Bible Commentaries
Psalms 143

Introduction

Psalms 143:0

STROPHE DIVISIONS OF MODERN TRANSLATIONS

READING CYCLE THREE (see “Guide to Good Bible Reading”)

FOLLOWING THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR'S INTENT AT PARAGRAPH LEVEL

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk in the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

Read the chapter in one sitting. Identify the subjects (reading cycle #3). Compare your subject divisions with the five translations above. Paragraphing is not inspired, but it is the key to following the original author's intent, which is the heart of interpretation. Every paragraph has one and only one subject.

1. First paragraph

2. Second paragraph

3. Etc.

CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS

A. There are several imperatives and jussives of request.

1. hear, Psalms 143:1a

2. give ear, Psalms 143:1b

3. do not exile into judgment, Psalms 143:2a

4. answer me quickly, Psalms 143:7a

5. do not hide Your face, Psalms 143:7b

6. let me hear, Psalms 143:8a

7. teach me, Psalms 143:8c

8. deliver me, Psalms 143:9a

9. teach me, Psalms 143:10a

10. let Your good Spirit lead me, Psalms 143:10c

B. There are three people characterized in this Psalm.

1. YHWH

a. faithful, Psalms 143:1; Psalms 143:1c

b. righteous, Psalms 143:1; Psalms 143:1c, Psalms 143:11b

c. lovingkindness, Psalms 143:8; Psalms 143:8a, Psalms 143:12a

d. inPsalms 143:10; Psalms 143:10c and 11a the parallel phrases (i.e., “Your good Spirit” and “Your Name”) also characterize YHWH

2. the psalmist

a. his spirit is overwhelmed, Psalms 143:4; Psalms 143:4a

b. his spirit is appalled, Psalms 143:4; Psalms 143:4b

c. he remembers God's past acts, Psalms 143:5

d. he longs for God, Psalms 143:6

e. his spirit fails, Psalms 143:7; Psalms 143:7a

f. he trusts in God, Psalms 143:8; Psalms 143:8b

g. he lifts his soul to God, Psalms 143:0; Psalms 143:0:8d

h. he takes refuge in God, Psalms 143:9; Psalms 143:9b

i. YHWH is his God, Psalms 143:10; Psalms 143:10b

3. the enemy

a. persecutes the psalmist, Psalms 143:3; Psalms 143:3a

b. crushed his life, Psalms 143:3; Psalms 143:3b

c. made him dwell in dark places, Psalms 143:3; Psalms 143:3c

d. afflicted the psalmist, Psalms 143:12; Psalms 143:12b

Verses 1-4

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psalms 143:1-4 1Hear my prayer, O Lord, Give ear to my supplications! Answer me in Your faithfulness, in Your righteousness! 2And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, For in Your sight no man living is righteous. 3For the enemy has persecuted my soul; He has crushed my life to the ground; He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead. 4Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me; My heart is appalled within me.

Psalms 143:1 “faithfulness” This noun (BDB 53) comes from the verb (BDB 52) which denotes “believe,” “faith,” “trust,” and “faithfulness.” See Special Topic: Believe, Trust, Faith and Faithfulness in the OT.

A different word (BDB 105, KB 120) in Psalms 143:8b also means “trust.”

▣ “righteousness” See Special Topic: Righteousness.

Notice how YHWH is characterized, see Contextual Insights, B. 1.

Psalms 143:2 If YHWH counts sin(s), who can stand? All humans are affected by the Fall of Genesis 3:0 (see Special Topic: The Fall and the notes at Ps. 130:3-4).

Some rabbis assert that sin begins in Genesis 3:0 but most in Genesis 6:0. The rabbis assert the choices of humans as the source of evil (i.e., the two yetzers). Paul affirms Genesis 3:0 as the source (cf. Romans 1:18-20; Romans 3:23; Romans 11:32; Galatians 3:22). The result is the same, as humans are rebels and need to be forgiven (cf. 1 Kings 8:46; Job 4:17; Job 9:2; Job 25:4; Psalms 130:3-4; Proverbs 20:9; Ecclesiastes 7:20; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 5:12-21)!

Psalms 143:2b The UBS Handbook (p. 1151) mentions that this line of poetry, as translated by the LXX, may be alluded to by Paul in Romans 3:20 and Galatians 2:16.

Psalms 143:3-4 These verses describe in poetic language the feelings of the persecuted psalmist. The imagery is related to the Hebrew concept of Sheol (cf. Job 10:21; Psalms 88:5-6; Lamentations 3:6).

But notice the drastic change that comes in Psalms 143:5, when the psalmist reflects on YHWH's wonderful, gracious acts in the past (i.e., creation, call of the Patriarchs, Israel becoming a nation and occupying the land of promise, etc.).

Psalms 143:3 “the enemy” Note this (Qal participle) is linked to singular verbs. There are two good options.

1. a collective term (plural in Psalms 143:9, Psalms 143:12)

2. one main enemy

3. a reference to “death,” “the pit,” “Sheol”

Psalms 143:4 “spirit. . .heart” Both of these refer to the person. The first phrase is a repeat of Ps. 142:39, see note there.

The same thought is repeated in Psalms 143:7a.

For “spirit” see SPECIAL TOPIC: SPIRIT IN THE BIBLE.

For “heart” see SPECIAL TOPIC: THE HEART.

▣ “overwhelmed” This is literally “faint” (BDB 742, KB 814, Hithpael imperfect with waw, cf. Psalms 142:3a). This verb is used with

1. spirit (ruah) - Psalms 77:3; Psalms 142:3; Psalms 143:4

2. heart (leb) - Psalms 61:2; Psalms 143:4

3. soul (nephesh) - Psalms 107:5

Verses 5-6

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psalms 143:5-6 5I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I muse on the work of Your hands. 6I stretch out my hands to You; My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah.

Psalms 143:5-6 This describes the actions of the psalmist.

1. he remembers God's gracious acts of deliverance in the past, Psalms 143:5a

2. he continues to meditate on God's actions, Psalms 143:5b, cf. Psalms 105:2

3. he reflects/muses (cf. Psalms 77:12; Psalms 145:5) on God's creation, Psalms 143:5c, cf. Psalms 8:6; Psalms 102:25

4. he prays to God, Psalms 143:6a

5. his soul longs for God, Psalms 143:6b, cf. Psalms 42:2; Psalms 63:1

These are the focus of faithful followers' thoughts. We are what we think about. Our prayers and our acts reveal the true nature of each person.

Psalms 143:5 “days of old” This noun (BDB 869) can mean “ancient” or “before time” (cf. Deuteronomy 33:27; Proverbs 8:22-23; Micah 5:2). Usually the root denotes “east” or “before” (NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 869-871).

Psalms 143:6 “I stretch out my hands to You” See note at Psalms 141:2b.

▣ “soul” This is the Hebrew term nephesh. See note at Genesis 35:18 online.

▣ “My soul longs for You, as a parched land” The psalmist longs/thirsts for personal fellowship with YHWH (i.e., Psalms 143:7b; Psalms 42:2; Psalms 63:1; Psalms 84:2). This is the goal of Genesis 1:26-27. It was “the” purpose of creation!

Notice that remembering YHWH's acts and worship gives hope in current circumstances!

▣ “Selah” See note at Psalms 3:2 online.

Verses 7-9

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psalms 143:7-9 7Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails; Do not hide Your face from me, Or I will become like those who go down to the pit. 8Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. 9Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I take refuge in You.

Psalms 143:7 “my spirit fails” The verb (BDB 477, KB 476, Qal perfect) means “to be complete” or “to be finished.” It is used of a person in

Psalms 143:1. Job 33:21, flesh fails

Psalms 143:2. Psalms 71:9, strength fails

Psalms 143:3. Psalms 73:26, flesh and heart fail

Psalms 143:4. Proverbs 5:11, flesh and body fail

The psalmist feels he is about to die and go to Sheol (i.e., the pit, Psalms 143:7c).

▣ “hide Your face from me” This is idiomatic, anthropomorphic language of (1) God being silent and not responding to the psalmist's prayers or (2) God rejecting the psalmist; only context or parallelism can determine (cf. Psalms 10:11; Psalms 13:1; Psalms 27:9; Psalms 30:7; Psalms 51:9; Psalms 69:17; Psalms 88:14; Psalms 102:2). It expresses a sense of hopeless helplessness (cf. Psalms 142:4).

Psalms 143:8c “Teach me the way in which I should walk” This verb (BDB 393, KB 390, Hiphil imperative) basically means “to know.” The NASB translates it as

1. make known - 1 Chronicles 17:19; Job 26:3; Psalms 89:1; Psalms 98:2; Psalms 106:8; Psalms 145:12; Isaiah 64:1; Habakkuk 3:2

2. teach - Exodus 18:20; Jeremiah 31:19; and here

“Walk” is often used as a metaphor for daily living (i.e., Psalms 1:1; Proverbs 1:15; Proverbs 4:14; Isaiah 48:17; Jeremiah 42:3; in the NT also, i.e., Romans 14:15; Ephesians 4:1, Ephesians 4:17; Ephesians 5:2, Ephesians 5:15).

143:8d “to You I lift up my soul” This could be imagery, used only three times with YHWH as the object (cf. Psalms 25:1; Psalms 86:4) related to

1. praying (i.e., lift up my hands/palms)

2. sacrifice (i.e., wave offering or the imagery of the horns of the sacrificial altar)

Psalms 143:9

NASB“I take refuge in You” NKJV“In You I take shelter” NJB“since in you I find protection” JPSOA“to You I look for cover” REB“with you I seek refuge” LXX, Vulgate“to You I flee”

The participle (BDB 491, KB 487, Piel participle) basically means “to cover” or “to hide.” It is a very common root in the OT.

The AB (p. 325) translates this line of poetry as “my God (El), truly am I being submerged.” Dahood connects it to a reference to Sheol by using Job 22:11.

The UBS Handbook (p. 1153) mentions two Hebrew MSS which translate the MT differently.

1. “I seek refuge in You”

2. “to You I flee”

Verses 10-12

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psalms 143:10-12 10Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground. 11For the sake of Your name, O Lord, revive me. In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. 12And in Your lovingkindness, cut off my enemies And destroy all those who afflict my soul, For I am Your servant.

Psalms 143:10 “Teach me to do Your will” This is a different word (BDB 540, KB 531, cf. Deuteronomy 4:1; Deuteronomy 6:1; Deuteronomy 20:18; Jeremiah 12:16) from the “teach” of Psalms 143:8c. YHWH wants to teach us His will so that His faithful followers can model it for the lost world!

Also note the sovereign God must reveal His will but humans must choose to act (and continue to act) on this revelation. The covenant involves both God and humans!

NASB“Your good Spirit” NKJV“Your Spirit is good” NRSV, LXX“Your good spirit” NJB“your generous spirit” JPSOA, REB“Your gracious spirit” PESHITTA“Your gentle spirit”

As is obvious from the English translations there are two theological issues.

1. how to view “spirit”

a. imagery of God's agency (i.e., Genesis 1:2; Numbers 11:17, Numbers 11:25, Numbers 11:29; Psalms 139:7; Haggai 2:5)

b. as a characterization of God Himself (cf. Psalms 51:11; Isaiah 63:10-11)

2. the definition of “good” (BDB 373 III), which is a common verb with a wide semantic field; the general sense is

a. “pleasing,” “good” (verb)

b. “pleasant,” “agreeable,” “good” (adjective)

c. “good thing,” “goodness” (masculine noun)

d. “welfare,” “benefit,” “good thing” (feminine noun)

For #1 please look at Special Topic: The Personhood of the Spirit and SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TRINITY.

▣ “level ground” The OT uses the imagery of a path/road/way to describe one's life (cf. Psalms 5:8; Psalms 26:12; Psalms 27:11).

1. the good/godly life is

a. smooth

b. level

c. unobstructed

d. straight

2. the wicked life is

a. crooked

b. unlevel

c. obstructed

d. slippery

Psalms 143:11-12 The psalmist bases his request, not on his own merit (cf. Psalms 143:2), but on

1. God's good name, Psalms 143:11a

2. God's righteousness, Psalms 143:11b

3. God's lovingkindness, Psalms 143:12a

Psalms 143:11 “For the sake of Your Name” See Special Topic: “The Name” of YHWH.

NASB, NKJV, TEV, REB“revive me” NRSV, JPSOA“preserve my life” NJB“give me life” LXX“quicken me”

The verb (BDB 310, KB 309, Piel imperfect) is the common term “life” (noun), “live” (verb), “alive,” or “living” (adjective). This Piel stem is used often in the Psalter (cf. Psalms 80:18; Psalms 85:6; Psalms 119:25, Psalms 119:37, Psalms 119:40, Psalms 119:50, Psalms 119:88, Psalms 119:93, Psalms 119:107, Psalms 119:149, Psalms 119:154, Psalms 119:156, Psalms 119:159). It is often parallel to BDB 996, KB 1427, cf. Psalms 80:3, Psalms 80:17, Psalms 80:19. It can refer to

1. physical life

2. spiritual life

Psalms 143:12 “Your servant” This can mean

1. a faithful follower

2. an honorific title for leaders

a. Moses

b. Joshua

c. David (i.e., Kings of Judah)

d. Messiah/Israel (i.e., Servant Songs of Isaiah 41-53)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

This is a study guide commentary which means that you are responsible for your own interpretation of the Bible. Each of us must walk n the light we have. You, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit are priority in interpretation. You must not relinquish this to a commentator.

These discussion questions are provided to help you think through the major issues of this section of the book. They are meant to be thought provoking, not definitive.

1. Since all humans are sinful, on what basis does the psalmist ask for God to hear and help him?

2. Who is “the enemy”?

3. Define “dark places” in Psalms 143:3.

4. What is the implication of YHWH “hiding His face”?

5. Does Psalms 143:10 refer to the Holy Spirit?

6. Define “servant.”