Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 144
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Psalms 144
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Psalms 144
"Blessed be Jehovah my rock, Who teacheth my hands to war, [And] my fingers to fight:" — Psalms 144:1 (ASV)
Strength.— Rather, rock. Compare to Psalms 18:2; Psalms 18:46. The Septuagint and Vulgate have “my God.”
Which teaches.— See Psalms 18:34. More literally,
Who trains my hands for war,
My fingers for fight.
"My lovingkindness, and my fortress, My high tower, and my deliverer; My shield, and he in whom I take refuge; Who subdueth my people under me." — Psalms 144:2 (ASV)
My goodness—Or, my lovingkindness, or my grace, a shortened form of “God of my grace” (Psalms 59:10; Psalms 59:17). The expression is exactly analogous to the term “grace,” applied to kings as the source of grace or mercy. For the other epithets, see Psalm 18:2.
Who subdueth—Psalms 18:47; but the verb is different (cognate with 2 Samuel 22:48), and here the singular, “my people,” instead of “my peoples.” Some manuscripts indeed have the plural here, and the Syriac and Chaldee followed them, or changed to suit Psalm 18:0. If we had the historical incidents from which the psalm arose, we might account for the change.
"Jehovah, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that thou makest account of him?" — Psalms 144:3 (ASV)
See Psalms 8:4.
"Man is like to vanity: His days are as a shadow that passeth away." — Psalms 144:4 (ASV)
Vanity ... shadow. —See Psalms 39:5-6; Psalms 102:11. The occasion of the introduction of these sentiments here is not quite clear. It may be the humility of the warrior who ascribes all success to God instead of to human prowess, or it may be a reflection uttered over the corpses of comrades, or, perhaps, a blending of the two.
"Bow thy heavens, O Jehovah, and come down: Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke." — Psalms 144:5 (ASV)
Come down. —The theophany for which the psalmist prays is described in the classic language for such manifestations taken from Psalms 18:9; Psalms 18:13; Psalms 18:16–17; Psalms 18:43; Psalms 18:45, with reminiscences of Psalms 104:32; Exodus 19:18. But there are touches of originality, as in the next clause.
Jump to: