Psalms 144:1

By David. The Lord, my protector, ²  deserves praise ³  – the one who trains my hands for battle, ⁴  and my fingers for war,

Of David. Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.

<< A Psalm of David.>> Blessed be the LORD, my rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle;

<<A psalm of David.>> Bless the LORD, who is my rock. He gives me strength for war and skill for battle.

Blessed be GOD, my mountain, who trains me to fight fair and well.

<A Psalm. Of David.> Praise be to the God of my strength, teaching my hands the use of the sword, and my fingers the art of fighting:

Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;

<< A Psalm of David.>> Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, And my fingers for battle––

By David. The Lord, my protector, ²  deserves praise ³  – the one who trains my hands for battle, ⁴  and my fingers for war,

¹ sn Psalm 144. The psalmist expresses his confidence in God, asks for a mighty display of divine intervention in an upcoming battle, and anticipates God’s rich blessings on the nation in the aftermath of military victory.

² tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.

³ tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord, my rocky summit.”

⁴ sn The one who trains my hands for battle. The psalmist attributes his skill with weapons to divine enablement (see Ps 18:34). Egyptian reliefs picture gods teaching the king how to shoot a bow. See O. Keel, The Symbolism of the Biblical World, 265.