Psalm 144 JPS Tanakh (1917)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (2)
- Greek and Latin Bibles number most Psalms one lower than Hebrew and English Bibles.
- Numbers like (22-2) in the text give the Hebrew verse numbering where it differs.
1 A Psalm of David. Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who traineth my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;
1 By David. Blessed be Yahweh, my rock, who trains my hands to war, and my fingers to battle—
2 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.
2 my loving kindness, my fortress, my high tower, my deliverer, my shield, and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.
3 LORD, what is man, that Thou takest knowledge of him? or the son of man, that Thou makest account of him?
3 Yahweh, what is man, that you care for him? Or the son of man, that you think of him?
4 Man is like unto a breath; his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
4 Man is like a breath. His days are like a shadow that passes away.
5 O LORD, bow Thy heavens, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
5 Part your heavens, Yahweh, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them; send out Thine arrows, and discomfit them.
6 Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them.
7 Stretch forth Thy hands from on high; rescue me, and deliver me out of many waters, out of the hand of strangers;
7 Stretch out your hand from above, rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, out of the hands of foreigners,
8 Whose mouth speaketh falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of lying.
8 whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 O God, I will sing a new song unto Thee, upon a psaltery of ten strings will I sing praises unto Thee;
9 I will sing a new song to you, God. On a ten-stringed lyre, I will sing praises to you.
10 Who givest salvation unto kings, who rescuest David Thy servant from the hurtful sword.
10 You are he who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword.
11 Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hand of strangers, whose mouth speaketh falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of lying.
11 Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hands of foreigners, whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 We whose sons are as plants grown up in their youth; whose daughters are as corner-pillars carved after the fashion of a palace;
12 Then our sons will be like well-nurtured plants, our daughters like pillars carved to adorn a palace.
13 Whose garners are full, affording all manner of store; whose sheep increase by thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
13 Our barns are full, filled with all kinds of provision. Our sheep produce thousands and ten thousands in our fields.
14 Whose oxen are well laden; with no breach, and no going forth, and no outcry in our broad places;
14 Our oxen will pull heavy loads. There is no breaking in, and no going away, and no outcry in our streets.
15 Happy is the people that is in such a case. Yea, happy is the people whose God is the LORD.
15 Happy are the people who are in such a situation. Happy are the people whose God is Yahweh.
Cross references (15)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 18:34; Psalm 18:2; 2 Samuel 22:35; Psalm 44:3–4; Ephesians 6:10–11
- 2 2 Samuel 22:2–3; Psalm 18:2; Psalm 91:2; Psalm 59:9; Psalm 18:47
- 3 Psalm 8:4; Job 7:17; Hebrews 2:6; Job 15:14; Psalm 146:3–4
- 4 Psalm 102:11; Psalm 109:23; Job 8:9; Psalm 39:5–6; Ecclesiastes 12:8
- 5 Psalm 104:32; Psalm 18:9; Habakkuk 3:3–6; Exodus 19:18; Isaiah 64:1–2
- 6 Deuteronomy 32:23; Psalm 18:13–14; Deuteronomy 32:42; Psalm 21:12; Psalm 45:5
- 7 Psalm 69:1–2; Psalm 18:16; Psalm 54:3; Revelation 17:15; Matthew 27:43
- 8 Psalm 12:2; Psalm 41:6; Isaiah 44:20; Psalm 62:4; Matthew 5:30
- 9 Psalm 33:2–3; Psalm 40:3; Psalm 150:3–5; Psalm 149:1; Psalm 81:1–3
- 10 Psalm 18:50; Psalm 140:7; Psalm 33:16–18; 2 Samuel 5:19–25; 2 Samuel 21:16–17
- 11 Psalm 144:7–8; Isaiah 44:20; Psalm 12:2; 2 Samuel 17:1–14; 2 Samuel 10:6–19
- 12 Psalm 128:3; 1 Peter 3:3–6; Isaiah 44:3–5; Psalm 115:14–15; Job 42:15
- 13 Deuteronomy 7:13–14; Deuteronomy 28:8; Deuteronomy 28:4; Leviticus 26:10; Deuteronomy 8:3
- 14 Zechariah 8:3–5; Deuteronomy 28:7; Judges 6:6; 1 Samuel 13:17–23; Jeremiah 13:17–19
- 15 Psalm 33:12; Ephesians 1:3; Psalm 146:5; Deuteronomy 33:29; Psalm 65:4
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
The title of the Psalm is, "To David himself, when his son was pursuing him." We know from the Books of Kings that this happened:...but we must recognise here another David, truly "strong in hand," which is the explanation of David, even our Lord Jesus Christ. For all those events of past time were figures of things to come.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
And so do men live in opposition to the three and seven, that psaltery "of ten strings," Thy ten commandments, O God most high and most sweet.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
And another of the Prophets entreated, saying, Bow the heavens, O Lord and come down.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
19. And Thou sendedst Thine hand from above, and drewest my soul out of that profound darkness, when my mother, Thy faithful one, wept to thee on my behalf more than mothers are wont to weep the bodily death of their children.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
O Lord, Lord, who hast bowed the heavens and come down, touched the mountains and they did smoke, by what means didst Thou convey Thyself into that bosom?
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)