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Corpus Psalterium · Vol. I

Psalm VII (7)

Cantillated — Lament Vindication

Paul Whitehorn

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Psalm 7 in Hebrew and English, and the words as they are sung.

Heb 1

A meditation by David, which he sang to Yahweh, concerning the words of Cush, the Benjamite.

שִׁגָּי֗וֹן לְדָ֫וִ֥ד אֲשֶׁר־שָׁ֥ר לַיהוָ֑ה עַל־דִּבְרֵי־כ֝֗וּשׁ בֶּן־יְמִינִֽי׃

1Heb 2

Yahweh, my God, I take refuge in you. Save me from all those who pursue me, and deliver me,

יְהוָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהַי בְּךָ֣ חָסִ֑יתִי הוֹשִׁיעֵ֥נִי מִכָּל־רֹ֝דְפַ֗י וְהַצִּילֵֽנִי׃

2Heb 3

lest they tear apart my soul like a lion, ripping it in pieces, while there is no one to deliver.

פֶּן־יִטְרֹ֣ף כְּאַרְיֵ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י פֹּ֝רֵ֗ק וְאֵ֣ין מַצִּֽיל׃

3Heb 4

Yahweh, my God, if I have done this, if there is iniquity in my hands,

יְהוָ֣ה אֱ֭לֹהַי אִם־עָשִׂ֣יתִי זֹ֑את אִֽם־יֶשׁ־עָ֥וֶל בְּכַפָּֽי׃

4Heb 5

if I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me (yes, I have plundered him who without cause was my adversary),

אִם־גָּ֭מַלְתִּי שֽׁוֹלְמִ֥י רָ֑ע וָאֲחַלְּצָ֖ה צוֹרְרִ֣י רֵיקָֽם׃

5Heb 6

let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; yes, let him tread my life down to the earth, and lay my glory in the dust. Selah.

יִֽרַדֹּ֥ף אוֹיֵ֨ב ׀ נַפְשִׁ֡י וְיַשֵּׂ֗ג וְיִרְמֹ֣ס לָאָ֣רֶץ חַיָּ֑י וּכְבוֹדִ֓י ׀ לֶעָפָ֖ר יַשְׁכֵּ֣ן סֶֽלָה׃

6Heb 7

Arise, Yahweh, in your anger. Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries. Awake for me. You have commanded judgment.

ק֘וּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֨ה ׀ בְּאַפֶּ֗ךָ הִ֭נָּשֵׂא בְּעַבְר֣וֹת צוֹרְרָ֑י וְע֥וּרָה אֵ֝לַ֗י מִשְׁפָּ֥ט צִוִּֽיתָ׃

7Heb 8

Let the congregation of the peoples surround you. Rule over them on high.

וַעֲדַ֣ת לְ֭אֻמִּים תְּסוֹבְבֶ֑ךָּ וְ֝עָלֶ֗יהָ לַמָּר֥וֹם שֽׁוּבָה׃

8Heb 9

Yahweh administers judgment to the peoples. Judge me, Yahweh, according to my righteousness, and to my integrity that is in me.

יְהוָה֮ יָדִ֪ין עַ֫מִּ֥ים שָׁפְטֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה כְּצִדְקִ֖י וּכְתֻמִּ֣י עָלָֽי׃

9Heb 10

Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God.

יִגְמָר־נָ֬א רַ֨ע ׀ רְשָׁעִים֮ וּתְכוֹנֵ֪ן צַ֫דִּ֥יק וּבֹחֵ֣ן לִ֭בּ֗וֹת וּכְלָי֗וֹת אֱלֹהִ֥ים צַדִּֽיק׃

10Heb 11

My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.

מָֽגִנִּ֥י עַל־אֱלֹהִ֑ים מ֝וֹשִׁ֗יעַ יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃

11Heb 12

God is a righteous judge, yes, a God who has indignation every day.

אֱ֭לֹהִים שׁוֹפֵ֣ט צַדִּ֑יק וְ֝אֵ֗ל זֹעֵ֥ם בְּכָל־יֽוֹם׃

12Heb 13

If a man doesn’t repent, he will sharpen his sword; he has bent and strung his bow.

אִם־לֹ֣א יָ֭שׁוּב חַרְבּ֣וֹ יִלְט֑וֹשׁ קַשְׁתּ֥וֹ דָ֝רַ֗ךְ וַֽיְכוֹנְנֶֽהָ׃

13Heb 14

He has also prepared for himself the instruments of death. He makes ready his flaming arrows.

וְ֭לוֹ הֵכִ֣ין כְּלֵי־מָ֑וֶת חִ֝צָּ֗יו לְֽדֹלְקִ֥ים יִפְעָֽל׃

14Heb 15

Behold, he travails with iniquity. Yes, he has conceived mischief, and brought out falsehood.

הִנֵּ֥ה יְחַבֶּל־אָ֑וֶן וְהָרָ֥ה עָ֝מָ֗ל וְיָ֣לַד שָֽׁקֶר׃

15Heb 16

He has dug a hole, and has fallen into the pit which he made.

בּ֣וֹר כָּ֭רָֽה וַֽיַּחְפְּרֵ֑הוּ וַ֝יִּפֹּ֗ל בְּשַׁ֣חַת יִפְעָֽל׃

16Heb 17

The trouble he causes shall return to his own head. His violence shall come down on the crown of his own head.

יָשׁ֣וּב עֲמָל֣וֹ בְרֹאשׁ֑וֹ וְעַ֥ל קָ֝דְקֳד֗וֹ חֲמָס֥וֹ יֵרֵֽד׃

17Heb 18

I will give thanks to Yahweh according to his righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of Yahweh Most High.

אוֹדֶ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה כְּצִדְק֑וֹ וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה שֵֽׁם־יְהוָ֥ה עֶלְיֽוֹן׃

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain), from the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible. English: World English Bible (public domain). Verse numbers follow the English Bible; the Hebrew numbering is shown beneath where it differs.

O Lord my God

in You I take refuge

Save me

from all who pursue me

Rescue me

or they will tear me

like a lion

Ripping me apart

with no one to deliver

O Lord my God

If I have done this

If there is injustice

in my hands

If I have repaid

my friend with evil

or plundered my enemy

without cause

Then let my enemy pursue me

Let him overtake me

Let him trample my life

to the ground

And lay my glory

in the dust

Arise, O Lord

in Your anger

Lift Yourself up

against the fury

of my enemies

Awake for me

You have appointed

judgment

Let the assembly of the peoples

gather around You

Take Your seat

on high

The Lord judges the nations

Judge me, O Lord

according to my righteousness

according to my integrity

Let the evil of the wicked

come to an end

Establish the righteous

You who test the heart

and the mind

O righteous God

My shield is with God

He saves the upright

in heart

God is a righteous judge

A God who feels indignation

every day

If a man does not turn

God sharpens His sword

He bends His bow

and makes it ready

He prepares

weapons of death

He makes His arrows

blazing

Behold, the wicked conceives evil

He is pregnant with trouble

He gives birth to lies

He digs a pit

He falls into the hole

he has made

His trouble returns

on his own head

His violence falls

on himself

Arise, O Lord

judge the earth

Arise, O Lord

set it right

I will give thanks

to the Lord

according to His righteousness

I will sing praise

to the name

of the Lord Most High

O Lord Most High

O Lord Most High

Lyrics by Paul Whitehorn: a singable English rendering of the Hebrew, as sung on this recording.

Corpus Psalterium sets each psalm to music by its Hebrew grammar. Didactic psalms teach; Cantillated psalms are spoken, sung or performed before God. Hear all 150 psalms free.

About these songs. They are a summary and a commentary on the Psalms, not a word-for-word translation. Read what these songs are →

What These Songs Are, and What They Are Not

These songs are not a word-for-word translation of the Psalms. They were never meant to be. Nor do they try to capture every idea in every psalm. In a song, that would be impossible.

What we have done is capture the essence of each psalm: what matters most in it. Think of each song as a summary. Think of it as a cheat sheet. The purpose of the psalm is still being met. God's word to mankind is still being heard.

Behind many of these lines is word research: deep study of the meaning of the Hebrew. So where a line sounds different from your translation, and you think it is wrong, study it. We believe you will find that the essence of what we sing is true.

The truth is that no one can set the Psalms to music without also becoming a commentator. That is what this is. It is a modern commentary on the Psalms: not only the Psalms themselves, and not only the Psalms being sung. So do not think that every word of the psalm is here. It is not. Read the psalm itself, in full.

Why do this at all? Because we believe God intended humanity to be surrounded by His word. This was always the entertainment He wanted us to have: not hours of television, not a day lost in a phone looking at nonsense. The blessed man of Psalm 1 meditates on God's word day and night. How can we meditate on His word if we do not surround ourselves with it?

As ministers, our first responsibility is to share God's word with people. That is what these songs are for.

Paul Whitehorn