Psalm 143

"David's Prayer for Yahweh's Merciful, Instructive

Deliverance from Enemy Oppression"
(A Psalm of David.)
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

A1 DAVID'S YEARNING FOR YAHWEH'S MERCIFUL DELIVERANCE FROM

DEPRESSION CAUSED BY ENEMY OPPRESSION 143:1-6
B1 His Plea for Yahweh's Attentive Response 143:1
C1 For a Hearing
D1 Of his prayer: {1} Hear my prayer, O LORD,
D2 Of his supplications: Give ear to my supplications!
C2 For a Response Based on Yahweh's Character
D1 His faithfulness: Answer me in Your faithfulness,
D2 His righteousness: in Your righteousness!
B2 His Plea for a Merciful Withholding of Judgment 143:2
C1 Because He is Yahweh's Servant: {2} And do not enter into judgment 1 with
Your servant,
C2 Because Complete Human Righteousness is Non-Existent: For in Your
sight no man living is righteous.
B3 The Occasion for His Plea: Depressing Oppression 143:3-4
C1 The Oppression of His Enemy 143:3
D1 Persecuting his soul: {3} For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
D2 Crushing his life: He has crushed my life to the ground;
D3 Forcing him underground: He has made me dwell in dark places,2
like those who have long been dead.

1
Psalm 143:2 - judgment: Either David was acknowledging a specific sin of which he was guilty, or else he
perceived his own perpetual sinfulness, much as the psalmist in 130:3 said, "If You, LORD, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?" See also Ps. 14:1-3, quoted in Rom. 3:10-12.
2
Psalm 143:3 - dark places: For example, David was literally forced to hide in the inner recesses of caves (1
Sam. 22:1; 24:1-10; 2 Sam. 23:13).
Expanded Analysis of Psalm 143 by James T. Bartsch 2
C2 The Depression of His Psyche 143:4
D1 Overwhelmed spirit: {4} Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within
me;
D2 Appalled heart: My heart is appalled within me.
B4 His Intense Meditation upon Yahweh 143:5-6
C1 His Reflection on Yahweh's Past Works 143:5
D1 {5} I remember the days of old;
D2 I meditate on all Your doings;
D3 I muse on the work of Your hands.
C2 His Utter Yearning for Yahweh 143:6
D1 His stretched out hands: : {6} I stretch out my hands to You;
D2 His thirsty soul: My soul longs for You, as a parched land. Selah.
A2 DAVID'S URGENT PLEA FOR GUIDANCE, DELIVERANCE, AND PHYSICAL
PROTECTION, AND FOR DESTRUCTION OF HIS ENEMIES 143:7-12
B1 His Plea for Yahweh's Rapid, Focused Response 143:7
C1 Because His Spirit is Failing: {7} Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit
fails;
C2 Lest He Die
D1 Facial focus: Do not hide Your face from me,
D2 Preventing death: Or I will become like those who go down to the
pit.3
B2 His Plea for Yahweh's Early Guidance, Rewarding His Faith and Petition
143:8
C1 Early Response Rewarding Faith
D1 Loyal love in the morning: {8} Let me hear Your lovingkindness in
the morning;
D2 Faith: For I trust in You;

3
Psalm 143:7 - pit: A reference to Sheol, the place of the dead.
Expanded Analysis of Psalm 143 by James T. Bartsch 3
C2 Guidance Rewarding Petition
D1 Guidance: Teach me the way in which I should walk;
D2 Petition: For to You I lift up my soul.
B3 His Plea for Deliverance, Rewarding Refuge 143:9
C1 Deliverance from Enemies: {9} Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies;
C2 Refuge in Yahweh: I take refuge in You.
B4 His Request for Instruction and Guidance 143:10
C1 Instruction from His Elohim
D1 Instruction in obedience: {10} Teach me to do Your will,
D2 Identification with his Deity: For You are my God;
C2 Guidance from Yahweh's Spirit: Let Your good Spirit lead me on level
ground.
B5 His Plea for Preservation of His Life and Deliverance of His Vitality 143:11
C1 Animation of His Body in Deference to Yahweh's Name: {11} For the sake
of Your name, O LORD, revive 4 me.
C2 Extrication of His Vitality in Deference to Yahweh's Righteousness: In
Your righteousness bring my soul 5 out of trouble.
B6 His Request for the Destruction of His Enemies 143:12
C1 The Leverage for His Request -- Yahweh's Loyal Love: {12} And in Your
lovingkindness,

4
Psalm 143:11 - revive: The Heb. chayah (2421) in the Piel stem, means "preserve [me] alive" – "let [me] live"
(Brown Driver Briggs Lexicon (BDB) and bears no relation whatever to the American concept of "revival" meetings.
David is asking that his physical life might be preserved, and, because he is so stressed out from fleeing for his life,
that he might be physically rejuvenated.
5
Psalm 143:11 - soul: Heb. nephesh (5315) - the "inner living being" (BDB). Chay (2416) [from the same stem
as chayah (2421)] and nephesh appear in proximity in Gen. 2:7, "Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living (chay) being (nephesh)."
Expanded Analysis of Psalm 143 by James T. Bartsch 4
C2 The Substance of His Request -- Destruction
D1 Of his enemies: cut off my enemies
D2 Of those who afflict him: And destroy 6 all those who afflict my
soul,
C3 Additional Leverage for His Request: For I am Your servant.
Expanded Analysis of Psalm 143
Prepared by James T. Bartsch
July, 2006, updated August 19, 2019

WordExplain.com
Email Contact: [email protected]

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE ®,

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

6
Psalm 143:12 - destroy: The enemy of God's people is the enemy of God. As this note is being written (July,
2006), Israel faces constant rocket bombardment from Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon. Doubtless, devout modern-
day Israelis are praying the same kind of prayer David did.
In the present economy of God, the state is authorized to use the sword to protect its citizens (Romans 13:1-5).
In relation to our own personal (not state) enemies, we Christians are instructed to bless, not curse those who
persecute us (Romans 12:14), for the Lord is "not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance" (2 Pet. 3:9).
However, Divine forgiveness and mercy spurned is eternal judgment earned, and, in the final analysis, God will
answer David's prayer for the destruction of enemies, for when God creates a new heavens and new earth, it cannot
and will not be tainted by the slightest smudge of evil (2 Pet. 3:13). The wicked will be utterly excluded from utopia
(Rev. 20:10-15; 21:1, 8, 27). Revelation, the book of apocalyptic judgment, ends with a pleading invitation to all
sinners who are thirsty for God, forgiveness, and eternal life, to come and "take the water of life without cost" (Rev.
22:17).
 Psalm 143

"David's Prayer for Yahweh's Merciful, Instructive

Deliverance from Enemy Oppression"
(A Psalm of David.)
A1 DAVID'S YEARNING FOR YAHWEH'S MERCIFUL DELIVERANCE FROM
DEPRESSION CAUSED BY ENEMY OPPRESSION 143:1-6
B1 His Plea for Yahweh's Attentive Response 143:1
B2 His Plea for a Merciful Withholding of Judgment 143:2
B3 The Occasion for His Plea: Depressing Oppression 143:3-4
C1 The Oppression of His Enemy 143:3
C2 The Depression of His Psyche 143:4
B4 His Intense Meditation upon Yahweh 143:5-6
C1 His Reflection on Yahweh's Past Works 143:5
C2 His Utter Yearning for Yahweh 143:6

A2 DAVID'S URGENT PLEA FOR GUIDANCE, DELIVERANCE, AND PHYSICAL

PROTECTION, AND FOR DESTRUCTION OF HIS ENEMIES 143:7-12

B1 His Plea for Yahweh's Rapid, Focused Response 143:7

B2 His Plea for Yahweh's Early Guidance, Rewarding His Faith and Petition 143:8
B3 His Plea for Deliverance, Rewarding Refuge 143:9
B4 His Request for Instruction and Guidance 143:10
B5 His Plea for Preservation of His Life and Deliverance of His Vitality 143:11
B6 His Request for the Destruction of His Enemies 143:12

Condensed Outline of Psalm 143

Prepared by James T. Bartsch
July, 2006, updated August 19, 2019

WordExplain.com
Email Contact: [email protected]