Set me free and rescue me from the grasp of foreigners, whose mouths speak falsehood, whose right hands are deceitful. Deliver meThe phrase "Deliver me" is a plea for rescue and salvation. In Hebrew, the word used here is "הַצִּילֵנִי" (hatzileni), which is derived from the root "נצל" (natsal), meaning to snatch away, rescue, or save. This word is often used in the context of God intervening to save His people from danger or distress. The psalmist is expressing a deep reliance on God’s power to save, acknowledging that true deliverance comes only from the Lord. This plea reflects a heart that trusts in God's sovereignty and His ability to protect and provide for His people. from the hand of foreigners
The phrase "from the hand of foreigners" indicates a request for protection from external threats. In the historical context of ancient Israel, "foreigners" often referred to surrounding nations that were hostile or posed a threat to Israel's security and faithfulness to God. The "hand" symbolizes power and control, suggesting that these foreigners have a certain degree of influence or threat over the psalmist. This plea underscores the need for divine intervention against those who do not follow the ways of the Lord and who may lead God's people astray. whose mouths speak falsehood
This phrase highlights the deceitful nature of the adversaries. The Hebrew word for "falsehood" is "שָׁוְא" (shav), which can mean emptiness, vanity, or deceit. The psalmist is concerned with the lies and deceit propagated by these foreigners, which can lead to moral and spiritual corruption. In a broader scriptural context, falsehood is often associated with the work of the enemy, contrasting with the truth of God’s word. This part of the verse calls believers to be discerning and to seek truth in God amidst a world filled with deception. whose right hands are deceitful
The "right hand" is traditionally a symbol of strength and honor. In this context, however, it is described as "deceitful," indicating a betrayal of trust and misuse of power. The Hebrew word for "deceitful" is "יְמִינָם שֶׁקֶר" (yeminam sheker), with "שֶׁקֶר" (sheker) meaning falsehood or deception. This imagery suggests that those who should be trustworthy and righteous are instead using their power for deceitful purposes. The psalmist is calling for deliverance from those who pervert justice and truth, emphasizing the need for integrity and righteousness in leadership and relationships. This serves as a reminder for believers to rely on God’s truth and righteousness in all circumstances. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidThe author of Psalm 144, David was the second king of Israel, known for his deep relationship with God and his role as a warrior and leader. This psalm is a prayer for deliverance and victory over enemies. 2. ForeignersIn this context, "foreigners" refers to those outside the covenant community of Israel, often seen as adversaries or those who do not follow the ways of God. 3. Deceitful Right HandsThis phrase symbolizes betrayal and untrustworthiness. In ancient times, the right hand was often associated with power and honor, so a deceitful right hand indicates a misuse of power and a breach of trust. Teaching Points God as DelivererRecognize that God is our ultimate deliverer. Just as David sought God's intervention against deceitful enemies, we too can trust God to rescue us from situations of falsehood and betrayal. Discernment in RelationshipsBe vigilant in discerning truth from deceit in our interactions. The mention of deceitful right hands reminds us to seek God's wisdom in identifying and avoiding untrustworthy influences. Prayer for ProtectionMake it a habit to pray for God's protection against spiritual and physical adversaries. David's prayer is a model for seeking divine intervention in times of trouble. Integrity in Speech and ActionsStrive to be people of integrity, ensuring that our words and actions align with truth and righteousness, avoiding the deceitful behavior described in the psalm. Bible Study Questions 1. How does understanding David's role as a king and warrior enhance our comprehension of his plea for deliverance in Psalm 144:11? 2. In what ways can we apply the concept of "foreigners" to modern-day challenges or adversaries we face? 3. How do the themes of deceit and falsehood in Psalm 144:11 relate to the broader biblical account of truth and integrity? 4. What practical steps can we take to ensure that our "right hands" are not deceitful, but rather instruments of God's righteousness? 5. How can we incorporate David's model of prayer for deliverance into our daily spiritual practices, especially when facing deceit or betrayal? Connections to Other Scriptures Psalm 18:44-45This passage also speaks of deliverance from foreigners and the submission of enemies, highlighting God's power to protect and deliver His people. 2 Samuel 22:45-46Similar to Psalm 144, this passage recounts David's deliverance from his enemies, emphasizing God's role as a rescuer and protector. Isaiah 59:3This verse discusses deceit and falsehood, connecting to the theme of deceitful speech and actions found in Psalm 144:11. People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Aliens, Cruel, Deceit, Deceitful, Deliver, Falsehood, Foreigners, Free, Full, Hands, Lies, Lying, Mouth, Mouths, Rescue, Rid, Sons, Speak, Speaketh, Speaks, Spoken, Strange, Stranger, Strangers, Sword, VanityDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 144:11 8730 enemies, of believers Library Sermons on Selected Lessons of the Gospels.
Adoption, a sonship higher than that of nature, [482]255; frequently mentioned in Holy Scripture, [483]255, [484]256; the term of ancient use among the Jews, [485]256; "raising up seed to brother," [486]256; used by St. Paul to express the mystery of our adoption in Christ, [487]256. Adversary, to be agreed with and delivered from, [488]442; not so Satan, [489]442; the Law our, so long as we our own, [490]443; must agree with, by obedience, and so made no longer adversary, [491]443. Affliction, blessing …
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testamentPeriod ii. The Church from the Permanent Division of the Empire Until the Collapse of the Western Empire and the First Schism Between the East and the West, or Until About A. D. 500
In the second period of the history of the Church under the Christian Empire, the Church, although existing in two divisions of the Empire and experiencing very different political fortunes, may still be regarded as forming a whole. The theological controversies distracting the Church, although different in the two halves of the Graeco-Roman world, were felt to some extent in both divisions of the Empire and not merely in the one in which they were principally fought out; and in the condemnation …
Joseph Cullen Ayer Jr., Ph.D.—A Source Book for Ancient Church History Thankfulness for Mercies Received, a Necessary Duty
Numberless marks does man bear in his soul, that he is fallen and estranged from God; but nothing gives a greater proof thereof, than that backwardness, which every one finds within himself, to the duty of praise and thanksgiving. When God placed the first man in paradise, his soul no doubt was so filled with a sense of the riches of the divine love, that he was continually employing that breath of life, which the Almighty had not long before breathed into him, in blessing and magnifying that all-bountiful, …
George Whitefield—Selected Sermons of George Whitefield The Resemblance Between the Old Testament and the New.
1. Introduction, showing the necessity of proving the similarity of both dispensations in opposition to Servetus and the Anabaptists. 2. This similarity in general. Both covenants truly one, though differently administered. Three things in which they entirely agree. 3. First general similarity, or agreement--viz. that the Old Testament, equally with the New, extended its promises beyond the present life, and held out a sure hope of immortality. Reason for this resemblance. Objection answered. 4. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion The Knowledge of God Conspicuous in the Creation, and Continual Government of the World.
1. The invisible and incomprehensible essence of God, to a certain extent, made visible in his works. 2. This declared by the first class of works--viz. the admirable motions of the heavens and the earth, the symmetry of the human body, and the connection of its parts; in short, the various objects which are presented to every eye. 3. This more especially manifested in the structure of the human body. 4. The shameful ingratitude of disregarding God, who, in such a variety of ways, is manifested within …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion The Godly are in Some Sense Already Blessed
I proceed now to the second aphorism or conclusion, that the godly are in some sense already blessed. The saints are blessed not only when they are apprehended by God, but while they are travellers to glory. They are blessed before they are crowned. This seems a paradox to flesh and blood. What, reproached and maligned, yet blessed! A man that looks upon the children of God with a carnal eye and sees how they are afflicted, and like the ship in the gospel which was covered with waves' (Matthew 8:24), …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 Scriptural Christianity
"Whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head." Ezek. 33:4. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." Acts 4:31. 1. The same expression occurs in the second chapter, where we read, "When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all" (the Apostles, with the women, and the mother of Jesus, and his brethren) "with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions Letter Xl to Thomas, Prior of Beverley
To Thomas, Prior of Beverley This Thomas had taken the vows of the Cistercian Order at Clairvaux. As he showed hesitation, Bernard urges his tardy spirit to fulfil them. But the following letter will prove that it was a warning to deaf ears, where it relates the unhappy end of Thomas. In this letter Bernard sketches with a master's hand the whole scheme of salvation. Bernard to his beloved son Thomas, as being his son. 1. What is the good of words? An ardent spirit and a strong desire cannot express …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 144:11 NIVPsalm 144:11 NLTPsalm 144:11 ESVPsalm 144:11 NASBPsalm 144:11 KJV
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