PSALMS 144

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.

 

WORD AND PHRASE STUDY

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 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.

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.

Psalm 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.
Ps. 8:4) because they are made in His image and likeness (cf. Gen. 1:26-27)

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

 

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 Deut. 32:4 and Ps. 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 Ps. 18:2!

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

1. Ps. 144:1 – Ps. 18:2,34,46

2. Ps. 144:2 – Ps. 18:2,47

3. Ps. 144:3 – Ps. 18:4

4. Ps. 144:5 – Ps. 18:9

5. Ps. 144:6 – Ps. 18:14

6. Ps. 144:7 – Ps. 18:16-17,44

7. Ps. 144:10 – Ps. 18:50

8. Ps. 144:11 – Ps. 18:44

 

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 Ps. 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.

144:3 Notice the synonymous
parallelism.

1. “man” – Adam (BDB 9)

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

In the parallel in Psalm 8 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 Dan. 7:13).

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

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

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 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.

144:5-8 This strophe is a series of
prayer requests. It is surprising in light of Ps. 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, Ps. 144:5 (lit. “bend”) – BDB 639, KB 692,
Hiphil
imperative 

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

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

4. flash forth, Ps. 144:6 – BDB 140, KB 162,
Qal imperative

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

6. send out, Ps. 144:6 – BDB 1018, KB 1511, Qal imperative

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

8. stretch forth, Ps. 144:7 – same as #6

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

10. deliver me, Ps. 144:7 – BDB 664, KB 717, Hiphil imperative

 

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 (Ps.
144:1)

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

 

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 Sam. 22:15;
Ps. 18:14

2. הום, KB 242, confuse,” this one has “Holy War”
connotation, cf. Jos. 10:10; Jdgs. 4:15; 1 Sam. 7:10; 2 Chr. 15:6

 

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; Ps.
74:12-17; Isa. 51:9-10; see
Special Topic: Waters

2. invasion, cf. Ps. 18:16-17; Isa. 17:12-14;
28:2; Jer. 51:34

3. death, cf. Ps. 18:4-6

 

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. Gen.
14:22; Deut. 32:40; Ps. 106:26; Isa. 44:20). YHWH is true to His word (cf. Ps.
144:2a), but pagans and some Israelites are not! See
Special Topic: Human
Speech.

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 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.

144:9-11 This strophe has three
emphases.

1. what the psalmist promises to do

a. I will sing a new song to God, Ps. 144:9a – BDB
1010, KB 1479, Qal
cohortative

b. I will sing praises to God, Ps. 144:9b – BDB
274, KB 273, Piel
cohortative

2. YHWH ‘s past acts of deliverance

a. He delivered Israel’s Kings, Ps. 144:10a

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

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

a. rescue me, Ps. 144:11a – BDB 822, KB 963,
Qal imperative

b. deliver me, Ps. 144:11a – BDB 664, KB 717,
Hiphil imperative

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

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” (Ps. 144:7c,
11a). The Aramaic Targums (translation with comments) interpreted it as “from
the evil sword of Goliath” (UBS Handbook, p. 1159).

NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: 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!

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, Ps. 144:12a –
BDB 152, KB 178, Pual

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

3. garners producing, Ps. 144:13a – BDB 807, KB
920, Hiphil

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Ps. 144:1 – BDB 138

2. Ps. 144:15 – BDB 80

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

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 Zech. 9:15.

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.”

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

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

2. It goes with Ps. 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 Psalm 18?

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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