Salmi 144:3-13

3 O Signore, che cosa è l’uomo, che tu ne abbi cura? Che cosa è il figliuol dell’uomo, che tu ne faccia conto?

4 L’uomo è simile a vanità; I suoi giorni son come l’ombra che passa.

5 Signore, abbassa i tuoi cieli, e scendi; Tocca i monti, e fa’ che fumino.

6 Vibra il folgore, e dissipa quella gente; Avventa le tua saette, e mettili in rotta.

7 Stendi le tue mani da alto, E riscuotimi, e trammi fuor di grandi acque, Di man degli stranieri;

8 La cui bocca parla menzogna; E la cui destra è destra di frode.

9 O Dio, io ti canterò un nuovo cantico; Io ti salmeggerò in sul saltero ed in sul decacordo.

10 Tu, che dài vittoria ai re; Che riscuoti Davide, tuo servitore, dalla spada scellerata;

11 Liberami, e riscuotimi dalla mano degli stranieri. La cui bocca parla menzogna, E la cui destra è destra di frode.

12 Acciocchè i nostri figliuoli sieno come piante novelle, Bene allevate nella lor giovanezza; E le nostre figliuole sieno come i cantoni intagliati Dell’edificio d’un palazzo;

13 E le nostre celle sieno piene, E porgano ogni specie di beni; E le nostre gregge moltiplichino a migliaia, e a diecine di migliaia, Nelle nostre campagne;

Salmi 144:3-13 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.