Approved/8/Expanded Paraphrase

Text (Hebrew)	Verse	Expanded Paraphrase
לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־הַגִּתִּ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃	1	For the director, on the gittith, a psalm by David to whose offspring YHWH promised to give universal dominion.
יְהוָ֤ה אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ מָֽה־אַדִּ֣יר שִׁ֭מְךָ בְּכָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּנָ֥ה ה֝וֹדְךָ֗ עַל־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃	2	YHWH, our lord, you who are the great king over all creation and over your people, Israel, how majestic is your name in all the earth, you whose royal glory is bestowed on the heavens, on the sun, moon, and stars and other heavenly beings, on whom you have conferred some of your royal authority.
מִפִּ֤י עֽוֹלְלִ֨ים ׀ וְֽיֹנְקִים֮ יִסַּ֪דְתָּ֫ עֹ֥ז לְמַ֥עַן צוֹרְרֶ֑יךָ לְהַשְׁבִּ֥ית א֝וֹיֵ֗ב וּמִתְנַקֵּֽם׃	3	YHWH, you are a king, whose people are under attack by an enemy, and kings build fortresses and fortifications to repel enemy attacks. And so, You have founded a fortress to protect your people and repel the enemy. This fortress is not built on the size of your people's army or on the eloquence of their orators, but from the cries that come out of the mouths of nursing children who, as the weakest and most vulnerable of the human race, represent your people as dependent on you for protection. Through their humble cries for help, you have founded a fortress on account of your adversaries, in order to put an end to a vengeful enemy.
כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶ֣ה שָׁ֭מֶיךָ מַעֲשֵׂ֣י אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ יָרֵ֥חַ וְ֝כוֹכָבִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כּוֹנָֽנְתָּה׃	4	When I look up at the night-time sky and see your heavens, that which your fingers made, the moon and stars which you have established, I am awestruck by the glory and power which you have bestowed on the heavenly realm (v. 2b) and I think
מָֽה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־תִזְכְּרֶ֑נּוּ וּבֶן־אָ֝דָ֗ם כִּ֣י תִפְקְדֶֽנּוּ׃	5	"What is mankind that you should consider them, or a human being, that you should be mindful of him?" Whereas the heavens and the creatures in them are glorious and powerful, humans are weak and helpless. Why should you pay attention to us?
וַתְּחַסְּרֵ֣הוּ מְּ֭עַט מֵאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְכָב֖וֹד וְהָדָ֣ר תְּעַטְּרֵֽהוּ׃	6	And yet you created humans as your image, and, in so doing, you caused him to lack being a heavenly being who live in the heavens at which I am gazing and on whom you have conferred glory (v. 2) by only a little, and whereas kings normally choose powerful and impressive representatives for themselves, you have chosen weak and unimpressive humanity, and you crowned him like a king with royal glory and majesty and so gave him the right to rule over your creation.
תַּ֭מְשִׁילֵהוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣י יָדֶ֑יךָ כֹּ֝ל שַׁ֣תָּה תַֽחַת־רַגְלָֽיו׃	7	You caused him to rule that which your hands made when you blessed him and told him to subdue the earth and rule over all of its creatures. Just as a conqueror's enemies are placed under his feet, so You placed everything under his feet.
צֹנֶ֣ה וַאֲלָפִ֣ים כֻּלָּ֑ם וְ֝גַ֗ם בַּהֲמ֥וֹת שָׂדָֽי׃	8	You gave him dominion over domestic animals such as Sheep and goats and cattle – all of them, and not just domestic animals, but even wild animals,
צִפּ֣וֹר שָׁ֭מַיִם וּדְגֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם עֹ֝בֵ֗ר אָרְח֥וֹת יַמִּֽים׃	9	and not just land animals, but also birds in the sky and fish in the sea, that which traverses the paths of the sea. As I, David, reflect on the universal dominion which you gave to humanity, I think about the universal dominion which you promised to my dynasty. You chose me, a lowly human, the least in my family, to rule over your people, Israel. My dynasty will last forever, and my descendant will reign until all his enemies are put under his feet.
יְהוָ֥ה אֲדֹנֵ֑ינוּ מָֽה־אַדִּ֥יר שִׁ֝מְךָ֗ בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃	10	YHWH, our lord, you are not like most lords who accrue glory to themselves and abuse their subjects. Instead, you share your glory with your subjects, and you demonstrate your power in weakness. how majestic is your name in all the earth.