Psalms 144:2

My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me. MY GOODNESS - rather, 'my loving-kindness,' who art loving-kindness itself to me-Hebrew, Chasdi (Psalms 59:17, "the God of my mercy"). MY FORTRESS; MY HIGH TOWER, AND MY DELIVERER; MY SHIELD, AND HE IN WHOM I TRUST - from Psalms 18:2, where, as in this verse, the predicates of God are seven. What God has been in the past to David, He still is: this gives a sure hope of deliverance to Israel in the future. WHO SUBDUETH MY PEOPLE UNDER ME - from Psalms 18:43;...

2._My goodness_, _etc_. This way of using the word in a passive sense, as in the Hebrew, sounds harsh in Latin; just as elsewhere (Psalms 18:50) he calls himself “God’s king,” not in the sense of his having dominion over God, but being made and appointed king by him. Having experienced God’s kindness in so many ways, he calls him “his goodness,” meaning that whatever good he possessed flowed from him. The accumulation of terms, one upon another, which follows, may appear unnecessary, yet it tends greatly to strengthen faith. We know how unstable men’s minds are, and especially how soon faith wavers, when they are assailed by some trial of more than usual severity. It is not enough, if God would sustain us under such weakness, to promise us his help in individual or single expressions; and, even however many aids he supplies us with, we are subject to very great vacillations, and

1-8 When men become eminent for things as to which they have had few advantages, they should be more deeply sensible that God has been their Teacher. Happy those to whom the Lord gives that noblest victory, conquest and dominion over their own spirits. A prayer for further mercy is fitly begun with a thanksgiving for former mercy. There was a special power of God, inclining the people of Israel to be subject to David; it was typical of the bringing souls into subjection to the Lord Jesus. Man's days have little substance, considering how many thoughts and cares of a never-dying soul are employed about a poor dying body. Man's life is as a shadow that passes away. In their highest earthly exaltation, believers will recollect how mean, sinful, and vile they are in themselves; thus they will be preserved from self-importance and presumption. God's time to help his people is, when they are s...

Verse Psalms 144:2. _WHO SUBDUETH MY PEOPLE_] Who has once more reduced the nation to a state of loyal obedience. This may refer to the peace after the rebellion of Absalom....

MY GOODNESS - Margin, “my mercy.” That is, He shows me mercy or favor. All the favors that I receive come from him. AND MY FORTRESS; MY HIGH TOWER, AND MY DELIVERER - See the notes at Psalms 18:2, where the same words occur. MY SHIELD - The same word which in Psalms 18:2 is rendered “buckler.” See the notes at that passage. AND HE IN WHOM I TRUST - The same idea as in Psalms 18:2. The tense of the verb only is varied. WHO SUBDUETH MY PEOPLE UNDER ME - See the notes at...

EXPOSITION A PSALM in which praise and prayer are commingled. Almost certainly Davidic: 1. From the title. 2. From the style. 3. From the way in which David is mentioned in Psalms 144:10 (comp. Psalms 61:6; Psalms 63:11; and especially Psalms 18:50). PSALMS 144:1 BLESSED BE THE LORD MY STRENGTH; or, "my rock" (comp. Psalms 18:2

MY GOODNESS,.... Not only good, but goodness itself; the donor of all the blessings of goodness to him; the author of all goodness in him; the provider of all goodness for him, laid up to be used hereafter. The Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions render it my mercy, properly enough; that is, the God of "my mercy", as in Psalms 59:10; who is all mercy, full of mercy, rich and plenteous in it; which is abundant, and from everlasting to everlasting. Or, "my grace" d; the God of all grace, the giver of every grace, and who is able to make all grace to abound; and from whom every blessing of grace, and every particular grace, as faith, hope, and love, and all the supplies of grace, as well as every good and perfect gift, come: Christ is prevented with all the blessings of goodness; in him all fulness of grace dwells, and with him God keeps his mercy for evermore; an

A Psalm of David. No doubt written after some great victory, and also before another severe struggle. The Christian man seldom escapes from one difficulty without falling into another. Thanks be unto God, he that is with us in six troubles will not forsake us in the seventh! Psalms 144:1. _Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hand to war, and my fingers to fight:_ David does not ascribe any honour to himself. Human strength is from within, from the nerves, and sinews, and muscles, but the believer's strength is from without: «Blessed be Jehovah my strength.» Now, if Jehovah be our strength, then nothing can be too difficult for us, for he whose strength is the omnipotence of God can do all things. «Which teacheth my hands to war:» just as the young soldier was, as it were, bound apprentice to the old warrior, went out to learn the drill, and afterwards w

PSALM 143-145 In Psalms 143:1 the enemy is mentioned again, the enemy who pursued David. “For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has smitten my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have long been dead.” How this again reminds us of the death experience of the pious remnant when the man of sin, the Antichrist will rule in Israel's land. Prayer for deliverance follows. Hear me speedily--Hide not Thy face from me--Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness--Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies, I flee unto Thee to hide me! The next Psalm riseth higher. Faith lays hold on God. Israel, as David did, will look in faith to Him who has the power to deliver His trusting ones. “My Goodness, and my Fortress; my high tower and my deliverer; my shield and He in whom I trust; who subdueth the peoples under me” (literal translation). They acknowledge before

CXLIV. Ascribed by LXX and also by T. to David against Goliath, but without any shadow of reason. Psalms 144:1 is really a mosaic chiefly taken from Psalms 18, but also from Psalms 8, 33, 104. It is a song of anticipated triumph. The Psalmist is in conflict with foreign enemies (strangers (Psalms 144:7) can only mean foreigners). God teaches his fingers to fight, for it is the fingers which grasp the bow and subdue peoples (not my people) under him. He prays that a display in storm and lightning may discomfit his foes. They can be bound by no treaty, for the right hand (Psalms 144:8), which is raised in taking an oath, is false and treacherous. But the Psalmist's triumph is secure. David ...