“Yahweh!
For your name’s sake,
Preserve my life!
In your righteousness,
Bring me out of trouble!
In your steadfast love
Cut off my enemies!
Destroy all my adversaries!
I am your servant.”
This psalm ends with a request to save the life of David. In his righteous and steadfast love, Yahweh was to bring him out of trouble by cutting off his adversaries. In fact, he wanted Yahweh to destroy all his adversaries because he was the true servant of Yahweh.
“Yahweh!
Save me from my enemies!
I have fled to you for refuge!
Teach me to do your will!
You are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
On a level path!”
David wanted to be saved from his enemies. He fled to Yahweh as his refuge. He wanted Yahweh to teach him his will. Yahweh was his God. He wanted Yahweh’s spirit to keep him on a level path so that he would not fall down.
“Answer me quickly!
Yahweh!
My spirit fails!
Do not hide your face from me.
Otherwise I shall be
Like those who go down to the Pit.
Let me hear of your steadfast love
In the morning.
In you
I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go.
To you
I lift up my soul.”
David wanted a quick answer to his prayer. His spirit was failing. He did not want Yahweh to hide his face because then he would go down into the Pit. He wanted to hear the steadfast love of Yahweh in the morning. David put all his trust in Yahweh so that Yahweh might teach him the way to go. He had lifted up his soul to Yahweh.
“I remember the days of old.
I think about all your deeds.
I meditate on the works of your hands.
I stretch out my hands to you.
My soul thirsts for you
Like a parched land.”
Selah
David remembered the good old days when Yahweh had done so much. He meditated on the works of Yahweh. He stretched out his hands to Yahweh. His soul was thirsting for Yahweh like a parched land seeking water. This section ends with the musical interlude meditative pause of Selah.
“The enemy has pursued me.
He has crushed my life to the ground.
He has made me sit in darkness
Like those long dead.
Therefore my spirit faints within me.
My heart within me is appalled.”
The situation of David is described as being pursued by his enemies. He seems like he has been crushed to the ground. He sat in darkness as if he were dead. His spirit was fainting as mentioned above. His heart was appalled. He was in bad shape.
A psalm of David
“Hear my prayer!
Yahweh!
Give ear to my supplications!
In your faithfulness!
Answer me!
In your righteousness!
Do not enter into judgment with your servant!
No one living is righteous before you.”
Psalm 143 is another lamentation psalm of David as indicated in its title. David once again asked Yahweh to hear his prayer. He wanted an answer because Yahweh was faithful and righteous. He did not want Yahweh to judge him, the humble servant. In a theme that will be repeated by Paul in the New Testament writings, he concluded that no living person was righteous before Yahweh.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 