תהלים, פרק נ״ט, פסוק ט״ז

A vivid picture of restless searching and ongoing frustration emerges, capturing the desperate movements of enemies hunting their prey. These pursuers wander in the darkness like hungry dogs prowling through the night, desperately seeking enough food to finally rest fully satisfied [רש״י, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

In its historical setting, this imagery reflects King Saul's messengers who circled the city in a relentless attempt to capture David [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. A specific tradition suggests that Saul's guards briefly abandoned their posts around David's home to grab a quick meal. Rushing back before they were even full, they intended to camp around the house for the night. Yet, during that brief, hungry absence, David managed to slip away and escape [אלשיך].

As the night wears on and their search yields nothing, the fate of these wandering enemies is understood in three distinct ways. The primary approach among commentators suggests that despite all their effort and roaming, they ultimately settle down for the night and go to sleep completely unsatisfied [רד״ק, מאירי]. Their main goal in seeking food is simply to be able to rest [מלבי״ם], so even without a full stomach, they remain in the city for the night [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Others argue that their hunger is so severe it actually ruins their rest. In this view, their failure to find satisfaction means they are completely unable to sleep [אבן עזרא]. Taking a different angle, another perspective suggests that their nighttime activity does not involve sleep at all. Instead, as they roam without finding enough to eat, their frustration turns into vocal bitterness, and they loudly complain and moan out of deep heartache over their failure [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד].