From the heart-searching, yea God-searching, of the heart in the last psalm, we turn to a group of five, rising from a cry for full deliverance by executed judgment to anticipated thanksgiving in Psa. 145, a millennial strain, followed by varied and ceaseless praises to the end of the book.
In Psa. 140 the “evil man,” if defined, seems to be Antichrist; the “man of violence” rather the external enemy, the Assyrian. Proud or high ones here are ungodly Israelites.
Psalm 140
“To the chief musician: a psalm of David. Deliver me, Jehovah from the evil man; from the violent man thou wilt preserve me, who devise evils in heart; all day they gather wars. They whet their tongue like a serpent: adder's poison [is] under their lips, Selah. Keep me, Jehovah, from the wicked one's hands; from the violent man thou wilt preserve me, who devised to overthrow my steps. Proud ones hid a snare for me, and cords; they spread a net by the way-side (hand); traps they set for me, Selah. I said to Jehovah, my God (art) thou: give ear, Jehovah, to the voice of my supplication. Jehovah Lord (Adonai), strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle (armor). Grant not, Jehovah, the wicked one's desires; his device further not: they exalt themselves. [As for] the head of those around me, let the mischief of their lips cover them. Let burning coals be cast upon them; let them fall into pits, that they rise not. A man of tongue shall not be established in the earth (land); a man of violence, evil shall hunt him to ruin (destruction). I know that Jehovah will maintain the poor one's cause, the right of the needy. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to thy name, the upright shall dwell (sit) in thy presence” (vers. 1-14).
This is pursued for the soul's profit that all said and done may be to and in the favor of Jehovah, apart from the dainties of evil doers, and accepting rebuke from the righteous; so that when judgment falls some may hear and live.
Psalm 141
“A psalm of David. Jehovah, I have called on thee: hasten for me. Give ear to my voice, when I call unto thee. Established he my prayer [as] incense in thy presence, the lifting up of my hands [as] the evening oblation. Set a guard, Jehovah, at my mouth; watch over the door of my lips. Incline not my heart to an evil matter (word), to practice practices in wickedness with men doing iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties. Let a righteous one smite me—a kindness; and rebuke me—a chief oil: let not my head refuse; for even yet prayer [is] in their calamities (or injuries). Thrown down by means (hands) of the rock are their judges; and they shall hear my words, for they are sweet. Like one cleaving or splitting on the earth, scattered are our bones at Sheol's mouth. For unto thee, Jehovah Lord, [are] mine eyes; in this I trust: pour not out my soul. Keep me from the power (hands) of the traps they laid for me, and from the snares of the doers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall together into their own nets, while for my part I escape” (vers. 1-10).
The next is didactic and a prayer. Wickedness in power casts the righteous on Jehovah alone. How often precious, and proved by how many! Yet, while originally David's faith, it will apply fully in the future crisis of Israel.
Psalm 142
“An instruction of David when he was in the cave: a prayer. [With] my voice to Jehovah I cry; [with] my voice to Jehovah I make supplication. I pour out in his presence my plaint; my distress in his presence I show. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, thou knewest my path. In the way that I go they hid a trap for me. Look on the right hand and see: there is none that knoweth me. Refuge hath failed me: there is none caring for my soul, I cried unto thee, Jehovah; I said, Thou [art] my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Attend to my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I. Bring my soul out of prison that I may give thanks to thy name. The righteous shall compass me round, for thou dealest bountifully with me” (vers. 1-8).
The following is deeper still: not only none else but Jehovah, but self abandoned. No righteousness can stand judgment, but his is the righteousness of God by faith. Confidence is in grace. So the godly Jew will feel and say in that day.
Psalm 143
“A psalm of David. Jehovah hear my prayer, give ear to my supplications; in thy faithfulness answer me, in thy righteousness. And enter not into judgment with thy servant, for none living shall be just in thy presence. For the enemy hath persecuted my soul, he hath crushed to the earth my life; he hath made me dwell in dark places, like those long dead. And overwhelmed in (on) me is my spirit, in the midst of me desolated is my heart. I remembered days of old; I meditated on all thy doings; on the work of thy hands I muse. I spread my hands unto thee; my soul like a weary land [thirsteth] for thee, Selah. Hasten, answer me, Jehovah: my spirit faileth; hide not thy face from me, and I shall not be like [those that] go down to the pit. Cause me to hear in the morning thy mercy, for in thee do I confide; make me to know the way that I should go, for unto thee I lift up my soul. Deliver me from mine enemies, Jehovah; unto thee have I hidden. Teach me to do thy pleasure for thou [art] my God; let thy good spirit lead me in a land of evenness. For thy name's sake, Jehovah, quicken; in thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble. And in thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all oppressors of my soul; for I [am] thy servant” (vers. 1-12).
The psalm that follows blesses Jehovah in confidence and bright expectation. Why should man (Adam), son of enosh, weak and faint, stay blessing through divine judgment? For so Israel always expects, whatever the mercy also. The Christian stands in grace and looks into heaven, to which he belongs as in Christ. This psalm looks for judgment, not the gospel.
Psalm 144
“Of David. Blessed [be] Jehovah my rock, training my hands to fight, my fingers for the battle. My mercy and my fortress, my high place, and my deliverer for me; my shield and he in whom I trust, the subduer of my people under me. Jehovah, what [is] man, that (and) thou shouldest know him, son of man, that thou shouldest think of him? Man is like the breath, his days as a shadow passing by. Jehovah, bow thy heavens and come down; touch (on) the mountains, and they smoke. Lighten lightnings, and scatter them; send thine arrows, and discomfit them. Stretch (send) thy hands from above; rescue me and deliver me out of great waters from hand of aliens (sons of strangeness); whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand [is] a right hand of falsehood. O God, a new song I will sing to thee; with a ten-stringed lute will I sing psalms to thee, the giver of salvation to the kings, the rescuer of David his servant from an evil sword. Rescue me and deliver me from hand of aliens, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand [is] a right hand of falsehood; that our sons [be] as plants grown up in their youth, our daughters as cornerstones hewn the fashion of a palace; our granaries full, affording from kind to kind; our sheep bearing thousands, bearing ten thousands in our fields; our oxen laden; there is no breach and no loss, and no outcry in our streets. Blessed the people to which [it is] thus! Blessed the people whose God [is] Jehovah” (vers. 1-15)!
Next comes “Praise” or the new song purposed in Psa. 144, an alphabetic construction, omitting Nun (the Hebrew N).
Psalm 145
“Praise of David. I will exalt thee, my God, the king, and I will bless thy name forever and ever. In every day will I bless thee, and will praise thy name forever and ever. Great is Jehovah and to be praised exceedingly, and his greatness is unsearchable. Generation to generation laudeth thy works, and thy mighty deeds they declare. The majesty of the glory of thine honor, and the words of thy wonders, I will meditate; and the strength of thy terrors they shall tell (say); and thy greatness, I will declare it. They shall utter the memory of thy great goodness, and thy righteousness they shall sing aloud. Gracious and merciful (is) Jehovah, slow to anger and of great mercy. Good (is) Jehovah to the universe (all), and his tender mercies [are] over all his works. All thy works shall give thee thanks, Jehovah, and all thy saints shall bless thee. They shall tell (say) the glory of thy kingdom and speak of thy power, to make known to the sons of men his mighty deeds, and the glory of the majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom [is] a kingdom of all ages, and thy dominion through all generations. Jehovah upholdeth all that fall and raiseth all the bowed down. The eyes of all wait on thee; and thou givest them their food in its season. Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the pleasure of every living thing. Righteous [is] Jehovah in all his ways, and gracious in all his works. Near [is] Jehovah to all calling on him in truth. The pleasure of those that fear him he will do; and their cry he will hear and save them. Jehovah keepeth all that love him, and all the wicked he will destroy. Jehovah's praise shall my mouth forever speak; and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever” (vers. 1-21).