Psalm 144


Psalm 144 is the 144th psalm of the Book of Psalms, part of the final Davidic collection of psalms, comprising Psalms 138 to 145, which are specifically attributed to David in their opening verses. In the King James Version its opening words are "Blessed be the my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight". In Latin, it is known as "Benedictus Dominus".
In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible, and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 143.
The psalm is used as a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies; it has often been [|set to music].

Themes

The text is attributed to David in the Masoretic Text. The Septuagint has the additional specification of Τῷ Δαυΐδ, πρὸς τὸν Γολιάδ, David against Goliath, putting the text in the context of the narrative of David's fight against Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. The Jerusalem Bible notes that the psalm has two parts: it refers to verses 1-11 as a "war hymn" and suggests that verses 12-15 portray "the fruits of victory", and also by extension "the prosperity of the messianic age".

Use

Judaism

This psalm is recited in some congregations before Maariv on Motzei Shabbat. Verse 15 is the second verse of Ashrei and is also the eighth verse of Hoshia Et Amecha in Pesukei Dezimra. The 15th verse of the psalm is the prayer of Ashrei, and in zemirot.

Catholicism

This psalm was selected to the office of Vespers by St. Benedict of Nursia in 530 AD. It was therefore traditionally performed during Vespers of Friday, according to the Rule of St. Benedict. As Psalm 144 is long enough, Benedict divided it in two. So verses from Deus canticum novum cantabo tibi were his division, and vespers Friday had only three psalms instead of four.
In the Liturgy of the Hours, Psalm 144 is recited during Vespers on Thursday of the fourth week. The main cycle of liturgical prayers takes four weeks.
In the Divine Worship: Daily Office, the daily Divine Office of the Anglican Use Personal Ordinariates, Psalm 144 is recited at Morning Prayer on the 30th and 31st Day of the month in the 30-day Prayer Book cycle or at Morning Prayer on Saturday of the 7th Week in the 7 week cycle.

Musical settings

, composer of Louis XIV, wrote a grand motet in 1695 for this Psalm for the offices celebrated in the Royal Chapel of Versailles.
German poet Matthias Claudius wrote a poem entitled "Wir pflügen und wir streuen" which was inspired by Psalm 144 and was published in 1782. This poem was set to music in 1800 by Johann Abraham Peter Schulz. The lyrics were translated into English in 1862 by Jane Montgomery Campbell, and since that time We Plough the Fields and Scatter has become a popular hymn that is particularly associated with celebrations of the harvest season.
Antonin Dvorak set a verse from the psalm in Czech as the beginning of the fifth movement of his Biblical Songs.

In film

On display in the Museum of the Bible are some clips from the film Saving Private Ryan where Daniel Jackson quotes Psalm 22:19, 25:2 and Psalm 144:2.

Usage as a gun engraving

In September 2015, a gun shop in Apopka, Florida produced an AR-15 named the "Crusader" engraved with [|Psalm 144:1], ostensibly so that it could "never… be used by Muslim terrorists". The Council on American–Islamic Relations responded with disapproval.

Text

The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint and the English translation from the King James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text come from different textual traditions. In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 143.
#HebrewEnglishGreek
1 Blessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:Τῷ Δαυΐδ, πρὸς τὸν Γολιάδ. - ΕΥΛΟΓΗΤΟΣ Κύριος ὁ Θεός μου ὁ διδάσκων τὰς χεῖράς μου εἰς παράταξιν, τοὺς δακτύλους μου εἰς πόλεμον·
2My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.ἔλεός μου καὶ καταφυγή μου, ἀντιλήπτωρ μου καὶ ῥύστης μου, ὑπερασπιστής μου, καὶ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ ἤλπισα, ὁ ὑποτάσσων τὸν λαόν μου ὑπ᾿ ἐμέ.
3LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!Κύριε, τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὅτι ἐγνώσθης αὐτῷ, ἢ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ὅτι λογίζῃ αὐτῷ;
4Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.ἄνθρωπος ματαιότητι ὡμοιώθη, αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ σκιὰ παράγουσι.
5Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.Κύριε, κλῖνον οὐρανοὺς καὶ κατάβηθι, ἅψαι τῶν ὀρέων, καὶ καπνισθήσονται.
6Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.ἄστραψον ἀστραπὴν καὶ σκορπιεῖς αὐτούς, ἐξαπόστειλον τὰ βέλη σου καὶ συνταράξεις αὐτούς.
7Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;ἐξαπόστειλον τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐξ ὕψους, ἐξελοῦ με καὶ ρῦσαί με ἐξ ὑδάτων πολλῶν, ἐκ χειρὸς υἱῶν ἀλλοτρίων,
8Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.ὧν τὸ στόμα ἐλάλησε ματαιότητα, καὶ ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτῶν δεξιὰ ἀδικίας.
9I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.ὁ Θεός, ᾠδὴν καινὴν ᾄσομαί σοι, ἐν ψαλτηρίῳ δεκαχόρδῳ ψαλῶ σοι
10It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.τῷ διδόντι τὴν σωτηρίαν τοῖς βασιλεῦσι, τῷ λυτρουμένῳ Δαυΐδ τὸν δοῦλον αὐτοῦ ἐκ ρομφαίας πονηρᾶς.
11Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:ρῦσαί με καὶ ἐξελοῦ με ἐκ χειρὸς υἱῶν ἀλλοτρίων, ὧν τὸ στόμα ἐλάλησε ματαιότητα καὶ ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτῶν δεξιὰ ἀδικίας.
12That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:ὧν οἱ υἱοὶ ὡς νεόφυτα ἱδρυμένα ἐν τῇ νεότητι αὐτῶν, αἱ θυγατέρες αὐτῶν κεκαλλωπισμέναι, περικεκοσμημέναι ὡς ὁμοίωμα ναοῦ,
13That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets.τὰ ταμιεῖα αὐτῶν πλήρη, ἐξερευγόμενα ἐκ τούτου εἰς τοῦτο, τὰ πρόβατα αὐτῶν πολύτοκα, πληθύνοντα ἐν ταῖς ἐξόδοις αὐτῶν,
14That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.οἱ βόες αὐτῶν παχεῖς, οὐκ ἔστι κατάπτωμα φραγμοῦ, οὐδὲ διέξοδος, οὐδὲ κραυγὴ ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις αὐτῶν,
15Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.ἐμακάρισαν τὸν λαόν, ᾧ ταῦτά ἐστι· μακάριος ὁ λαός, οὗ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῦ.

Verse 1

The first verse is rendered in the King James Version as
This translates the Hebrew:
Thus, in KJV "my strength" renders צורי.
But the Septuagint reads
having Θεός μου "my God" where the Masoretic has "my rock/strength".
This was the text rendered by the Vulgata Clementina,
This Latin translation was the one which was influential in Western Christianity during the Middle Ages. With the development of the ideal of the knighthood in the 12th century, the verse came to be seen as a fitting prayer for the Christian warrior, and references to it are found inscribed on a number of high medieval swords, most notably on the pommel of the Imperial Sword of Otto IV.

Verse 12

The Jerusalem Bible suggests that the psalmist may have in mind a caryatid, a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support.

General and cited references