TEHILLIM LIGHT

Commentaries

Mizmor 023, Verse 003

נַפְשִׁ֥י יְשׁוֹבֵ֑ב יַֽנְחֵ֥נִי בְמַעְגְּלֵי־צֶ֝֗דֶק לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֽוֹ

nafshiy yeshoveyv yancheyniy vemaʿgeley-tzedek lemaʿan shemo

He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Rabbi HIRSCH

1.
[מַעְגָּל] (magal)
From [עָגֹל] (agol) - "round", "is a circle", "cirquit" or "path".
maʿgeley-tzedek (in paths of righteousness) are those ways of life circumscribed by law, which keep within the bounds of law and order. Anything outside that "circle" is wrong, transgressing the bounds of righteousness.
2.
lemaʿan shemo (for His name's sake)
...not mean “in order to make Himself a name,” but “in order to prove the ways of mercy which are expressed by His Name." This circumvents any aspect of human merit. The Lord deals kindly with men not because of their merits but because of the ways of loving-kindness that befit His nature.

WORDS

magal

מַעְגָּל

  1. track, path.
  2. course.
  3. circle.
  4. orbit.

[Formed from עגל (= to be round), with pref. מַ◌.]
Derivative: מַעְגָּלִי.
Source: Klein Dictionary Creator: Ezra Klein

[NOTES:
1.
The 3 letter ROOT Alef-Gimel-Dalet
can be read as AGOL. In this case it is translated as ROUND.
But it aslo can be read as EGEL, which is translated as - a CALF. This connotation is appropriate in a context - "LORD is my shepherd"...
2.
"in PATH of righteousness"
The word PATH is derived from a 3 letter root, which can be read as AGOL and it provides a connotation of ROUND.
So the Path of righteousness is not a simple staight line, looks more like a Spiral...
]