Psalms Chapter 143

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications, etc.] With these requests David begins the psalm; for it was to no purpose to pray and were heard; and for which he always appears to be concerned, as every good man will, and not to be heard only, but to be answered, as follows; in thy faithfulness answer me, [and] in thy righteousness; he does not plead his own faith, with which he believed in God, as rama interprets it; though the prayer of faith is very effectual; but the faithfulness of God to his promises; he had promised to hear, answer, and deliver such as called on him in a time of trouble; and he is…”

“This Psalm sustains a close connection with the foregoing. The chosen people are exhorted to praise God, in view of past favors, and also future victories over enemies, of which they are impliedly assured. (Psa 149:1-9) (Compare Psa 96:1).”

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear ... - See Psalms 4:1, note; Psalms 5:1, note. In thy faithfulness answer me - That is, Show thy faithfulness to thy promises. God had made gracious promises to David (compare Psalms 89:19-37), and he now pleads that he would remember those promises, and accomplish in his behalf what he had said he would. God has also made gracious promises to his people, and they may always plead those promises as a reason why they should be heard, and why their prayers should be answered. And in thy righteousness - Compare Psalms 31:1. In thy disposition to do right; to vindicate a righteous…”

“Justified - Upon terms of strict justice. Psalms 143:3”

“Ps 143 In this lament, the psalmist feels overwhelmed by constant harassment from his foes, so he turns to the Lord’s love, righteousness, and faithfulness. He remembers God’s acts in the past and yearns for the renewal of the Lord’s love. He opens himself to God’s wisdom because he knows that instruction will lead to life. 143:1-2 The psalmist prays for God’s love and mercy.”

“thy faithfulness: Psa 31:1, Psa 71:2; Sa2 7:25; Dan 9:16; Jo1 1:9 Psalms 143:2”

“The poet pleads two motives for the answering of his prayer which are to be found in God Himself, viz., God's אמוּנה, truthfulness, with which He verifies the truth of His promises, that is to say, His faithfulness to His promises; and His צדקה, righteousness, not in a recompensative legal sense, but in an evangelical sense, in accordance with His counsel, i.e., the strictness and earnestness with which He maintains the order of salvation established by His holy love, both against the ungratefully disobedient and against those who insolently despise Him. Having entered into this order of salvation, and within the…”