TEHILLIM LIGHT

Commentaries

Mizmor 004, Verse 006

זִבְח֥וּ זִבְחֵי־צֶ֑דֶק וּ֝בִטְח֗וּ אֶל־יְהוָֽה

zivchu zivcheytzedek uvitchu ʾel–ʾadonoy

Offer sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the LORD.

MIDRASH TEHILLIM

1.....(4.9)
Offer sacrifices ...
(Tehillim, Psalm 4.5) - What is meant by And be still?
Rabbi Yudan said it means that you must refrain from the sin you might commit. For when you so refrain, the Psalm tells you - Offer sacrifices of righteousness, which is as though God were saying to you, I will reckon your refraining as if you had built an altar and offered a burnt offering and many other sacrifices upon it. Note that the Psalm does not speak of only one sacrifice, but of sacrifices.

RADAK

1.
Offer sacrifices of righteousness ...
Since you have done evil, behold, you need atonement; offer then to the LORD the sacrifices of righteousness so as you repent, and not sacrifices like those of the wicked, of which it is said: "the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination" (Mishlei - Proverbs 21:27), for they return to their wickedness after the sacrifices; therefore he says: the sacrifices of righteousness.
2.
...and put your trust in the LORD.
- not in your might and the fact that you are a great multitude, but in the LORD alone shall you trust. And he connects בטח (trust) here with the preposition אֶל (to) as equivalent to על (on); and so, "Trust in (אל) the LORD with all thine heart" (Mishlei - Proverbs 3:5); and " Trust you not in (אל) lying words" (Yirmiyahu - Jeremiah 7:4).

WORDS