A psalm of David.
143:1 O Lord, hear my prayer!
Pay attention to my plea for help!
Because of your faithfulness and justice, answer me!
143:11 O Lord, for the sake of your reputation, 2 revive me! 3
Because of your justice, rescue me from trouble! 4
143:12 As a demonstration of your loyal love, 5 destroy my enemies!
Annihilate 6 all who threaten my life, 7
for I am your servant.
1 sn Psalm 143. As in the previous psalm, the psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
2 tn Heb “name,” which here stands metonymically for God’s reputation.
3 tn The imperfect verbal forms in vv. 11-12a are understood as expressing the psalmist’s desire. Note the petitionary tone of vv. 7-10a.
4 tn Heb “by your justice bring out my life from trouble.”
5 tn Heb “in [or “by”] your faithfulness.”
6 tn The perfect with vav (ו) consecutive carries on the mood of the preceding imperfect.
7 tn Heb “all the enemies of my life.”