Psalms Chapter 78
with Rashi
1 Maschil of Asaph.
Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
א מַשְׂכִּיל, לְאָסָף:
הַאֲזִינָה עַמִּי, תּוֹרָתִי; הַטּוּ אָזְנְכֶם, לְאִמְרֵי-פִי.
Rashi:
… my mouth with a parable:
"They are the words of Torah."
2 I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter dark sayings concerning days of old;
ב אֶפְתְּחָה בְמָשָׁל פִּי; אַבִּיעָה חִידוֹת, מִנִּי-קֶדֶם.
3 That which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us,
ג אֲשֶׁר שָׁמַעְנוּ, וַנֵּדָעֵם; וַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ, סִפְּרוּ-לָנוּ.
4 We will not hide from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
and His strength, and His wondrous works that He hath done.
ד לֹא נְכַחֵד, מִבְּנֵיהֶם-- לְדוֹר אַחֲרוֹן, מְסַפְּרִים תְּהִלּוֹת יְהוָה;
וֶעֱזוּזוֹ וְנִפְלְאֹתָיו, אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה.
Rashi:
We shall not hide from their sons:
"We, too, shall not hide [these words] from our fathers’ sons by not letting them know what they told us."
5 For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel,
which He commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;
ה וַיָּקֶם עֵדוּת, בְּיַעֲקֹב, וְתוֹרָה, שָׂם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל:
אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה, אֶת-אֲבוֹתֵינוּ-- לְהוֹדִיעָם, לִבְנֵיהֶם.
6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children that should be born; who should arise and tell them to their children,
ו לְמַעַן יֵדְעוּ, דּוֹר אַחֲרוֹן--בָּנִים יִוָּלֵדוּ; יָקֻמוּ, וִיסַפְּרוּ לִבְנֵיהֶם.
7 That they might put their confidence (hope) in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments;
ז וְיָשִׂימוּ בֵאלֹהִים, כִּסְלָם: וְלֹא יִשְׁכְּחוּ, מַעַלְלֵי-אֵל; וּמִצְוֹתָיו יִנְצֹרוּ.
Rashi:
their hope:
Instead of translating כסלם as "their confidence", Rashi translates it as "their hope", referring also to Job 31: 24: 'If I made gold my hope (כסלי).'
8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation;
a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.
ח וְלֹא יִהְיוּ, כַּאֲבוֹתָם-- דּוֹר, סוֹרֵר וּמֹרֶה:
דּוֹר, לֹא-הֵכִין לִבּוֹ; וְלֹא-נֶאֶמְנָה אֶת-אֵל רוּחוֹ.
as their forefathers:
"who were in Egypt and in the desert."
9 The children of Ephraim were as archers handling the bow, that turned back in the day of battle.
ט בְּנֵי-אֶפְרַיִם, נוֹשְׁקֵי רוֹמֵי-קָשֶׁת; הָפְכוּ, בְּיוֹם קְרָב.
The sons of Ephraim:
"who left Egypt forcefully before the end [of the exile] and trusted in their might and in their arrows. Ultimately, they retreated and fled on the day of battle, as is delineated (I Chron. 7:21): 'and the men of Gath, who were born in the land, slew them.'”
archers:
"Heb. רומי, who cast and shoot, as (Exod. 15:1): 'cast (רמה) into the sea.'”
10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in His Torah;
י לֹא שָׁמְרוּ, בְּרִית אֱלֹהִים; וּבְתוֹרָתוֹ, מֵאֲנוּ לָלֶכֶת.
11 And they forgot His doings, and His wondrous works that He had shown them.
יא וַיִּשְׁכְּחוּ עֲלִילוֹתָיו; וְנִפְלְאוֹתָיו, אֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָם.
12 Marvellous things did He in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.
יב נֶגֶד אֲבוֹתָם, עָשָׂה פֶלֶא; בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׂדֵה-צֹעַן.
Before their forefathers He wrought wonders: "(NeverthelessShem Ephraim) Afterwards, when the end arrived, they too 'continued to sin against Him,' as he further concludes. (Another explanation Shem Ephraim)."
Before their forefathers:
"Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob came beside the sea, and the Holy One, blessed be He, showed them how He was redeeming their children."
13 He cleaved the sea, and caused them to pass through; and He made the waters to stand as a heap.
יג בָּקַע יָם, וַיַּעֲבִירֵם; וַיַּצֶּב-מַיִם כְּמוֹ-נֵד.
as a heap:
"Heb. נד, a tall heap, as Onkelos renders (Exod. 15: 8): 'the flowing water stood up like a נֵד,' stood up like a wall."
14 By day also He led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.
וַיַּנְחֵם בֶּעָנָן יוֹמָם; וְכָל-הַלַּיְלָה, בְּאוֹר אֵשׁ.
15 He cleaved rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink abundantly as out of the great deep.
טו יְבַקַּע צֻרִים, בַּמִּדְבָּר; וַיַּשְׁקְ, כִּתְהֹמוֹת רַבָּה.
He split rocks:
"(Exod. 17:6): 'and you shall strike the rock.'”
and He gave them to drink as [from] great deeps: "in the great deeps. Even as they went through the midst of the sea, whose waters are salty, He sweetened fountains for them in the midst of the sea."
16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.
טז וַיּוֹצִא נוֹזְלִים מִסָּלַע; וַיּוֹרֶד כַּנְּהָרוֹת מָיִם.
and brought down water like rivers:
"[Water] that was flowing from the well. The princes would make a line with their staffs and the water would be drawn after them to the encampment of each tribe, as the matter that is stated (Num. 21:18): 'by the order of the lawgiver, with their staffs,' as is explained in tractate Makkoth."
17 Yet went they on still to sin against Him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
יז וַיּוֹסִיפוּ עוֹד, לַחֲטֹא-לוֹ-- לַמְרוֹת עֶלְיוֹן, בַּצִּיָּה.
to provoke:
"Heb. למרות, to provoke, as (Deut. 9: 7): 'you have been provoking (ממרים).'"
18 And they tried God in their heart by asking food for their craving.
יח וַיְנַסּוּ-אֵל בִּלְבָבָם-- לִשְׁאָל-אֹכֶל לְנַפְשָׁם.
19 Yea, they spoke against God; they said: 'Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?
יט וַיְדַבְּרוּ, בֵּאלֹהִים: אָמְרוּ, הֲיוּכַל אֵל--לַעֲרֹךְ שֻׁלְחָן, בַּמִּדְבָּר.
20 Behold, He smote the rock, that waters gushed out, and streams overflowed;
can He give bread also? or will He provide flesh for His people?'
כ הֵן הִכָּה-צוּר, וַיָּזוּבוּ מַיִם-- וּנְחָלִים יִשְׁטֹפוּ:
הֲגַם-לֶחֶם, יוּכַל תֵּת; אִם-יָכִין שְׁאֵר לְעַמּוֹ.
flesh:
"Heb. שְׁאֵר, flesh."
21 Therefore the LORD heard, and was wroth;
and a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also went up against Israel;
כא לָכֵן, שָׁמַע יְהוָה-- וַיִּתְעַבָּר:
וְאֵשׁ, נִשְּׂקָה בְיַעֲקֹב; וְגַם-אַף, עָלָה בְיִשְׂרָאֵל.
fire was kindled against Jacob:
"Heb. נשקה, as (Ezek. 39: 9):
'and make fires and heat up (והשיקו) ,' which is an expression of heating and burning. As it is written (Num. 11:1): 'and God’s fire broke out against them.'"
22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in His salvation.
כב כִּי לֹא הֶאֱמִינוּ, בֵּאלֹהִים; וְלֹא בָטְחוּ, בִּישׁוּעָתוֹ.
23 And He commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven;
כג וַיְצַו שְׁחָקִים מִמָּעַל; וְדַלְתֵי שָׁמַיִם פָּתָח.
24 And He caused manna to rain upon them for food, and gave them of the corn of heaven.
כד וַיַּמְטֵר עֲלֵיהֶם מָן לֶאֱכֹל; וּדְגַן-שָׁמַיִם, נָתַן לָמוֹ.
25 The human being ate the bread of the mighty; He sent them provisions to the full.
כה לֶחֶם אַבִּירִים, אָכַל אִישׁ; צֵידָה שָׁלַח לָהֶם לָשֹׂבַע.
bread of the mighty:
"Bread of the angels. Another explanation: אַבִּירִים means אֵבָרִים, limbs, for it was absorbed into the limbs, and they did not have to excrete."
26 He caused the east wind to set forth in heaven; and by His power He brought on the south wind.
כו יַסַּע קָדִים, בַּשָּׁמָיִם; וַיְנַהֵג בְּעֻזּוֹ תֵימָן.
27 He caused flesh also to rain upon them as the dust, and winged fowl as the sand of the seas;
כז וַיַּמְטֵר עֲלֵיהֶם כֶּעָפָר שְׁאֵר; וּכְחוֹל יַמִּים, עוֹף כָּנָף.
28 And He let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their dwellings.
כח וַיַּפֵּל, בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֵהוּ; סָבִיב, לְמִשְׁכְּנֹתָיו.
29 So they did eat, and were well filled; and He gave them that which they craved.
כט וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׂבְּעוּ מְאֹד; וְתַאֲוָתָם, יָבִא לָהֶם.
30 They were not estranged from their craving, their food was yet in their mouths,
ל לֹא-זָרוּ מִתַּאֲוָתָם; עוֹד, אָכְלָם בְּפִיהֶם.
They were not estranged from their desire:
"They did not become estranged from their desire, for they achieved all their desire. Another explanation: לא זרוּ מתאותם They were not distanced from their desire until the retribution came upon them. 'While their food was still in their mouth, the wrath of the Lord (sic), etc.'"
31 When the anger of God went up against them, and slew the most lustful among them,
and smote down the young men of Israel.
לא וְאַף אֱלֹהִים, עָלָה בָהֶם, וַיַּהֲרֹג, בְּמִשְׁמַנֵּיהֶם;
וּבַחוּרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִכְרִיעַ.
Judaica trans.
The wrath of God ascended upon them and slew [some] of their stoutest and caused the chosen of Israel to fall.
Rashi:
and… the chosen of Israel:
The chosen of them and the men of the assembly, הָאסַפסוּף (Num. 11:4). They are the elders, as it is said (Num. 11:16): “Assemble (אספו) to Me, etc.”
32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not in His wondrous works.
לב בְּכָל-זֹאת חָטְאוּ-עוֹד; וְלֹא-הֶאֱמִינוּ, בְּנִפְלְאוֹתָיו.
33 Therefore He ended their days as a breath, and their years in terror.
לג וַיְכַל-בַּהֶבֶל יְמֵיהֶם; וּשְׁנוֹתָם, בַּבֶּהָלָה.
34 When He slew them, then they would inquire after Him, and turn back and seek God earnestly.
לד אִם-הֲרָגָם וּדְרָשׁוּהוּ; וְשָׁבוּ, וְשִׁחֲרוּ-אֵל.
When He slew them, etc.:
"Yet all this was not in truth, but with guile in their mouth and by lying with their tongue."
(verse 36)
35 And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High God their redeemer.
לה וַיִּזְכְּרוּ, כִּי-אֱלֹהִים צוּרָם; וְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן, גֹּאֲלָם.
36 But they beguiled Him with their mouth, and lied unto Him with their tongue.
לו וַיְפַתּוּהוּ בְּפִיהֶם; וּבִלְשׁוֹנָם, יְכַזְּבוּ-לוֹ.
37 For their heart was not stedfast with Him, neither were they faithful in His covenant.
לז וְלִבָּם, לֹא-נָכוֹן עִמּוֹ; וְלֹא נֶאֶמְנוּ, בִּבְרִיתוֹ.
Their heart:
"was not sincere as with their mouth."
38 But He, being full of compassion, forgives iniquity, and destroys not;
yea, many a time does He turn His anger away, and does not stir up all His wrath.
לח וְהוּא רַחוּם, יְכַפֵּר עָוֹן-- וְלֹא-יַשְׁחִית:
וְהִרְבָּה, לְהָשִׁיב אַפּוֹ; וְלֹא-יָעִיר, כָּל-חֲמָתוֹ.
But He is merciful:
"to them and constantly expiates their iniquity, and He did not destroy them."
many times:
"Many times He withdraws His wrath from them, and even if He punishes them, He does not arouse all His anger but little by little, because He remembers that they are flesh and that the evil inclination is hidden in their heart. That is a spirit that goes away when they die, and that spirit does not return to them in the world to come. When they are resurrected, the evil inclination will have no control over them. 'A spirit that goes away and does not return' cannot be explained to mean their spirit of life, because if you say so, you have denied the resurrection of the dead. In this manner, it is explained in Aggadath Tehillim (Mid Ps. 78:8)."
{see verse 39 below: רוּחַ הוֹלֵךְ, וְלֹא יָשׁוּב}
39 So He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
לט וַיִּזְכֹּר, כִּי-בָשָׂר הֵמָּה; רוּחַ הוֹלֵךְ, וְלֹא יָשׁוּב.
40 How often did they rebel against Him in the wilderness, and grieve Him in the desert!
מ כַּמָּה, יַמְרוּהוּ בַמִּדְבָּר; יַעֲצִיבוּהוּ, בִּישִׁימוֹן.
How often:
"[How many] times."
they provoked him:
"always in the desert."
41 And still again they tried God, and set bounds to the Holy One of Israel.
מא וַיָּשׁוּבוּ וַיְנַסּוּ אֵל; וּקְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל הִתְווּ.
they sought a sign:
"Heb. התוו, an expression of a sign, as (Ezek. 9:4): 'and set a mark (והתוית תו).' 'A mark' is an expression of a wonder and a trial. They asked him for a sign and a mark (Exod. 17:7): 'Is the Lord in our midst or not?'
KEY: "Is the Lord in our midst or not?"
42 They remembered not His hand, nor the day when He redeemed them from the adversary.
מב לֹא-זָכְרוּ אֶת-יָדוֹ; יוֹם, אֲשֶׁר-פָּדָם מִנִּי-צָר.
43 How He set His signs in Egypt, and His wonders in the field of Zoan;
מג אֲשֶׁר-שָׂם בְּמִצְרַיִם, אֹתוֹתָיו; וּמוֹפְתָיו, בִּשְׂדֵה-צֹעַן.
Remembering:
44 And turned their rivers into blood, so that they could not drink their streams.
מד וַיַּהֲפֹךְ לְדָם, יְאֹרֵיהֶם; וְנֹזְלֵיהֶם, בַּל-יִשְׁתָּיוּן.
45 He sent among them swarms of flies, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.
מה יְשַׁלַּח בָּהֶם עָרֹב, וַיֹּאכְלֵם; וּצְפַרְדֵּעַ, וַתַּשְׁחִיתֵם.
Judaica trans.
He incited against them a mixture of wild beasts, which devoured them, and frogs, which mutilated them.
46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpillar, and their labour unto the locust.
מו וַיִּתֵּן לֶחָסִיל יְבוּלָם; וִיגִיעָם, לָאַרְבֶּה.
47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore-trees with frost.
מז יַהֲרֹג בַּבָּרָד גַּפְנָם; וְשִׁקְמוֹתָם, בַּחֲנָמַל.
Judaica trans.
He killed their vines with hail and their sycamore trees with locusts.
Rashi:
with locusts:
"Heb. בחנמל, the name of the locust. According to the Midrash (Mid. Ps. 78:13) [it is composed of the following words]: בָּא חָן מָל, it comes, encamps, and cuts. It cut off the greens of the tree and the grass and ate it."
48 He gave over their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to fiery bolts.
מח וַיַּסְגֵּר לַבָּרָד בְּעִירָם; וּמִקְנֵיהֶם, לָרְשָׁפִים.
He gave over their animals to hail:
"When the hail began to fall, the Egyptian drove his sheep (his animal) into the house, and the hail came before him like a wall. The Egyptian slaughtered it [the animal] and put it on his shoulder, to take it to his house to eat it, but the birds came and took it from him. That is [the meaning of] 'and their cattle to the birds (לרשפים) ,' as (Job. 5:7): 'but flying creatures (בני רשף) fly upward.' This is its midrashic interpretation (Mid. Ps. 78:14), but according to its simple meaning, רשפים are bolts of fire, as it is written (Exod. 9:24): 'and fire flaming within the hail.'"
{The Midrash is pointing out that the hail and the fire would seem to be united in their effect of affliction with respect to the cattle.}
49 He sent forth upon them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, a sending of messengers of evil.
מט יְשַׁלַּח-בָּם, חֲרוֹן אַפּוֹ--עֶבְרָה וָזַעַם וְצָרָה; מִשְׁלַחַת, מַלְאֲכֵי רָעִים.
50 He levelled a path for His anger; He spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;
נ יְפַלֵּס נָתִיב, לְאַפּוֹ: לֹא-חָשַׂךְ מִמָּוֶת נַפְשָׁם; וְחַיָּתָם,
לַדֶּבֶר הִסְגִּיר.
He leveled a path for His anger:
"Although the plagues were dispatched in anger, they performed only their orders; what they were commanded to kill, they killed, but nothing else. They went in their paths. In other commentaries I found as follows:
He leveled a path for His anger:
When He smote every firstborn in Egypt, He showed the way for [the angel] who was destroying with anger to enter the houses of the Egyptians, but not the houses of the children of Israel."
Judaica trans.
He leveled a path for His anger; He did not withhold their soul from death, and He delivered their body to pestilence.
… and… their body:
"Heb. וחיתם, their body."
51 And smote all the first-born in Egypt, the first-fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham;
נא וַיַּךְ כָּל-בְּכוֹר בְּמִצְרָיִם; רֵאשִׁית אוֹנִים, בְּאָהֳלֵי-חָם.
52 But He made His own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
נב וַיַּסַּע כַּצֹּאן עַמּוֹ; וַיְנַהֲגֵם כַּעֵדֶר, בַּמִּדְבָּר.
53 And He led them safely, and they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
נג וַיַּנְחֵם לָבֶטַח, וְלֹא פָחָדוּ; וְאֶת-אוֹיְבֵיהֶם, כִּסָּה הַיָּם.
54 And He brought them to His holy border, to the mountain, which His right hand had gotten.
נד וַיְבִיאֵם, אֶל-גְּבוּל קָדְשׁוֹ; הַר-זֶה, קָנְתָה יְמִינוֹ.
Judaica trans.
He brought them to the border of His sanctuary, this mountain that His right hand had acquired.
55 He drove out the nations also before them, and allotted them for an inheritance by line,
and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.
נה וַיְגָרֶשׁ מִפְּנֵיהֶם, גּוֹיִם-- וַיַּפִּילֵם, בְּחֶבֶל נַחֲלָה;
וַיַּשְׁכֵּן בְּאָהֳלֵיהֶם, שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
He drove out… from before them:
"the seven nations."
in their tents:
"of the nations."
——————————————
They Kept Not לֹא שָׁמָרוּ
56 Yet they tried and provoked God, the Most High, and kept not His testimonies;
נו וַיְנַסּוּ וַיַּמְרוּ, אֶת-אֱלֹהִים עֶלְיוֹן; וְעֵדוֹתָיו, לֹא שָׁמָרוּ.
Yet they tried and provoked:
"during the days of the judges."
57 But turned back, and dealt treacherously like their fathers; they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.
נז וַיִּסֹּגוּ וַיִּבְגְּדוּ, כַּאֲבוֹתָם; נֶהְפְּכוּ, כְּקֶשֶׁת רְמִיָּה.
like a deceitful bow:
"which does not shoot the arrow to the place the archer wishes."
{They changed, as it were, the course of the covenant. To guard or keep the covenant is not only obedience to specific commandments. It is to guard and keep the course of the covenant to the end, that end being the testimony of the Exodus in the Land of Testimony.}
58 For they provoked Him with their high places, and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images.
נח וַיַּכְעִיסוּהוּ בְּבָמוֹתָם; וּבִפְסִילֵיהֶם, יַקְנִיאוּהוּ.
59 God heard, and was wroth, and He greatly abhorred Israel;
נט שָׁמַע אֱלֹהִים, וַיִּתְעַבָּר; וַיִּמְאַס מְאֹד, בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
60 And He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which He had made to dwell among men;
ס וַיִּטֹּשׁ, מִשְׁכַּן שִׁלוֹ; אֹהֶל, שִׁכֵּן בָּאָדָם.
61 And delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the adversary's hand.
סא וַיִּתֵּן לַשְּׁבִי עֻזּוֹ וְתִפְאַרְתּוֹ בְיַד צָר:
Rashi:
He delivered His might into captivity:
"He delivered the Ark and the tablets into the hands of the Philistines."
{Accordingly, the psalm is a prophecy of the Assyrian and Babylonian-Roman captivities. Which shows that the captivity of the Ark into the hands of the Philistines was also a prophecy of what would come unto to end of days. And this should be understood as a prophecy also that whenever Israel is in captivity it is always truly the Ark that is in captivity. For if the Ark is "His might", it is so when it is realized as the testimony of His children Israel in the Land of Testimony.}
{See Kabbalistic reading of this verse. Here is a hint that Mashiach would be handed over to the Romans!}
Mahx Note:
On תִּפְאָרָה
http://simp.ly/publish/WBVzgd
62 He gave His people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with His inheritance.
סב וַיַּסְגֵּר לַחֶרֶב עַמּוֹ; וּבְנַחֲלָתוֹ, הִתְעַבָּר.
63 Fire devoured their young men; and their virgins had no marriage-song.
סג בַּחוּרָיו אָכְלָה-אֵשׁ; וּבְתוּלֹתָיו, לֹא הוּלָּלוּ.
Fire consumed his youths:
"[The fire of] His wrath."
were not married:
"Heb. לא הוללו. They were not married by being brought into a litter [under] a canopy because the youths died in battle. הוּלָלוּ is an expression of nuptials (הִלוּלָא) in Aramaic. Our Sages, however, explained it in reference to Nadab and Abihu (Mid. Ps. 78:18), but I feel uncertain about explaining it that way because he already commenced with the Tabernacle of Shiloh."
64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.
סד כֹּהֲנָיו, בַּחֶרֶב נָפָלוּ; וְאַלְמְנֹתָיו, לֹא תִבְכֶּינָה.
His priests fell by the sword:
"Hophni and Phinehas."
but his widows did not weep:
"Even his widow was not allowed to bewail him, for she too died on the day of the tidings, as it is said (I Sam. 4:19): 'And she knelt and gave birth, for her pains had suddenly come upon her.'"
65 Then the Lord awoke as one asleep, like a mighty man recovering from wine.
סה וַיִּקַץ כְּיָשֵׁן אֲדֹנָי; כְּגִבּוֹר, מִתְרוֹנֵן מִיָּיִן.
Judaica trans.
And the Lord awoke as one asleep, as a mighty man, shouting from wine.
shouting:
"Heb. מתרונן, awaking and strengthening himself with speech to awaken from his wine. מתרונן is an expression of רנה, shouting."
66 And He smote His adversaries backward; He put upon them a perpetual reproach.
סו וַיַּךְ-צָרָיו אָחוֹר; חֶרְפַּת עוֹלָם, נָתַן לָמוֹ.
And He smote His adversaries from the rear: "Plagues of the rear with hemorrhoids, which is a disgrace of perpetual ridicule for them."
67 Moreover He abhorred the tent of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim;
סז וַיִּמְאַס, בְּאֹהֶל יוֹסֵף; וּבְשֵׁבֶט אֶפְרַיִם, לֹא בָחָר.
He rejected the tent of Joseph:
"That is Shiloh, which is in Joseph’s territory."
68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which He loved.
סח וַיִּבְחַר, אֶת-שֵׁבֶט יְהוּדָה; אֶת-הַר צִיּוֹן, אֲשֶׁר אָהֵב.
69 And He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth which He hath founded for ever.
סטוַיִּבֶן כְּמוֹ רָמִים מִקְדָּשׁוֹ כְּאֶרֶץ יְסָדָהּ לְעוֹלָם:
Judaica trans.
And He built His Sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth He established it forever.
And He built His Sanctuary like the high heavens, etc.:
"Like the heavens and the earth, about which two hands are mentioned, as it is stated (Isa. 48: 13): 'Even My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand measured the heavens with handbreadths.' Also the Temple was with two hands, as it is said (Exod. 15:17): 'Your hands established.' (Cf. Mechilta, Shirah 10, Keth. 5a, Rashi to Exod. 15: 17.)
Another explanation:
And He built His Sanctuary like the high heavens, like the earth He established it:
"Just as heaven and earth have no substitute, neither does the Temple have a substitute in which to let the Shechinah rest."
70 He chose David also His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;
ע וַיִּבְחַר, בְּדָוִד עַבְדּוֹ; וַיִּקָּחֵהוּ, מִמִּכְלְאֹת צֹאן.
and took him from the sheepcotes:
"Heb. ממכלאתצאן, from the stalls of the sheep, as (Hab. 3:16): 'The flock will be cut off from the fold (ממכלה).'"
71 From following the ewes that give suck He brought him, to be shepherd over Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance.
עא מֵאַחַר עָלוֹת, הֱבִיאוֹ: לִרְעוֹת, בְּיַעֲקֹב עַמּוֹ; וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵל, נַחֲלָתוֹ.
From behind the nursing ewes He brought him: "For he would shepherd the nursing ewes for his father, because he was merciful and would bring the kids first and feed them the upper tips of the grasses, which are tender. Then after them he would bring out the he-goats, who would eat the middle of the grasses, and afterwards, he would bring out the older ones, who would eat the roots. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, “This one is fit to shepherd My people.”
72 So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart; and lead them by the skilfulness of his hands.
עב וַיִּרְעֵם, כְּתֹם לְבָבוֹ; וּבִתְבוּנוֹת כַּפָּיו יַנְחֵם.