Psalm 9: The Daughter of Zion - A Modern Day Redeemer

AI generated art

In this Psalm King David contemplates mortality. Seeing life as a symphony, he addresses “the conductor over death”. David speaks of the judgment of G-d and how he will cause evil and wickedness to perish from the world, judging all nations according to the one Divine just way of G-d.

This elevated ability of the Divine power to rule over all and render his just judgment on all people is the reason David starts seeing G-d as the shelter he so desperately needs. “And so it will be that G-d is the elevated refuge for the lowly person, an exalted fortress in times of need.” King David finds comfort in knowing that there is a higher power that will take him in and protect him when he is at his worst, at his lowest moments. This, David says, our lowest possible moments in life -- this is the place where we enter G-d’s fortress and receive His full protection. 

In his moment of fear from his enemies, some of which are from within his own people, David turns to G-d asking him for help. David needs G-d to be able to aid him in telling the difference between who is truly his enemy. When we face manipulations, gaslighting, and narcissistic abusive patterns of behaviour, it can be extremely difficult to distinguish between the two. David trusts that even if he might not know the difference, G-d does and He will judge everyone according to their secret motives and inclinations: “Have mercy on me, G-d, differentiate between my miserable people and my enemies, those who wish to elevate me from those who wish for my death.”

At this point, David turns hints that he has already had glimpses of the future, of visions and prophecies, even if they were only glimpses of what is to come. These glimpses into the future are what help him build such deep trust in G-d. David speaks of a time of salvation, when a daughter of Zion will return to act upon G-d’s judgment and bring forth His salvation: “For I will tell of all Your glory, in the gates of the daughter of Zion I will rejoice in Your salvation.” While all Abrahamic religious texts (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) discuss the messiah as a man, it is in this line that King David plants the seed that salvation will be brought upon by a woman -- the daughter of Zion. My personal opinion is that since it is King David's offspring that will eventually be ‘the redeemer,’ it is safe to assume that he has stronger spiritual insight into the density of his own descendants. In other words: King David knows best -- it will be a woman -- a daughter of Zion. 

While David might have been speaking about his own situation, his discussion of the manipulative and corrupt state of reality sounds all too prophetic to our days: “Nations will drown in corruption, in this network they have created, their own feet will be caught.”

David ends this prophetic contemplation of death and the end of times with a wake up call to G-d: “Raise G-d, do not dare for a human to come before You as if they can be a judge over You.” With this wake up call for the Divine, David reminds us all that, we too, need to use our own voice in prayer and meditation and call out to G-d to save us, as the Israelites did in Egypt before G-d had finally intervened. It is as if our very energy of prayer is the same energy that allows G-d to direct our salvation. Like a cell phone will not work without being charged, G-d will not redeem us without our charging Him -- with our prayers to Him. To be saved, we need to ‘upgrade’ our level of prayers and desire for redemption.  

When we pray and seek to learn G-d’s ways and the Torah (the Bible), is when redemption will come forth. It is when we “Quench G-d’s thirst,” when we allow G-d to become “a teacher for” us, that is when “all nations will know what the experience of being a wholesome human being is.” According to David, this redemption is not about the annihilation of any group of people, but the ability for all nations to accept that there is a unity of Divinity, and that Judaism contains the secrets that allow us to understand how to live in alignment with that Divine force -- making all experience a new way of living -- experiencing life as a wholesome and complete human being. 

לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ עַלְ-מ֥וּת לַבֵּ֗ן מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃

To the conductor over death of a son,

A Psalm for David.

אוֹדֶ֣ה ה’ בְּכָל־לִבִּ֑י אֲ֝סַפְּרָ֗ה כָּל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

I will thank You, G-d, with all my heart,

I will tell all Your wonders,

אֶשְׂמְחָ֣ה וְאֶעֶלְצָ֣ה בָ֑ךְ אֲזַמְּרָ֖ה שִׁמְךָ֣ עֶלְיֽוֹן׃

I will be happy and rejoice in You,

I will sing Your exalted name,

בְּשׁוּב־אוֹיְבַ֥י אָח֑וֹר יִכָּשְׁל֥וּ וְ֝יֹאבְד֗וּ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃

Upon the return of my enemy they will turn back and fail,

They will perish by Your appearance,

כִּֽי־עָ֭שִׂיתָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י וְדִינִ֑י יָשַׁ֥בְתָּ לְ֝כִסֵּ֗א שׁוֹפֵ֥ט צֶֽדֶק׃

For You have acted as my judge and my ruler,

You sat on the throne of a judge of justice,

גָּעַ֣רְתָּ ג֭וֹיִם אִבַּ֣דְתָּ רָשָׁ֑ע שְׁמָ֥ם מָ֝חִ֗יתָ לְעוֹלָ֥ם וָעֶֽד׃

You scolded nations, annihilated the names of the wicked,

Erasing their existence for eternity, 

הָֽאוֹיֵ֨ב ׀ תַּ֥מּוּ חֳרָב֗וֹת לָ֫נֶ֥צַח וְעָרִ֥ים נָתַ֑שְׁתָּ אָבַ֖ד זִכְרָ֣ם הֵֽמָּה׃

The enemy; ended with their swords forever,

And cities were abandoned, left forlorn and their own memory was lost.

וַֽ֭ה’ לְעוֹלָ֣ם יֵשֵׁ֑ב כּוֹנֵ֖ן לַמִּשְׁפָּ֣ט כִּסְאֽוֹ׃

And G-d forever will sit and establish justice for His throne,

וְה֗וּא יִשְׁפֹּֽט־תֵּבֵ֥ל בְּצֶ֑דֶק יָדִ֥ין לְ֝אֻמִּ֗ים בְּמֵישָׁרִֽים׃

And He will judge the universe with justice,

He will rule nations in the ways of straight alignment,

וִ֘יהִ֤י ה’ מִשְׂגָּ֣ב לַדָּ֑ךְ מִ֝שְׂגָּ֗ב לְעִתּ֥וֹת בַּצָּרָֽה׃

And so it will be that G-d is the elevated refuge for the lowly person,

An exalted fortress in times of need,

וְיִבְטְח֣וּ בְ֭ךָ יוֹדְעֵ֣י שְׁמֶ֑ךָ כִּ֤י לֹֽא־עָזַ֖בְתָּ דֹרְשֶׁ֣יךָ ה’׃

And those who know Your Name will trust You,

For You have not abandoned those who seek You, G-d,

זַמְּר֗וּ לַ֭ה’ יֹשֵׁ֣ב צִיּ֑וֹן הַגִּ֥ידוּ בָ֝עַמִּ֗ים עֲלִֽילוֹתָֽיו׃

Sing to G-d, dwellers of Zion, 

Tell the nations of His tales,

כִּֽי־דֹרֵ֣שׁ דָּ֭מִים אוֹתָ֣ם זָכָ֑ר לֹֽא־שָׁ֝כַ֗ח צַעֲקַ֥ת עניים [עֲנָוִֽים]׃

For He remembers those who demand blood,

He will not forget the cries of the poor [humble],

חָֽנְנֵ֬נִי ה’ רְאֵ֣ה עָ֭נְיִי מִשֹּׂנְאָ֑י מְ֝רוֹמְמִ֗י מִשַּׁ֥עֲרֵי מָֽוֶת׃

Have mercy on me, G-d, 

Differentiate between my miserable people and my enemies,

Those who wish to elevate me from those who wish for my death,

לְמַ֥עַן אֲסַפְּרָ֗ה כָּֽל־תְּהִלָּ֫תֶ֥יךָ בְּשַֽׁעֲרֵ֥י בַת־צִיּ֑וֹן אָ֝גִ֗ילָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶֽךָ׃

For I will tell of all Your glory,

In the gates of the daughter of Zion I will rejoice in Your salvation,

טָבְע֣וּ ג֭וֹיִם בְּשַׁ֣חַת עָשׂ֑וּ בְּרֶֽשֶׁת־ז֥וּ טָ֝מָ֗נוּ נִלְכְּדָ֥ה רַגְלָֽם׃

Nations will drown in corruption,

In this network they have created,

Their own feet will be caught.

נ֤וֹדַ֨ע ׀ ה’ מִשְׁפָּ֪ט עָ֫שָׂ֥ה בְּפֹ֣עַל כַּ֭פָּיו נוֹקֵ֣שׁ רָשָׁ֑ע הִגָּי֥וֹן סֶֽלָה׃

G-d will be known,

His judgement He will create with His own hands,

Beating evil rational in an all-encompassing way,

יָשׁ֣וּבוּ רְשָׁעִ֣ים לִשְׁא֑וֹלָה כָּל־גּ֝וֹיִ֗ם שְׁכֵחֵ֥י אֱלֹקים׃

Evil will return to the darkness of death;

All nations who have forgotten G-d.

כִּ֤י לֹ֣א לָ֭נֶצַח יִשָּׁכַ֣ח אֶבְי֑וֹן תִּקְוַ֥ת ענוים [עֲ֝נִיִּ֗ים] תֹּאבַ֥ד לָעַֽד׃

For not forever will the beggars be forgotten,

The hope of fools will be lost forever,

קוּמָ֣ה ה’ אַל־יָעֹ֣ז אֱנ֑וֹשׁ יִשָּׁפְט֥וּ ג֝וֹיִ֗ם עַל־פָּנֶֽיךָ׃

Raise G-d, do not dare for a human to come before You

as if they can be a judge over You,

שִׁ֘יתָ֤ה ה’ ׀ מוֹרָ֗ה לָ֫הֶ֥ם יֵדְע֥וּ גוֹיִ֑ם אֱנ֖וֹשׁ הֵ֣מָּה סֶּֽלָה׃

Quench G-d’s thirst to be a teacher for them,

And all nations will know

what the experience of being a wholesome human being is.