Search Tools


 
A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
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.
LORD, 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.
Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
Whose mouth speaketh vanity, 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 delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, 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 a palace:
That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets:
That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.
Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.

New Defender's Study Bible Notes

144:3 what is man. This verse is similar to Psalm 8:4. Interestingly, however, in Psalm 8:4, “man” is the Hebrew enosh, meaning “mortal man.” In Psalm 144:3, “man” is Adam, the name of the first man, meaning “ruddy man” or “mankind in general.” On the other hand, in Psalm 8:4, “son of man” is ben Adam; whereas in Psalm 144:3, “son of man” is ben enosh. Since both psalms were written by David, he must have had some reason for this shift in emphasis. The emphasis in Psalm 8 is on man’s dominion; in Psalm 144, it is on man’s frailty and need of salvation.


144:4 days are as a shadow. Moses wrote that man’s days are like “a tale that is told” (Psalm 90:9), James said they were like “a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14). Job, like David, here, said that “our days upon earth are a shadow” (Job 8:9), even though he lived another 140 years after that (Job 42:16). We must live whatever days we may have in light of eternity.


144:9 new song. See notes on Psalm 33:3 and 149:1.


144:15 Happy is that people. The word “happy” (or “blessed”) is used twice in this concluding verse of his next-to-last psalm of Book IV of the Psalms (see note on Psalm 145:21).

Psalm 145 (title) Psalm of Praise. This is the only psalm headed as “Psalm of Praise.” However, see note on Psalm 100.


About the New Defender's Study Bible