Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children ,.... This is repeated from Psalm 144:7 ; and is done to show the vehemency and importunity of the request, and the danger David was in, and his sense of it; See Gill on Psalm 144:7 ; whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood . See Gill on Psalm 144:8 . read more
That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth ,.... The Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, Syriac, and Arabic versions, read, "whose sons are as plants", &c.; as if this and what follows were a description of the families, estates, substance, and outward happiness of wicked men, the enemies of David, the strange children he desired to be delivered from, agreeably to Job 21:7 ; and if the word "saying", or "who say", be supplied, as by some F15 So Schmidt. , and... read more
That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store ,.... Or "our corners" F19 מזוינו "anguli nostri", Pagninus, Vatablus, Cocceius, Michaelis. , the corners of their houses, as Aben Ezra and Kimchi; the nooks that were in them might be full of provisions for the supply of the family; or that their barns and granaries might be full of all kind of corn, as wheat, rye, barley, &c.; which might be sufficient from year to year, as the Targum; plenty of all food is... read more
That our sons may be as plants - God had promised to his people, being faithful, Three descriptions of Blessings, Deuteronomy 28:4 . The fruit of the body - sons and daughters. The fruits of the ground - grass and corn in sufficient plenty. Fruit of the cattle-"the increase of kine, and flocks of sheep." These are the blessings to wnich the psalmist refers here, as those in which he might at present exult and triumph: blessings actually enjoyed by his people at large; proofs of his... read more
That our garners, etc. - Our garners are full. These are not prayers put up by David for such blessings: but assertions, that such blessings were actually in possession. All these expressions should be understood in the present tense. Ten thousands in our streets - בחצתינו bechutsotheynu should be translated in our pens or sheep-walks; for sheep bringing forth in the streets of cities or towns is absurd. read more
Verse 12 12.Because our sons, etc. These three concluding verses some consider as being a wish or a prayer. (271) Others think that David congratulates himself, and all the people, that through the divine blessing every species of mercy was showered down prosperously upon them. I have no doubt that David commemorates, by way of thanksgiving, the liberality which God had shown to his people. But it consists very well with this, to suppose that he prays at the same time for the continuance or... read more
Verse 13 13.Our recesses full, etc. Some read storehouses, (272) and I would not reject this meaning. But as the word comes from the same root with זוה, zavah, which is rendered corner in the previous verse, it seems more agreeable to the etymology to translate the words as I have done — “that the recesses or corners were full.” The participle מפיקים, mephikim, some take transitively, and read producing, but the meaning comes to the same thing, that abundance of every blessing flowed from all... read more
National piety and prosperity. The latter part of this psalm seems hardly to belong to the former; but looking at it in the light of the last verses, we regard it as an utterance which has in view, from first to last, the well-being of the nation. Thus considered, we have— I. THE ONE TRUE SOURCE OF NATIONAL SECURITY . ( Psalms 144:1 , Psalms 144:2 , Psalms 144:10 .) The writer is presumably David. He takes the position of a leader, of a warrior-king. And though we ... read more
What the goodness of God does for me and in me. This psalm is a string of quotations, mostly from Psalms 18:1-50 ; as any reference Bible will show; and as that psalm is almost undisputedly one of David's composition, therefore this, which owes so much to it, may be called his likewise. It is also one of the war-psalms, breathing the fierce and sometimes the truculent spirit, the presence of which in these psalms has so often perplexed the Christian reader. In order to understand such... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 144:9-15
The method is the same in this latter part of the psalm as in the former; David first gives glory to God and then begs mercy from him. I. He praises God for the experiences he had had of his goodness to him and the encouragements he had to expect further mercy from him, Ps. 144:9, 10. In the midst of his complaints concerning the power and treachery of his enemies, here is a holy exultation in his God: I will sing a new song to thee, O God! a song of praise for new mercies, for those... read more