Psalms 144 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Psalm 144

My Rock and My Fortress

Of David.

144:1   Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
    who trains my hands for war,
    and my fingers for battle;
2   he is my steadfast love and my fortress,
    my stronghold and my deliverer,
  my shield and he in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples¹ under me.
3   O LORD, what is man that you regard him,
    or the son of man that you think of him?
4   Man is like a breath;
    his days are like a passing shadow.
5   Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down!
    Touch the mountains so that they smoke!
6   Flash forth the lightning and scatter them;
    send out your arrows and rout them!
7   Stretch out your hand from on high;
    rescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
    from the hand of foreigners,
8   whose mouths speak lies
    and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9   I will sing a new song to you, O God;
    upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10   who gives victory to kings,
    who rescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
11   Rescue me and deliver me
    from the hand of foreigners,
  whose mouths speak lies
    and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12   May our sons in their youth
    be like plants full grown,
  our daughters like corner pillars
    cut for the structure of a palace;
13   may our granaries be full,
    providing all kinds of produce;
  may our sheep bring forth thousands
    and ten thousands in our fields;
14   may our cattle be heavy with young,
    suffering no mishap or failure in bearing;²
  may there be no cry of distress in our streets!
15   Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
    Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!

Footnotes

[1] 144:2 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Dead Sea Scroll, Jerome, Syriac, Aquila; most Hebrew manuscripts subdues my people
[2] 144:14 Hebrew with no breaking in or going out

Commentary

God's mercy towards His people, as in Ps 18.

v1-2: Testimony of David; the Lord made him the man he became.

v3-4: See Ps 8; God gives much to us, even though we deserve nothing; He is mindful of me!

v5-8: "Come down" (Is 64.1-5). God will act in His mighty power on behalf of His people. He will stretch out His hand and change things. In particular, He will rescue His people from their enemies.

v9-10: The commitment to sing praise to God, knowing His character, and that He will give salvation.

v11-15: God's blessing upon His people; there is a blessing here upon households;

our sons in their youth will be like well-matured plants;
our daughters will be like pillars carved to adorn a palace;
our barns will be filled with every kind of provision;
our sheep will increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields;
there will be no breaching of walls;
there will be no going into captivity;
there will be no cry of distress in out streets.

We are delivered into an abundant land; such is the testimony of the people whose God is the Lord.