Psalmen 144:1-6

1 Een psalm van David. Gezegend zij de HEERE, mijn Rotssteen, Die mijn handen onderwijst ten strijde, mijn vingeren ten oorlog;

2 Mijn Goedertierenheid en mijn Burg, mijn Hoog Vertrek en mijn Bevrijder voor mij, mijn Schild, en op Wien ik mij betrouwe; Die mijn volk aan mij onderwerpt!

3 O HEERE! wat is de mens, dat Gij hem kent, het kind des mensen, dat Gij het acht?

4 De mens is der ijdelheid gelijk; zijn dagen zijn als een voorbijgaande schaduw.

5 Neig Uw hemelen, HEERE! en daal neder; raak de bergen aan, dat zij roken.

6 Bliksem bliksem, en verstrooi hen; zend Uw pijlen uit, en verdoe hen.

Psalmen 144:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 144

\\<>\\. This psalm was written by David; not on account of the return of the Jews from the Babylonish captivity, by a spirit of prophecy, as Theodoret; but on his own account, after he was come to the throne, and was king over all Israel; and was delivered from the was between him and Israel, and from the war of the Philistines, as Kimchi observes, having gained two victories over them: or it was written between the two victories, and before he had conquered all his enemies; since he prays to be delivered from the hand of strange children, Ps 144:7,11. R. Obadiah thinks it was written on the account of his deliverance from Absalom and Sheba; but the former is best. Some copies of the Septuagint, and also the Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Arabic versions, have in their titles these words, ``against Goliath;'' and so Apollinarius; as if it was written on account of his combat with him, and victory over him; but this clause is not in the Hebrew Bibles; nor could Theodoret find it in the Septuagint in the Hexapla in his time. The Syriac inscription is still more foreign to the purpose, ``a psalm of David, when he slew Asaph the brother of Goliath.'' R. Saadiah Gaon interprets this psalm of the times of the Messiah; and there are several things in it which are applicable to him.