1 [A Psalm] of David. Blessed [be] the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, [and] my fingers to fight: 2 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. 3 LORD, what [is] man, that thou takest knowledge of him! [or] the son of man, that thou makest account of him! 4 Man is like to vanity: his days [are] as a shadow that passeth away. 5 Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke. 6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them. 7 Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children; 8 Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand [is] a right hand of falsehood. 9 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. 10 [It is he] that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword. 11 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: 12 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: 13 [That] our garners [may be] full, affording all manner of store: [that] our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets: 14 [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. 15 Happy [is that] people, that is in such a case: [yea], happy [is that] people, whose God [is] the LORD.
Psalms · King James Version (with Apocrypha)
Psalm 144 King James Version (with Apocrypha)
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.
- Psalm titles are printed as the start of verse 1.
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)