יְהֹוָה When Adonoy is [universally accepted as]
מָלָךְ King,
יִרְגְּזוּ עַמִּים peoples will tremble;25Radak notes that Psalm 97 states that, ‘When Adonoy is (universally accepted as) King, the earth will exult.’ He explains that the people will tremble during the destruction of Gog of Magog, and only after his downfall will the earth rejoice.
ישֵׁב [Before Him Who is] enthroned
כְּרוּבִים on Cherubim,26This is a reference to the golden Cherubim atop the Ark in which Moses placed the two tablets of the Law. See Exodus 25:18-22
תָּנוּט הָאָֽרֶץ: the earth will quake.
יְהֹוָה בְּצִיּוֹן גָּדוֹל Adonoy, is great in Zion,27God’s greatness will be revealed in Zion, for there He will bring all the nations to judgement.—Radak Others quote Rabbi Chanina who says that only when God returns His Schechina (Holy Presence) to Zion will His greatness be recognized. Etz Yosef understands the verse as follows: ‘God, Whose dwelling is in Zion, is great and exalted above all peoples.’
וְרָם הוּא עַל־כָּל הָעַמִּים: and is high above all the peoples.
יוֹדוּ שִׁמְךָ They will pay homage to Your Name,
גָּדוֹל וְנוֹרָא קָדוֹשׁ הוּא: [saying], great and awesome, It is holy.
וְעֹז מֶֽלֶךְ The might of the King
מִשְׁפָּט אָהֵב is [evidenced in] His love of justice,28The translation of this verse follows Ibn Ezra.
אַתָּה כּוֹנַֽנְתָּ מֵישָׁרִים You have established uprightness,
מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה בְּיַעֲקֹב justice and charity amid Jacob
אַתָּה עָשִֽׂיתָ: You have instituted.
רוֹמְמוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ Exalt Adonoy, our God,
וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַהֲדֹם רַגְלָיו and prostrate yourselves at His footstool,29 ‘Footstool’ is an allusion to the Holy Temple.
קָדוֹשׁ הוּא: holy is He.30Others translate, ‘Holy is it,’ referring to the Holy Temple.
משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן בְּכֹהֲנָיו Moses and Aaron among His priests,
וּשְׁמוּאֵל and Samuel
בְּקֹרְאֵי שְׁמוֹ among those who invoke His Name,
קֹרִאים אֶל־יְהֹוָה וְהוּא יַעֲנֵם: called to Adonoy, and He answered them.
בְּעַמּוּד עָנָן יְדַבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם In a pillar of cloud He spoke to them31Ibn Ezra understands this as a reference to Moses and Aaron alone, because God did not speak to Samuel from a pillar of cloud. ;
שָׁמְרוּ עֵדֹתָיו they preserved His testimonies
וְחֹק נָֽתַן־לָֽמוֹ: and the statute which He gave them.
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ אַתָּה עֲנִיתָם Adonoy, our God, You answered them;
אֵל נֹשֵׂא הָיִֽיתָ לָהֶם You were a forgiving God to them,
וְנֹקֵם [yet] You took vengeance
עַל־עֲלִילוֹתָם: for their misdeeds.32 Moses and Aaron were punished for their role in the incident of the waters of Merivah and were not permitted to enter the Holy Land. Samuel who declared, ‘I am the Seer,’ was punished when he mistakenly thought to anoint David’s brother Eliav as king. (1 Samuel 9).
רוֹמְמוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ Exalt Adonoy, our God,
וְהִשְׁתַּחֲווּ and prostrate yourselves
לְהַר קָדְשׁוֹ at His holy mountain;
כִּי־קָדוֹשׁ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ: for Adonoy, our God, is holy.
It is customary to stand during the recitation of the following psalm.
בּוֹאוּ וְנֵצֵא לִקְרַאת כַּלָּה, לִקְרַאת שַׁבָּת מַלְכְּתָא, דַחֲקַל תַּפּוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין