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Psalm 144
Psalm 144
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Book	Book of Psalms
Hebrew Bible part	Ketuvim
Order in the Hebrew part	1
Category	Sifrei Emet
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	19

Psalm 144
Psalm 144
"Blessed be the LORD my strength"
	David playing his harp,; Paris Psalter, c. 960, Constantinople
Other name	Psalm 144 (Vulgate); "Benedictus Dominus";
Language	Hebrew (original)

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.^[1] In the King James Version its opening words are "Blessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight". In Latin, it is known as "Benedictus Dominus".^[2]

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.

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text^[3]^[4] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse	Hebrew	English translation (JPS 1917)
1	לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ בָּ֘ר֤וּךְ יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ צוּרִ֗י הַֽמְלַמֵּ֣ד יָדַ֣י לַקְרָ֑ב אֶ֝צְבְּעוֹתַ֗י לַמִּלְחָמָֽה׃‎	[A Psalm] of David. Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who traineth my hands for war, And my fingers for battle;
2	חַסְדִּ֥י וּמְצוּדָתִי֮ מִשְׂגַּבִּ֢י וּֽמְפַלְטִ֫י־לִ֥י מָ֭גִנִּי וּב֣וֹ חָסִ֑יתִי הָרוֹדֵ֖ד עַמִּ֣י תַחְתָּֽי׃‎	My lovingkindness, and my fortress, My high tower, and my deliverer; My shield, and He in whom I take refuge; Who subdueth my people under me.
3	יְֽהֹוָ֗ה מָֽה־אָ֭דָם וַתֵּדָעֵ֑הוּ בֶּן־אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ וַתְּחַשְּׁבֵֽהוּ׃‎	LORD, what is man, that Thou takest knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that Thou makest account of him?
4	אָ֭דָם לַהֶ֣בֶל דָּמָ֑ה יָ֝מָ֗יו כְּצֵ֣ל עוֹבֵֽר׃‎	Man is like unto a breath; His days are as a shadow that passeth away.
5	יְ֭הֹוָה הַט־שָׁמֶ֣יךָ וְתֵרֵ֑ד גַּ֖ע בֶּהָרִ֣ים וְֽיֶעֱשָֽׁנוּ׃‎	O LORD, bow Thy heavens, and come down; Touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6	בְּר֣וֹק בָּ֭רָק וּתְפִיצֵ֑ם שְׁלַ֥ח חִ֝צֶּ֗יךָ וּתְהֻמֵּֽם׃‎	Cast forth lightning, and scatter them; Send out Thine arrows, and discomfit them.
7	שְׁלַ֥ח יָדֶ֗יךָ מִ֫מָּר֥וֹם פְּצֵ֣נִי וְ֭הַצִּילֵנִי מִמַּ֣יִם רַבִּ֑ים מִ֝יַּ֗ד בְּנֵ֣י נֵכָֽר׃‎	Stretch forth Thy hands from on high; Rescue me, and deliver me out of many waters, Out of the hand of strangers;
8	אֲשֶׁ֣ר פִּ֭יהֶם דִּבֶּר־שָׁ֑וְא וִ֝ימִינָ֗ם יְמִ֣ין שָֽׁקֶר׃‎	Whose mouth speaketh falsehood, And their right hand is a right hand of lying.
9	אֱֽלֹהִ֗ים שִׁ֣יר חָ֭דָשׁ אָשִׁ֣ירָה לָּ֑ךְ בְּנֵ֥בֶל עָ֝שׂ֗וֹר אֲזַמְּרָה־לָּֽךְ׃‎	O God, I will sing a new song unto Thee, Upon a psaltery of ten strings will I sing praises unto Thee;
10	הַנּוֹתֵ֥ן תְּשׁוּעָ֗ה לַמְּלָ֫כִ֥ים הַ֭פּוֹצֶה אֶת־דָּוִ֥ד עַבְדּ֗וֹ מֵחֶ֥רֶב רָעָֽה׃‎	Who givest salvation unto kings, Who rescuest David Thy servant from the hurtful sword.
11	פְּצֵ֥נִי וְהַצִּילֵנִי֮ מִיַּ֢ד בְּֽנֵי־נֵ֫כָ֥ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר פִּ֭יהֶם דִּבֶּר־שָׁ֑וְא וִ֝ימִינָ֗ם יְמִ֣ין שָֽׁקֶר׃‎	Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hand of strangers, Whose mouth speaketh falsehood, And their right hand is a right hand of lying.
12	אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּנֵ֨ינוּ ׀ כִּנְטִעִים֮ מְגֻדָּלִ֢ים בִּֽנְעוּרֵ֫יהֶ֥ם בְּנוֹתֵ֥ינוּ כְזָוִיֹּ֑ת מְ֝חֻטָּב֗וֹת תַּבְנִ֥ית הֵיכָֽל׃‎	We whose sons are as plants grown up in their youth; Whose daughters are as corner-pillars carved after the fashion of a palace;
13	מְזָוֵ֣ינוּ מְלֵאִים֮ מְפִיקִ֥ים מִזַּ֗ן אֶ֫ל־זַ֥ן צֹאונֵ֣נוּ מַ֭אֲלִיפוֹת מְרֻבָּב֗וֹת בְּחוּצוֹתֵֽינוּ׃‎	Whose garners are full, affording all manner of store; Whose sheep increase by thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
14	אַלּוּפֵ֗ינוּ מְֽסֻבָּ֫לִ֥ים אֵֽין־פֶּ֭רֶץ וְאֵ֣ין יוֹצֵ֑את וְאֵ֥ין צְ֝וָחָ֗ה בִּרְחֹבֹתֵֽינוּ׃‎	Whose oxen are well laden; With no breach, and no going forth, And no outcry in our broad places;
15	אַשְׁרֵ֣י הָ֭עָם שֶׁכָּ֣כָה לּ֑וֹ אַֽשְׁרֵ֥י הָ֝עָ֗ם שֱׁיְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהָֽיו׃‎	Happy is the people that is in such a case. Yea, happy is the people whose God is the LORD.

King James Version

Blessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight:
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.
LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!
Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.
Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Cast forth lightning, and scatter them: shoot out thine arrows, and destroy them.
Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;
Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.
It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword.
Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:
That 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:
That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets.
That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.
Happy is that people, that is in such a case: yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD.

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".^[5]

Verse 1

The first verse is rendered in the King James Version (KJV) as

"Blessed be the LORD my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight."^[6]

This translates the Hebrew:

ברוך יהוה צורי המלמד ידי לקרב אצבעותי למלחמה׃^[7]

Thus, in KJV "my strength" renders צורי (lit. "my rock").

But the Septuagint has

Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεός μου ὁ διδάσκων τὰς χεῖράς μου εἰς παράταξιν, τοὺς δακτύλους μου εἰς πόλεμον

putting Θεός μου "my God" where the Hebrew has "my rock/strength". This was the text rendered by the Vulgata Clementina,

Benedictus Dominus Deus meus, qui docet manus meas ad prælium, et digitos meos ad bellum.

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 (made c. 1198).

Verse 12

That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth;

That our daughters may be as pillars,

Sculptured in palace style.^[8]

The Jerusalem Bible suggests that the psalmist may have in mind a caryatid, a sculpted female figure serving as an architectural support.^[9]

Use

Judaism

This psalm is recited in some congregations before Maariv on Motzei Shabbat.^[10] Verse 15 is the second verse of Ashrei and is also the eighth verse of Hoshia Et Amecha in Pesukei Dezimra.^[11] The 15th verse of the psalm is the prayer of Ashrei, and in zemirot.^[12]

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.^[13]^[14]

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.^[15]

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.^[16]

Musical settings

Michel Richard Delalande, composer of Louis XIV, wrote a grand motet in 1695 for this Psalm (S.44) for the offices celebrated in the Royal Chapel of Versailles.

German poet Matthias Claudius wrote a poem entitled "Wir pflügen und wir streuen" (in English: "We plough the fields and scatter") 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.^[17]

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.^[18]