Psalms 144:12

DAVID'S PRAYER FOR ALL ISRAEL

"When our sons shall be as plants grown up in their youth,

And our daughters as corner-stones hewn after the fashion of a palace;

When our garners are full, affording all manner of store,

And our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;

When our oxen are well laden;

When there is no breaking in, and no going forth,

And no outcry in our streets:

Happy is the people that is in such a case;

Yea, happy is the people whose God is Jehovah."

There is undoubtedly in this paragraph a brilliant word-picture of overwhelming domestic tranquillity and prosperity.

(1) Psalms 144:12 gives a picture of prosperous and happy families. There is some doubt among scholars as to the exact meaning of the metaphors here; but the idea is clear enough. Strong, vigorous sons, and beautiful efficient daughters adorn the primary unit of any successful society, namely, the family.

(2) Psalms 144:13 stresses the full storehouses and the fantastic growth of their flocks of sheep.

(3) Psalms 144:14 speaks of "well laden" oxen, hauling in the bumper crops.

"No breaking in ... no going forth ... no outcry in the streets" (Psalms 144:14b). Only domestic tranquility may be thus described. The marginal reading for "going forth" is "sallying," a term associated with warfare, indicating that the meaning here is "no going forth to war."

"Happy is the people that is in such a case" (Psalms 144:15). Note the present tense here. This indicates that the marvelous blessings requested in David's prayer are already being enjoyed in Israel. The prayer is a prayer for the continuation of what is already being enjoyed by God's people.

Rawlinson pointed out that, "The best recent critics see in this passage a description of Israel's actual condition in the writer's day. In line with this, Dr. Kay, and Professor Cheyne render the verbs in the passage as present, `the sons are,' `the daughters are,' etc."[20]

Instead of these last four verses being "a fragment,"[21] or "A copyist's quotation of some lost Davidic psalm,"[22] these verses fit the whole psalm as a glove fits the hand. What could be more natural and reasonable than the fact that David, having seen the end of wars and strife and the astounding blessing of God in the prosperity of his people, should have prayed earnestly to God for the continuation of the happy conditions, giving God all the glory for it?