Ps 5:8

“One who wishes to know and to act rightly has many adversaries. There are people and demons full of envy whom the good deeds of those acting uprightly torment. The prophet, when he understood this, did not allow himself to fight by his own strength against those who rose up against him, but he called on God to extend his hand by which he could escape unharmed from so many enemies, saying, "You, O Lord, lead me in your righteousness; then it will happen that my path may be directed in your sight."”

“There is … a human righteousness that depends on external laws, but it is inferior, possessing nothing perfect and complete, arising from human deliberation. It is your righteousness, on the contrary, that I seek, that has come down from you and leads up to heaven.… The present life, you see, is a way on which guidance from on high is required. I mean, if we want to enter a city, we need someone to show us the way; much more if we are to travel to heaven do we have need of grace from above to point out and determine the way and guide us on it. There are many paths to lead us astray, after all. Hence let us hold God's right hand.”

“"Direct in Your sight my way." [Psalm 5:8] Nothing is clearer, than that he here sets forth that time, in which he is journeying onward. For this is a way which is traversed not in any regions of the earth, but in the affections of the heart. "In Your sight," he says, "direct my way:" that is, where no man sees; who are not to be trusted in their praise or blame. For they can in no wise judge of another man's conscience, wherein the way toward God is traversed.”

“Whosoever feareth sleepeth not, and if he sleepeth, he seeth in his dream the cause of his fear; he eateth not, and he drinketh not, and if the force of natural craving compel him, fear is mingled with his meat and drink. Everything which attacketh the man who is filled with the fear of God abideth outside him, for fear keepeth fast hold upon the place of his understanding, and upon all the places of ingoing and outgoing of the city of his soul. Like the watchmen who stand by the gates of the city, even so doth fear keep fast hold upon the places of ingoing and outgoing of the soul, and it permitteth no act or thought to enter in or to go forth which it examineth not; for it neither permitteth any internal thought whatsoever to go forth, nor any external act that is not seemly to go in. And moreover this Prophet maketh known in other places the fear of God; "My flesh contracteth through fear of Thee, and I am afraid of Thy judgments." And again he saith, "I am like a wine skin in ice, but I have not forgotten Thy commandments." And again he saith, "Sorrow is in my heart all the day long. How long, O Lord, wilt thou turn Thy face from me? How long wilt Thou forget me, for ever? How long wilt Thou set trouble in my soul?" And again he saith, "Heal me, O Lord, for my bones tremble, and my soul is greatly moved. I am weary with my groaning; every night make I my bed to swim; and I water my couch with my tears. Mine eye hath become sick because of Thine anger"; now it is evident that all these things arose from [his] fear of God. And again he saith, "I roared by reason of the groaning of my heart"; and again he saith, "Lead me, O Lord, in Thy fear and righteousness"; and again he saith, "There is no soundness in my flesh before the fear of Thee, and there is no health in my bones in the presence of my sins. For my iniquities have gone over my head; and [they are] as a heavy burden heavy upon me. My wounds stink and are corrupt, and in the presence of my iniquities I tremble greatly. All the day long I walk in sadness. For my ankles are filled with trembling. I am much moved, and I am brought to great misery." And again he saith, "My heart is turned back, and my strength hath forsaken me; and the light of my eyes is no longer with me." And again he saith, "I kept silent, and I was sorrowful, and I was afflicted even from good; And my sickness was stirred. My heart became hot within me; and in my body the fire kindled." And again he saith, "I was dumb, and I opened not my mouth; because Thou didst it. I have come to an end because of [Thy] rebuke of my sins."”

“But I (וַאֲנִי - Va'ani): He returns to what he began [in verse 4]: "at daybreak You hear my voice." [The connection is that] he comes to the house of Ad-nai, but he does not have a Minchah (Gift/Grain Offering) with him to bow down with in His temple (be-heikhalo). [This contrasts with] the one bringing the first fruits of the ground (reishit pri ha-adamah), concerning whom it is written (Deuteronomy 26:10): "and you shall bow down (ve-hishtachavita) before Ad-nai your God." And behold, the meaning is: I do not have a Minchah offering, but only [the offering of] acknowledging Your abundant love (rov chasdekha) towards me. And the meaning of in Your awe/fear (בְּיִרְאָתֶךָ - be-yir'atekha) is: I have nothing with which to bow down except with my awe/fear (yir'ati) of You. Similar [is the usage in (Exodus 20:17)]: "...and that His fear (yir'ato) may be before your faces." For others [also] fear (yir'u) HaShem.”

“But as for me, in the multitude of Thy loving – kindness – they are despised in Thine eyes, but as for me, I will take my stand in Thy sight and before Thee. I will come into Thine House: – in the multitude of Thy loving-kindness which I hope for from Thee. In Thy fear will I worship toward Thy holy Temple – which is before me. And the interpretation of toward (Thy) temple (is): because the worshipper of God makes the Temple and the Holy Place (the object) of his longing desire, and worships God as though before it. And the interpretation of Thine House and Thy holy Temple (is): the House which contained the Ark.”

“Above he asked that his prayer be heard; here he sets it forth. And first he prays for himself. Second, for others. Concerning the first, he does two things. First, he sets forth the prayer. Second, he gives its reason, at "For there is not." Concerning the first, he asks for two things: namely, to be led and to be directed; and this because a person in the world is as on a road: Is. 30: "This is the way; walk in it." But those who travel along a road need two things: because if the road is not safe, they need an escort; or a guide, if it is uncertain. In the world, enemies are on every side: Ps. 141: "On this road where I walked, they hid a snare for me." Likewise, the way is unknown: Job 3: "To the man whose way is hidden," etc. And therefore he first asks, "Lord, lead me in your justice," according to your justice, or that I may walk in your justice; and this "on account of my enemies": Ps. 142: "Your good spirit will lead me into the right land: for the sake of your name, O Lord, you will give me life in your equity." "Direct my way in your sight." Another translation has, "Direct in my sight your way." The first agrees with Jerome; the second with the Greek; but the meaning is the same. As if to say: Lord, I am on a hidden way: Prov. 14: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." And therefore, "direct me in your sight," that is, according to your providence, because nothing is hidden from you. Or "in your sight," that I may always please you. Or "in my sight your way," so that it may always be in my heart, that I may always be able to follow you.”