David blesses God for his mercy, both to him and to man, 1-4. He prays that God would powerfully deliver him from his enemies, 5-8. He promises to praise God, 9, 10. He prays for the happy state of the kingdom, 11-15.
1 [A Psalm of David.]
Blessed be the LORD my strength/
who teaches my hands to war/
and my fingers to fight;
2 My goodness, my fortress,/
my high tower, and my deliverer;/
my shield, and he in whom I trust,/
who subdues my people under me.
3 LORD, what is man that you take knowledge of him,/
or the son of man that you make account of him?
4 Man is like vanity./
His days are as a shadow that passes away.
5 Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down./
Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning and scatter them./
Shoot your arrows and destroy them.
7 Send your hand from above./
Rid me and deliver me from the great waters,/
from the hand of strange children,
8 Whose mouth speaks vanity/
and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song to you, O God./
Upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings/
I will sing praises to you.
10 It is he who gives salvation to kings,/
who delivers David his servant/
from the hurtful sword.
11 Rid me and deliver me/
from the hand of strange children,/
whose mouth speaks vanity/
and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood,
12 So that our sons may be as plants/
grown up in their youth;/
so that our daughters may be as corner stones,/
polished after the similitude of a palace;
13 So that our granaries may be full,/
affording all manner of store;/
so that our sheep may bring forth thousands/
and ten thousands in our streets;
14 So that our oxen may be strong to labor;/
so that there is no breaking in, nor going out;/
and so that there is no complaining in our streets.
15 Happy are the people who are in such a case./
Indeed, happy are the people whose God is the LORD.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Psalms, Chapter 144[➚]
John Calvin's Chapter Summary:
This Psalm contains a mixture of praise trod prayer; for David, while he extols in very high terms the great mercies which God had bestowed upon him, is led at the same time, either from a consideration of the many trials to be met with in the whole course of human life, or from the connection he still had with wicked men, to pray that God would continue to show this favor to the end. There is this difference between it and Psalm 18, that the latter is triumphant throughout, the kingdom having been thoroughly subdued, and affairs going forward prosperously, whereas in the present he mixes up one or two things which are indicative of fear and anxiety, there being some remaining enemies to cause him apprehension.
[v.3] - Reference, Job 7:17; Psalm 8:4.