Psalm 144 (143):5Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When You have bent the heavens and come down, and have touched the mountains, they smoked. What is the significance of this language? It is profound and seamlessly linked to what has come before. After addressing human frailty and illustrating the triviality of human existence, the prophet once again chastises the arrogance of the proud, conveying, in essence, that they ought to recognize their own limitations and refrain from pride. However, since they fail to do so, You will reveal, through Your deeds, the depths to which they have fallen. ‘O Lord, bow down the heavens and come down.’ This is not to imply that God literally descends, for can one suggest such a thing of the Omnipresent?

The title of this psalm may be succinct in words, yet it is profound in the depth of its mysteries. It speaks to David in his struggle against Goliath, a contest that resonates through the generations. Dear ones, let us recall this moment as recorded in Scripture. David selected five stones for his sling but only needed to cast one. Five books were chosen, yet it is unity that triumphed. And after delivering the fatal blow, he took Goliath's own sword to sever his head. In a similar manner, our David, Christ, vanquished the adversary with the very means he wielded. When those whom he conquered came to believe, they turned against the devil, leading to Goliath's defeat by his own hand.

Blessed be the Lord my God, who trains my hands for battle and my fingers for warfare, as stated in Psalm 143:1. These words ring true if we consider ourselves members of the Body of Christ. The expressions regarding hands and fingers may appear redundant; both serve the purpose of laboring. However, fingers indicate a division of tasks while still representing unity. This is the essence of grace! The Apostle reminds us that while there is diversity in our abilities, they are all empowered by the same Spirit, illustrating the root of our unity. With these fingers, then, the Body of Christ engages in warfare. Through acts of mercy, we defeat our enemy, an endeavor only possible because of the mercy and grace imparted to us by the Holy Spirit. Thus, we proclaim: 'My mercy, through whom we are also enabled to show mercy, for judgment will be without mercy to the one who has not shown mercy' (James 2:13).

"My mercy and my refuge, my Preserver and my Deliverer," declares Psalm 142:2. This warrior toils intensely as his flesh rebels against his spirit. Hold firm to what you possess; it is then that you will receive fully what you seek when death is vanquished in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54), transforming this mortal frame into something angelic and elevating it to a heavenly existence. There shall be a time of life and prosperity when no force opposes the spirit, where the refrain will be ‘rejoice, not fight.’ But who yearns for such days? Every soul likely answers yes. However, observe what follows. I see your labor; I notice your struggles and perils; heed this: Depart from evil and do good, ensuring that the poor do not weep before you, so that they may rejoice through your compassion. What reward awaits you as you persevere in your battle? Seek peace and pursue it. Learn to declare: My Grace, my Refuge, my Guardian, my Deliverer, my Defender: my Guardian, so that I do not falter; my Deliverer, that I do not perish; my Defender, that I am not harmed. In all trials and tribulations, I have placed my trust in Him who makes my people submit to me. Behold, our Head communicates with us.

"Lord, what is man, that You have made Yourself known to him?" (Psalm 142:3). All encompassing is the revelation of Yourself to humankind. Or the son of man, whom You greatly hold in esteem? You regard him with such significance, determining his value and setting him over creation. For valuation reflects the assessment of a thing's worth. How profoundly He valued humanity, shedding the blood of His only Son for their sake! God's valuation of man far exceeds that of a man valuing another, for while a person may pay more for a horse than a slave, consider how precious you are to Him. 'If God is for us, who can be against us?' And how greatly did He value you, having not spared His own Son? How will He not also graciously give us all things alongside Him? (Romans 8:31-32).

Who provides sustenance to the warrior? What is prepared for the victorious one?

"Man is like vanity; his days pass swiftly as a shadow" (Psalm 142:4). What is vanity? It is the fleeting time that flows away. This vanity is referenced in contrast to Truth, which remains constant and unending, fashioned by His Hand. For as it is written, “God has filled the earth with His goodness” (Sirach 16:29). How does this align with Him? It signifies a harmony with God. Yet, in light of the transient, perishability of earthly things, when compared to that Truth which proclaims, "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:14), these fleeting things can only be categorized as vanity, dissipating as softly as a puff of air. What more can I add than what the Apostle James articulates, endeavoring to humble the prideful: "What is your life?" It is but a vapor that appears briefly and vanishes (James 4:14). Therefore, let us engage in diligent work by night—our good deeds—that we may call out to God before the day arrives that brings joy, or worse, sorrow. For notice how secure your endeavors are, for you are not forsaken by the One you seek, so that your Father, who sees what is done in secret, may reward you openly (Matthew 6:4).

"O Lord, bow down Your heavens and come down; touch the mountains and they shall smoke" (Psalm 143:5). Flash Your lightning and scatter them; let Your arrows fly, and they will be put to shame (Psalm 143:6). Stretch out Your hand from on high, deliver me, and rescue me from the multitude of waters (Psalm 143:7). The Body of Christ, exemplified by humble David, filled with grace and trusting in God, calls upon divine assistance. What signifies the heavens bowing down? The apostles humbled themselves. For these heavens proclaim the glory of God; of these heavens it is said, "There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard." When these heavens utter their voice over the earth, and perform miracles while the Lord manifests wondrous signs and commands, it was perceived that deities descended from heaven to humanity. Some Gentiles, observing this, even wished to offer sacrifices to them. But the apostles directed their homage to the Lord Jesus Christ, humbling themselves to exalt God, for the heavens bent low that God might descend. As they touch the mountains, these towering edifices, which seem grand in their own esteem, will proclaim, "You are great, O Lord; You alone are the Most High over all the earth."

Yet, some conspire together against the Lord and His Anointed One. They unite and devise their plans. "Lighten Your lightnings and You will scatter them; multiply Your miracles and their plot shall be undone." Let Your arrows take flight, and crush them. Let the sick be healed through their wounds; let them say now in the Church and the Body of Christ, "I am wounded by love." Send Your Hand from above. How does the Body of Christ prevail? With heavenly aid. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God (1 Thessalonians 4:16), He the Savior of the body, the Hand of God.

What does "out of many waters" signify? It pertains to many nations. Which nations? The outsiders, the nonbelievers, who assail us from without or lay traps within. Bring me forth from the many waters in which You have chastened me, in which You have rolled me, to cleanse me from my impurity. For these waters embody contradiction (Numbers 20:13)—through the hand of foreign children. Brethren, consider whom we dwell among, whom we wish to escape. Their lips speak vanity (Psalm 142:8). If you were not assembled for these divine encounters with the Word of God and were not engaged at this hour, what emptiness would you hear! What empty words spill from their mouths: when, in brief, will they, who utter vanity, hear from you, who speak truth? Their right hand is indeed the hand of wickedness. Why do you mingle among them with your shepherd's purse, holding five stones? Let me express it differently: the law signified by the five stones reveals itself in another way.

“I will sing a new song unto You, O God” (Psalm 143:9). A new song of grace; a new hymn from a renewed spirit; a fresh melody emerging from the New Testament. But lest you misunderstand, thinking grace negates the law, I will sing to You on the ten-stringed harp. In accordance with the commandments—the Ten Commandments—here I can praise You. In this, I joy in You; in this, I can sing a new song; for Love embodies the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10). However, those devoid of love may possess a psalm book, yet they cannot sing. Contradiction shall not silence my melody.

“He who grants deliverance to kings, who redeems David His servant” (Psalm 143:10). You understand who David represents; be yourself as David. From where does He redeem His servant David? From where does He reclaim Christ? From where does He redeem the Body of Christ? Deliver me from the sword of malice. The term 'sword' is insufficient; He adds 'with malice.' Surely, there exists a sword of good intentions. What is the sword of good intentions? It is that of which Christ proclaimed, "I came not to bring peace but a sword" (Matthew 10:34), aimed to divide believers from nonbelievers, separating sons from parents and severing all ties. For while a sword may excise what is unhealthy, it heals the members of Christ. The sword of good intention is honed on both edges, powerful in the Old and New Testaments, recounting the past as it foreshadows the future. Thus exists the sword of good intention, in contrast to the sword of malice, which incurs vanity, while the former conveys God’s truth. For indeed, the sons of men have teeth that act as spears and arrows, and their tongues form a sharp sword. "Deliver me from this sword" (Psalm 142:11). Free me from the grasp of the children of outsiders, whose mouths have spoken vanity; just as previously described. Furthermore, their right hand is the hand of iniquity, aligning with what was previously stated concerning the many waters.

"Whose offspring are like a young vine planted firmly in its youth" (Psalm 142:12). He expresses their blessedness. Observe, O sons of light, O children of this world: take heed, O members of the Church, children of Christ; identify those he calls outsiders, children of strangers, waters of contradiction, whom he labels the sword of malice. Notice carefully the circumstances in which you find yourselves among them; you engage in struggle against the desires of the flesh amidst their dialogue, which is influenced by the evil one (Ephesians 6:12). What empty talk issues forth from their mouths? How is their right hand, indeed, the hand of iniquity? Their daughters are adorned like the temple; their barns are abundant, moving from one storehouse to another; their sheep thrive and increase in their domains (Psalm 143:13); their cattle are plentiful; their enclosures are intact, and there is no tumult in their streets (Psalm 142:14). Is this not fulfillment? I inquire for the offspring of the kingdom of heaven, for the progeny of eternal life, for the Body of Christ, for the members of Christ, for the temple of God. Is it not a joy to see sons thriving, daughters beautiful, barns full, livestock multiplying, no ruin to be found—not even fallen walls, but silence, peace, and surplus in their homes and communities? Is this not happiness? Should the righteous avoid such goodness? Do you not observe that the righteous experience such abundance in their lives? Did not Abraham's household flourish in gold, silver, children, servants, and livestock? What can we declare? Is this not a sign of blessing? Nevertheless, take heed; all this still resides in the left hand. What does it mean to be on the left? It symbolizes the transient, the temporal, the bodily. I urge you not to shun it, yet keep in mind that it should not dominate your focus.

For what should have been set on the right? The Lord, eternity, the endless years of God, of which it is proclaimed, "Thy years will never end." We must pursue what is right; we yearn for what is eternal. Let us utilize the left for the present, but let us aspire to strive for eternity. When wealth abounds, do not let your heart be consumed by it.

You can only recognize the insignificance of humanity if you yourself take on that form. "Lord, stretch out your heavens and descend." The wayward souls can only be redeemed when carried on your shoulders. "If you touch the mountains, they will rise in smoke." "Truly I tell you, if you have faith like a mustard seed and say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' it will move" (see Matthew 17:20). This refers to the man possessed by demons. Jeremiah remarks on the mountain that remains unmoved: "Give glory to the Lord our God before your feet touch the dark mountains" (see Jeremiah 13:16). Why do we mention this?

"Lord, bend the heavens and descend." The prophet articulated his plea in human language, recognizing that God's essence transcends the confines of heaven, yet he sought a divine intervention to address his adversaries. "Make contact with the mountains, and they will rise." This reference pertains to Mount Sinai, where it is noted, "the mountain shall smoke" (Ex. 19:18).

Lord, lower the heavens and draw them near; make contact with the mountains and they will rise. How can God descend when He is everywhere and fills all things? We discern that David speaks in a manner suited to humanity, addressing those who are unrefined, using such formidable language to instill fear in the proud and haughty, and to humble the arrogant, who overlook the frailty of their existence. For the very act of God's touch causes mountains to smoke, as His presence is akin to consuming fire, as noted by Chrysostom. Though this is indeed a severe spectacle, it pales in comparison to the divine perfection and majesty of God, who, by His will alone, can craft such mountains.

The complete revelation in Christ is illustrated through a longing for divine presence. “Oh, if You would tear open the heavens and come down!” (Is 64:1) echoes a similar sentiment in the words of David: “Lord! Bow Thy heavens and come down” (Ps 143:5). Furthermore, Moses implores, “Show me Thyself, that I may see Thee clearly” (Ex 33:13, LXX). No one has approached God and His glorious presence as closely as Moses, who received the law from God amid the clouds. Yet, even he, having been in such proximity to the Divine, sought a deeper revelation by asking, “Show me Thyself, that I may see Thee clearly.” Indeed, we can hope that what the apostle proclaimed as already accomplished may be fulfilled. The Lord notably revealed Himself in the flesh; He made His presence known to the world and was gloriously exalted. Thus, at last, the saints beheld with physical vision what they had previously awaited with spiritual insight.

After acknowledging the previous blessings of God, he now appeals for the continuation of divine mercy and for the preservation of the kingdom amidst current trials. Just as he previously glorified the Lord with an ironic tone, he now employs a similar elevated language in his petitions, asking that the heavens be lowered, that smoke and flames arise from the mountains, that the atmosphere be filled with lightning, and that arrows be launched. Through these words, he seeks to eliminate barriers that his might has previously conquered, allowing us to grasp through faith the limitless power of God. In Psalm 17, he celebrated God’s past mercies, and here he echoes nearly the same sentiments, vocalizing gratitude for former blessings while beseeching for further assistance.

The heading indicates that this psalm is attributed to David, aligning it closely with other psalms written by him, particularly Psalm 17. The phrase "to Goliath," present only in the Greek translations and the Vulgate, was added later. While this psalm is inspired by Psalm 17, its full context does not solely reflect David's triumph over Goliath. When this psalm was composed, David had already achieved victories, and his people were under his leadership (v. 2); however, he faced significant threats from neighboring nations, prompting him to seek God's assistance. The origins of this psalm can be linked to the events recounted in 2 Samuel 5 and 8.