Psalms 3:8

for You have struck all my enemies on the cheek This is a disgraceful blow, as you say (Lam. 3: 30): “Let him offer his cheek to the smiter”; (Micah 4:14), “with a rod they strike...on the cheek.” According to the Midrash Aggadah (Mid. Ps. 3:7), this is a sickness of the mouth, [choking, croup] as you say (II Sam. 17:23): “And he [Ahithophel] gave charge to his household and he strangled himself.

the teeth of the wicked Their might.

Arise (קוּמָה - kumah): Know that the verbal noun [concept, the essence of the action] is [implicit] in every past or future verb, even though it [the infinitive itself] is not [explicitly written]. Sometimes it is written [in a way that implies the completed action or state], like: "And He blessed (u-varekh), and I cannot reverse it" (Numbers 23:20). And the meaning of u-varekh is '[He bestowed a] blessing (berakhah)'. And similarly, "In the multitude of counselors, counsel (etzah) is established (takum)" (cf. Proverbs 15:22). And similarly [here]: For You struck all my enemies [implies] a blow (makkat) on the jaw (לֶחִי - lechi). Or, the letter Bet [prefix, meaning 'on'] is missing [before lechi, meaning You struck them on the jaw], similar to [the implied 'in' in phrases like] 'found [in] the house of Ad-nai,' [or] 'For [in] six days He made...' (Exodus 20:11). (And [the word] panah - turn/face - is related to lechi - jaw/cheek).

And the meaning of "and the teeth of the wicked [You broke]" is [that this action is] corresponding to the "many who say of me" [in verse 3]. Then it will become clear to all that deliverance belongs to Ad-nai (cf. v. 9), for He delivers whomever He desires.

And the meaning of "upon Your people" [in verse 9] is: [Your people are] those fighting on behalf of David, for they are truly the people of Ad-nai, and not so are those helping the son to conspire against his father. And behold, he prayed that HaShem would bless them and that not one man among them would be missing [killed] in the battle, or he prophesied [this outcome].

Rise, O Lord; save me, O my God: – קומה (Rise) has the accent milra', and so on every occasion where the word occurs in this book, with the exception of “and stand up (וקומה) for mine help” (Ps. 35:2), where it is milel.

For Thou hast smitten all mine enemies: – Many times hast Thou delivered me and smitten mine enemies: so wilt Thou do now. Or its interpretation may be with regard to this very war and is as we have interpreted (the clause) and He answereth me out of His holy hill. And the interpretation of

(upon the) cheek: – is, a striking of the cheek, and it is a striking in contempt. So also (contemptuously)

Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked: – These are those who were proposing to tear him; and it is an expression of the same form as “And I brake the jaws of the wicked” (Job 29:17).