Bible Commentaries

Taking Courage in God before a Decisive Combat

Praised be Jahve who teacheth me to fight and conquer (Psalm 144:1, Psalm 144:2), me thefeeble mortal, who am strong only in Him, Psalm 144:3-4. May Jahve then bepleased to grant a victory this time also over the boastful, lying enemies,Psalm 144:5-8; so will I sing new songs of thanksgiving unto Him, the bestowerof victory, Psalm 144:9-10. May He be pleased to deliver me out of the hand ofthe barbarians who envy us our prosperity, which is the result of ourhaving Jahve as our God, Psalm 144:11-15. A glance at this course of the thoughtcommends the additional inscription of the lxx (according to Origen only“in a few copies”), ðñïôïÃïëéáand the Targumist's reference of the“evil sword” in Psalm 144:10 to the sword of Goliath (after the example of theMidrash). Read 1 Samuel 17:47. The Psalm has grown out of this utterance ofDavid. In one of the old histories, just as several of these lie at thefoundation of our Books of Samuel as sources of information that are stillrecognisable, it was intended to express the feelings with which Davidentered upon the single-handed combat with Goliath and decided thevictory of Israel over the Philistines. At that time he had already beenanointed by Samuel, as both the narratives which have been worked uptogether in the First Book of Samuel assume: see 1 Samuel 16:13; 1 Samuel 10:1. Andthis victory was for him a gigantic stride to the throne.

If אשׁר in Psalm 144:12 is taken as eo quodso that envy is brought underconsideration as a motive for the causeless (שׁוא), lyinglytreacherous rising (ימין שׁקר) of the neighbouringpeoples, then the passage Psalm 144:12-15 can at any rate be comprehended as apart of the form of the whole. But only thus, and not otherwise; for אשׁר cannot be intended as a statement of the aim or purpose: in orderthat they may be … (Jerome, De Wette, Hengstenberg, and others), sincenothing but illustrative substantival clauses follow; nor do these clausesadmit of an optative sense: We, whose sons, may they be … (Maurer); andאשׁר never has an assuring sense (Vaihinger). It is also evident thatwe cannot, with Saadia, go back to Psalm 144:9 for the interpretation of the אשׁר (Arab. (asbh) ('lâ) (mâ)). But that junction by means of eo quod is hazardous, since envy or ill-will (קנאה) is not previously mentioned, and וימינם ימין שׁקר expresses a fact, and not an action. If it is further considered that nothing is wanting in the way of finish to the Psalm if it closes with Psalm 144:11, it becomes all the more doubtful whether Psalm 144:12-15 belonged originally to the Psalm. And yet we cannot discover any Psalm in its immediate neighbourhood to which this piece might be attached. It might the most readily, as Hitzig correctly judges, be inserted between Psalm 147:13 and Psalm 147:14 of Ps 147. But the rhythm and style differ from this Psalm, and we must therefore rest satisfied with the fact that a fragment of another Psalm is here added to Psalm 144:1-15, which of necessity may be accounted as an integral part of it; but in spite of the fact that the whole Psalm is built up on a gigantic scale, this was not its original corner-stone, just as one does not indeed look for anything further after the refrain, together with the mention of David in Psalm 144:10., cf. Ps 18:51.

The whole of this first strophe is an imitation of David's greatsong of thanksgiving, Ps 18. Hence the calling of Jahve “my rock,” Psalm 18:3, Psalm 18:47;hence the heaping up of other appellations in Psalm 144:2 , in which Psalm 18:3 isechoed; but וּמפלּטי־לי (with Lamed deprived of the Dagesh) followsthe model of 2 Samuel 22:2. The naming of Jahve with חסדּי is abold abbreviation of אלהי חסדּי in Psalm 59:11, 18, as alsoin Jonah 2:8 the God whom the idolatrous ones forsake is calledהסדּם. Instead of מלחמה the Davidic Psalms alsopoetically say קרב, Psalm 55:22, cf. Psalm 78:9. The expression “whotraineth my hands for the fight” we have already read in Psalm 18:35. The lastwords of the strophe, too, are after Psalm 18:48; but instead of ויּדבּר this poet says הרודד, from רדד = רדה (cf. Isaiah 45:1; Isaiah 41:2), perhaps under the influence of uwmoriyd in 2 Samuel 22:48. In Psalm 18:48 we however read עמּים, and the Masorahas enumerated Psalm 144:2, together with 2 Samuel 22:44; Lamentations 3:14, as thethree passages in which it is written עמי, whilst one expects עמים (ג דסבירין עמים), as the Targum, Syriac, and Jerome (yet not the lxx) in fact render it. But neither from the language of the books nor from the popular dialect can it be reasonably expected that they would say עמּי for עמּים in such an ambiguous connection. Either, therefore, we have to read עמים,

(Note: Rashi is acquainted with an otherwise unknown note of the Masora: תחתיו קרי; but this Kerîis imaginary.)

or we must fall in with the strong expression, and this is possible: there is, indeed, no necessity for the subduing to be intended of the use of despotic power, it can also be intended to God-given power, and of subjugating authority. David, the anointed one, but not having as yet ascended the throne, here gives expression to the hope that Jahve will grant him deeds of victory which will compel Israel to submit to him, whether willingly or reluctantly.

It is evident that Psalm 144:3 is a variation of Psalm 8:5 with the use of other verbs. ידע in the sense of loving intimacy; חשּׁב, properly to count,compute, here rationem habereInstead of כּי followed by thefuture there are consecutive futures here, and בּן־אדם is aramaizingly(בּר אנשׁ) metamorphosed into בּן־אנושׁ. Psalm 144:4 is justsuch another imitation, like a miniature of Psalm 39:6., Psalm 39:11, cf. Psalm 62:10. The figureof the shadow is the same as in Psalm 102:12, cf. Psalm 109:23. The connection of thethird stanza with the second is still more disrupt than that of the secondwith the first.

The deeds of God which Ps 18 celebrates are here made an object ofprayer. We see from Psalm 18:10 that ותרד, Psalm 144:5 , has Jahve and notthe heavens as its subject; and from Psalm 18:15 that the suffix (em) in Psalm 144:6 ismeant in both instances to be referred to the enemies. The enemies are called sons of a foreign country, i.e., barbarians, as in Psalm 18:45. The fact that Jahve stretches forth His hand out of the heavens and rescues David out of great waters, is taken verbatim from Psalm 18:17; and the poet has added the interpretation to the figure here. On Psalm 144:8 cf. Psalm 12:3; Psalm 41:7. The combination of words “right hand of falsehood” is the same as in Psalm 109:2. But our poet, although so great an imitator, has, however, much also that is peculiar to himself. The verb בּרק, “to send forth lightning;” the verb פּצה in the Aramaeo-Arabic signification “to tear out of, rescue,” which in David always only signifies “to tear open, open wide” (one's mouth), Psalm 22:14; Psalm 66:14; and the combination “the right hand of falsehood” (like “the tongue of falsehood” in Psalm 109:2), i.e., the hand raised for a false oath, are only found here. The figure of Omnipotence, “He toucheth the mountains and they smoke,” is, as in Psalm 104:32, taken from the mountains that smoked at the giving of the Law, Exodus 19:18; Exodus 20:15. The mountains, as in Psalm 68:17 (cf. Psalm 76:5), point to the worldly powers. God only needs to touch these as with the tip of His finger, and the inward fire, which will consume them, at once makes itself known by the smoke, which ascends from them. The prayer for victory is followed by a vow of thanksgiving for that which is to be bestowed.

With the exception of Psalm 108:1-13, which is composed of two Davidic Elohim-Psalms, the Elohim in Psalm 144:9 of this strophe is the only one in the last twoBooks of the Psalter, and is therefore a feeble attempt also to reproducethe Davidic Elohimic style. The “new song” calls to mind Psalm 33:3; Psalm 40:4; andנבל עשׂור also recalls Psalm 33:2 (which see). The fact thatDavid mentions himself by name in his own song comes about in imitationof Ps 18:51. From the eminence of thanksgiving the song finally descendsagain to petition, Psalm 144:7-8, being repeated as a refrain. The petitiondevelopes itself afresh out of the attributes of the Being invoked (Psalm 144:10),and these are a pledge of its fulfilment. For how could the God to whomall victorious kings owe their victory (Psalm 33:16, cf. 2 Kings 5:1; 1 Samuel 17:47) possibly suffer His servant David to succumb to the sword of the enemy!חרב רעה is the sword that is engaged in the service of evil.

With reference to the relation of this passage to the preceding, vid., theintroduction. אשׁר (it is uncertain whether this is a word belongingoriginally to this piece or one added by the person who appended it as asort of clasp or rivet) signifies here quoniam, as in Judges 9:17; Jeremiah 16:13,and frequently. lxx ùïéõé(אשׁר בניהם); so that the temporalprosperity of the enemies is pictured here, and in Psalm 144:15 the spiritualpossession of Israel is contrasted with it. The union becomes satisfactorilyclose in connection with this reading, but the reference of the description,so designedly set forth, to the enemies is improbable. In Psalm 144:12-14 we heara language that is altogether peculiar, without any assignable earlier model. Instead of נטעים we read נטעים elsewhere; “in theiryouth” belongs to “our sons.” מזוינוּ, our garners ortreasuries, from a singular מזו or מזוּ (apparently from averb מזה, but contracted out of מזוה), is a hapaxlegomenon; theolder language has the words אסם, אוצר, ממּגוּרה instead of it. In like manner זן, genus (vid., Ewald, Lehrbuch, S. 380), is a laterword (found besides only in 2 Chronicles 16:14, where וּזנים signifies et varia quidemSyriac (zenonoje), or directly spices from species);the older language has miyn for this word. Instead of אלּוּפים, kine, which signifies “princes” in the older language, the olderlanguage says אלפים in Psalm 8:8. The plena scriptioצאוננוּ, in which the Waw is even inaccurate, corresponds to the laterperiod; and to this corresponds שׁ = אשׁר in Psalm 144:15, cf. on theother hand Psalm 33:12. Also מסבּלים, laden = bearing, like the Latinfordafrom ferre(cf. מעבּר in Job 21:10), is not found elsewhere. צאן is (contrary to Genesis 30:39) treated as a feminine collective, andאלּוּף (cf. שׁור in Job 21:10) as a nomen epicaenumContrary to the usage of the word, Maurer, Köster, Von Lengerke, and Fürst render it: our princes are set up (after Ezra 6:3); also, after the mention of animals of the fold upon the meadows out-of-doors, one does not expect the mention of princes, but of horned cattle that are to be found in the stalls.

זוית elsewhere signifies a corner, and here, according to the prevailing view, the corner-pillars; so that the elegant slender daughters are likened to tastefully sculptured Caryatides - not to sculptured projections (Luther). For (1) זוית does not signify a projection, but a corner, an angle, Arabic Arab. (zâwyt), (zâwia) (in the terminology of the stone-mason the square-stone = אבן פּנּהּ, in the terminology of the carpenter the square), from Arab. (zwâ), (abdere) (cf. e.g., the proverb: (fı̂'l) (zawâjâ) (chabâjâ), in the corners are treasures). (2) The upstanding pillar is better adapted to the comparison than the overhanging projection. But that other prevailing interpretation is also doubtful. The architecture of Syria and Palestine - the ancient, so far as it can be known to us from its remains, and the new - exhibits nothing in connection with which one would be led to think of “corner-pillars.” Nor is there any trace of that signification to be found in the Semitic זוית. On the other hand, the corners of large rooms in the houses of persons of position are ornamented with carved work even in the present day, and since this ornamentation is variegated, it may be asked whether מחתּבות does here signify “sculptured,” and not rather “striped in colours, variegated,” which we prefer, since חטב (cogn. חצב) signifies nothing more than to hew firewood;

(Note: In every instance where חטב (cogn. חצב) occurs, frequently side by side with שׁאב מים (to draw water), it signifies to hew wood for kindling; wherefore in Arabic, in which the verb has been lost, Arab. (ḥaṭab) signifies firewood (in distinction from Arab. (chšb), wood for building, timber), and not merely this, but fuel in the widest sense, e.g., in villages where wood is scarce, cow-dung (vid., Job, at Job 20:6-11, note), and the hemp-stalk, or stalk of the maize, in the desert the Arab. (b‛rt), i.e., camel-dung (which blazes up with a blue flame), and the perennial steppe-plant or its root. In relation to Arab. (ḥaṭab), (aḥṭb) signifies lopped, pruned, robbed of its branches (of a tree), and Arab. (ḥrb) (ḥâtb) a pruning war, which devastates a country, just as the wood-gathering women of a settlement (styled Arab. ('l) -(ḥâťbât) or ('l) -(ȟwâṭt)) with their small hatchet (Arab. (miḥṭab)) lay a district covered with tall plants bare in a few days. In the villages of the (Merg') the little girls who collect the dry cow-dung upon the pastures are called Arab. (bnât) (ḥâṭbât), בּנות הטבות. - Wetzstein.)

and on the other side, the signification of the Arabic (chaṭiba), to be striped, many-coloured (IV to become green-striped, of the coloquintida), is also secured to the verb חטב side by side with that signification by Proverbs 7:16. It is therefore to be rendered: our daughters are as corners adorned in varied colours after the architecture of palaces.

(Note: Corners with variegated carved work are found even in the present day in Damascus in every reception-room (the so-called Arab. (qâ‛t)) or respectable houses cf. Lane, Manners and Customs of the Modern Egyptians, Introduction). An architectural ornament composed with much good taste and laborious art out of wood carvings, and glittering with gold and brilliant colours, covers the upper part of the corners, of which a (ḳâ‛a) may have as many as sixteen, since three wings frequently abut upon the (bêt) (el) -(baḥǎra), i.e., the square with its marble basin. This decoration, which has a most pleasing effect to the eye, is a great advantage to saloons from two to three storeys high, and is evidently designed to get rid of the darker corners above on the ceiling, comes down from the ceiling in the corners of the room for the length of six to nine feet, gradually becoming narrower as it descends. It is the broadest above, so that it there also covers the ends of the horizontal corners formed by the walls and the ceiling. If this crowning of the corners, the technical designation of which, if I remember rightly, is Arab. ('l) -(qrnyt), (ḳornı̂a), might be said to go back into Biblical antiquity, the Psalmist would have used it as a simile to mark the beauty, gorgeous dress, and rich adornment of women. Perhaps, too, because they are not only modest and chaste (cf. Arabic (mesturât), a veiled woman, in opposition to (memshushât), one shone on by the sun), but also, like the children of respectable families, hidden from the eyes of strangers; for the Arabic proverb quoted above says, “treasures are hidden in the corners,” and the superscription of a letter addressed to a lady of position runs: “May it kiss the hand of the protected lady and of the hidden jewel.” - Wetzstein.)

The words האליף, to bring forth by thousands, and מרבּב (denominative from רבבה), which surpasses it, multiplied by tens of thousands, are freely formed. Concerning חוּצות, meadows, vid., on Job 18:17. פּרץ, in a martial sense a defeat, clades, e.g., in Judges 21:15, is here any violent misfortune whatever, as murrain, which causes a breach, and יוצאת any head of cattle which goes off by a single misfortune. The lamentation in the streets is intended as in Jeremiah 14:2. שׁכּכה is also found in Song of Solomon 5:9; nor does the poet, however, hesitate to blend this שׁ with the tetragrammaton into one word. The (Jod) is not dageshed (cf. Psalm 123:2), because it is to be read שׁאדני, cf. מיהוה = מאדני in Genesis 18:14. Luther takes Psalm 144:15 and Psalm 144:15 as contrasts: Blessed is the people that is in such a case, But blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. There is, however, no antithesis intended, but only an exceeding of the first declaration by the second. For to be allowed to call the God from whom every blessing comes his God, is still infinitely more than the richest abundance of material blessing. The pinnacle of Israel's good fortune consists in being, by the election of grace, the people of the Lord (Psalm 33:12).