Psalms · psalm 143 of 150
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Psalm 143 is a prayer of David, the last of the seven penitential psalms of Christian tradition. He asks the Lord to hear him for his faithfulness and righteousness, admits that no one living is righteous before him, and describes his distress, pursued and almost without strength. He recalls God's works, asks to hear his steadfast love in the morning and prays that his good Spirit lead him on level ground.
Psalm 143 is the last of the psalms that Christian tradition calls penitential, along with Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102 and 130. David prays from a moment of great distress, pursued by an enemy, and discovers that his only basis for asking is God's mercy, not his own innocence. The New Testament cites verse 2 to teach that no one is justified before God by works.
The psalm begins with a petition: hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my pleas; answer me in your faithfulness and righteousness. Right away verse 2 is key: do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. David does not appeal to his innocence but to God's mercy.
Verses 3 and 4 describe his distress: the enemy has pursued his soul, crushed his life to the ground and made him dwell in darkness like those long dead. His spirit faints within him and his heart is appalled. Verse 5 is a turn: he remembers the days of old, meditates on all the works of the Lord and ponders the work of his hands.
Verses 6 to 8 are prayer with the whole body: he stretches out his hands to the Lord, his soul thirsts for him like a parched land. He asks for a quick answer, for his spirit fails, and that God not hide his face. May he let him hear his steadfast love in the morning, for in him he trusts, and teach him the way he should go. Verses 9 to 12 ask for deliverance from his enemies, to be taught to do God's will, that his good Spirit lead him on level ground, to be revived for the sake of his name, and that in steadfast love God cut off his adversaries, for he is his servant.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
David begs that God not enter into judgment with his servant, since no one is righteous before him. The prayer rests on grace, not on one's own merits.
In the midst of his distress, David remembers the days of old and meditates on God's works. The memory of what God has done is an anchor for faith.
He asks to hear the Lord's steadfast love in the morning, for in him he trusts, and that he show him the way. Hope is expressed as a sunrise.
David asks God to teach him to do his will and that his good Spirit lead him on level ground. It is not enough to be rescued: he needs to be taught and led.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: For his faithfulness and righteousness. — Psalm 143:1
Answer: Enter into judgment with his servant, for no one living is righteous before him. — Psalm 143:2
Answer: He has pursued his soul and crushed his life to the ground. — Psalm 143:3
Answer: The days of old and all the works of the Lord. — Psalm 143:5
Answer: A parched land longing for water. — Psalm 143:6
Answer: To do his will, guided by his good Spirit. — Psalm 143:10
Psalm 143 teaches us to pray from humility. When we feel cornered, we can present to God not our merits but his faithfulness. In a small group you can set aside time to recall God's works in our own lives, as David does, and ask for help for the present moment.
It also asks for guidance. It is not enough to want to be rescued; we need to learn to do his will. Paul cites verse 2 in Galatians and Romans to teach that no person is justified by works but by faith in Christ. Whoever understands this can pray as David does: in your mercy, lead me, and learn to begin the day listening for God's faithfulness.
Psalm 143 ends with the prayer for victory and David's declaration: I am your servant. Psalm 144, also by David, answers with praise and a new petition: blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war.
Paul cites it, with slight variations, in Romans 3:20 and Galatians 2:16 to show that no one will be justified before God by works of the law. The psalm already expressed that truth: David does not present himself as innocent but appeals to the Lord's mercy.
Because Christian tradition includes it among the seven that express repentance and trust in God's forgiveness. The psalm does not confess a specific sin, but it admits that no one is righteous before God and asks him not to enter into judgment with his servant.
The good Spirit is the Spirit of God who guides and teaches. Level ground contrasts with rough paths: it is a picture of a safe, straight road without obstacles. David asks that God lead him on a path of uprightness and peace.