Psalm 144 is a royal psalm in which the king prays for God's intervention in Israel's affairs, and then the people join him in a prayer for covenant blessings.
Commentators note a connection between Psalm 144 and Psalm 18. In Psalm 18 the king thanks God from granting the things that he asks for in Psalm 144.
The king begins by acknowledging God as the one who has taught him everything he knows and has given him everything he has. God "trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle" (v 1). The midrash on this psalm mentions 1 Sam 17 as an example in David's case. It also sees this prayer as illustrative of Prov 3:6: "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Manuscripts differ on the wording at end of verse 2: In some versions, the king praises God who "subdues peoples under me." In others, he "subdues my people under me." Both were certainly true in the case of David.
The king recognizes that humans are finite, unstable, temporary, and unreliable, and yet God graciously cares for them--vv 3-4. With a sense of urgency, he asks God to appear powerfully as he has in the past --vv 5-7. He anticipates praising God again for new mighty works (vv 9-11).
In vv 12-15 the people join the king in prayer, expressing appreciation for God's covenant blessings and asking for a renewal of those blessings. "Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord!" they declare in closing.
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