תהלים, פרק פ״ג, פסוק י״ד

A desperate plea to heaven seeks the complete downfall of Israel's enemies, painted through vivid natural imagery of instability, weightlessness, and a total loss of control. After previously addressing God in a general sense, the prayer now shifts to a deeply personal plea. By using a direct, possessive address, the petitioner makes the request intimate and specific [אבן עזרא].

The core of this request asks God to transform these opposing forces into thin, weightless straw that easily scatters in the wind [רש״י, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alongside the scattered straw is an image of something rolling or swirling. The primary approach among commentators understands this as light vegetation caught in a gust. Some describe it as the dried tops of field thorns that snap off in the winter, withering and blowing across the landscape like a tumbling wagon wheel [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Others suggest it simply refers to the straw itself, spinning effortlessly because it weighs so little [רד״ק, מאירי], or perhaps a swirling column of sand sweeping up bits of debris in its path [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Beyond the physical picture of blowing debris, these natural metaphors carry deep implications about the nature of the enemies' defeat. One perspective draws a sharp distinction between the two forms of movement. While the dried thistle rolls on its own momentum, the scattered straw is actively chased by an outside force—the wind. This suggests a twofold collapse: the enemies will first turn on one another, fighting and destroying themselves from within, before an external power arrives to finish them off and scatter the survivors [מלבי״ם].

Another approach views these images as a curse for a permanent state of lowliness and exile. A standard wheel constantly rotates, meaning the part that is currently at the bottom will eventually rise to the top. Here, however, the prayer asks that the enemies be like flat straw rolling along the dirt. They will be blown aimlessly in all four directions without ever experiencing a rise in fortune, remaining forever degraded. Adding to this humiliation, their downfall will not be driven by a massive, impressive force—such as a heavy millstone turned by rushing water or strong animals. Instead, they will endure constant anxiety and distress, easily pushed around and displaced by the slightest passing breeze [אלשיך].