Psalm 144
BSB
Blessed Be the LORD, My Rock
Of David.
1Blessed be the LORD, my Rock,
who trains my hands for war,
my fingers for battle.
2He is my steadfast love and my fortress,
my stronghold and my deliverer.
He is my shield, in whom I take refuge,
who subdues peoples under me.
3O LORD, what is man, that You regard him,
the son of man that You think of him?
4Man is like a breath;
his days are like a passing shadow.
5Part Your heavens, O LORD, and come down;
touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6Flash forth Your lightning and scatter them;
shoot Your arrows and rout them.
7Reach down from on high;
set me free and rescue me
from the deep waters,
from the grasp of foreigners,
8whose mouths speak falsehood,
whose right hands are deceitful.
9I will sing to You a new song, O God;
on a harp of ten strings I will make music to You—
10to Him who gives victory to kings,
who frees His servant David from the deadly sword.
11Set me free and rescue me
from the grasp of foreigners,
whose mouths speak falsehood,
whose right hands are deceitful.
12Then our sons will be like plants
nurtured in their youth,
our daughters like corner pillars
carved to adorn a palace.
13Our storehouses will be full,
supplying all manner of produce;
our flocks will bring forth thousands,
tens of thousands in our fields.
14Our oxen will bear great loads.
There will be no breach in the walls,
no going into captivity,
and no cry of lament in our streets.
15Blessed are the people of whom this is so;
blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.
Introduction
Psalms 144
The four preceding psalms seem to have been penned by David before his accession to the crown, when he was persecuted by Saul; this seems to have been penned afterwards, when he was still in trouble (for there is no condition in this world privileged with an exemption from trouble), the neighbouring nations molesting him and giving him disturbance, especially the Philistines, Sa2 5:17. In this psalm, I. He acknowledges, with triumph and thankfulness, the great goodness of God to him in advancing him to the government (Psa 144:1-4). II. He prays to God to help him against the enemies who threatened him (Psa 144:5-8 and again Psa 144:11). III. He rejoices in the assurance of victory over them (Psa 144:9, Psa 144:10). IV. He prays for the prosperity of his own kingdom, and pleases himself with the hopes of it (Psa 144:12-15). In singing this psalm we may give God the glory of our spiritual privileges and advancements, and fetch in help from him against our spiritual enemies; we may pray for the prosperity of our souls, of our families, and of our land; and, in the opinion of some of the Jewish writers, we may refer the psalm to the Messiah and his kingdom.
A psalm of David.
Cross-references: 2Sam 5:17 · Ps 144:1 · Ps 144:5 · Ps 144:11 · Ps 144:9 · Ps 144:10 · Ps 144:12