Psalms 143:1-4

Psalm 143 ¹ 

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!

143:2 Do not sit in judgment on ²  your servant,

for no one alive is innocent before you. ³ 

143:3 Certainly ⁴  my enemies ⁵  chase me.

They smash me into the ground. ⁶ 

They force me to live ⁷  in dark regions, ⁸ 

like those who have been dead for ages.

143:4 My strength leaves me; ⁹ 

I am absolutely shocked. ¹⁰ 

[143:1]  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.

[143:2]  ² tn Heb “do not enter into judgment with.”

[143:2]  ³ tn Heb “for no one living is innocent before you.”

[143:3]  ⁴ tn Or “for.”

[143:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “an enemy.” The singular is used in a representative sense to describe a typical member of the larger group of enemies (note the plural “enemies” in vv. 9, 12).

[143:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “he crushes on the ground my life.”

[143:3]  ⁷ tn Or “sit.”

[143:3]  ⁸ sn Dark regions refers to Sheol, which the psalmist views as a dark place located deep in the ground (see Ps 88:6).

[143:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”

[143:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “in my midst my heart is shocked.” For a similar use of the Hitpolel of שָׁמֵם (shamem), see Isa 59:16; 63:5.