Psalm 144: Who Trains My Hands for War

"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!… 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."

"I will sing a new song unto thee, O God… It is he that giveth salvation unto kings: who delivereth David his servant from the hurtful sword… 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… 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."

A mosaic of earlier psalms

Verses 1–2 echo 18:2, 34, 47; v. 3 echoes 8:4; v. 4 echoes 39:5 ("vanity," hevel); vv. 5–7 echo 18:9, 14, 16. The psalmist builds a new royal prayer from old ones, as in Psalms 108 and 86, then adds a picture of national peace not found in the sources (vv. 12–15).

"Against Goliath"

The Hebrew heading is "of David." The library's Vulgate adds "Adversus Goliath," "against Goliath," a Greek heading connecting "teacheth my hands to war" and "delivereth David… from the hurtful sword" with 1 Samuel 17. Greek and Latin number it 143.

Later use

No New Testament writer quotes Psalm 144. In Jewish practice it is recited on Saturday night at the close of the Sabbath; its blessing of peaceful streets became a prayer for the coming week.