. This is called pilon in French, pestle. Another explanation: בעליל is an expression of the master of a hand, i.e. the master of the earth, and the praise of the word applies to G‑d. Targum Jonathan also renders it as an expression of dominion. He says that His words are like silver, refined by the Lord of the earth, Who is G-d, for He refined and clarified them.

Verse 8
You, O Lord, will keep them; You will protect him from this generation forever.

you will guard them : Those poor and needy people are being pursued by this generation, who are informers.

Verse 9
Wicked men run on every side when [the one who appears] is most basely exalted before the sons of men.

Bad men walk on all sides : to hide traps to make me stumble.

the most basic thing for the sons of men is exalted : Hebrew כרם זלות לבני אדם [They walk on all sides] because of their envy, for they are jealous of my greatness, that I was taken from the sheep to be a king. This is the interpretation of אדם כרם זלות לבני: when a man who is considered a base by the sons of men is exalted. This is at the command of the passage elsewhere (below 118:22): ,The stone which the builders rejected became the cornerstone., The Midrash Aggadah interprets it about Israel in the future, when they will be exalted. [Unknown Midrashic source] Menachem interprets כרם זלות לבני אדם (pp. 78, 164): as a ravenous wild ox to devour the sons of men. Accordingly, כרם is rendered: as a רים or ראם, and זלות is as (Deut. 21:20) זולל וסבא, ,a glutton and a drunkard., This is its interpretation: The wicked walk to swallow him in vain, as a wild ox to swallow the sons of men.

Further explanation of the above Jewish comments

When we look at the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the attempts to bring about peace, we see how politicians are beating around the bush. Instead of recognizing that Israel (including Judea and Samaria) belongs to the Jews, politicians try to distort the truth and claim that peace is only possible if the Palestinians gain control of some land. That country must be free of Jews; Jews are not allowed to live there. Even in East Jerusalem where the Western Wall (haKotel) is located, Jews are no longer allowed to live. That is what the world understands by peace: depriving Jews of their right to their land; Taking away their most sacred place from Jews. Politicians thus go against the Divine truths that are also spoken about in Psalm 12. G-d seems not to be allowed to participate in achieving peace. Politicians have no interest in G-d and think they can solve the issue themselves (the conflict has been going on for more than 100 years!). But every Bible faithful believer will recognize that this is impossible. Only G-d can bring about true peace. If we want peace, we must listen to Him.

Psalm 1 to 92

Would you like to read more Psalms with a Jewish interpretation? Go to: Psalms 1 through 92.