Psalm 144 A Psalm of David.

¹Blessed be the Lord my Rock,

Who trains my hands for war,

And my fingers for battle—

²My lovingkindness and my fortress,

My high tower and my deliverer,

My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,

Who subdues my people under me.

³Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?

Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?

⁴Man is like a breath;

His days are like a passing shadow.

⁵Bow down Your heavens,

O Lord, and come down;

Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

⁶Flash forth lightning and scatter them;

Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.

⁷Stretch out Your hand from above;

Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,

From the hand of foreigners,

⁸Whose mouth speaks lying words,

And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

⁹I will sing a new song to You, O God;

On a harp of ten strings

I will sing praises to You,

¹⁰The One who gives salvation to kings,

Who delivers David His servant

From the deadly sword.

¹¹Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,

Whose mouth speaks lying words,

And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—

¹²That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;

That our daughters may be as pillars,

Sculptured in palace style;

¹³That our barns may be full,

Supplying all kinds of produce;

That our sheep may bring forth thousands

And ten thousands in our fields;

¹⁴That our oxen may be well laden;

That there be no breaking in or going out;

That there be no outcry in our streets.

¹⁵Happy are the people who are in such a state;

Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

 

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Blessed be the Lord my Rock,

Who trains my hands for war,

And my fingers for battle—”

David’s opens this psalm by blessing the Lord our Rock, for He alone is the One on whom we stand and are made to stand justified in the Presence of God. In blessing the Lord, David declares how it is the Lord who trains his hands for war and his fingers for battle. For it is the Lord our God and Savior Jesus Christ who makes us into His new creations In Christ, giving us the Spirit gifts and talents that we will need for the work that He wants us to do, and all the battles we will face. In David’s case this began early on in his life as his role as a shepherd for his own father really was God also preparing him to be a man of war, to fight the Lord’s battles, and ultimately lead His people during some of their most hostile times. These abilities though were not readily apparent until that faithful day when David slew the Philistine giant before he would go on to lead Israel's forces and then the nation. And so David upon reflection can now see how the Lord has done this for him, how He continues to grow and develop him to fight His battles by giving him all the skills and abilities that he needs to vanquish the foe. David then is gratefully delighting in the Lord our God who has made all things possible for him and us, (consider Phil. 4:13). There is then nothing that our God asks us to do that He has not also first given us the abilities and capabilities to do. It is then our responsibility to develop those gifts and talents He has now given us and use them thoroughly for the churches edification in love (consider Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27; Eph. 4:7-16).

Vs. 2 “My lovingkindness and my fortress,

My high tower and my deliverer,

My shield and the One in whom I take refuge,

Who subdues my people under me.”

David’s personalization of the Lord's Person here towards himself should be our own also, especially his delighting in Him, for the Lord Jesus Christ is also my lovingkindness; my fortress. my high tower and my deliver, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge, The military metaphors are plentiful here, and as such God is first our lovingkindness, for it is God our Father who in His love for us has saved us. As such He is also our fortress, our protection, our watchtower, our deliverer, our shield, when we are exposed to the enemy’s forces in the battlefield of our lives, He is the One in whom we take refuge in, when either they or our lives circumstances seek to overwhelm us.

Vs. 3-4 ³Lord, what is man, that You take knowledge of him?

Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him?

⁴Man is like a breath;

His days are like a passing shadow.

David now marvels that our Great God who is so Holy and so Supreme in everyway and in everything, would even take note of us. And yet He always takes knowledge of us all. For He does not Exist and Rule in indifference to us, rather He takes note of us, everyone of us, even though we are so fragile and temporal, for we all are like a breath ever so briefly seen on a cold day before it soon vanishes away. Indeed, all our days are like a passing shadow before Him. And if He chose to look away we would all be gone, lost forever. Nonetheless as the Scripture says, He takes note of us so that we can continue on with Him, whether as individuals or His nation.

Vs. 5-8 ⁵Bow down Your heavens,

O Lord, and come down;

Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

⁶Flash forth lightning and scatter them;

Shoot out Your arrows and destroy them.

⁷Stretch out Your hand from above;

Rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,

From the hand of foreigners,

⁸Whose mouth speaks lying words,

And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

David now envisions the Lord Mightily Coming to save him, bowing down His heavens and touching the mountains so that smoke, (blinding then the enemy to his presence), flashing forth great thunder bolts of lightening so as to strike great fear in the hearts of all his adversaries. For David has called upon our God to deliver him from his enemies, from the Lord’s enemies, by His striking a mighty blow upon them all. This then is not our God working through a man or nation to accomplish His purposes on earth to vanquish the wicked from it, but His directly striking them down by His using His power in His creation (vs. 6). Now in asking the Lord to strike down our enemies, David also asks the Lord to stretch out His hand and rescue and deliver him out of great waters (a metaphor for his being rescued from the perils of the deep, from troubles that he cannot escape on his own), from the hands of foreign invaders, who have invaded God’s land, whose mouths only speak lying words, (and this they do with hypocritical smiles on their faces), whose right hand is full of falsehood. Whether this means their religious idols, (and thus their belief systems), or they' re shaking hands with you in a pledge, David knows all to well that they're promise to you is "a swamp", as Bruce Coburn would say. 

Vs. 9-10 ⁹I will sing a new song to You, O God;

On a harp of ten strings

I will sing praises to You,

¹⁰The One who gives salvation to kings,

Who delivers David His servant

From the deadly sword.

Knowing our God and Savior David can even now resound with joy in the Lord. For he knows that our God is with him; so much so that his heart wants to sing a new song to our God. To begin composing new and glorious worship songs to Him. Therefore he will (we will) sing our praises to the One who gives salvation to kings, (to all His Godly leaders and rulers), for David knows that our God will deliver him, His servant from the deadly sword. For truly it is God’s delight to uphold the righteous in his battles. Therefore, David can boldly say this, because he himself has experienced God’s deliverance time and again from the deadly sword in his own life. 

 Vs. 11-15 ¹¹Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners,

Whose mouth speaks lying words,

And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood—

¹²That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;

That our daughters may be as pillars,

Sculptured in palace style;

¹³That our barns may be full,

Supplying all kinds of produce;

That our sheep may bring forth thousands

And ten thousands in our fields;

¹⁴That our oxen may be well laden;

That there be no breaking in or going out;

That there be no outcry in our streets.

¹⁵Happy are the people who are in such a state;

Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

Once again David’s prayer is that the Lord our God rescue him from the hands of foreigners, whose mouths speak lying words, and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood (vs. 11); meaning they are hypocritical liars, deal breakers, who smilingly shake hands in a pledge of peace with you on the one hand while working with those who seek your ruin on the other. Now this is Israel’s ongoing dilemma with their hostile neighbors, who down through the ages, even when they are at “peace” with them, still want them gone. In this consider Sihon king of the Amorites aggression towards Israel and Japheth’s response to him (see Judges 11:12-28). Therefore, David knows that the only one who can make true lasting peace for all of Israel is the Lord our God, but this cannot occur until Israel comes back to Him and receives His Son Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. For they will not know peace until the Prince of Peace Reigns. The rest of the verses then (like so many of the prophecies in Isaiah and elsewhere) give a very picturesque image of Israel at that time, Verse twelve, their sons will be grow up amongst them like flourishing plants, healthy, strong, and full of vitality, while all their daughters will be beautiful and lovely, all of them finely arrayed, elegant, and dignified, they will be most pleasing to one’s eye, like the sculptured pillars of a palace.

Vs. 13 Their land itself will also bear exceedingly much fruit and abundance, for all their barns will overflow from the Lord’s blessing them, their flocks and herds will increase, and livestock will fill the hills and the pasture ranges, everything they lay their hands on will prosper during the Lord’s Jesus Christ’s Reign over them. 

Vs. 14 Their oxen will be well laden which is indicating that Israel’s abundance will be so great that whatever they take to market will be a heavy burden on their oxen. As for society as a whole, there will be no crime amongst them, and no foreign invaders will ever again enter their land and take them hostages, and no foreign armies will ever lead them collectively into captivity again. There will be no outcries in the streets, for the land will be most just, people will not protest, nor raise up a raucous, the Lord Jesus Christ’s Reign and Government will be the Most Just and Fair towards all.

Vs. 15 “Happy are the people who are in such a state;

Happy are the people whose God is the Lord!”

Are you listening Israel? Do you hear the voice of your great leader and king David? For he himself lived his life and ruled God’s people with an earnest expectation and desire to meet and see the Lord Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior. Therefore David by God’s Holy Spirit wrote about Him in his Psalms so that his people, all people, would also believe in Him. For by God’s Holy Spirit within him he foretold of the Lord Jesus Christ’s Crucifixion death (see Psalm 22), as well as Israel’s rejection of him in spite of it (see Psalm 69:20-23). Do not then be like those ancient Jews who rejected the Word of the Lord who came to them first, for ultimately they chose a murderer for themselves rather than Him (Matt 27:15-25), who descendants have thus have reaped the consequences down through the ages of their rejecting Him (Matt. 27:25). That said their is still God's Redemption waiting for Israel to return to Him for they will collectively have it when they receive the Lord Jesus Christ and say to Him, “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.” Psalm 118:26 (please see Matt. 23:37-39 to understand). 

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 143 A Psalm of David.

 ¹Hear my prayer, O Lord,

Give ear to my supplications!

In Your faithfulness answer me,

And in Your righteousness.

²Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,

For in Your sight no one living is righteous.

³For the enemy has persecuted my soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground;

He has made me dwell in darkness,

Like those who have long been dead.

⁴Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;

My heart within me is distressed.

⁵I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all Your works;

I muse on the work of Your hands.

⁶I spread out my hands to You;

My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah

⁷Answer me speedily,

O Lord; My spirit fails!

Do not hide Your face from me,

Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.

⁸Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,

For in You do I trust;

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,

For I lift up my soul to You.

⁹Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;

In You I take shelter.

¹⁰Teach me to do Your will,

For You are my God;

Your Spirit is good.

Lead me in the land of uprightness.

¹¹Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake!

For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

¹²In Your mercy cut off my enemies,

And destroy all those who afflict my soul;

For I am Your servant.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Hear my prayer, O Lord,

Give ear to my supplications!

In Your faithfulness answer me,

And in Your righteousness.”

In praying to our Lord, David asks that He hear and answer him because of His faithfulness and His Righteousness. Our prayers and supplications then should follow the same, because as we will see, our own righteousness or faithfulness is no grounds for our God to answer us.

Vs. 2 “Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,

For in Your sight no one living is righteous.”

David then is acutely aware of his own sins and failings, for if our God wanted too, He could quickly deny us if His heeding us was solely based on us. Indeed, David is so humbled by his own self awareness, that he even asks our God not to enter into judgment with him, for as he say’s “In Your sight no living is righteous.” Even the blameless Job had to find that out before our God would heed him.

Vs. 3 “For the enemy has persecuted my soul;

He has crushed my life to the ground;

He has made me dwell in darkness,

Like those who have long been dead.”

Having first taking the seat of the humble sinner, David now presents his just cause to our Lord God. For it is the enemy who has persecuted David, who has crushed his life to the ground, who has caused him to dwell in darkness like those who have been long dead. The enemy here though is not named, for David knows that God knows who his enemy is. And in this one could say ultimately Satan or the devil is the culprit behind it all. For he is always the one behind troubles and chaos in this world as he works through them by his sway and influence over them so as to persecute and wrong us. The Apostle Paul knew this when he wrote: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” ^{Eph. 6:12}

Vs. 4 “Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me;

My heart within me is distressed.”

Because of the ongoing and fierce opposition David faced, his spirit became overwhelmed within him, and his heart was in a state of distress because of them. David though is not alone in his sense of isolation and helplessness, for many a righteous man and women has gone through the same while standing up for what is right in the sight of God. Nonetheless we know that God is always with the generation of the righteous, and as he brought David of his troubles, so He will bring you out of yours. 

Vs. 5 “I remember the days of old;

I meditate on all Your works;

I muse on the work of Your hands.”

To console himself, David now looks to the past, and he remembers the days of old, how God did amazing things in and through him, and not just for himself, but His nation and His people, whom He has upheld through the ages. Indeed, when we get our eyes off ourselves and onto the Lord our God than our spirits heaviness begins to lift as we also remember, meditate and muse on all the work of His hands. Never forget then to recall what God has done for you, and countless others down through the ages. Which is why quality Christian literature can be a healthy part of one’s spiritual diet.

Vs. 6 “I spread out my hands to You;

My soul longs for You like a thirsty land. Selah”

Spreading out our hands to the Lord is our gesture of our opening our hearts to Him, for our souls long for Him, just like the parched land longs for the refreshing showers from heaven, so we long for Him to quench our spiritual thirst, because nothing else will satisfy us. Only His Spirit strongly within us is what keeps us and enables us to remain, "firm in the faith" as Scott Krippayne's song says.

Vs. 7 “Answer me speedily,

O Lord; My spirit fails!

Do not hide Your face from me,

Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.”

David now pleads with the Lord to answer him speedily, for he feels that this burden is too heavy for him to bear any longer. For he fears that if our God does not soon answer him, he will be like those who go done to the pit (i.e. the grave) literally he feels like he will be swallowed up by his circumstances.

Vs. 8 “Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,

For in You do I trust;

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,

For I lift up my soul to You.”

David then is looking for some heavenly encouragement, (which is something that we can give to each other), for he needs to hear God’s lovingkindness towards him in the morning, for he trusts in Him, but he also needs our Lord's answers as to which way he should he go. For David wants to do want is right in the sight of God, therefore he wants to know the way he should walk while in this most difficult time, for not everything is clear and straightforward to him at that time, or to us all the time, for life always brings us ambiguities and dilemmas that we have to work out in our own lives as well. And in this the Lord Jesus Christ is the Master (see John 8:1-11), follow Him and His Word given us all in the N.T. and you will do well.

Vs. 9 “Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies;

In You I take shelter.”

Once again David’s prayer returns to asking for the Lord’s deliverance from his enemies, for it is the Lord whom he (and we) take shelter. And know this that making prayers and supplications multiple times to our Lord is not bothersome to Him, it is often the first step to our finding a reprieve from them.

Vs. 10 “Teach me to do Your will,

For You are my God;

Your Spirit is good.

Lead me in the land of uprightness.”

David’s prayer now becomes even more focused on wanting the Lord our God to teach him His will. For He is our God and it is by His Spirit that He instructs us, (gives us discernment and illuminates His Word for us), for His Spirit is good, and by Him our God will lead us in the land of uprightness.

Vs. 11 “Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake!

For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.”

David’s now prays for the Lord’s revival of his person, that the Lord do this for His Names sake, not David’s name or reputation, but for the Lord’s, so that all will see Him and acknowledge Him as he works to mightily save and restore David. Again, for the Lord’s righteousness’s sake, David asks that our Lord bring his soul out of trouble. For it is the Lord alone who is righteous, and yet mankind can only see this when He in faithfulness saves and redeems sinful men and women like David, like us.

Vs. 12 “In Your mercy cut off my enemies,

And destroy all those who afflict my soul;

For I am Your servant.”

In closing David asks the Lord in His mercy to cut off his enemies and to destroy all those who afflict his soul, for he is the Lord’s servant, and they have set themselves against Him/him (the Lord’s anointed). Therefore, David knows that God’s justice will find them (consider Jeremiah 20:10-13), yet until then let us who are God's people of the New Covenant always remember Matthew 5:43-48 lest we forget the Gospel. 

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 142 A Contemplation Of David. A Prayer When He Was in the Cave.

 ¹I cry out to the Lord with my voice;

With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.

²I pour out my complaint before Him;

I declare before Him my trouble.

³When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,

Then You knew my path.

In the way in which I walk

They have secretly set a snare for me.

⁴Look on my right hand and see,

For there is no one who acknowledges me;

Refuge has failed me;

No one cares for my soul.

⁵I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, “You are my refuge,

My portion in the land of the living.

⁶Attend to my cry,

For I am brought very low;

Deliver me from my persecutors,

For they are stronger than I.

⁷Bring my soul out of prison,

That I may praise Your name;

The righteous shall surround me,

For You shall deal bountifully with me.”

Preamble: David’s declaration here was born out of his hiding time, sometime during those long and unsettling years when Saul was still ruling as king, even though God had anointed David to take his place. And so David was forced to flee from Saul and everything he knew, and start living like a fugitive from Saul whose murderous desires towards him would only cease when his own demise came at the hands of the Philistines, as the Lord said of him. But unbeknown to David that would be years later. And so for now David lives hour by hour hoping and waiting on the Lord who will bring his deliverance. 

Commentary

Vs. 1-3 ¹I cry out to the Lord with my voice;

With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.

²I pour out my complaint before Him;

I declare before Him my trouble.

David’s declaration here is the testimony of a man who knew abandonment, who knew what it was like to be forsaken by family and friend (vs. 4). Who instead of giving into despair, now turns to the Lord. For the Lord alone is the only One who does not forsake us, even when everyone else has. Therefore, David in recalling what has happened to him now declares that his cry for help and justice is to the Lord, for it is to the Lord our God whom David makes his supplications and declares all of his troubles too, troubles which others have done to him and are orchestrating for him.

Vs. 3-4 ³When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,

Then You knew my path.

In the way in which I walk

They have secretly set a snare for me.

⁴Look on my right hand and see,

For there is no one who acknowledges me;

Refuge has failed me;

No one cares for my soul.

David's reflection upon all that has happened to him now brings him to the place of knowing and acknowledging that the Lord observes all our paths, for the Lord knows the ways in which we walk, and He knows what others do not, especially when we are being wronged. Therefore, David asks Him who always upholds truth and justice to look and see what is being done to him, to look and see how there is none who now acknowledge him, for all his compatriots and “friends” that he made in the house of Saul while serving him, have chosen loyalty to Saul at the expense of him. Therefore, David is now faced with the cold reality that he has been abandoned by them all, by all who want to stay in good standing with the man who is seeking to kill him. And so, from being the revered leader of Israel’s forces, who risked his life time and again for them all, who vanquished the Philistines, and was praised for his killing tens of thousands of their enemies in their victory songs, to now fleeing for his life, and being treated like a complete stranger by them all. David now declares to our God that there is none who will acknowledge him, for they would rather enjoy the power and privileges of being loyal to king Saul then acknowledge him as God’s anointed, as a man who is being treated and persecuted very unjustly by him. For not one of them will take him into their care, indeed they all treat him like they never even knew him. For in their self-seeking shallowness they love the favor of Saul more than doing justly towards him or anyone. 

Vs. 5-7 ⁵I cried out to You, O Lord: I said, “You are my refuge,

My portion in the land of the living.

⁶Attend to my cry,

For I am brought very low;

Deliver me from my persecutors,

For they are stronger than I.

⁷Bring my soul out of prison,

That I may praise Your name;

The righteous shall surround me,

For You shall deal bountifully with me.”

Once again David’s cry goes out to the Lord, to the only One who is our refuge, who is our portion in the land of the living, (even when everyone else has forsaken us, the Lord is with us), therefore David asks the Lord to attend to his cry, for he has been brought very low by those who hate him, and are now hunting for his life, (for not being content with having driven him away, they now are seeking to remove his person and life from the earth), and as he says, “they are stronger than I,” indicates that David is alone at this time and they themselves and their numbers are far superior in strength then he  Therefore, David asks the Lord that He bring his soul out of the prison they have created for him, (this cave in which he must hide from them) so that he may praise the Lord’s Name. And in foreseeing this done for him, David now says that the righteous shall surround him when the Lord deals bountifully with him. And ultimately that is how the Lord dealt with him, for the Lord caused David to sit upon His throne and rule over His people just as He has said of him (consider 1 Chr. 17:7-15; Psalm 89:3-4; 19-37; Jeremiah 33:19-26; Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:24-28 etc.). 

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

Psalm 141 A Psalm of David.

 ¹Lord, I cry out to You; Make haste to me!

Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.

²Let my prayer be set before You as incense,

The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

³Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

Keep watch over the door of my lips.

⁴Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,

To practice wicked works

With men who work iniquity;

And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

⁵Let the righteous strike me;

It shall be a kindness.

And let him rebuke me;

It shall be as excellent oil;

Let my head not refuse it.

For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.

⁶Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff,

And they hear my words, for they are sweet.

⁷Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave,

As when one plows and breaks up the earth.

⁸But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord;

In You I take refuge;

Do not leave my soul destitute.

⁹Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,

And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

While I escape safely.

Commentary

Vs. 1 “Lord, I cry out to You; Make haste to me!

Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.”

The prayer of the godly is always done in earnest, David then as a man of God prays such a prayer crying out to the Lord to hear him, (for David does not assume upon Him), rather in a passionate plea he now asks Him to give ear to his voice when He cries out to Him.

Vs. 2 “Let my prayer be set before You as incense,

The lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”

David’s request of the Lord now draws upon the most sacred; for he asks that his prayer be set before the Lord as incense; the holy incense which was offered morning and evening upon the altar of incense in the Tabernacle and then the Temple, which was also placed upon the sacrifices of the saints, and whose fragrance filled the sacred space of the Lord. Thus the holy aroma that was so well pleasing to the Lord, which was to be offered to Him alone, and to be used by (and created by) no one else except His priests, such then is David’s request of the Lord to regard his prayer to Him, to take note of the lifting of his hands to Him as the evening sacrifice.

Vs. 3-4 ³Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;

Keep watch over the door of my lips.

⁴Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,

To practice wicked works

With men who work iniquity;

And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

Having first looked heavenward, David now looks inward, looks at himself and sees the many vulnerabilities that exist in a man, that exist in him. Therefore, he now asks the Lord to set a guard over his mouth, to keep watch of the doors of his lips. For David’s deep concern was that he would not speak things unbecoming a man of God; that he would not be a partaker in foolish speaking, or be like those who give themselves over to brazenly speak whatever evil thoughts and desires come to their minds. For he wanted his person and life to reflect the Person and life of the Lord. And as for his heart, David knew that the heart was deceitful above all things, that it can lead you astray (Jer. 17:9-10; Matt. 15:16-20). Therefore, he prays that the Lord not incline his heart to any evil thing, (for what man can trust himself to direct his own life by his own heart and not fall into sin). And David did not want to end up practicing wicked works with men who work iniquity, with men (especially in power) who always seem to prosper through the same. For compromise and iniquity always starts out small but only grows worse in time. And David did not want to be lured by their delicacies, to start coveting what they had, and then become a partaker (more like a slave to them in it, consider Prov. 23:1-3). These then are important prayers to pray for anyone in, or looking to fulfilling leadership roles.

Vs. 5 “Let the righteous strike me;

It shall be a kindness.

And let him rebuke me;

It shall be as excellent oil;

Let my head not refuse it.

For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.

Therefore, David’s prayer is that the Lord direct the righteous to him, to make them be his Godly counselors. Indeed, he says let them strike me, that is strongly rebuked me when I go astray, and it shall be kindness to me, to receive their Godly rebukes rather than the flattering and deceitful words and “kisses” of wicked counselors (consider Prov. 27:6). David goes on calling it as excellent as the anointing oil on one’s head, therefore he says let my head not refuse it, because by it I am being and sanctified and purified, yes, receiving and heeding Godly rebukes always makes one stronger! For David’s prayer, his desire, (every righteous leader’s desire), is that the wicked be thwarted at every crooked turn that they take, for his (our prayer) is always against the deeds of the wicked, amen!

Vs. 6 “Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the cliff,

And they hear my words, for they are sweet.”

And so, it is David being strengthened in righteousness now executes the judgment of the Lord on their crooked judges, and when the people hear his words, they are sweet to them, for by them they get truth and justice done for them.

Vs. 7 “Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave,

As when one plows and breaks up the earth.”

David now switches from his himself to including all the people of God, who have been made their victims; whose bones have been scattered on the ground (and not buried in the grave as they should have been), making an analogy then of the plow breaking up the earth, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave (i.e. Sheol), and are now lying in wait for their redemption.

Vs. 8 “But my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord;

In You I take refuge;

Do not leave my soul destitute.”

Nonetheless, David’s focus is firmly on our God the Lord. The One in whom he (we) take refuge. For our soul’s redemption is in Him. Therefore he asks the Lord our God that he not leave his soul destitute, (that is leave He not leave him without redemption).

Vs. 9-10 “Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,

And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.”

¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

While I escape safely.

In concluding this Psalm, David once again asks the Lord to keep him from the snares and traps that his enemies, God’s enemies, all the workers of iniquity who have set themselves against Him have laid for him. Indeed, let all the wicked fall into their own snares, while I escape safely.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.

 

Psalm 140 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 ¹Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;

Preserve me from violent men,

²Who plan evil things in their hearts;

They continually gather together for war.

³They sharpen their tongues like a serpent;

The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah

⁴Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;  

Preserve me from violent men,

Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.

⁵The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords;

They have spread a net by the wayside;

They have set traps for me. Selah

⁶I said to the Lord: “You are my God;

Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

⁷O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,

You have covered my head in the day of battle.

⁸Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;

Do not further his wicked scheme,

Lest they be exalted. Selah

⁹“As for the head of those who surround me,

Let the evil of their lips cover them;

¹⁰Let burning coals fall upon them;

Let them be cast into the fire,

Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

¹¹Let not a slanderer be established in the earth;

Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.”

¹²I know that the Lord will maintain

The cause of the afflicted,

And justice for the poor.

¹³Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;

The upright shall dwell in Your presence.

Commentary

Vs. 1-3 ¹Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;

Preserve me from violent men,

²Who plan evil things in their hearts;

They continually gather together for war.

³They sharpen their tongues like a serpent;

The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah

Once again David is under attack from evil and violent men who have set themselves against him. (In this David is figurative of the nation and every believer who also has to endure the wrath of the ungodly). For it is they (not he) who plans evil things in their hearts, for it is they who continually gather together to make war against him, thus this is not a one-time occurrence, but is always ongoing, for they never grow weary of it, and they always find (or create) a justification for it. Even their tongues they sharpen like a serpent while the poison of asps is under their lips; that is the words of their mouth are extremely defamatory against him, and they poison people’s minds and opinions about him.

Vs. 4 ⁴Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;

Preserve me from violent men,

Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.

⁵The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords;

They have spread a net by the wayside;

They have set traps for me. Selah

Therefore David makes his supplications to the Lord, asking Him to keep him from the wicked and to preserve him from violent men. For only the Lord can preserve us from everyone who uses their authority to accomplish their own evil desires against us, as Saul did to him, as well from all the violent men who are of the same spirit as they, whom they recruit to do their dirty deeds for them, for they have purposed to make David stumble, so that they can say to others, “ah, ha”, see are we not justified in doing so. For they are the proud who watch the righteous, who lay snares and traps all along the paths we take, who observe our ways then calculate how best to direct their troubles and troublers towards us, and in David's case this was for his death.

Vs. 6-7 ⁶I said to the Lord: “You are my God;

Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.

⁷O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,

You have covered my head in the day of battle.

Even though they have all the power and privilege of this world, or at the upper hand as calculated out by them, we have the Lord our God who watches over us, and He hears the voice of our supplications when our cause is just. For He is GOD the Lord and He is the strength of our salvation, therefore He has covered our head, that is He is protecting us from their deadly desires, our souls then rest safely in His hands. Therefore, whether in life or death our confidence is in Him, (while theirs is only in their very temporary power), but in the end all their evil ways will not save them from His wrath when He repays them. For the wicked, the unjust, and the ungodly will all share the same fate at the resurrection of the just (see John 5:24-30), better then to repent and believe now while you can then to come to face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ unsanctified and unsealed at His Judgment Seat (Rev. 20:15). 

Vs. 8 “Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;

Do not further his wicked scheme,

Lest they be exalted. Selah”

David’s prayer continues by his asking that the Lord not grant the desires of the wicked, to not let his wicked foes have any of their desires against him, lest they be exalted, and here not just against David, but the Lord Himself. For it is their hatred of the Lord that sets them against him and ultimately us all who believe in Him.

Vs. 9-11 ⁹“As for the head of those who surround me,

Let the evil of their lips cover them;

¹⁰Let burning coals fall upon them;

Let them be cast into the fire,

Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

¹¹Let not a slanderer be established in the earth;

Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.”

In asking for the Lord's protection, David now asks that the Lord our God to turn all of his adversaries’ evil ways on them. That the evil of their mouth’s devoir them, and that burning coals fall on them. Indeed, just like Sodom and Gomorrah’s judgment, so let the wrath of God find them, yes let them be cast into the fire, into deeps pits so that they never rise again. From asking for their specific judgment, to now a more generalized prayer, David also asks that the Lord not let a slanderer be established in the earth, and that evil now hunt the violent man to overthrow him (for he and his people Israel have been their victims). These then are prayers that will be answered in full on the Lord’s Day. For truth, peace, and justice will prevail!

Vs. 12-13 ¹²I know that the Lord will maintain

The cause of the afflicted,

And justice for the poor.

¹³Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;

The upright shall dwell in Your presence.

Even though the wicked and evil men and women may prosper for a season, we know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted and justice for the poor. Surely then the righteous shall give thanks to Your Name, for all the upright shall dwell in Your Presence. For in the Kingdom of heaven the wicked shall never be seen, nor found.

Scripture Quotations

New King James (1982): Thomas Nelson.