Bible Commentaries
Psalms 144

Introduction

Psalms 144:0

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.

Verses 1-4

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psalms 144:1-4 1Blessed be the Lord, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle; 2My lovingkindness and my fortress, My stronghold and my deliverer, My shield and He in whom I take refuge, Who subdues my people under me. 3O Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him? 4Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing shadow.

Psalms 144:1-4 This strophe uses numerous military allusions. This is obviously a royal Psalm. YHWH acts on behalf of His people to assure their survival because He has a universal redemptive plan involving national Israel (the descendants of Abraham). See Special Topic: YHWH's Eternal Redemptive Plan.

Psalms 144:3-4 is surprising in that the focus moves from Israel to all humans.

1. they are the object of YHWH's special care (cf. Psalms 8:4) because they are made in His image and likeness (cf. Genesis 1:26-27)

2. however, because of Genesis 3:0 they are frail and finite (cf. Psalms 90:5; Psalms 103:15; Psalms 104:14; Isaiah 40:6-8; 1 Peter 1:24)

Psalms 144:1 “Blessed” See Special Topic: Blessing (OT).

▣ “my rock” This (BDB 849) is a recurrent title for Israel's God. See notes online at Deuteronomy 32:4 and Psalms 18:1-3. Everything changes but God does not. He is the anchor that does not fail, the fortress that cannot fall. Note the powerful, emotional string of descriptive nouns in Psalms 18:2!

▣ “trains my hands for war” There is obviously a literary relationship between Psalms 18:0 and Psalms 144:0. Note the parallels.

Psalms 144:1. Psalms 144:1 - Psalms 18:2, Psalms 18:34, Psalms 18:46

Psalms 144:2. Psalms 144:2 - Psalms 18:2, Psalms 18:47

Psalms 144:3. Psalms 144:3 - Psalms 18:4

Psalms 144:4. Psalms 144:5 - Psalms 18:9

Psalms 144:5. Psalms 144:6 - Psalms 18:14

6. Psalms 144:7 - Psalms 18:16-17, Psalms 18:44

7. Psalms 144:10 - Psalms 18:50

8. Psalms 144:11 - Psalms 18:44

Psalms 144:2 My lovingkindness” YHWH is faithful in His covenant commitments. See SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS (HESED).

Notice the number of personal pronouns in the NASB of Psalms 144:1-2 (six). The psalmist knows and trusts YHWH.

NASB, NKJV, LXX“Who subdues my people under me” NRSV, TEV, Targums, Peshitta, Vulgate”who subdues the peoples under me” NJB“He makes the peoples submit to me”

The difference is only a final mem. The UBS Text Project (p. 436) gives “my people” a “B” rating (some doubt). This line of poetry either

1. asserts the king's authority over the covenant people (i.e., he is YHWH's under shepherd)

2. asserts Israel's victory by YHWH's power over the pagan nations

The UBS Text Project (p. 437) gives “under me” an “A” rating (very high probability). If this is the correct text, then option #1 above is the correct phrase.

Psalms 144:3 Notice the synonymous parallelism.

1. “man” - Adam (BDB 9)

2. “son of man” - “ben enosh” (BDB 60)

In the parallel in Psalms 8:0 the Hebrew words for “man” are reversed, but the intent is the same. These terms are speaking of a human person. See SPECIAL TOPIC: THE SON OF MAN (from Daniel 7:13).

▣ “take knowledge” This is the Hebrew verb “know” (BDB 393, KB 390, Qal imperfect with waw). See Special Topic: Know.

Psalms 144:4 This verse highlights the finitude of mankind (cf. Job 8:9; Job 14:2; Psalms 39:5-6; Psalms 102:11; Psalms 109:23; Ecclesiastes 6:12; Ecclesiastes 8:12) and although not specifically stated, the eternality of YHWH is highlighted.

Verses 5-8

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psalms 144:5-8 5Bow Your heavens, O Lord, and come down; Touch the mountains, that they may smoke. 6Flash forth lightning and scatter them; Send out Your arrows and confuse them. 7Stretch forth Your hand from on high; Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters, Out of the hand of aliens 8Whose mouths speak deceit, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

Psalms 144:5-8 This strophe is a series of prayer requests. It is surprising in light of Psalms 144:1-4. The psalmist asserts YHWH's power and presence in the first strophe but pleads for His deliverance in this one.

Note the imperatives and imperfects used in an imperatival sense.

1. bow, Psalms 144:5 (lit. “bend”) - BDB 639, KB 692, Hiphil imperative

2. come down, Psalms 144:5 - BDB 432, KB 434, Qal imperfect but used as imperatival prayer request

3. touch, Psalms 144:5 - BDB 619, KB 668, Qal imperative, cf. Psalms 104:32

4. flash forth, Psalms 144:6 - BDB 140, KB 162, Qal imperative

5. scatter (i.e., arrows on alien invaders), Psalms 144:6; Psalms 144:6 - BDB 806, KB 918, Hiphil imperfect used as imperatival prayer request

6. send out, Psalms 144:6 - BDB 1018, KB 1511, Qal imperative

7. confuse, Psalms 144:6 - BDB 243, KB 251, Qal imperfect used as imperatival prayer request

8. stretch forth, Psalms 144:7 - same as #6

9. rescue (lit. “open,” cf. Psalms 144:11), Psalms 144:7 - BDB 822, KB 953, Qal imperative

10. deliver me, Psalms 144:7 - BDB 664, KB 717, Hiphil imperative

Psalms 144:5-7 These verses use “Holy War” imagery to request YHWH' presence and power in battle. He will either

1. train and empower the Israeli soldiers (Psalms 144:1)

2. fight on Israel's behalf as in the conquest of Canaan under Joshua (Psalms 144:6)

Psalms 144:6

NASB“confuse them” NKJV“destroy them” NRSV, NJB“rout them” TEV“send them running” LXX“throw them into disarray”

There are two possible Hebrew roots.

1. המם, BDB 243, KB 251, “rout,” cf. 2 Samuel 22:15; Psalms 18:14

2. הום, KB 242, confuse,” this one has “Holy War” connotation, cf. Joshua 10:10; Judges 4:15; 1 Samuel 7:10; 2 Chronicles 15:6

Psalms 144:7 Notice “great waters” is parallel to “the hand of aliens.” The imagery is from

1. chaos of creation, cf. Job 41:1-11; Psalms 74:12-17; Isaiah 51:9-10; see Special Topic: Waters

2. invasion, cf. Psalms 18:16-17; Isaiah 17:12-14; Isaiah 28:2; Jeremiah 51:34

3. death, cf. Psalms 18:4-6

Psalms 144:8 The aliens (BDB 648) are characterized as those who lie. One's words reveal one's heart. This seems to refer to international treaties or possibly court testimony under oath (cf. Genesis 14:22; Deuteronomy 32:40; Psalms 106:26; Isaiah 44:20). YHWH is true to His word (cf. Psalms 144:2a), but pagans and some Israelites are not! See Special Topic: Human Speech.

Verses 9-11

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psalms 144:9-11 9I will sing a new song to You, O God; Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You, 10Who gives salvation to kings, Who rescues David His servant from the evil sword. 11Rescue me and deliver me out of the hand of aliens, Whose mouth speaks deceit And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

Psalms 144:9-11 This strophe has three emphases.

1. what the psalmist promises to do

a. I will sing a new song to God, Psalms 144:9; Psalms 144:9a - BDB 1010, KB 1479, Qal cohortative

b. I will sing praises to God, Psalms 144:9; Psalms 144:9b - BDB 274, KB 273, Piel cohortative

2. YHWH ‘s past acts of deliverance

a. He delivered Israel's Kings, Psalms 144:10a

b. He delivered David, Psalms 144:10b (probably kings of David's line)

3. the psalmist's prayer is based on YHWH's previous acts

a. rescue me, Psalms 144:11; Psalms 144:11a - BDB 822, KB 963, Qal imperative

b. deliver me, Psalms 144:11; Psalms 144:11a - BDB 664, KB 717, Hiphil imperative

Notice the parallel between Psalms 144:7-8 and Psalms 144:11.

Psalms 144:10 “from the evil sword” This is an unusual characterization. Several translations put the phrase in the next line of poetry (i.e., NRSV, TEV, NJB). Other translations have

1. REB - “the cruel sword”

2. JPSOA - “the deadly sword”

3. KJV, Peshitta - “the hurtful sword”

4. AB - “the sword of the Evil One”

5. NAB - “the menacing sword”

In context it seems to relate to the “aliens” (Psalms 144:7c, Psalms 144:11a). The Aramaic Targums (translation with comments) interpreted it as “from the evil sword of Goliath” (UBS Handbook, p. 1159).

Verses 12-15

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psalms 144:12-15 12Let our sons in their youth be as grown-up plants, And our daughters as corner pillars fashioned as for a palace; 13Let our garners be full, furnishing every kind of produce, And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; 14Let our cattle bear Without mishap and without loss, Let there be no outcry in our streets! 15How blessed are the people who are so situated; How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

Psalms 144:12-14 This strophe is characterized by seven participles (1) used as jussives (2) statements of fact.

1. young sons as grown up plants, Psalms 144:12a - BDB 152, KB 178, Pual

2. young daughters as fashioned (lit. “hewn”) pillars, Psalms 144:12b - BDB 310, KB 306, Pual

3. garners producing, Psalms 144:13a - BDB 807, KB 920, Hiphil

4. flocks bringing forth thousands, Psalms 144:13b - BDB 48 II, KB 59, Hiphil (found only here)

5. flocks bringing forth ten thousands, Psalms 144:13b - BDB 912, KB 1174, Pual

6. cattle bear (lit. be heavy with young), Psalms 144:14a - BDB 687, KB 741, Pual

7. going out (i.e., “bearing” ) with no problems, Psalms 144:14; Psalms 144:14b - BDB 422, KB 425, Qal

8. there is an implied participle in Psalms 144:14c - NASB has “let,” which matches Psalms 144:12-14b, “let there be no outcry in our streets”

These are all blessings of covenant obedience (cf. Leviticus 26:0; Deuteronomy 27-30). Notice the covenant blessing of Psalms 144:15. NASB translates both Psalms 144:1 and 15 as “blessed,” but they are different Hebrew words.

Psalms 144:1. Psalms 144:1 - BDB 138

Psalms 144:2. Psalms 144:15 - BDB 80

The term “happy” or “blessed” (BDB 80, cf. Psalms 1:1) is recurrent and describes why they are blessed (cf. Psalms 32:1-2; Psalms 34:8; Psalms 40:4; Psalms 84:5, Psalms 84:12; Psalms 94:12; Psalms 127:5; Proverbs 3:13; Proverbs 8:34; Proverbs 28:14). It is also used of corporate blessings (cf. Psalms 33:12; Psalms 89:15; Psalms 144:15).

Psalms 144:12 The term “plants” (BDB 642) occurs only here but it is very close to the normal root for “plant.”

1. plant (here) - נטיע

2. plant - נטע, used often

▣ “corner pillars” This is also a rare term, found only here and in Zechariah 9:15.

Psalms 144:13 “garner” This term (BDB 265, KB 565) is also found only here in the OT (cf. NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 909). Most translations have “barns.”

Psalms 144:14 There are two ways to view this verse.

1. It goes with Psalms 144:13b and relates to healthy, fruitful livestock (NIDOTTE, vol. 2, p. 498).

2. It goes with Psalms 144:14b,c and relates to a prayer for no breach in the city wall, which would allow an invader entrance.

The UBS Handbook (p. 1161) asserts there is no way from the text or context to know which option is best.

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. How is this Psalm related to Psalms 18:0?

2. How do Psalms 144:3 and 4 relate to Psalms 144:1 and 2?

3. How does Psalms 144:5-7 relate to “Holy War”?

4. To what or whom does “great waters” in Psalms 144:7 refer?

5. Why does the MT introduction not fit Psalms 144:10?

6. Are Psalms 144:12-14 prayers or statements?