Psalm 144 11

Psalm 144:11 kjv

Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:

Psalm 144:11 nkjv

Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, Whose mouth speaks lying words, And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood?

Psalm 144:11 niv

deliver me; rescue me from the hands of foreigners whose mouths are full of lies, whose right hands are deceitful.

Psalm 144:11 esv

Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

Psalm 144:11 nlt

Save me!
Rescue me from the power of my enemies.
Their mouths are full of lies;
they swear to tell the truth, but they lie instead.

Psalm 144 verses

Psalm 144 11 Meaning

Psalm 144:11 is a fervent plea from King David, a representative of God's people, for divine deliverance and rescue from treacherous and deceitful adversaries. It underscores the contrast between the steadfast truth and power of God and the emptiness and falsehood characterizing those who oppose Him and His people. The verse highlights two primary aspects of the enemy's character: their speech is characterized by vanity and emptiness (lies), and their strength or actions (symbolized by the right hand) are rooted in deceit and perfidy, rather than genuine power or righteousness.

Psalm 144 11 Context

Psalm 144 is a unique blend of a personal prayer for victory and a communal psalm of praise, attributed to David. The opening verses (1-2) express gratitude for God, who trains David for battle and is his Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer. This sets the stage for a warrior king who understands divine dependence. Verses 3-4 ponder humanity's fleeting nature, contrasting it with God's mighty condescension. Verses 5-8 are a plea for God to intervene with cosmic power against specific enemies, identified in verses 7-8 as "aliens whose mouth speaks futility and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood." Verse 11 reiterates this urgent petition from verse 7-8, making it a powerful refrain, underscoring the severe nature of the threat. The subsequent verses (12-15) shift to a vision of the desired prosperity and blessing that follows God's deliverance, emphasizing that true blessedness comes from having the LORD as one's God, in contrast to those who rely on deceptive means. Historically, this psalm reflects the constant warfare David faced from surrounding pagan nations, who were often characterized by idolatry, treachery, and an absence of the covenant truth.

Psalm 144 11 Word analysis

• Rid me and deliver me (פְּדֵנִי֙ וְהַצִּילֵ֔נִי - p'deni v'hatsileni):

  • P'deni (from padah): Implies "redeem," "ransom," "rescue by payment or mighty act." It speaks of liberation from bondage or imminent danger. This word often carries connotations of covenant rescue.
  • V'hatsileni (from natsal): Means "to pull out," "to snatch away," "to deliver from a grip." It emphasizes immediate, forceful extraction from a perilous situation.
  • Together, these words express a desperate and urgent appeal for comprehensive salvation from danger. The intensity is heightened by the dual request for both "redemption" and "rescue."

• from the hand of aliens (מִ יַד־בְּנֵ֥י נֵכָר֮ - mi yad-b'nei nekar):

  • Yad (hand): Symbolizes power, authority, control, and sometimes violence. Being "in the hand of" indicates being under the control or subject to the harm of another.
  • B'nei nekar (sons of a strange/foreign land/alien): Refers to foreign people, gentiles, or those outside the covenant of Israel. It denotes not merely nationality but a moral and spiritual alienation from God's ways. They are not part of God's chosen people, implying a different moral compass and loyalty, often hostile to Israel's God. This group is often depicted in scripture as oppressive or deceptive.

• whose mouth speaks futility (אֲשֶׁר֙ פִּיהֶ֣ם דִּבֶּר־שָׁוְא - asher pihem diber-shav):

  • Pihem (mouth): Source of their speech, expressing their inner thoughts, intentions, and character.
  • Diber (speaks): Action of uttering words.
  • Shav (futility/falsehood/emptiness/vanity/worthlessness): This critical word means empty, vain, worthless, or deceitful. It can refer to lies, empty promises, or words connected to idolatry (which is inherently vain/worthless, e.g., using God's name in vain - Exod 20:7). It implies a lack of truth, substance, or moral integrity in their communication. Their words are unreliable, untrustworthy, and serve no good purpose, often used for manipulation or deception.

• and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood (וִֽימִינָ֗ם יְמִ֣ין שָֽׁקֶר - vimynam yemin shaqer):

  • Yemin (right hand): Symbolizes strength, power, oath-taking, pledging loyalty, and action. Oaths were often sealed by lifting or grasping the right hand.
  • Shaqer (falsehood/deceit/lie): Similar to shav but often emphasizes the deliberate lie or deception. It signifies a betrayal of trust, disloyalty, or actions founded on untruth.
  • This phrase indicates that their power, their pledges, their actions, and even their sworn agreements are utterly devoid of truth. They use their strength and promises to deceive, betray, or accomplish evil, implying that their power structure, their alliances, or their very oaths are based on a lie, rather than genuine justice or fidelity.

Psalm 144 11 Bonus section

The concept of the "right hand" in ancient Near Eastern and biblical cultures was deeply significant. It symbolized not only physical strength and martial prowess but also the sealing of agreements, oaths, and fidelity. For an enemy's "right hand" to be a "right hand of falsehood" (Hebrew: yemin shaqer) implies a profound indictment. It means their most solemn promises are unreliable, their alliances are treacherous, and their very source of power (if it relies on their pledges or might) is based on a lie. This could also be interpreted as a polemic against the practices of surrounding nations where strength might have been attributed to idols or false gods, whose power, in contrast to Yahweh's, is truly false or vain. Furthermore, this verse contains a chiastic structure with the mirroring of 'mouth/futility' and 'right hand/falsehood', underscoring the pervasive nature of their deceit in both utterance and action. This mirrors the dual aspects of human corruption: sins of the tongue and sins of action, both originating from a heart alienated from truth.

Psalm 144 11 Commentary

Psalm 144:11 powerfully articulates a desperate and righteous plea for divine intervention against a specific kind of enemy: those characterized by systemic deceit. David, the divinely appointed king, understood that his battles were not merely physical but also spiritual, waged against powers whose very essence was contrary to God's truth. The "aliens" are not just external nations but represent a mindset devoid of truth, both in word and deed. Their "mouth speaks futility" highlighting empty rhetoric, false oaths, idolatrous utterances, or deceptive promises, indicating that their communications cannot be trusted. Simultaneously, their "right hand is a right hand of falsehood" signifies that their strength, their pledges, and their actions are equally perfidious, driven by ulterior motives rather than genuine covenant fidelity or righteousness. This highlights a complete moral bankruptcy in these adversaries. The double appeal "Rid me and deliver me" emphasizes the urgency and comprehensive nature of the desired divine rescue. It serves as a reminder that God’s people should depend solely on Him for deliverance from deception and malicious power, as human solutions against such deeply ingrained falsehood are insufficient. This verse resonates throughout biblical history, where God's covenant people constantly faced external and internal forces characterized by ungodly speech and action, requiring divine separation and protection.