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Annotations & References
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Psalms 143
Psalms
Chapter 143
143
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 soulthirstethafter 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.
What is Psalms 143 about?
Still hard pressed by the enemy who has crushed his life to the ground, David prays for the LORD to hear him in His faithfulness and righteousness, confessing that in God's sight no living man can be justified. He remembers the days of old, stretches out his hands, and thirsts for God like a parched land, asking to hear His lovingkindness in the morning. He prays to be taught to do God's will and to be led by His good Spirit into the land of uprightness. Casting himself wholly on grace rather than his own merit, David voices the plea of every sinner who lives by mercy alone.
Matthew Henry on Psalms 143