TEHILLIM LIGHT

Commentaries

Mizmor 004, Verse 001

לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ בִּנְגִינ֗וֹת מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד

lamnatzeyach bingiynos mizmor ledovid

For the leader; with instrumental music. A psalm of David.

MIDRASH TEHILLIM

1.....(4.6)
The phrases for the leader; with instrumental music
Introduce this Psalm with three varieties of praise:
-with the leading of the music
-with the playing upon the instruments
-with the singing of the Psalm.
The phrase - string music, refers to prophecy, for it is said: "And now bring me a musician." And it was that when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him." (Melachim II - II Kings 3:15)
"The leader" - most capable of glorifying Him, whose glory endures forever and ever.
"For the leader" - (lamnatzeyach), which means literally - To Him who wins, may be also read as - (limnutzach), To Him who lets himself be won over by His creatures.
A mortal king, when vanquished by one of his subjects is angry, but the Holy one, when vanquished by one of his creatures, rejoices, as it is said: "He intended to destroy them [and would have] were it not that Moses, His chosen one, stood before Him in the breach to return His wrath from destroying." (Tehillim 106:23)

RASHI

1.
For the leader; with instrumental music....
David established this psalm so that the Levites who conduct the melodies when singing on the platform should recite it. The expression of נצוח denotes those who apply themselves to the service, as is stated (Ezra 3: 8): “and appointed the Levites from twenty years old and upwards to conduct the work of the house of the LORD.”

RADAK

1.
Our teachers have said (Shoher Tov) that "this Psalm was uttered in three kinds of praise:
in nissuah (נצוח),
in niggun (ןגוי), and
in mizmor (מזמור)."
The person called the מנצח ("Chief Musician") is the one who was over the singers, and the Psalms were rendered under the direction of the "Chief Musicians," who assigned them to (certain) players and singers. Nowhere else in titles you find "For the Singer" or "For the Player," but only For the Chief Musician.
And the songs and the melodies and the praises were rendered each according to the melody known in connection with them; for it was a great science and would stimulate the rational soul, and was reckoned in the category of secular sciences.
And the instruments which were used in the Temple for praise were lutes, lyres, cymbals, trumpets, and a horn. The instruments also were classified according to melodies known in connection with them.
The trumpets alone were in the hands of the priests, as it is written (Bamidbar - Numbers 10:8), "and the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets;" and the rest of the instruments were in the hands of the Levites; and so it is written (Divrei Hayamim II - II Chronicles 29:26), "And the Levites stood with the instruments of David and the priests with the trumpets."

Rabbi HIRSCH

1.
lamnatzeyach bingiynos...
[נָצַח] (natsach)
Victory
To make victory possible
To grant victory to

[נָגַן] (nagan)
to play a stringed instrument
(ngiynos)
the power of music, elevates both mind and emotions to Divine inspiration and this lends man the strength to overcome anything that might disturb his inner peace and serenity. Thats why it is said in (Melachim II - II Kings 3:15) - "And it was that when the musician played, the hand of the Lord came upon him". God is the (mnatzeyach) Who gives man the strength to become master over all his afflictions.
And we read also in (Pesachim 119a) - “Sing unto Him Who rejoices when His children emerge victorious from affliction caused them through His Divine decree.”
2.
...mizmor ledovid
This psalm, too, shows the struggle upward out of a mood weighed down by distress, to the heights of perfect, serene trust.

WORDS

natsach

נָצַח

preeminent, enduring
chief musician singer, overseer forward
Root - to glitter from afar, therefore - To be eminent (as a superintendent, for example of the Temple services and its music)
ALSO:
Victory, To make victory possible, To grant victory to

nagan

נָגַן

to play a stringed instrument
sing to the stringed instruments
Root - to thrum (Beat a tune with the fingers) therefore - To play on a stringed instrument; hence - to make music, player on instruments, sing to the stringed instruments, melody, ministrel