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Salmos 143

VBL · Chapter 143/150

1Un Salmo de David. Señor, escucha por favor mi oración. Por tu fidelidad, escucha mi petición de súplica. Respóndeme porque tú eres justo.

2Por favor, no pongas a tu siervo bajo juicio porque nadie queda inocente ante tu vista.

3El enemigo me ha perseguido y me ha tirado al suelo. Me hace vivir en oscuridad como los que murieron ya hace mucho tiempo.

4Me siento desvanecer por dentro. Me siento sobrecogido por la desolación.

5Recuerdo los días de antaño, y al meditar en lo que has hecho, pienso en lo que has logrado en el pasado.

6Levanto mis manos hacia ti, sediento de ti como la tierra seca. Selah.

7¡Por favor, respóndeme pronto Señor, porque muero! No te apartes de mi, porque entonces iré también a la tumba.

8Háblame cada mañana de tu amor y fidelidad, porque en ti he puesto mi confianza. Muéstrame el camino que debo seguir porque a ti me he dedicado.

9Sálvame de los que me odian, Señor. Corro hacia ti buscando tu protección.

10Enséñame tu voluntad porque tú eres mi Dios. Que tu espíritu de bondad me guíe y allane mi camino.

11Por la bondad que hay en tu nombre, déjame seguir viviendo. Porque eres justo siempre, sácame de esta angustia.

12En tu amor fiel, acaba con los que me odian, destruye a todos mis enemigos, porque soy tu siervo.

📖 Chapter study

Summary

The last of the seven penitential psalms: a humble plea acknowledging that no one is righteous before God, asking for guidance ('teach me to do thy will') and deliverance from the persecution of enemies who made him dwell 'in darkness.'

Explanation

This psalm combines elements of personal lament (persecution, distress) with a striking theological confession: 'in thy sight shall no man living be justified' (v. 2), acknowledging human limitation before God's perfect justice — a theme that anticipates later New Testament discussions of the need for grace (Paul cites a similar idea in Romans 3:20). The image of being led on 'level ground' (v. 10) suggests the desire for a simple, unobstructed path amid complicated circumstances. The application for today is that asking God for daily guidance, instead of relying only on our own ability to discern the right path, is a practice of genuine humility.

Fun facts

  • Verse 2 ('in thy sight shall no man living be justified') is echoed by Paul in Romans 3:20 when he explains why no one is justified by keeping the law.
  • It is the last of the seven traditional 'penitential psalms' (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143), historically used in contexts of deep repentance.

Verse-by-verse explanation

  1. Salmos 143:1The request to be heard does not rest on mercy alone: he asks for a response specifically according to God’s truth and righteousness, as a standard to be met.
  2. Salmos 143:2Asking not to enter “into judgment” is admitting up front that no one would come out unscathed from a strict trial. That is why the next request is for mercy, not a verdict based on merit.
  3. Salmos 143:3Being made to live in darkness “as those that have been long dead” is an extreme way of describing immense suffering. It sounds like being buried alive, closer to the dead than to the living, even while still breathing.
  4. Salmos 143:4Repeating “within me” twice in the same verse reinforces just how internal this anguish is, felt on the inside, not merely an unpleasant outward circumstance.
  5. Salmos 143:5The strategy against despair is stated openly: deliberately remembering the days of old and God’s past works as a way of finding stability in the present.
  6. Salmos 143:6Comparing his longing for God to the thirst of ground cracked by drought is a very concrete image. It would have resonated with anyone living in a region where lack of rain was a real cause of distress.
  7. Salmos 143:7The urgency here is tied to mortality: he asks for a quick answer specifically so as not to end up like the dead, echoing the ancient view that death cuts off all contact with God.
  8. Salmos 143:8The request singles out the morning as the specific time to hear good news, linking the start of a new day to renewed guidance for the path ahead.
  9. Salmos 143:9The escape described here is not to a physical place: it is to God Himself, treated as the one reliable hiding place from his enemies.
  10. Salmos 143:10The final request is surprisingly simple: not grand miracles, but guidance onto “the land of uprightness,” a path with no obstacles for his feet, a basic and practical kind of safety.
  11. Salmos 143:11“For thy name’s sake” repeats a common argument found in other psalms: asking for action based on God’s own reputation, not on the merit of the one asking.
  12. Salmos 143:12The psalm closes by returning to his identity as a servant as the argument: since he belongs to God, he expects the enemies to be dealt with because of that relationship, not out of personal revenge.

Chapters

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