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Psalm 144 Bible study: Blessed be the LORD, my rock

Psalm 144 shares many of Psalm 18's Hebrew words, the heavens bowed, the arrows and lightning, the great waters, and asks for what Psalm 18 tells as done. It asks Psalm 8's question in its own Hebrew, and its care for is yada, know (144:3). It prays "Rescue me" twice, and ends with Happy twice: "Happy are the people whose God is the LORD" (144:15).

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“LORD, what is man, that you care for him? Or the son of man, that you think of him?”
Psalm 144:3 · World English Bible

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“Psalm 144:2 calls the LORD "my loving kindness".”

Is that in Psalm 144, or not? Make your call.

What's really going on

Psalm 18's words, asked for

In the text

The psalm's title is "By David" (144:1). Then: "Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands to war, and my fingers to battle" (144:1) (tap trains, war). Many of its lines share their Hebrew words with Psalm 18. Psalm 18 says, "Blessed be my rock" (Psalm 18:46), and "He teaches my hands to war" (Psalm 18:34), with the same verb for trains and teaches. Five of the words in 144:2 are in Psalm 18:2 too: four names, fortress, high tower, deliverer and shield, and the verb of take refuge. Then come three lines where Psalm 18 tells and Psalm 144 asks. Psalm 18 says, "He bowed the heavens also, and came down" (Psalm 18:9); Psalm 144 says, "Part your heavens, LORD, and come down" (144:5), and in Hebrew bowed and Part are one verb, natah. Psalm 18 says, "He sent out his arrows, and scattered them. He routed them with great lightning bolts" (Psalm 18:14); Psalm 144 says, "Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them" (144:6) (tap lightning). Psalm 18 says, "He sent from on high. He took me. He drew me out of many waters" (Psalm 18:16); Psalm 144 says, "Stretch out your hand from above, rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters" (144:7), and in Hebrew on high and from above are one word, as are many and great. Here is what almost everyone misses: in Psalm 18 these are things the LORD did, and in Psalm 144 they are things the psalm asks him to do. The chapter on Psalm 18 sets that song beside 2 Samuel 22. Neither psalm says which came first, and these notes don't say either.

Honest questions

Questions people ask about Psalm 144

That was a taste

The rest of Psalm 144 is waiting in Favor

  • What is man? A breath
  • "Rescue me," twice
  • Sons, daughters, barns, and a people
  • Where Psalm 144 and Psalm 18 differ
  • A new song, on ten strings
  • 13 questions as you read
  • 13 more Hebrew words
  • A short check at the end
  • Your notes, saved as you go
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The Hebrew word behind it

פָּצָהpatsahsay pa-TSAH

Brown-Driver-Briggs: "part, open", with "open mouth" and "set free" among its uses. Strong's: "to rend, i.e. open (especially the mouth)". "Rescue me, and deliver me" (144:7, 144:11), and "who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword" (144:10). The Psalms have it five times in Hebrew, and three are in this psalm, all rescue. The other two are said of mouths and lips: "They open their mouths wide against me" (Psalm 22:13), and the vows "which my lips promised" (Psalm 66:14). Here it is said of the LORD, and set beside foreigners "whose mouths speak deceit" (144:8).

For your group

Psalm 144 Bible study questions

  1. 1"LORD, what is man, that you care for him?" (144:3). When have you been surprised that God knows you, or cares about you at all?
  2. 2The psalm asks "Rescue me" twice (144:7, 144:11). What would you ask God to rescue you from right now, and would you ask more than once?
  3. 3"I will sing a new song to you, God" (144:9). What has God done lately that you'd want a new song for?

Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Psalm 144 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.

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Questions

What is Favor?

Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home