Psalms — Chapter 143

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1A Psalm of David. O LORD, hear my prayer. In Your faithfulness, give ear to my plea; in Your righteousness, answer me.

2Do not bring Your servant into judgment, for no one alive is righteous before You.

3For the enemy has pursued my soul, crushing my life to the ground, making me dwell in darkness like those long since dead.

4My spirit grows faint within me; my heart is dismayed inside me.

5I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I consider the work of Your hands.

6I stretch out my hands to You; my soul thirsts for You like a parched land. Selah

7Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, or I will be like those who descend to the Pit.

8Let me hear Your loving devotion in the morning, for I have put my trust in You. Teach me the way I should walk, for to You I lift up my soul.

9Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD; I flee to You for refuge.

10Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

11For the sake of Your name, O LORD, revive me. In Your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble.

12And in Your loving devotion, cut off my enemies. Destroy all who afflict me, for I am Your servant.

1Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.

2And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

3For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

4Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

5I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.

6I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.

7Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

8Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

9Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

10Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

11Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name’s sake: for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.

12And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.

1Hear my prayer, O Jehovah; give ear to my supplications: In thy faithfulness answer me, [and] in thy righteousness.

2And enter not into judgment with thy servant; For in thy sight no man living is righteous.

3For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; He hath smitten my life down to the ground: He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

4Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; My heart within me is desolate.

5I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy doings; I muse on the work of thy hands.

6I spread forth my hands unto thee: My soul [thirsteth] after thee, as a weary land. Selah

7Make haste to answer me, O Jehovah; my spirit faileth: Hide not thy face from me, Lest I become like them that go down into the pit.

8Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; For in thee do I trust: Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; For I lift up my soul unto thee.

9Deliver me, O Jehovah, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

10Teach me to do thy will; For thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; Lead me in the land of uprightness.

11Quicken me, O Jehovah, for thy name`s sake: In thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.

12And in thy lovingkindness cut off mine enemies, And destroy all them that afflict my soul; For I am thy servant. Psalm 144 [A Psalm] of David.

1A psalm of David. O Lord, hear my prayer. Pay attention to my plea for help. Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me.

2Do not sit in judgment on your servant, for no one alive is innocent before you.

3Certainly my enemies chase me. They smash me into the ground. They force me to live in dark regions, like those who have been dead for ages.

4My strength leaves me; I am absolutely shocked.

5I recall the old days. I meditate on all you have done; I reflect on your accomplishments.

6I spread my hands out to you in prayer; my soul thirsts for you in a parched land.(Selah)

7Answer me quickly, Lord. My strength is fading. Do not reject me, or I will join those descending into the grave.

8May I hear about your loyal love in the morning, for I trust in you. Show me the way I should go, because I long for you.

9Rescue me from my enemies, O Lord. I run to you for protection.

10Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God. May your kind presence lead me into a level land.

11O Lord, for the sake of your reputation, revive me. Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble.

12As a demonstration of your loyal love, destroy my enemies. Annihilate all who threaten my life, for I am your servant.

1Hear my prayer, Yahweh. Listen to my petitions. In your faithfulness and righteousness, relieve me.

2Don’t enter into judgment with your servant, for in your sight no man living is righteous.

3For the enemy pursues my soul. He has struck my life down to the ground. He has made me live in dark places, as those who have been long dead.

4Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me. My heart within me is desolate.

5I remember the days of old. I meditate on all your doings. I contemplate the work of your hands.

6I spread out my hands to you. My soul thirsts for you, like a parched land. Selah.

7Hurry to answer me, Yahweh. My spirit fails. Don’t hide your face from me, so that I don’t become like those who go down into the pit.

8Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to you.

9Deliver me, Yahweh, from my enemies. I flee to you to hide me.

10Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

11Revive me, Yahweh, for your name’s sake. In your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble.

12In your loving kindness, cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul, For I am your servant.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

David pleads for the LORD to answer him in faithfulness and righteousness, asking not to be judged as strictly deserved, since no one living is righteous before God (vv. 1-2). He describes an enemy who has crushed him to the ground and left him dwelling in darkness, leaving his spirit overwhelmed and his heart desolate (vv. 3-4). He remembers God's past works and stretches out his hands, thirsting for God like dry ground thirsts for rain (vv. 5-6). David begs God to answer quickly, show him steadfast love and the way to walk, and lead him on level ground for the sake of God's own name and righteousness (vv. 7-12).

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses.
Classification: Individual Lament / Penitential Psalm
Attributed Author: David (superscription: "A Psalm of David")
Key Themes: Pleading God's faithfulness, no one is righteous, spiritual thirst, remembering past mercies, prayer for guidance, the leading of God's Spirit
Historical Context: Psalm 143 is the seventh and last of the Penitential Psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143). David is crushed by enemies but knows he cannot claim innocence before God ("in thy sight shall no man living be justified," v.2). He appeals instead to God's faithfulness and righteousness. The psalm is especially notable for its plea for the Holy Spirit's guidance (v.10) — one of the clearest OT prayers for the Spirit's leading. Luther valued this psalm greatly for its gospel principle: no one is justified by their own merit.
No Man Living Shall Be Justified (vv.1-2): Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. The last of the seven penitential psalms, and the ground it stands on is God's character rather than the speaker's case. Then the verse that had a long future, and enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Paul argues from this in Romans 3:20 and Galatians 2:16, and the psalm has already conceded the point he uses it to make: the speaker does not want his day in court.
As Those That Have Been Long Dead (vv.3-4): For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead. The comparison is not to the newly dead but to the long dead, which is a colder image: not grief but oblivion. Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
My Soul Thirsteth After Thee, as a Thirsty Land (vv.5-6): I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands. The three verbs describe deliberate work done on memory, which is this psalm's only method for getting out of verse 4. I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land, and the image is of ground cracked open rather than of a person wanting a drink.
Cause Me to Hear Thy Lovingkindness in the Morning (vv.7-10): Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me. Four verses of requests, and what is asked for is mostly guidance rather than rescue, cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, teach me to do thy will. Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning, which asks for news at the hour when a night of trouble ends. Then one of the few lines in the Old Testament about being led by the Spirit, thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness, where the land of uprightness is level ground, the opposite of the snare-strewn path of Psalm 142.
For I Am Thy Servant (vv.11-12): Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. Both reasons offered are God's own, which is consistent with verse 2 having ruled out the speaker's merits. And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies. Mercy is named as the motive for their destruction, which is jarring and is the psalm's own logic: the mercy is toward the speaker. The last three words are the only claim he makes for himself, for I am thy servant.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Verse-by-verse commentary on this chapter, written for the everyday reader and freely available online.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Psalm 143 - Hope for the Persecuted Soul
David Guzik

Psalm 143 | Rescued by God's Goodness | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

Articles

  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of Psalms -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • Pleading God's Faithfulness, Not Your Own Record (vv.1-2) — David asks God not to enter into judgment with him, since no one living could be justified on their own merit. When you approach God, are you leaning on your own performance or on His faithfulness and mercy?
  • Naming the Weight of Distress (vv.3-4) — David describes an enemy who has crushed him to the ground and left his spirit overwhelmed, his heart appalled within him. Do you let yourself name the full weight of what you're carrying when you pray, or do you minimize it?
  • Remembering the Past to Fuel Present Thirst (vv.5-6) — David deliberately recalls what God has done before and lets that memory stir a genuine thirst for Him, like parched ground longing for rain. What has God already done in your life that you should be remembering right now to fuel your trust today?
  • Asking the Spirit to Lead (vv.7-10) — David prays urgently for God's good Spirit to lead him on level ground and teach him to do His will. Are you actively asking for the Spirit's guidance in your decisions, or defaulting to your own judgment first?
  • A Final Plea for Deliverance (vv.11-12) — David closes by asking God to preserve his life for His own name's sake, trusting God's righteousness to act on his behalf. When you ask God to act, is it ultimately for His glory, or mainly for your own comfort?