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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Psalms 144:1-8

Here, I. David acknowledges his dependence upon God and his obligations to him, Ps. 144:1, 2. A prayer for further mercy is fitly begun with a thanksgiving for former mercy; and when we are waiting upon God to bless us we should stir up ourselves to bless him. He gives to God the glory of two things:? 1. What he was to him: Blessed be the Lord my rock (Ps. 144:1), my goodness, my fortress, Ps. 144:2. He has in the covenant engaged himself to be so, and encouraged us, accordingly, to depend... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 144:5

Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down ,.... The heavens, which the Lord has made, and where he dwells; and which are under his influence, and he can cause to incline or bow at his pleasure: and which literally may be said to bow, particularly the airy heavens, when these are filled with clouds heavy with rain, and hang low, ready to fall upon the earth, and being rent, let down showers on it: and mystically may design storms of wrath gathering over the heads of ungodly men, and revealed... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 144:6

Cast forth lightning, and scatter them ,.... The mountains, the kings and kingdoms of the earth; the enemies of David, and of Christ, and of his people; particularly the Jews, who have been scattered all over the earth by the judgments of God upon them; cast forth like lightning, which is swift, piercing, penetrating, and destructive; shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them ; or, "trouble them" F11 ותהמם "ac turba eos", Tigurine version; "et conturba eos", Cocceius, Michaelis. ;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 144:7

Send thine hand from above ,.... From the high heavens, as the Targum; that is, exert and display thy power in my deliverance, and in the destruction of my enemies; as follows: rid me, and deliver me out of great waters ; out of great afflictions, which, for quantity and quality, are like many waters, overflowing and overwhelming; see Isaiah 43:2 ; or out of the hands of enemies, many, mighty, and strong, whom he compares to waters; as Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech observe: and so... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Psalms 144:8

Whose mouth speaketh vanity ,.... Vain words, lies, flatteries, and deceit, Psalm 12:2 ; when they speak loftily of themselves, and contemptuously of others; when they deliver out threatenings against some, and make fair promises to others; it is all vanity, and comes to nothing; and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood ; their strength and power to perform what they boast of, threaten, or promise, is fallacious, is mere weakness, and cannot effect anything; or their... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 144:6

Cast forth lightning - See the note Psalm 18:13-14 ; (note). read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 144:7

Deliver me out of great waters - See the note Psalm 18:16 . read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 144:5

Verse 5 5.O Jehovah! bow thy heavens. After extolling, as was due, the great goodness of God, he requests him to furnish such help for the preservation of the kingdom as was necessary in the present exigency. As formerly we saw that he had gloried in God with a heroical courage, so here he makes use of the same lofty terms in his prayers, That he would bow the heavens — that he would make the mountains to smoke — disturb the air with thunderings — and shoot forth arrows; forms of speech by... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Psalms 144:7

Verse 7 7.Send thy hand, etc. In one word we are now made to see what was meant by the figures formerly used — that in the absence of all earthly help, God would put forth his hand from above, the greatness of the exigency making extraordinary help necessary. Accordingly he compares his enemies to great and deep waters. He calls them strangers, not in respect of generic origin, but character and disposition. It were a mistake to refer the term to the uncircumcision, for David rather animadverts... read more

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