Commentaries

Mizmor 003, Verse 002

יְ֭הוָה מָֽה־רַבּ֣וּ צָרָ֑י רַ֝בִּ֗ים קָמִ֥ים עָלָֽי

ʾadonoy morabbu tzoroy rabbiym komiym

O LORD, my foes are so many! Abundant ones are rising upon me.

MIDRASH TEHILLIM

1.....(3.4)
...my foes are so many!
According to Rabbi Judah son of Khanina, God said to David, You did commit adultery once, sixteen women in your family will suffer rape. You did murder once, sixteen of your kindred will be murdered.
2.....(3.4)
Abundant ones are rising upon me.
Great of stature, and great in learning.
Great in stature was Shobach, he was called shobach because he stood as high as a dovecote, he was also called Shophach, because he shed blood. Of such stature were also Goliath, of who it is said, His height was six cubits and a span (Shmuel I - I Samuel 17:4), and Saul of who it is said, From his shoulders and upwards he was higher than any of the people (Shmuel I - I Samuel 9:2).
Great in learning where Doeg and Ahithophel.
Doeg was a chief of the high court, for it is said, Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul's shepherds. (Shmuel I - I Samuel 21:8)
And as to Ahithophel, it is written, And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days was as if a man inquired of the word of God.(Shmuel II - II Samuel 16:23).

RASHI

1.
Abundant ones are rising upon me.
Men great in Torah, great in wisdom, great in wealth, tall in stature, such as Saul; the children of Raphah; Doeg, and Ahitophel.

RADAK

1.
...my foes are so many!
Even his son had turned against him for an enemy, and Amasa, his sister's son, was with Absalom, and the greater part of Israel, whose heart inclined after Absalom; and this is reason for the repetition.

Rabbi HIRSCH

1.
(צָרָ֑י) tzoroy
Is derived from [צור] also [צרר], to "confine", "to limit". This probably refers to the heads of the rebellion that had broken out against David. These men were foes of David's power and were anxious to put an end to that sovereignty by “limiting”, or “oppressing” it.

WORDS