From the enemies of thy hand. O Lord, divide them from the few of the earth in their life: their belly is filled from thy hidden stores. They are full of children: and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance.
Radak
From men, Thy hand, O Lord: – And deliver my soul from men who are Thy hand: he means, “(who are) Thy stroke,” as “Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon” (Exod. 9:3). Just as he speaks of them as Thy sword, he speaks of them as Thy hand. From men of the world: – from men who are of this world, whose whole desire and delight is in this world, whose portion is in (this) life, And whose belly Thou flllest with Thy treasure: – Their portion is in the life of this world, for they look not to the world to come, but with Thy treasure and Thy bounty Thou fittest their belly in this world. (Their) children are satisfied: – And whose children are satisfied by their life with them. And they leave the rest of their substance for their babes: – i.e. after their death, and these are their children's children. In the Haggadic interpretation (Babli, Berakhoth 61b) the verse is interpreted in reference to Rabbi Akiba and his companions, martyred under the Roman government: the ministering angels said before the Holy One – Blessed be He! – “Lord of the world, From men, Thy hand, O Lord, from men of the world?” The Holy One Blessed be He! answered them: “Their portion (is) in life; their portion is in the life of the world to come!”
Hebrew and Aramaic words are the commentator’s citations of the sacred text; the English translation that follows each is the translator’s.
Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.