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This psalm, as those before, is a prayer of David, and full of complaints of the great distress and danger he was in, probably when Saul persecuted him. He did not only pray in that affliction, but he prayed very much and very often, not the same over again, but new thoughts. In this psalm, I. He complains of his troubles, through the oppression of his enemies (Ps 143:3) and the weakness of his spirit under it, which was ready to sink notwithstanding the likely course he took to support himself, Ps 143:4,5. II. He prays, and prays earnestly (Ps 143:6), 1. That God would hear him, Ps 143:1-7. 2. That he would not deal with him according to his sins, Ps 143:2. 3. That he would not hide his face from him (Ps 143:7), but manifest his favour to him, Ps 143:8. 4. That he would guide and direct him in the way of his duty (Ps 143:8,10) and quicken him in it, Ps 143:11. 5. That he would deliver him out of his troubles, Ps 143:9,11. 6. That he would in due time reckon with his persecutors, Ps 143:12. We may more easily accommodate this psalm to ourselves, in the singing of it, because most of the petitions in it are for spiritual blessings (which we all need at all times), mercy and grace.
1-6
Complaints and Petitions
简体中文
哀诉与祈求
大卫的诗。
¹ 耶和华啊，求你听我的祷告，留心听我的恳求；凭你的信实和公义应允我。
² 求你不要审问仆人，因为在你面前凡活着的人没有一个是义的。
³ 原来仇敌逼迫我的灵魂，将我的生命压在地上；他使我住在幽暗之处，如同久死的人一样。
⁴ 所以我的灵在我里面发昏，我的心在我里面凄凉。
⁵ 我追想古时之日，思想你的一切作为，默念你手的工作。
⁶ 我向你举手；我的心渴想你，如干旱之地盼雨一样。（细拉）
一、大卫谦卑地求蒙垂听（诗143:1）——并非他怀疑此事，而是他恳切愿望，并为此挂心；他既已陈明祷告，就仰望要看其结果如何（哈2:1）。他是向他的神恳求，求他所求的得以允准：求你听我的祷告，留心听我的恳求。他是上诉于逼迫者之上，求他的案件得以呈上听审，求神凭信实与公义——作为是非的审判者——对此下判语。或作"凭你的信实应允我的恳求——照你所应许的，那是你必按公义而行的"。我们无可自义的义可陈，所以必须陈明神的义——他所白白赐给我们、使我们寄望于其中的应许的话。
二、他谦卑地求不以严格公义待他（诗143:2）。此处他似乎在解释（若非更正）他先前的恳求（诗143:1）——凭你的公义搭救我；他说："我所说的是福音公义的应许，不是律法公义的威吓；我若按那无罪之约的公义被审问，我便完全灭亡"；所以：1. 他的恳求是：求你不要审问仆人——不要照我当受的，以严格公义待我。在这祷告中，我们必须承认自己是神的仆人——当顺服他、向他交账、切望得他恩惠——并当向他自表为正。我们必须承认我们在许多事上得罪了他，在当尽的本分上有所亏欠，他本可公正地查究我们的过犯，并依法向我们追讨；他若如此行，判决必不利于我们；我们无可申请中止或减轻，必被执行，然后我们便永远灭亡。但我们当以这盼望自励：神那里有怜悯与赦免，并当恳切求他赐此怜悯之益。求你不要审问仆人，因为你已经审问过你的儿子，把我们众人的罪孽都归在他身上。求你不要审问仆人，因为仆人自己审问自己；我们若自己审问自己，就不被审问。2. 他的论据是：在你面前凡活着的人没有一个是义的——按那些条件，无人能称义，因为无人能自辩无辜，或自陈任何己义——既不能说没犯过罪，也不能说其罪不至死；也不能说自己有任何可献的赎价；不，神若与我们争论，我们不能为他千桩中之一桩回答（伯9:3，15:20）。大卫在求挪去苦难之前，先求赦免其罪，并完全仰赖单是出于怜悯的赦免。
三、他抱怨仇敌对他得势（诗143:3）："扫罗，那大仇敌，逼迫我的灵魂——以不息的恶毒寻索我的性命；他已把逼迫推到如此地步，以致已经把我的生命压在地上。我虽尚未入地，却已被打倒在地，那与入地相去无几；他迫我住在幽暗之处——不仅在黑暗的洞穴中，更在黑暗的思想与预感中，在忧郁的云雾中——如同久死的人一样无助无望。主啊，让我在你那里寻得怜悯，因为我在人中间寻不见怜悯。他们定我为有罪；但主啊，你不要也定我为有罪。我岂不是你怜悯的合宜对象，当为我出头；我的仇敌岂不是你不悦的合宜对象，当向他发作？"
四、他哀叹因外在苦难所致的心灵被压（诗143:4）：所以我的灵在我里面被制伏发昏，我几乎陷入绝望；外面有争战时，里面有恐惧——那些恐惧比扫罗本人更是暴君与压迫者，并不容易逃脱。最好的圣徒有时也有心灵一时几乎发昏、内心凄凉的分；这无疑是他们的软弱。大卫不仅是大圣徒，也是大战士，但连他也时而几乎在患难之日昏厥。香柏树若被摇撼，松树啊，要号咷了。
五、他专心使用正当的方法，以解救他受困的心灵。他无力召集军兵抵挡仇敌的压迫，但他若不能保有任何别的，便要竭力保守自己的心灵，并保守内心的平安。为此：1. 他回顾，并追想古时之日（诗143:5）——神从前为他受苦百姓、并特别为他所作的显现。在困境中，记念他们列祖所告诉他们的奇事，常常是神百姓的安慰（诗77:5、11）。2. 他环顾，并留意神在可见受造中的作为、并他护理对世界的治理：我思想你的一切作为。许多人看见它们，却看不见神智慧、权能、良善的足迹在其中，也未从中得益——因为他们不思想它们；他们并不停留在那丰富而奇妙的题目上，不久便弃之如已经穷尽，其实他们才刚触及而已。我默念——或作（有人如此读）我论——你手的工作：何等大！何等善！我们越多思想神的权能，就越不畏惧人的面或力量（赛51:12-13）。3. 他仰望，恳切愿望神与他恩惠：我向你举手——如同乞求施舍的人，满怀期待要领受大事，预备好抓住并欢迎它。我的心渴想你——是向你（原文如此），全心向着你，专心向着你；如干旱之地——因过热而焦干，张口盼雨——我也如此需要、如此渴慕神圣安慰在我受苦中的支持与 Refreshment，并无别物可以解我。这是我们在灵里发昏之时所能采取的最好之途；凡不愿采取如此便当之法来缓解自己的人，理当沉沦于自己的重担之下。
英文原文
Complaints and Petitions
A psalm of David.
¹ Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
² And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
³ For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
⁴ Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
⁵ I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
⁶ I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
Here, I. David humbly begs to be heard (Ps 143:1), not as if he questioned it, but he earnestly desired it, and was in care about it, for, having desired it, and was in care about it, for having directed his prayer, he looked up to see how it sped, Hab 2:1. He is a suppliant to his God, and he begs that his requests may be granted: Hear my prayer; give ear to my supplications. He is an appellant against his persecutors, and he begs that his case may be brought to hearing and that God will give judgment upon it, in his faithfulness and righteousness, as the Judge of right and wrong. Or, "Answer my petitions in thy faithfulness, according to the promises thou hast made, which thou wilt be just to." We have no righteousness of our own to plead, and therefore must plead God's righteousness, the word of promise which he has freely given us and caused us to hope in.
II. He humbly begs not to be proceeded against in strict justice, Ps 143:2. He seems here, if not to correct, yet to explain, his plea (Ps 143:1), Deliver me in thy righteousness; "I mean," says he, "the righteous promises of the gospel, not the righteous threatenings of the law; if I be answered according to the righteousness of this broken covenant of innocency, I am quite undone;" and therefore, 1. His petition is, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant; do not deal with me in strict justice, as I deserve to be dealt with." In this prayer we must own ourselves to be God's servants, bound to obey him, accountable to him, and solicitous to obtain his favour, and we must approve ourselves to him. We must acknowledge that in many instances we have offended him, and have come short of our duty to him, that he might justly enquire into our offences, and proceed against us for them according to law, and that, if he should do so, judgment would certainly go against us; we have nothing to move in arrest or mitigation of it, but execution would be taken out and awarded and then we should be ruined for ever. But we must encourage ourselves with a hope that there is mercy and forgiveness with God, and be earnest with him for the benefit of that mercy. "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for thou hast already entered into judgment with thy Son, and laid upon him the iniquity of us all. Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for thy servant enters into judgment with himself;" and, if we will judge ourselves, we shall not be judged. 2. His plea is, "In thy sight shall no man living be justified upon those terms, for no man can plead innocency nor any righteousness of his own, either that he has not sinned or that he does not deserve to die for his sins; nor that he has any satisfaction of his own to offer;" nay, if God contend with us, we are not able to answer him for one of a thousand, Job 9:3,15:20. David, before he prays for the removal of his trouble, prays for the pardon of his sin, and depends upon mere mercy for it.
III. He complains of the prevalency of his enemies against him (Ps 143:3): "Saul, that great enemy, has persecuted my soul, sought my life, with a restless malice, and has carried the persecution so far that he has already smitten it down to the ground. Though I am not yet under ground, I am struck to the ground, and that is next door to it; he has forced me to dwell in darkness, not only in dark caves, but in dark thoughts and apprehensions, in the clouds of melancholy, as helpless and hopeless as those that have been long dead. Lord, let me find mercy with thee, for I find no mercy with men. They condemn me; but, Lord, do not thou condemn me. Am not I an object of thy compassion, fit to be appeared for; and is not my enemy an object of thy displeasure, fit to be appeared against?"
IV. He bemoans the oppression of his mind, occasioned by his outward troubles (Ps 143:4): Therefore is my spirit overpowered and overwhelmed within me, and I am almost plunged in despair; when without are fightings within are fears, and those fears greater tyrants and oppressors than Saul himself and not so easily out-run. It is sometimes the lot of the best men to have their spirits for a time almost overwhelmed and their hearts desolate, and doubtless it is their infirmity. David was not only a great saint, but a great soldier, and yet even he was sometimes ready to faint in a day of adversity. Howl, fir-trees, if the cedars be shaken.
V. He applies himself to the use of proper means for the relief of his troubled spirit. He had no force to muster up against the oppression of the enemy, but, if he can keep possession of nothing else, he will do what he can to keep possession of his own soul and to preserve his inward peace. In order to this, 1. He looks back, and remembers the days of old (Ps 143:5), God's former appearances for his afflicted people and for him in particular. It has been often a relief to the people of God in their straits to think of the wonders which their fathers told them of, Ps 77:5,11. 2. He looks round, and takes notice of the works of God in the visible creation, and the providential government of the world: I meditate on all thy works. Many see them, but do not see the footsteps of God's wisdom, power, and goodness in them, and do not receive the benefit they might by them because they do not meditate upon them; they do not dwell on that copious curious subject, but soon quit it, as if they had exhausted it, when they have scarcely touched upon it. I muse on, or (as some read it) I discourse of, the operation of thy hands, how great, how good, it is! The more we consider the power of God the less we shall fear the face or force of man, Isa 51:12,13. 3. He looks up with earnest desires towards God and his favour (Ps 143:6): "I stretch forth my hands unto thee, as one begging an alms, and big with expectation to receive something great, standing ready to lay hold on it and bid it welcome. My soul thirsteth after thee; it is to thee (so the word is), entire for thee, intent on thee; it is as a thirsty land, which, being parched with excessive heat, gapes for rain; so do I need, so do I crave, the support and refreshment of divine consolations under my afflictions, and nothing else will relieve me." This is the best course we can take when our spirits are overwhelmed; and justly do those sink under their load who will not take such a ready way as this to ease themselves.
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Prayers for Divine Grace
简体中文
求神圣恩的祈祷
⁷ 耶和华啊，求你速速应允我！我心神耗尽；求你不要向我掩面，免得我像那些下坑的人一样。
⁸ 求你使我清晨得听你慈爱之言，因我倚靠你；求你使我知道当行的路，因我的心仰望你。
⁹ 耶和华啊，求你救我脱离仇敌；我投奔你避难。
¹⁰ 求你指教我遵行你的旨意，因你是我的神；你的灵本为善；求你引我到平坦之地。
¹¹ 耶和华啊，求你为你的名将我救活；凭你的公义，将我的灵魂领出患难。
¹² 凭你的慈爱剪除我的仇敌，毁灭一切苦待我灵魂的人；因我是你的仆人。
大卫在此告诉我们，他向神伸出手之时所说过的话；他不仅像一个迫切的人那样开始，更像一个急迫的人那样开始：「耶和华啊，求你速速应允我，不再迟延，因为我心神耗尽。我正要昏倒；递下那安慰剂——快，快，不然我去了。」这不是不信的急迫，而是切望和圣爱的急迫。*神啊，求你快快帮助我。*大卫在此求三件事：
一、神对他施恩的显明——求神喜悦他，又使他知道自己如此被喜悦；他把这置于一切好处之上（诗 4:6）。1. 他惧怕神的皱眉：「主啊，求你不要向我掩面——主啊，不要向我发怒，不要转离我——如同我们转离一个我们所不悦的人；主啊，不要让我留在我对你怒气的预感之下，或对你恩惠的疑惑之中；我若得你恩，求你不要把它向我隐藏。」有恩典之实的人，不能不要其凭据。他以若神离开他其境遇的可怜为辩：「主啊，不要让我躺在你怒气之下，因为那样我就像那些下坑的人一样——就是下到坟墓（我是死人，软弱、苍白、可怕；你的皱眉比死更可怕）；或下到地狱，那无底坑。」即使那些因恩已经脱离下坑的人，有时当全能者的恐怖列阵攻击他们之时，看起来也像那些正要下坑的人。忧愁的圣徒有时曾呼喊神的怒气，如同已被定罪的罪人那样（伯 6:4；诗 88:6）。2. 他恳求神的恩惠（诗 143:8）：求你使我清晨得听你慈爱之言。他不能不认为神对他怀有善意，有一些好话要说给他听——一些良善安慰的话；但他现今事务的匆忙、心灵的翻腾，淹没了那些悦人的低语；所以他求：「主啊，不仅慈爱地对我说话，更要使我听见——使我听见欢喜快乐的声音」（诗 51:8）。神借他的话和他护理向我们说话；在两者之中我们都当渴望并努力听见他的慈爱（诗 107:43），好叫我们常把它放在眼前：「求你使我清晨 得听——每一个清晨得听；愿我醒来之时所思想的，是神的慈爱，好叫其甘甜的滋味常在我的心上，终日不散。」他的辩由是：「因我倚靠你——只倚靠你；我不从别处寻求安慰。」神的良善常为那信靠他的人效力（诗 31:8〔和合：诗 31:19〕）——他们凭信将它吸出来。
二、神恩典在他里头的运行。对此他如同对神向他施恩的凭据一样迫切——我们也当如此。他求：
1. 求借神旨意的知识得以光照；这是圣灵为引致其他工作而起首的工，因为神待人如人——如理性的受造之物。这里为此有三求：（1）求你使我知道当行的路。有时那殷切要行正路的人，对哪条是正路却在疑惑和黑暗之中。让他们坦然来到施恩宝座前，求神借他的话、他的灵、和他的护理向他们显示那路，并阻止他们走错。善人不是问：我必须走的路是哪条？或：哪条路最好走？而是问：正路是哪条——我当行的路？他辩说：「我的心仰望你——仰望被你按己意模造塑形。」他不是勉强，而是无偏地渴望认识自己的本分；那如此行的人必蒙教训。（2）「求你指教我遵行你的旨意——不仅向我显明你的旨意是什么，更要指教我如何去遵行——如何灵巧地尽我的本分。」神一切忠心仆人的心愿与努力，就是认识并遵行他的旨意，并在其中得以完全。他辩说：「你是我的神——所以是我可以指望得着指教的神谕；我的神——所以是我所愿遵行其旨意的统治者。」我们若真诚地以神为我们的神，便可倚靠他指教我们遵行他的旨意，如同主人指教仆人。（3）求你引我到平坦之地——引到圣徒的相交，就是那义人可悦之地；或引到一种稳定的圣洁生活之路上，这路引向天上——那义人之国，其中圣洁得以完全，那圣洁的仍要圣洁。我们当愿被引领、被安全地带到天上——不仅因为那是福乐之地，更因为那是义之地——那是恩典的完全。我们若非神向我们显示，便找不到引我们到那地的路；若非他拉着我们的手引我们，便不能走在那路上——如同我们引领那软弱的、瘸腿的、胆怯的、视力昏花的人；神的恩典是如此必要——不仅为使我们进入善路，更为在其中保守我们、扶持我们前行。辩由是：「你的灵本为善——能叫我良善」——良善又乐意帮助那困惑的人。凡以主为神的人，便有他的灵为引导；他们的特征与特权，就是被圣灵引导。
2. 他求为遵行神旨意而被苏醒（诗 143:11）：「耶和华啊，求你将我救活——救活我的灵修，使之活泼；救活我尽本分的心，又救活我于本分之中；并要为你的名如此行。」最好的圣徒也常觉自己迟钝、死沉、缓慢，所以求神救活他们。
三、神护理为他显现。1. 求神按自己的方式和时候，使他脱离患难得安息（诗 143:9）：「耶和华啊，求你救我脱离仇敌，叫他们不能对我如愿；我投奔你避难——我信靠你在苦难中保护我，所以也救我脱离其中。」蒙保守乃是拯救的凭据；凡凭信以神为避难之所的，必发现神是他们的藏身之处。他解释自己（诗 143:11）：「凭你的公义，将我的灵魂领出患难——为你的应许之故，不，为你的怜悯之故」（有人把公义解为恩慈和良善）；「不仅救我脱离外面的患难，更要救我脱离心灵的患难——那威胁要淹没我灵的患难。主啊，无论我处在什么患难之中，不要叫我的心忧愁」（约 14:1）。2. 求神向那作他患难工具的人算账（诗 143:12）：「凭你的慈爱——向我施的慈爱——剪除我的仇敌，使我不再惧怕他们；毁灭一切——无论他们是谁，无论他们何等多、何等有权——一切苦待我灵魂、加我灵魂烦恼的人；因我是你的仆人——我决心继续如此，所以可指望在你的事奉中蒙认、蒙保。」这祷告是预言——预言耶稣基督和他国度一切不悔改之仇敌的彻底败亡——那些不要他作王的、那些借折磨他的百姓而叫他的圣灵担忧、又叫他的心忧愁的人（在他百姓的苦难中，他也同受苦难）。
英文原文
Prayers for Divine Grace
⁷ Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit faileth: hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
⁸ Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
⁹ Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.
¹⁰ Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
¹¹ Quicken me, O LORD, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.
¹² And of thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am thy servant.
David here tells us what he said when he stretched forth his hands unto God; he begins not only as one in earnest, but as one in haste: "Hear me speedily, and defer no longer, for my spirit faileth. I am just ready to faint; reach the cordial—quickly, quickly, or I am gone." It was not a haste of unbelief, but of vehement desire and holy love. Make haste, O God! to help me. Three things David here prays for:—
I. The manifestations of God's favour towards him, that God would be well pleased with him and let him know that he was so; this he prefers before any good, Ps 4:6. 1. He dreads God's frowns: "Lord, hide not thy face from me; Lord, be not angry with me, do not turn from me, as we do from one we are displeased with; Lord, let me not be left under the apprehensions of thy anger or in doubt concerning thy favour; if I have thy favour, let it not be hidden from me." Those that have the truth of grace cannot but desire the evidence of it. He pleads the wretchedness of his case if God withdrew from him: "Lord, let me not lie under thy wrath, for then I am like those that go down to the pit, that is, down to the grave (I am a dead man, weak, and pale, and ghastly; thy frowns are worse than death), or down to hell, the bottomless pit." Even those who through grace are delivered from going down to the pit may sometimes, when the terrors of the Almighty set themselves in array against them, look like those who are going to the pit. Disconsolate saints have sometimes cried out of the wrath of God, as if they had been damned sinners, Job 6:4, Ps 88:6. 2. He entreats God's favour (Ps 143:8): Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning. He cannot but think that God has a kindness for him, that he has some kind things to say to him, some good words and comfortable words; but the present hurry of his affairs, and tumult of his spirits, drowned those pleasing whispers; and therefore he begs, "Lord, do not only speak kindly to me, but cause me to hear it, to hear joy and gladness," Ps 51:8. God speaks to us by his word and by his providence, and in both we should desire and endeavour to hear his lovingkindness (Ps 107:43), that we may set that always before us: "Cause me to hear it in the morning, every morning; let my waking thoughts be of God's lovingkindness, that the sweet relish of that may abide upon my spirits all the day long." His plea is, "For in thee do I trust, and in thee only; I look not for comfort in any other." God's goodness is commonly wrought for those who trust in him (Ps 31:8), who by faith draw it out.
II. The operations of God's grace in him. Those he is as earnest for as for the tokens of God's favour to him, and so should we be. He prays,
1. That he might be enlightened with the knowledge of God's will; and this is the first work of the Spirit, in order to his other works, for God deals with men as men, as reasonable creatures. Here are three petitions to this effect:— (1.) Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk. Sometimes those that are much in care to walk right are in doubt, and in the dark, which is the right way. Let them come boldly to the throne of grace, and beg of God, by his word, and Spirit, and providence, to show them the way, and prevent their missing it. A good man does not ask what is the way in which he must walk, or in which is the most pleasant walking, but what is the right way, the way in which he should walk. He pleads, "I lift up my soul unto thee, to be moulded and fashioned according to thy will." He did not only importunately, but impartially, desire to know his duty; and those that do so shall be taught. (2.) "Teach me to do thy will, not only show me what thy will is, but teach me how to do it, how to turn my hand dexterously to my duty." It is the desire and endeavour of all God's faithful servants to know and to do his will, and to stand complete in it. He pleads, "Thou art my God, and therefore my oracle, by whom I may expect to be advised—my God, and therefore my ruler, whose will I desire to do." If we do in sincerity take God for our God, we may depend upon him to teach us to do his will, as a master does his servant. (3.) Lead me into the land of uprightness, into the communion of saints, that pleasant land of the upright, or into a settled course of holy living, which will lead to heaven, that land of uprightness where holiness will be in perfection, and he that is holy shall be holy still. We should desire to be led, and kept safe, to heaven, not only because it is a land of blessedness, but because it is a land of uprightness; it is the perfection of grace. We cannot find the way that will bring us to that land unless God show us, nor go in that way unless he take us by the hand and lead us, as we lead those that are weak, or lame, or timorous, or dim-sighted; so necessary is the grace of God, not only to put us into the good way, but to keep us and carry us on in it. The plea is, "Thy Spirit is good, and able to make me good," good and willing to help those that are at a loss. Those that have the Lord for their God have his Spirit for their guide; and it is both their character and their privilege that they are led by the Spirit.
2. He prays that he might be enlivened to do his will (Ps 143:11): "Quicken me, O Lord!—quicken my devotions, that they may be lively; quicken me to my duty, and quicken me in it; and this for thy name's sake." The best saints often find themselves dull, and dead, and slow, and therefore pray to God to quicken them.
III. The appearance of God's providence for him, 1. That God would, in his own way and time, give him rest from his troubles (Ps 143:9): "Deliver me, O Lord! from my enemies, that they may not have their will against me; for I flee unto thee to hide me; I trust to thee to defend me in my trouble, and therefore to rescue me out of it." Preservations are pledges of salvation, and those shall find God their hiding-place who by faith make him such. He explains himself (Ps 143:11): "For thy righteousness-sake, bring my soul out of trouble, for thy promise-sake, nay, for thy mercy-sake" (for some by righteousness understand kindness and goodness); "do not only deliver me from my outward trouble, but from the trouble of my soul, the trouble that threatens to overwhelm my spirit. Whatever trouble I am in, Lord, let not my heart be troubled," Joh 14:1. 2. That he would reckon with those that were the instruments of his trouble (Ps 143:12): "Of thy mercy to me cut off my enemies, that I may be no longer in fear of them; and destroy all those, whoever they be, how numerous, how powerful, soever, who afflict my soul, and create vexation to that; for I am thy servant, and am resolved to continue such, and therefore may expect to be owned and protected in thy service." This prayer is a prophecy of the utter destruction of all the impenitent enemies of Jesus Christ and his kingdom, who will not have him to reign over them, who grieve his Spirit, and afflict his soul, by afflicting his people, in whose afflictions he is afflicted.
本篇如前几篇一样,是大卫的祷告,满了对自己所处极大患难与危险的抱怨,大概是在扫罗逼迫他之时。他在那患难中不仅祷告,而且多多地、屡屡地祷告,不是重复同样的话,而是新的思想。在本篇中:一、他抱怨自己的苦情——因仇敌的欺压(诗143:3),并因自己心灵在其中的软弱——虽他采用了似乎可行的扶持之法,心仍几乎沉沦(诗143:4,5);二、他恳切祷告(诗143:6):1. 求神听他(诗143:1-7);2. 求神不要按他的罪待他(诗143:2);3. 求神不要向他掩面(诗143:7),却向他显明恩眷(诗143:8);4. 求神引导指教他当尽的本分之路(诗143:8,10),并在其中激励他(诗143:11);5. 求神救他脱离患难(诗143:9,11);6. 求神在所定之时向逼迫者清算(诗143:12)。我们唱这首诗时更容易将其应用于己,因其中多半的祈求是为属灵的福分(我们众人时时都需要的)——怜悯与恩典。