Jehovah’s servant recognises that his sufferings are the merited punishment of sin, and pleads for a merciful hearing. The recollection of the manifestations of Jehovah’s lovingkindness in ancient times makes him long for some fresh exhibition of His goodness (Psalm 143:1-6).

He prays for a speedy answer, for direction, for deliverance, for instruction, and for the destruction of the enemies who are seeking to destroy him (Psalm 143:7-12).

The Psalm consists of two equal divisions, separated by Selah, and in each of them the verses are arranged in pairs.

Much in the Psalm favours the view that the Servant of Jehovah who speaks is Israel, languishing in the prison of exile, or all but crushed out of existence by relentless enemies in one of the gloomy periods of its history after the Exile.

On the other hand much in the Psalm appears to be the prayer of an individual, and the title implies that at an early date it was assumed to be the utterance of an individual. If we are right in regarding the other Psalms of this group as personal rather than national, it will be natural to take the same view of this Psalm. The LXX adds to the title ‘when his son [v.l. Absalom his son] was pursuing him.’ But it is not specially appropriate to that occasion, and in this Psalm, even more than in the others of the group, the dependence on earlier Psalms is unmistakable. The second half in particular is almost entirely a mosaic of phrases taken from other Psalms.

As one of the seven “Penitential Psalms” (see note on Psalms 102) it is appointed for use on Ash Wednesday.

1. At first sight it seems inconsistent that the Psalmist should appeal to Jehovah’s righteousness, and yet (Psalm 143:2) deprecate being put on his trial. But Jehovah’s righteousness here denotes His unvarying conformity to His own character, that absolute perfection of dealing which is the perpetual expression of His unchanging Will. Similarly His faithfulness is the attribute which makes it impossible that He should be false to the covenant which He has made with His servants. And as He has revealed Himself as a God of mercy and forgiveness (Exodus 34:5-7), the Psalmist can boldly plead for a merciful answer on the ground of His righteousness and faithfulness. Cp. St John’s words “He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9); Psalm 5:8; Psalm 31:1.

1, 2. An appeal for mercy.

2. enter not into judgment with thy servant] Do not put me on my trial and pass sentence on me according to my deserts. For the phrase cp. Job 9:32; Job 14:3; Isaiah 3:14.

Thy servant is not a mere formal expression of humility: it denotes ‘one who is devoted to Thy service,’ and this relation is the ground of his plea. Cp. Psalm 143:12.

be justified] Rather, be righteous. Cp. Psalm 130:3, and many passages in Job, where the truth of man’s unholiness in the sight of God is emphasised, e.g. Job 4:17; Job 9:2; Job 15:14; Job 25:4. St Paul quotes this passage freely in Romans 3:20, Galatians 2:16, substituting πᾶσα σὰρξ, ‘all flesh,’ for πᾶς ζῶν.

3. Cp. Psalm 7:5; Psalm 88:3-6. The last line agrees verbatim with Lamentations 3:6.

in darkness] In dark places, as Psalm 88:6, probably a figure for calamity, in which he is as it were buried alive. But it is possible (cp. Psalm 142:7) that he was actually a prisoner.

as those that have been long dead] And so are forgotten alike by God and man (Psalm 88:5). But the meaning may be those who are dead for ever, who will never return to life; lit. dead of eternity, cp. Jeremiah 51:39, ‘sleep of eternity’ = perpetual sleep; Ecclesiastes 12:5, ‘house of eternity’ = perpetual abode.

3, 4. The reason for his prayer. The extremity of his present sufferings seems to be a proof that God is calling him to account and punishing him for his sins with strict severity.

4. And my spirit has fainted upon me;

My heart within me is appalled.

my spirit &c.] Cp. Psalm 142:3, note.

is desolate] Rather, is appalled, stupefied and paralysed at the apparent hopelessness of my position. Cp. Daniel 8:27. “The root-idea of the word seems to have been to be motionless,—sometimes in the stillness of desolation, sometimes through amazement” (Driver on Daniel 4:19).

5. Cp. Psalm 77:5; Psalm 77:11-12. The recollection of God’s wonderful works of old time deepens his despondency, as he ponders on the contrast; “a sorrow’s crown of sorrow is remembering happier things”: yet it emboldens him to fresh prayer.

thy works … the work of thy hands] Thy work … the doing of thy hands, as in Psalm 92:4.

5, 6. The thought of all that God wrought in ancient times makes him long for a fresh manifestation of His power.

6. I stretch forth]. R.V. I spread forth. Cp. Psalm 44:20; Psalm 88:9; Lamentations 1:17.

my soul thirsteth for thee, as a weary land] ‘Thirsteth’ or some similar verb must be supplied. Cp. Psalm 60:1, from which the words are taken. As the parched land, wearied with long continued drought, longs for refreshing rain, so he longs for a renewal of the old manifestation of God’s goodness. Cp. Psalm 68:9, note, for rain as an emblem of Divine blessing.

7. From Psalm 69:17; Psalm 102:2; Psalm 27:9; Psalm 84:2; Psalm 28:1.

Hear me speedily] R.V. Make haste to answer me.

hide not &c.] For if God withdraws the light of His Presence, he will be like the dying or the dead.

7–12. Prayer for speedy hearing, for guidance and deliverance, for the destruction of his enemies. The language is borrowed almost entirely from older Psalms.

8. Cause me to hear &c.] Possibly we should change a letter, and read as in Psalm 90:14 satisfy me (הַשְׂכּיצֵנִי for הַשְׂמִיעֵנִי).

in the morning] Let the dawn speedily end this dark night of calamity, and bring the sunshine of Thy lovingkindness to gladden my weary heart. Cp. Psalm 30:5; Psalm 49:14.

for in thee do I trust … for I lift up my soul unto thee] Cp. Psalm 25:2; Psalm 25:1.

cause me to know &c.] Teach me how to avoid the dangers which beset me (Psalm 142:3), and to order my conduct according to Thy Will (1 Thessalonians 4:1). Cp. Psalm 25:4; Psalm 32:8; Exodus 33:13.

9. Deliver me … from mine enemies] As Psalm 59:1; cp. Psalm 31:15; Psalm 142:6.

I flee unto thee to hide me] The general sense is probably right, though it can hardly be got out of the present text. The Heb. verb denotes to cover or conceal, but not to hide (intransitively). Some commentators suppose that unto thee have I covered may mean ‘unto thee have I secretly confided my cause’: others think that it may bear the sense given by the A.V. Neither explanation is satisfactory, and probably we should read, with the change of a single letter (חסחי for כסחי), unto thee have I fled for refuge. So the LXX πρός σε κατέφυγον.

10. Teach me to do thy will] Cp. Psalm 25:4-5; Psalm 40:8.

for thou art my God] Cp. Psalm 31:14, and often; Psalm 140:6.

thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness] Better, though the construction is grammatically anomalous, let thy good spirit lead me in a level land. Cp. Nehemiah 9:20, “Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them.” The geographical term ‘level land’ or ‘plain country’ (Deuteronomy 4:43) is here metaphorically applied to denote conditions of life free from the dangers and obstacles which now beset the Psalmist. Cp. Psalm 26:12. Perhaps however we should read with the change of a single letter (ארח for ארץ) in a level path, as in Psalm 27:11. Cp. Isaiah 26:7, “The path for the righteous is plain: straight and level thou makest the way of the righteous.”

11. For thy name’s sake, Jehovah, wilt thou quicken me;

In thy righteousness wilt thou bring my soul out of distress:

11, 12. The Psalmist’s confidence that God will deliver His servant. The verbs in these last two verses should be rendered as futures not imperatives.

12. And in thy lovingkindness wilt thou cut off my enemies,

And destroy all them that distress my soul,

For I am thy servant.

The prayer for ‘life’ is characteristic of Psalms 119 : see note on p. 705: cp. Psalm 138:7. The plea for thy name’s sake is found in Psalm 25:11, and often elsewhere. With thou wilt bring my soul out of distress cp. Psalm 142:7.

12. Cp. Psalm 54:5, “Cut them [my enemies] off in thy truth”; Psalm 94:23. Such a prayer breathes the spirit of the Old Testament and not of the Gospel. It is a harsh and discordant conclusion to a Psalm full of humble penitence, patient resignation, and persevering faith. But the enemies who are relentlessly persecuting Jehovah’s servant to the death are the enemies of Jehovah; they are traitors to His kingdom who have forfeited their right to live; they give no quarter and deserve none themselves; if they triumph, Jehovah’s faithfulness to His promises would seem to have failed and his lovingkindness to have been exhausted or defeated (Psalm 77:8-9). For such hardened and impenitent offenders nothing remains but extermination.

for I am thy servant] And therefore entitled to claim Thy protection. Cp. Psalm 143:2; Psalm 86:2; Psalm 86:4; Psalm 86:16; Psalm 119:17, and often.