Psalms 144

²My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.

Subdued - Who hath disposed my peoples hearts to receive and obey me as their king.

⁵Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

Come - To help me. Smoke - As Sinai did at thy glorious appearance, Exod 19:18. This is a figurative and poetical description of God’s coming to take vengeance upon his enemies.

⁷Send thine hand from above; rid me, and deliver me out of great waters, from the hand of strange children;

Strange children - Either of the Heathen nations: or of the rebellious Israelites.

⁸Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

Vanity - Vain brags and threatenings which shall come to nothing. Falsehood - Deceiving themselves, by being unable to do what they designed; and others, by not giving them that help which they promised.

¹²That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:

That - This mercy I beg not only for my own sake, but for the sake of thy people, that they may enjoy those blessings which thou hast promised them; and particularly, that our sons, who are the strength and hopes of a nation, may be like plants, flourishing and growing in height and strength, as plants do in their youth; for when they grow old, they wither and decay. Cornerstone - Strong and beautiful.

¹⁴That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.

Breaking in - Of enemies invading the land, or assaulting our cities, and making breaches in their walls. Going out - Of our people, either out of the cities to fight with an invading enemy: or out of the land into captivity.