Chapter 107

1Give thanks to the Lord because He is good, for His kindness is eternal.   אהֹד֣וּ לַֽיהֹוָ֣ה כִּי־ט֑וֹב כִּ֖י לְעוֹלָ֣ם חַסְדּֽוֹ:
Give thanks to the Lord because He is good, etc.    הודו לה'  :
2Those redeemed by the Lord shall say it, those whom He redeemed from the hands of an oppressor.   ביֹ֣אמְרוּ גְּאוּלֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר גְּ֜אָלָ֗ם מִיַּד־צָֽר:
Those redeemed by the Lord shall say it when He redeems them from the hands of an oppressor.   יאמרו גאולי ה'  כשיפדם מיד צר:
3And gathered them from lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the sea.   גוּמֵֽאֲרָצ֗וֹת קִ֫בְּצָ֥ם מִמִּזְרָ֥ח וּמִֽמַּֽעֲרָ֑ב מִ֜צָּפ֗וֹן וּמִיָּֽם:
4They strayed in the desert, on a road of desolation; they did not find an inhabited city.   דתָּע֣וּ בַ֖מִּדְבָּר בִּֽישִׁימ֣וֹן דָּ֑רֶךְ עִ֥יר מ֜וֹשָׁ֗ב לֹ֣א מָצָֽאוּ:
They strayed in the desert, on a road of desolation, etc. Those who travel in the deserts must also give thanks because sometimes they stray and suffer from hunger and thirst.   תעו במדבר וגו'  והולכי מדברות אף הם צריכין להודות שהרי פעמים שהם תועים ורעבים וצמאים:
5Hungry as well as thirsty, their soul enwraps itself in them.   הרְעֵבִים גַּם־צְמֵאִ֑ים נַ֜פְשָׁ֗ם בָּהֶ֥ם תִּתְעַטָּֽף:
6And they cried out to the Lord in their distress; from their straits He rescued them.   ווַיִּצְעֲק֣וּ אֶל־יְ֖הֹוָה בַּצַּ֣ר לָהֶ֑ם מִ֜מְּצוּקֽוֹתֵיהֶ֗ם יַצִּילֵֽם:
7And He led them on a straight road, to go to an inhabited city.   זוַיַּדְרִיכֵם בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ יְשָׁרָ֑ה לָ֜לֶ֗כֶת אֶל־עִ֥יר מוֹשָֽׁב:
And He led them And He led them; therefore, they shall give thanks to the Lord for His kindness.   וידריכם  וינהגם לפיכך יודו לה' חסדו:
8They shall give thanks to the Lord for His kindness, and for His wonders to the children of men.   חיוֹד֣וּ לַֽיהֹוָ֣ה חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְ֜נִפְלְאוֹתָ֗יו לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם:
9For He sated a yearning soul, and a hungry soul He filled with goodness.   טכִּֽי־הִ֖שְׂבִּיעַ נֶ֣פֶשׁ שֽׁוֹקֵקָ֑ה וְנֶ֥פֶשׁ רְ֜עֵבָ֗ה מִלֵּא־טֽוֹב:
10Those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, prisoners of affliction and iron.   ייֹ֣שְׁבֵי חֹ֥שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָ֑וֶת אֲסִירֵ֖י עֳנִ֣י וּבַרְזֶֽל:
Those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death Also those imprisoned in a dungeon are required to give thanks when they emerge from their prison.   יושבי חשך וצלמות  אף האסורים בבית הסוהר צריכים להודות כשיוצאין מבית אסוריהם:
11For they rebelled against the words of God, and they scorned the counsel of the Most High.   יאכִּֽי־הִ֖מְרוּ אִמְרֵי־אֵ֑ל וַֽעֲצַ֖ת עֶלְי֣וֹן נָאָֽצוּ:
For they rebelled against the words of God Trouble does not befall a person except because of his iniquity.   כי המרו אמרי אל  אין פורענות באה על האדם אלא בעונו:
12And He humbled their heart with toil; they stumbled with no one to help them.   יבוַיַּכְנַ֣ע בֶּֽעָמָ֣ל לִבָּ֑ם כָּֽ֜שְׁל֗וּ וְאֵ֣ין עֹזֵֽר:
13And they cried out to the Lord in their distress; from their straits He saved them.   יגוַיִּזְעֲק֣וּ אֶל־יְ֖הֹוָה בַּצַּ֣ר לָהֶ֑ם מִ֜מְּצֻקֽוֹתֵיהֶ֗ם יֽוֹשִׁיעֵֽם:
14He took them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and He broke open their bonds.   ידיֽוֹצִיאֵם מֵחֹ֣שֶׁךְ וְצַלְמָ֑וֶת וּמֽוֹסְר֖וֹתֵיהֶ֣ם יְנַתֵּֽק:
15They shall give thanks to the Lord for His kindness, and for His wonders to the children of men.   טויוֹד֣וּ לַיהֹוָ֣ה חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְ֜נִפְלְאוֹתָ֗יו לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם:
16For He broke copper doors, and cut off iron bars.   טזכִּֽי־שִׁ֖בַּר דַּלְת֣וֹת נְחֹ֑שֶׁת וּבְרִיחֵ֖י בַרְזֶ֣ל גִּדֵּֽעַ:
For He broke copper doors that were shut before them.   כי שבר דלתות נחשת  שהיו נעולים בפניהם:
17Fools, because of the way of their transgression and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.   יזאֱוִלִים מִדֶּ֣רֶךְ פִּשְׁעָ֑ם וּ֜מֵֽעֲוֹנֹ֖תֵיהֶ֣ם יִתְעַנּֽוּ:
Fools, because of the way of their transgression and because of their iniquities, are afflicted with the agonies of illnesses. They too are among those who are required to give thanks. There are markers in this chapter (i.e., six inverted “nuns” are written) and they come to be expounded upon instead of “buts” and “onlys” to limit [the power of the verse] meaning that if they [the prisoners] cry out before the verdict has been promulgated, they are answered; after the verdict has been promulgated, they are not answered.   אוילים מדרך פשעם  אשר מעונותיהם יתענו ביסורי חלאים אף הם מן הצריכין להודות, יש סמניות בפ' זו (כלומר כתיבות שש נוני"ן הפוכין) ובאין לידרש במקום אכין ורקין למעט, לומר צעקו קודם גזר דין נענין לאחר גזר דין אינם נענין:
18Their soul despises all food, and they reach the portals of death.   יחכָּל־אֹ֖כֶל תְּתַעֵ֣ב נַפְשָׁ֑ם וַ֜יַּגִּ֗יעוּ עַד־שַׁ֥עֲרֵי מָֽוֶת:
19And they cried out to the Lord in their distress; from their straits He saved them.   יטוַיִּזְעֲק֣וּ אֶל־יְהֹוָה בַּצַּ֣ר לָהֶ֑ם מִ֜מְּצֻקֽוֹתֵיהֶ֗ם יֽוֹשִׁיעֵֽם:
20He sent His word and healed them, and extricated them from their pit.   כיִשְׁלַ֣ח דְּ֖בָרוֹ וְיִרְפָּאֵ֑ם וִֽ֜ימַלֵּ֗ט מִשְּׁחִֽיתוֹתָֽם:
21They shall give thanks to the Lord for His kindness, and for His wonders to the children of men.   כאיוֹד֣וּ לַֽיהֹוָ֣ה חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְ֜נִפְלְאוֹתָ֗יו לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם:
22And they shall slaughter sacrifices of thanksgiving, and they shall tell of His deeds with song.   כבוְיִזְבְּחוּ זִבְחֵ֣י תוֹדָ֑ה וִֽיסַפְּר֖וּ מַֽעֲשָׂ֣יו בְּרִנָּֽה:
23Those who go down to the sea in ships, who do work in mighty waters.   כגיֽוֹרְדֵ֣י הַ֖יָּם בָּֽאֳנִיּ֑וֹת עֹ֘שֵׂ֥י מְ֜לָאכָ֗ה בְּמַ֣יִם רַבִּֽים:
24They saw the deeds of the Lord and His wonders in the deep.   כדהֵ֣מָּה רָאוּ מַֽעֲשֵׂ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה וְ֜נִפְלְאוֹתָ֗יו בִּמְצוּלָֽה:
25He spoke, and He set up a tempest, and it raised its waves.   כהוַיֹּ֗אמֶר וַ֖יַּֽעֲמֵד ר֥וּחַ סְעָרָ֑ה וַתְּר֘וֹמֵ֥ם גַּלָּֽיו:
26They went up to the heavens, they came down to the depths; their soul melted with trouble.   כויַֽעֲל֣וּ שָׁ֖מַיִם יֵֽרְד֣וּ תְהוֹמ֑וֹת נַ֜פְשָׁ֗ם בְּרָ֘עָ֥ה תִתְמוֹגָֽג:
27They were frightened and staggered like a drunkard, and all their wisdom was destroyed.   כזיָח֣וֹגּוּ וְ֖יָנוּעוּ כַּשִּׁכּ֑וֹר וְכָל־חָ֜כְמָתָ֗ם תִּתְבַּלָּֽע:
They were frightened Heb. יחוגו. This is an expression of breaking. Similarly (Song 2:14): “in the clefts of (בחגוי) the rock;” and similarly (Isa. l9:17), “And the land of Judah will be to Egypt for a dread (לחגא).”   יחוגו  לשון שבר הוא וכן בחגוי הסלע (שיר השירים ב׳:י״ד) וכן והיתה אדמת יהודה למצרים לחגא (ישעיהו י״ט:י״ז):
28They cried out to the Lord from their distress, that He take them out of their straits.   כחוַיִּצְעֲק֣וּ אֶל־יְ֖הֹוָה בַּצַּ֣ר לָהֶ֑ם וּ֜מִמְּצוּקֹֽתֵיהֶ֗ם יוֹצִיאֵֽם:
29The tempest He had set up [settled] into a calm, and their waves were stilled.   כטיָקֵ֣ם סְעָרָה לִדְמָמָ֑ה וַ֜יֶּֽחֱשׁ֗וּ גַּלֵּיהֶֽם:
30They rejoiced that they were stilled, and He led them to the region of their desire.   לוַיִּשְׂמְח֥וּ כִֽי־יִשְׁתֹּ֑קוּ וַ֜יַּנְחֵ֗ם אֶל־מְח֥וֹז חֶפְצָֽם:
They rejoiced that they were stilled The waves.   וישמחו כי ישתקו  הגלים:
  וינחם  וינהגם:
the region Heb. מחוז, an expression of a border, and Menachem (p. 86) associated it with (Isa. 28:18): “and your limit (וחזותכם) with the grave,” your limit, that it should not enter our boundary. Similarly (I Kings 7:4): “an edge (מחזה מול מחזה) opposite an edge,” three times. In Tanchuma, I found [this].   מחוז  לשון גבול, ומנחם חברו עם וחזותכם את שאול (שם כ"ח) גבולינו שלא יכנס בגבולינו וכן מחזה אל מחזה שלש פעמים (מלכים א ז') בתנחומא, מצאתי:
31They shall thank the Lord for His kindness, and for His wonders to the children of men.   לאיוֹד֣וּ לַֽיהֹוָ֣ה חַסְדּ֑וֹ וְ֜נִפְלְאוֹתָ֗יו לִבְנֵ֥י אָדָֽם:
32And they shall exalt Him in an assembly of people, and in a sitting of elders, praise Him.   לבוִיר֣וֹמְמוּהוּ בִּקְהַל־עָ֑ם וּבְמוֹשַׁ֖ב זְקֵנִ֣ים יְהַֽלְלֽוּהוּ:
And they shall exalt Him in an assembly of people He must give thanks in the presence of ten.   וירוממוהו בקהל עם  צריך לאודויי באפי בי עשרה:
and in a sitting of elders And two of them must be rabbinical scholars.   ובמושב זקנים  ותרין מנייהו צורבא מרבנן:
33He makes rivers into a desert, and springs of water into an arid place;   לגיָשֵׂ֣ם נְהָר֣וֹת לְמִדְבָּ֑ר וּמֹצָ֥אֵי מַ֜֗יִם לְצִמָּאֽוֹן:
He makes rivers into a desert That is to say that He makes the settlements of the nations into ruins.   ישם נהרות למדבר  כלומר נותן יישובי האומות לחרבן:
34A fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the evil of its inhabitants.   לדאֶ֣רֶץ פְּ֖רִי לִמְלֵחָ֑ה מֵֽ֜רָעַ֗ת י֣וֹשְׁבֵי בָֽהּ:
into a salty waste To be like a salty land insofar as it does not produce fruit.   למלחה  להיות כארץ מלחה מעשות פרי:
35He makes a desert into a pool of water, and a wasteland into springs of water.   להיָשֵׂ֣ם מִּ֖דְבָּר לַֽאֲגַם־מַּ֑יִם וְאֶ֥רֶץ צִ֜יָּ֗ה לְמֹצָ֥אֵי מָֽיִם:
He makes a desert into a pool of water He makes a ruined settlement into a building and restores it to its original state.   ישם מדבר לאגם מים  נותן יישוב חרב לבניין ומחזירו לקדמותו:
36And He settles the hungry there, and they establish an inhabited city.   לווַיּ֣וֹשֶׁב שָׁ֣ם רְעֵבִ֑ים וַֽ֜יְכֽוֹנְנ֗וּ עִ֣יר מוֹשָֽׁב:
37And they sow fields and plant vineyards, which produce fruits and grain.   לזוַיִּזְרְע֣וּ שָׂ֖דוֹת וַיִּטְּע֣וּ כְרָמִ֑ים וַֽ֜יַּֽעֲשׂ֗וּ פְּרִ֣י תְבוּאָֽה:
38And He blessed them, and they multiplied exceedingly, and their animals did not decrease.   לחוַיְבָ֣רֲכֵם וַיִּרְבּ֣וּ מְאֹ֑ד וּ֜בְהֶמְתָּ֗ם לֹ֣א יַמְעִֽיט:
39Whereas they were few and they sank down from dominion, trouble, and sorrow.   לטוַיִּמְעֲט֥וּ וַיָּשֹׁ֑חוּ מֵעֹ֖צֶר רָעָ֣ה וְיָגֽוֹן:
Whereas they were few and they sank down But they, from the beginning, sank down and were few because of dominion, trouble, and sorrow.   וימעטו וישוחו  והם מתחלה היו שוחין ומועטין מעוצר רעה ויגון:
40He pours contempt upon princes and leads them astray in a wasteland where there is no path.   משֹׁפֵ֣ךְ בּ֖וּז עַל־נְדִיבִ֑ים וַ֜יַּתְעֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣הוּ לֹא־דָֽרֶךְ:
41And He strengthened the needy from poverty and made him families like flocks.   מאוַיְשַׂגֵּ֣ב אֶבְי֣וֹן מֵע֑וֹנִי וַיָּ֥שֶׂם כַּ֜צֹּ֗אן מִשְׁפָּחֽוֹת:
and made him families like flocks He made [for] the needy the families of his children as numerous as flocks.   וישם כצאן משפחות  וישם האביון משפחת זרעו כצאן רבים:
42The upright see and rejoice, and all injustice shuts its mouth.   מביִרְא֣וּ יְשָׁרִ֣ים וְיִשְׂמָ֑חוּ וְכָל־עַ֜וְלָ֗ה קָ֣פְצָה פִּֽיהָ:
shuts Heb. קפצה, closes up, like (Deut. 15:7): “and not close up (תקפץ) your hand.”   קפצה  סתמה כמו לא תקפוץ את ידך (דברים ט״ו:ז׳):
43He who is wise will keep these in mind, and they will ponder the kind deeds of the Lord.   מגמִֽי־חָ֖כָם וְיִשְׁמָר־אֵ֑לֶּה וְ֜יִֽתְבּֽוֹנְנ֗וּ חַסְדֵּ֥י יְהֹוָֽה: