שִֽׁירוּ לַיהֹוָה שִׁיר חָדָשׁ Sing to Adonoy a new song9Israel will sing a new song of praise to God in the future, when He gathers us together from our exile. This new song will be in addition to those we now sing.—Radak According to our Sages, every time a ‘new song’ is mentioned, it refers to future events. Fresh mercies and deliverance demand fresh expressions of thanksgiving and homage.
שִֽׁירוּ לַיהֹוָה Sing to Adonoy
כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ: all the [inhabitants of] earth.
שִֽׁירוּ לַיהֹוָה בָּרְכוּ שְׁמוֹ Sing to Adonoy, bless His Name,
בַּשְּׂרוּ מִיּוֹם־לְיוֹם יְשׁוּעָתוֹ: proclaim His deliverance from day to day.
סַפְּרוּ בַגּוֹיִם כְּבוֹדוֹ Recount His glory among the nations,
בְּכָל־הָעַמִּים נִפְלְאוֹתָיו: His wonders among all the peoples.
כִּי גָדוֹל יְהֹוָה וּמְהֻלָּל מְאֹד For Adonoy is great and most extolled;
נוֹרָא הוּא עַל־כָּל־אֱלֹהִים: He is awesome above all gods.
כִּי כָּל־אֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים For all the gods of the nations
אֱלִילִים are idols,
וַיהֹוָה שָׁמַֽיִם עָשָׂה: whereas Adonoy made the heavens.
הוֹד־וְהָדָר לְפָנָיו Beauty and splendor are before Him,
עֹז וְתִפְאֶֽרֶת בְּמִקְדָּשׁוֹ: strength and glory are in His Sanctuary.
הָבוּ לַיהֹוָה מִשְׁפְּחוֹת עַמִּים Ascribe to Adonoy—families of peoples—
הָבוּ לַיהֹוָה כָּבוֹד וָעֹז: —ascribe to Adonoy honor and might!
הָבוּ לַיהֹוָה כְּבוֹד שְׁמוֹ Ascribe to Adonoy the honor due His Name,
שְׂאוּ־מִנְחָה bring an offering
וּבֹֽאוּ לְחַצְרוֹתָיו: and come to His courtyards.
הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַיהֹוָה Prostrate yourselves before Adonoy
בְּהַדְרַת־קֹֽדֶשׁ in the splendor10Etz Yosef understands this as the holy splendor of God’s Sanctuary. Tzelosa D’Avraham sees it as the splendor and mode of worship before God, as compared with secular or frivolous manifestations of beauty and splendor. of holiness;
חִֽילוּ מִפָּנָיו tremble before Him
כָּל־הָאָֽרֶץ: all (peoples of) the earth!
אִמְרוּ בַגּוֹיִם Declare among the nations,
יְהֹוָה מָלָךְ “Adonoy reigns!”
אַף־תִּכּוֹן תֵּבֵל for He established the world
בַּל־תִּמּוֹט so that it cannot be moved,
יָדִין עַמִּים בְּמֵישָׁרִים: He will judge the peoples with uprightness.
יִשְׂמְחוּ הַשָּׁמַֽיִם The heavens will rejoice,
וְתָגֵל הָאָֽרֶץ the earth will exult,11Simcha (rejoicing) describes one’s feeling at a new experience of happiness, whereas gila (exultation) describes the feeling one experiences over an ongoing situation of joy. Since there is nothing new on the earth (Koheleth) it is said that the earth will exult (gila) but the heavens will rejoice (simcha) because there is always something new in the heavens.—Gaon of Vilna
יִרְעַם הַיָּם וּמְלֹאוֹ: the sea and its fullness will roar.
יַעֲלֹז שָׂדַי וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ The field and all that is in it will jubilate,
אָז then
יְרַנְּנוּ כָּל־עֲצֵי־יָֽעַר: all the trees of the forest will sing for joy.
לִפְנֵי יְהֹוָה כִּי בָא Before Adonoy when He comes—
כִּי בָא לִשְׁפֹּט הָאָֽרֶץ when He comes to judge the earth;
יִשְׁפֹּט־תֵּבֵל בְּצֶֽדֶק He will judge mankind with justice,
וְעַמִּים בֶּאֱמוּנָתוֹ: and peoples with His truth.