The
PS 144 belong to Book V
Book of Ps , which is composed of a collection of texts 150 arranged by 5 poetry books. The Book of Psalms, for its
wisdom and
basic principles of human
action , is considered the heart of the Old Testament.
Book V encompasses Psalms 107 to 150 . Psalm 144 is divided into 15 Verses.
The Psalms are
poems-prayers addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. These prayers represent
human experiences and
religious conscience . They portray the
common man , with his faults, insecurities, fears and hopes and, even today, we can identify with the Psalmist and draw inspiration from these texts to
pray and
plead with God when we feel
lost and
anguished or to express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
"There are enemies or friends, there is life or death, health or illness, pain or joy and, most of the time, there are no changes or gradations. Words are like stones and poetry like boulders carved by chisel"; "The Psalms are a bit like mountain paths, simple, especially when walking on snow, but they lead to the peaks; they are paths toward the peaks of meeting the Lord." - Carlo Maria Martini, Cardinal of Milan
Psalm 144 - Thanksgiving for Victory
1 From David.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
who exercises my hands to fight
and my fingers to fight.
2 He is my faithful ally and my fortress,
my stronghold and my refuge;
He is my shield and I trust in him, he
is the one who submits people to my feet.
3 What is man, Lord, to care for him?
What is a human being for you to think about?
4 Man is like a breath;
your days are like the passing shadow.
5 Lord, lower your heavens and come down;
touch the hills and let them smoke.
6 Make the lightning flash and scatter them,
prepare your arrows and shoot them.
7 From on high, stretch out your hand: save me and deliver me from threatening waters and from the hand of strangers.
8 Their mouth utters lies,
and with their right hand they swear falsehood.
9 I want to sing to you, O God, a new song;
and play for you with the ten-string harp.
10 You are the one who gives the victory to kings, the
one who delivers David his servant.
11 Deliver me from the cruel sword, deliver me from
the hand of strangers.
Their mouth utters lies
and with their right hand they swear falsehood.
12 May our children be like young plants
that grow from their youth.
May our daughters be well-hewn columns,
as in the construction of a palace.
13 May our barns be full,
overflowing from one end to the other.
Multiply our herds by thousands,
by tens of thousands in our fields.
14 Let our oxen come well loaded;
and there are no breaches, no escapes,
no shouts of alarm in our squares.
15 Happy are the people to whom it happens!
Happy the people, whose God is the Lord!
Meaning and interpretation
The
PS 144 is a real salmon, similar to PSA 18 . Its content refers to various aspects of the
ceremonies that have to do with royalty . The general tonality corresponds to the model of
sapiential meditation on the precariousness of human life, a dimension that equally affects the king. It includes a
plea for the success of the king's activities and undertakings .
In this Psalm, David is already treated as a king who
serves as a reference and model . After the outline of a royal liturgy (verses 1-10), there is a request for blessings for the whole community (verses 11-15). This openness to the needs of the entire community is a concern that fits well with the
king's own functions .
The
Prophetic Psalms or
Royal Psalms are prayers of praise to the king, affirmations of God's favor to the king, prayers for the king, royal oracles, and descriptions of the righteousness and piety due to the figure who has the responsibility to govern the people. These Psalms were performed at court parties, in the presence of the king, in celebrations of victory over an enemy, among other occasions involving the government. Often, the text refers to a
messianic note where certain behaviors can lead to certain outcomes. The Prophetic Psalms reinforce the
holiness of God , creator of all that exists between heaven and earth. They also remember his
mercy and
eternal justice and the importance of showing your face to the believer and to the peoples. Their action provides a
guide to behavior not only for individuals but also for those responsible for governing and enforcing justice.
The Book of Psalms
The Joy and Happiness of the Righteous in Communion with God
The Psalms are
prayer-poems addressed to God, being the privileged way to address and speak to Him. Depicting the
common man , with his failures, insecurities, fears and hopes, we can still identify with the Psalmist and be inspired today in Psalms to make
prayers and
supplications to God in times of trouble or express our
gratitude for some blessing received.
The Psalms, despite being written in Antiquity, still
move ,
sensitize ,
awaken feelings ,
inspire and
enchant . In them, we can identify
anguish and
joy , deeply human feelings, praises, supplications, teachings of reflection on spiritual wisdom and prophetic words.
Written for
different situations , some Psalms are intimate, revealing the author's personal relationship with God; others provide guidelines and advice for life, others are compositions for specific liturgical events such as rituals and pilgrimages.
The
Book of Psalms is composed of a collection of 150 poetic texts and is divided into five parts, called Psalm Books or Booklets. Each Book closes with short
hymns of praise to God . The division into five parts was considered to correspond to the five books of Moses and it is assumed that each passage in the Pentateuch (first five books of the Bible, called Torah by the Jews) was read in parallel with the corresponding Psalm. Its main forms are
lamentation ,
supplication ,
praise and
gratitude .
The Power of Prayer in Dialogue with the Divine
The Psalms elevate our thoughts to the Divine and
prayer is the
power of the word . Prayer is the language of faith. Any thought, word or image addressed to God is called
prayer . It is through it that we come into contact with our
God within and, therefore, it is so powerful in
transforming life . Prayer can produce
miracles , turn dreams into reality, give us hope for
change ,
harmony and
peace with ourselves and the world.
Each Psalm has an
intention that helps us
meditate and
walk with our God . For many theologians, the Book of Psalms has a prophetic or messianic tone as its verses refer to the coming of Christ into the world of men to guide them through the uncertainty and doubts of Human existence.
The
prayer has the power to call the
Spiritual Universe full mode, honest, sincere, conscious, for the purpose of spiritual self-protection, family protection and those who are dear to us, to have peace of mind, spiritual and physical, for prosperity and success, to protect health and relationships, to ward off negative energies and, above all, to connect us to something bigger than ourselves. From this
peace , well-being, hope and goodness in front of everyone and everything result.
The
faith can change our lives. It gives us
tranquility and
spiritual strength to face challenges. It helps us to
meditate on our mission in life and to create a
balanced and healthy environment for ourselves and those we love. When you pray, fill your heart with
love and
determination . The Psalms will guide you on a path of
peace and
communion with the higher energy .
