Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 144:4

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 144:4. Man is like to vanity — אדם להבל דמה Adam lahebel damah, literally, Adam is like to Abel, exposed to the same miseries, accidents, and murderers; for in millions of cases the hands of brothers are lifted up to shed the blood of brothers. What are wars but fratricide in the great human family?

His days are as a shadow — The life of Abel was promissory of much blessedness; but it afforded merely the shadow of happiness. He was pure and holy, beloved of his parents, and beloved of God; but, becoming the object of his brother's envy, his life became a sacrifice to his piety.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 144:0 A king’s praise

Most of the verses in this psalm are found in some form in other parts of the book. This composition was probably made for use by the king on a special occasion of national celebration.
Israel’s king praises the almighty God for his strong protection, which has repeatedly brought victory for his people over their enemies (1-2). As his thoughts broaden, the king praises God for his concern for the human race in general, particularly since men and women are unworthy of all God’s kindness (3-4). God has saved his people from enemies in the past, and they can depend on him to save them in present and future crises (5-8). The result of God’s victories will be that the king will bring him praise and express his continued trust in God as his deliverer (9-11).
Looking to the future, the king prays that the nation will enter a new age, where security and prosperity are enjoyed by all. He prays that families will grow and flourish, that fields and flocks will be fruitful, and that people will enjoy peace and contentment. But he reminds the people that they can expect such blessings only if they maintain their loyalty to God (12-15).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"Blessed be Jehovah my rock, Who teacheth my hands to war, And my fingers to fight: My lovingkindness, and my fortress; My high tower, and my deliverer, My shield, and he in whom I take refuge; Who subdueth my people under me. Jehovah, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him? Man is like to vanity: His days are as a shadow that passeth away."

"My rock… lovingkindness… fortress… high tower… deliverer… shield… refuge" All of these metaphors for God are used frequently in the Davidic psalms, as we have often noted.

"Who teacheth… to war… to fight" This acknowledges on David's part that God had instructed and helped him in the long struggles that had brought him to the throne and preserved him through the rebellion of Absalom.

"Who subdueth my people under me" This speaks of a period of tranquillity in the kingdom. The rebellion had been ruthlessly put down; its leaders were dead; its armies had been defeated with the slaughter of tens of thousands of them; and the people were then content to settle down and enjoy the prosperity of David's kingship.

The whole paragraph here (Psalms 144:1-4) was paraphrased by Delitzsch: "Praise be to Jahve who teaches me to fight and conquer (Psalms 144:1-2), me, the feeble mortal who am strong only `in Him' (Psalms 144:3-4)."F. Delitzsch, Vol. V-C, p. 379.

Baigent also has a beautiful word on this paragraph:

"Such martial skills and exploits as he (David) achieved are gratefully traced back to God, their only source. `Every virtue' he possesses, and `every victory won' are God's alone. He is a kindred spirit of Paul, who wrote, `By the grace of God, I am what I am.' (1 Corinthians 15:16).The New Layman's Bible Commentary p. 698.

"Psalms 144:2 here has marked resemblances to Psalms 18:2, but there are peculiar and original touches which indicate the author, and not the copyist."The Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., p. 362.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

Man is like to vanity - See the notes at Psalms 39:5-6; Psalms 62:9. The idea here is, that man can be compared only with that which is utterly vain - which is emptiness - which is nothing.

His days are as a shadow that passeth away - See the notes at Psalms 102:11 : “My days are like a shadow that declineth.” The idea is essentially the same. It is, that as a shadow has no substance, and that as it moves along constantly as the sun declines, until it vanishes altogether, so man has nothing substantial or permanent, and so he is constantly moving off and will soon wholly disappear.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Chapter 144

Blessed be the LORD my strength, which ( Psalms 144:1 )

Now this is a psalm of David, and of course, some people get upset with this psalm because David thanks God for making him such a tough fighter.

Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teaches my hands to war, and my fingers to fight: my goodness, my fortress; my high tower, my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdues my people under me. LORD, what is man, that you take knowledge of him! or the son of man, that you take him into account! ( Psalms 144:1-3 )

Interesting question. "What is man, that God should take knowledge of him?" This carries us back to an earlier psalm when David said, "When I consider the heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon, the stars which Thou hast ordained, what is man?" ( Psalms 8:3 , Psalms 8:4 ) Looking at the universe and in light of the universe and the vastness of the universe, what is man? This little speck of dust walking around on this little planet Earth. Way off in this corner of the solar system, or way off in this corner of the Milky Way galaxy; in one of the billions of galaxies in the universe. And here I am. And yet, the God who created the entire universe is mindful of me. But not in the general sense, in a very particular sense.

Jesus said that God is so mindful of His creation that there is not a sparrow that falls to the ground but what God is not mindful of it. How much more you, His children? Jesus said He knows the very number of hairs of your head. God is mindful of intricate details about your life. Nothing escapes His attention. What is man? Who am I that God should be mindful of me? The son of man that God should take me into account? Man is nothing.

Man is like to [nothing,] vanity [or nothing, emptiness]: his days are as a shadow that passes away ( Psalms 144:4 ).

Like the sundial that has gone down. Life is so short. I'm here for such a short time. Living a life of vanity. And yet, God is mindful of me. I'm important to Him.

Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out your arrows, and destroy them. Send your hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of the great waters, and from the hand of strange children; Whose mouth speak emptiness, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood. I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee. It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivered David his servant from the hurtful sword. Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaks emptiness, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood: That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of the palace: That our garners may be full ( Psalms 144:5-13 ),

Now asking God to deliver from the hand of the enemy. To place His hand of blessing upon us that our sons might have the opportunity to grow up, that our daughters might be like polished corner stones, that our garners (shelves) might be full.

affording all manner of food; that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets: That our oxen may be strong to pull the plow; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; and there be no complaining in our streets. Happy is that people, who are in such a case: yes, happy is that people, whose God is Yahweh ( Psalms 144:13-15 ). "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 144

This is a prayer that asks for deliverance during war. David praised God for granting victory in past battles and requested success in a present military encounter with an enemy. He was confident that God would save His people.

"This psalm is a mosaic, not a monolith; most of its material, short of the final verses, is drawn from other psalms of David, most substantially Psalms 18." [Note: Kidner, Psalms 73-150, p. 477.]

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

The exalted description of God in Psalms 144:1-2 led David to reflect in amazement that God would take interest in mere mortals. Man’s existence is very brief compared to God’s-He abides forever.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. Petition for present victory 144:3-11

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

Man is like to vanity,.... Is vanity itself, in every age, state, and condition; yea, in his best estate, Psalms 39:5; or, "to the breath" h of the mouth, as Kimchi; which is gone as soon as seen almost: or, to a vapour i; to which the life of man is compared, James 4:14;

his days [are] as a shadow that passeth away; as the former denotes the frailty and mortality of man, this the shortness of his duration; his days fleeing away, and of no more continuance than the shadow cast by the sun, which presently declines and is gone.

h להבל "halitui", Muis; so Kimchi. i "Vapori", Cocceius; so the Syriac and Arabic versions

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

A psalm of David.

      1 Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:   2 My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.   3 LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!   4 Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.   5 Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.   6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.   7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;   8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

      Here, I. David acknowledges his dependence upon God and his obligations to him, Psalms 144:1; Psalms 144:2. A prayer for further mercy is fitly begun with a thanksgiving for former mercy; and when we are waiting upon God to bless us we should stir up ourselves to bless him. He gives to God the glory of two things:--

      1. What he was to him: Blessed be the Lord my rock (Psalms 144:1; Psalms 144:1), my goodness, my fortress,Psalms 144:2; Psalms 144:2. He has in the covenant engaged himself to be so, and encouraged us, accordingly, to depend upon him; all the saints, who by faith have made him theirs, have found him not only to answer but to out do their expectations. David speaks of it here as the matter of his trust, and that which made him easy, as the matter of his triumph, and that which made him glad, and in which he gloried. See how he multiplies words to express the satisfaction he had in God and his interest in him. (1.) "He is my strength, on whom I stay, and from whom I have power both for my work and for my warfare, my rock to build on, to take shelter in." Even when we are weak we may be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. (2.) "My goodness, not only good to me, but my chief good, in whose favour I place my felicity, and who is the author of all the goodness that is in me, and from whom comes every good and perfect gift." (3.) "My fortress, and my high tower, in whom I think myself as safe as ever any prince thought himself in a castle or strong-hold." David had formerly sheltered himself in strong-holds at En-gedi (1 Samuel 23:29), which perhaps were natural fastnesses. He had lately made himself master of the strong-hold of Zion, which was fortified by art, and he dwelt in the fort (2 Samuel 5:7; 2 Samuel 5:9), but he depends not on these. "Lord," says he, "thou art my fortress and my high tower." The divine attributes and promises are fortifications to a believer, far exceeding those either of nature or art. (4.) My deliverer, and, as it is in the original, very emphatically, my deliverer to me, "not only a deliverer I have interest in, but who is always nigh unto me and makes all my deliverances turn to my real benefit." (5.) "My shield, to guard me against all the malignant darts that my enemies let fly at me, not only my fortress at home, but my shield abroad in the field of battle." Wherever a believer goes he carries his protection along with him. Fear not, Abram, I am thy shield.

      2. What he had done for him. He was bred a shepherd, and seems not to have been designed by his parents, or himself for any thing more. But, (1.) God had made him a soldier. His hands had been used to the crook and his fingers to the harp, but God taught his hands to war and his fingers to fight, because he designed him for Israel's champion; and what God calls men to he either finds them or makes them fit for. Let the men of war give God the glory of all their military skill; the same that teaches the meanest husbandman his art teaches the greatest general his. It is a pity that any whose fingers God has taught to fight should fight against him or his kingdom among men. Those have special reason to acknowledge God with thankfulness who prove to be qualified for services which they themselves never thought of. (2.) God had made him a sovereign prince, had taught him to wield the sceptre as well as the sword, to rule as well as fight, the harder and nobler art of the two: He subdueth my people under me. The providence of God is to be acknowledged in making people subject to their prince, and so preserving the order and benefit of societies. There was a special hand of God inclining the people of Israel to be subject to David, pursuant to the promise God had made him; and it was typical of that great act of divine grace, the bringing of souls into subjection to the Lord Jesus and making them willing in the day of his power.

      II. He admires God's condescension to man and to himself in particular (Psalms 144:3; Psalms 144:4): "Lord, what is man, what a poor little thing is he, that thou takest knowledge of him, that thou makest account of him, that he falls so much under thy cognizance and care, and that thou hast such a tender regard to any of that mean and worthless race as thou hast had to me!" Considering the many disgraces which the human nature lies under, we have reason to admire the honours God has put upon mankind in general (the saints especially, some in a particular manner, as David) and upon the Messiah (to whom those words are applied, Hebrews 2:6), who was highly exalted because he humbled himself to be found in fashion as a man, and has authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of man. A question to this purport David asked (Psalms 8:4), and he illustrated the wonder by the consideration of the great dignity God has placed man in (Psalms 8:5), Thou hast crowned him with glory and honour. Here he illustrates it by the consideration of the meanness and mortality of man, notwithstanding the dignity put upon him (Psalms 144:4; Psalms 144:4): Man is like to vanity; so frail is he, so weak, so helpless, compassed about with so many infirmities, and his continuance here so very short and uncertain, that he is as like as may be to vanity itself. Nay, he is vanity, he is so at his best estate. His days have little substance in them, considering how many of the thoughts and cares of an immortal soul are employed about a poor dying body; they are as a shadow, dark and flitting, transitory and finishing with the sun, and, when that sets, resolving itself into all shadow. They are as a shadow that passeth away, and there is no loss of it. David puts himself into the number of those that are thus mean and despicable.

      III. He begs of God to strengthen him and give him success against the enemies that invaded him, Psalms 144:5-8; Psalms 144:5-8. He does not specify who they were that he was in fear of, but says, Scatter them, destroy them. God knew whom he meant, though he did not name them. But afterwards he describes them (Psalms 144:7; Psalms 144:8): "They are strange children, Philistines, aliens, bad neighbours to Israel, heathens, whom we are bound to be strange to and not to make any leagues with, and who therefore carry it strangely towards us." Notwithstanding the advantages with which God had blessed David's arms against them, they were still vexatious and treacherous, and men that one could put no confidence in: "One cannot take their word, for their mouth speaketh vanity; nay, if they give their hand upon it, or offer their hand to help you, there is no trusting them; for their right hand is a right hand of falsehood." Against such as these we cannot defend ourselves, but we may depend on the God of truth and justice, who hates falsehood, to defend us from them. 1. David prays that God would appear, that he would do something extraordinary, for the conviction of those who preferred their dunghill-deities before the God of Israel (Psalms 144:5; Psalms 144:5): "Bow thy heavens, O Lord! and make it evident that they are indeed thine, and that thou art the Lord of them, Isaiah 66:1. Let thy providence threaten my enemies, and look black upon them, as the clouds do on the earth when they are thick, and hang very low, big with a storm. Fight against those that fight against us, so that it may visibly appear that thou art for us. Touch the mountains, our strong and stately enemies, and let them smoke. Show thyself by the ministry of thy angels, as thou didst upon Mount Sinai." 2. That he would appear against his enemies, that he would fight from heaven against them, as sometimes he had done, by lightnings, which are his arrows (his fiery darts, against which the hardest steel is no armour of proof, so penetrating is the force of lightning), that he himself would shoot these arrows, who, we are sure, never misses his mark, but hits where he aims. 3. That he would appear for him, Psalms 144:7; Psalms 144:7. He begs for their destruction, in order to his own deliverance and the repose of his people: "Send thy hand, thy power, from above, for that way we look for help; rid me and deliver me out of these great waters that are ready to overflow me." God's time to help his people is when they are sinking and all other helps fail.