TRV
Translation
King James Version
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
Complete Jewish Bible
For an enemy is pursuing me; he has crushed my life into the ground and left me to live in darkness, like those who have been long dead.
Berean Standard Bible
For the enemy has pursued my soul, crushing my life to the ground, making me dwell in darkness like those long since dead.
American Standard Version
For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; He hath smitten my life down to the ground: He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
World English Bible Messianic
For the enemy pursues my soul. He has struck my life down to the ground. He has made me live in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
Geneva Bible (1599)
For the enemie hath persecuted my soule: he hath smitten my life downe to the earth: he hath layde me in the darkenes, as they that haue bene dead long agoe:
Young's Literal Translation
For an enemy hath pursued my soul, He hath bruised to the earth my life, He hath caused me to dwell in dark places, As the dead of old.
In the KJVVerse 16,297 of 31,102
Study This Verse
Commentary on Psalms 143 verses 1–6
1 ¶ A Psalm of David. Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; he hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I muse on the work of thy hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.
Here, I. David humbly begs to be heard (Psa 143:1), not as if he questioned it, but he earnestly desired it, and was in care about it, for, having desired it, and was in care about it, for having directed his prayer, he looked up to see how it sped, Hab 2:1. He is a suppliant to his God, and he begs that his requests may be granted: Hear my prayer; give ear to my supplications. He is an appellant against his persecutors, and he begs that his case may be brought to hearing and that God will give judgment upon it, in his faithfulness and righteousness, as the Judge of right and wrong. Or, "Answer my petitions in thy faithfulness, according to the promises thou hast made, which thou wilt be just to." We have no righteousness of our own to plead, and therefore must plead God's righteousness, the word of promise which he has freely given us and caused us to hope in.
II. He humbly begs not to be proceeded against in strict justice, Psa 143:2. He seems here, if not to correct, yet to explain, his plea (Psa 143:1), Deliver me in thy righteousness; "I mean," says he, "the righteous promises of the gospel, not the righteous threatenings of the law; if I be answered according to the righteousness of this broken covenant of innocency, I am quite undone;" and therefore, 1. His petition is, "Enter not into judgment with thy servant; do not deal with me in strict justice, as I deserve to be dealt with." In this prayer we must own ourselves to be God's servants, bound to obey him, accountable to him, and solicitous to obtain his favour, and we must approve ourselves to him. We must acknowledge that in many instances we have offended him, and have come short of our duty to him, that he might justly enquire into our offences, and proceed against us for them according to law, and that, if he should do so, judgment would certainly go against us; we have nothing to move in arrest or mitigation of it, but execution would be taken out and awarded and then we should be ruined for ever. But we must encourage ourselves with a hope that there is mercy and forgiveness with God, and be earnest with him for the benefit of that mercy. "Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for thou hast already entered into judgment with thy Son, and laid upon him the iniquity of us all. Enter not into judgment with thy servant, for thy servant enters into judgment with himself;" and, if we will judge ourselves, we shall not be judged. 2. His plea is, "In thy sight shall no man living be justified upon those terms, for no man can plead innocency nor any righteousness of his own, either that he has not sinned or that he does not deserve to die for his sins; nor that he has any satisfaction of his own to offer;" nay, if God contend with us, we are not able to answer him for one of a thousand, Job 9:3; Job 15:20. David, before he prays for the removal of his trouble, prays for the pardon of his sin, and depends upon mere mercy for it.
III. He complains of the prevalency of his enemies against him (Psa 143:3): "Saul, that great enemy, has persecuted my soul, sought my life, with a restless malice, and has carried the persecution so far that he has already smitten it down to the ground. Though I am not yet under ground, I am struck to the ground, and that is next door to it; he has forced me to dwell in darkness, not only in dark caves, but in dark thoughts and apprehensions, in the clouds of melancholy, as helpless and hopeless as those that have been long dead. Lord, let me find mercy with thee, for I find no mercy with men. They condemn me; but, Lord, do not thou condemn me. Am not I an object of thy compassion, fit to be appeared for; and is not my enemy an object of thy displeasure, fit to be appeared against?"
IV. He bemoans the oppression of his mind, occasioned by his outward troubles (Psa 143:4): Therefore is my spirit overpowered and overwhelmed within me, and I am almost plunged in despair; when without are fightings within are fears, and those fears greater tyrants and oppressors than Saul himself and not so easily out-run. It is sometimes the lot of the best men to have their spirits for a time almost overwhelmed and their hearts desolate, and doubtless it is their infirmity. David was not only a great saint, but a great soldier, and yet even he was sometimes ready to faint in a day of adversity. Howl, fir-trees, if the cedars be shaken.
V. He applies himself to the use of proper means for the relief of his troubled spirit. He had no force to muster up against the oppression of the enemy, but, if he can keep possession of nothing else, he will do what he can to keep possession of his own soul and to preserve his inward peace. In order to this, 1. He looks back, and remembers the days of old (Psa 143:5), God's former appearances for his afflicted people and for him in particular. It has been often a relief to the people of God in their straits to think of the wonders which their fathers told them of, Psa 77:5, Psa 77:11. 2. He looks round, and takes notice of the works of God in the visible creation, and the providential government of the world: I meditate on all thy works. Many see them, but do not see the footsteps of God's wisdom, power, and goodness in them, and do not receive the benefit they might by them because they do not meditate upon them; they do not dwell on that copious curious subject, but soon quit it, as if they had exhausted it, when they have scarcely touched upon it. I muse on, or (as some read it) I discourse of, the operation of thy hands, how great, how good, it is! The more we consider the power of God the less we shall fear the face or force of man, Isa 51:12, Isa 51:13. 3. He looks up with earnest desires towards God and his favour (Psa 143:6): "I stretch forth my hands unto thee, as one begging an alms, and big with expectation to receive something great, standing ready to lay hold on it and bid it welcome. My soul thirsteth after thee; it is to thee (so the word is), entire for thee, intent on thee; it is as a thirsty land, which, being parched with excessive heat, gapes for rain; so do I need, so do I crave, the support and refreshment of divine consolations under my afflictions, and nothing else will relieve me." This is the best course we can take when our spirits are overwhelmed; and justly do those sink under their load who will not take such a ready way as this to ease themselves.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–6. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 143
"For the enemy has persecuted my soul: he has humbled my life on the earth" [Psalm 143:3]. Here we speak, here our Head speaks for us. Manifestly both the devil persecuted the Soul of Christ and Judas the Soul of his Master: and now too the same devil remains to persecute the Body of Christ, and one Judas succeeds another. There lacks not then of whom the Body too may say, "For the enemy has persecuted my soul." For what does each one who persecutes us endeavour save to make us abandon our heavenly hope, and savour of the earth, yield to our persecutor, and love earthly things? "They have laid me in dark places, as the dead of the world." This ye hear more readily from the Head; this ye perceive more readily in the Head. For He died indeed for us, yet was He not one of the "dead of the world." For who are the "dead of the world"? And how was not He one of the "dead of the world"? "The dead of the world" are those who have died of their own desert, receiving the reward of iniquity, deriving death from the sin transmissed to them; according as it is said, "For I was conceived in iniquity.". ..In dying, says He, I do the will of My Father, but I am not deserving of death. Nought have I done wherefore I should die, yet is it My own doing that I die, that by the death of an innocent One, they may be freed who had wherefore they should die. "They set me in places," as though in Hades, as though in the tomb, as though in His very Passion, "as the dead of the world."
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 143:3 presents a profound lament from a soul in extreme anguish, vividly portraying the devastating impact of relentless persecution. The psalmist describes being utterly overwhelmed by an adversary, feeling his very life force crushed to the ground, and plunged into a state of deep despair and isolation, akin to the forgotten, lifeless existence of those long deceased. This verse powerfully conveys the psalmist's sense of spiritual, emotional, and potentially physical devastation at the hand of his enemies, forming the basis for his desperate plea for divine intervention.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 143:3 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey the psalmist's profound suffering and desperate state. Personification is clearly evident in the active "enemy" who "persecutes" and "smits," imbuing the adversary with a tangible, malicious intent and agency. The phrase "he hath smitten my life down to the ground" utilizes striking Imagery to depict utter defeat and humiliation, creating a powerful visual of the psalmist's prostration and complete lack of strength. The most impactful devices are the use of Metaphor and Simile. "He hath made me to dwell in darkness" functions as a Metaphor, where "darkness" represents not literal physical absence of light, but rather a profound state of despair, isolation, and the absence of hope or divine favor. This metaphorical darkness is further amplified by the powerful Simile "as those that have been long dead," which compares the psalmist's state of spiritual and emotional inertness and forgottenness to the lifeless, forgotten state of the long-deceased in Sheol, thereby emphasizing the extreme depth of his despair and feeling of being utterly cut off from life and remembrance. The intensity and vividness of the language also border on Hyperbole, underscoring the overwhelming and devastating nature of the persecution experienced by the psalmist.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly articulates the universal human experience of deep suffering and spiritual oppression, revealing the psalmist's vulnerability to both external attacks and internal despair. The "enemy" can be understood on multiple levels: literal human adversaries, the insidious forces of evil, or even the crushing weight of circumstances that lead to profound despondency. The psalmist's raw cry from such a state of "darkness" and "near-death" validates the reality of intense spiritual and emotional battles, affirming that even in the deepest pits of despair, honest lament before God is not only permissible but a righteous and necessary response. Theologically, it highlights the stark contrast between the life-giving presence of God and the death-dealing work of the adversary, underscoring humanity's desperate need for divine intervention and deliverance from oppressive forces that seek to extinguish life and hope.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 143:3 offers a powerful validation and profound comfort for those who feel utterly overwhelmed by life's relentless trials, spiritual attacks, or the crushing weight of depression and despair. It serves as a poignant reminder that it is not only acceptable but biblically modeled to express our deepest pain, humiliation, and feelings of lifelessness with complete honesty before God. The psalmist's raw vulnerability encourages us to acknowledge the full extent of our suffering rather than suppressing or minimizing it. Even when we feel "smitten down to the ground" and dwelling "in darkness, as those that have been long dead," our cry, like the psalmist's, is still directed toward the living God. This verse stands as a profound reminder that even in our lowest moments, when hope seems utterly extinguished and vitality drained, our ultimate recourse is to turn to the Lord for deliverance, for His light to dispel our darkness, and for His life to revive our weary souls. It teaches us that true, robust faith does not deny the reality of pain but courageously brings it transparently into the presence of the One who alone can heal, restore, and breathe new life into seemingly dead situations.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What kind of "enemy" is the psalmist referring to in this verse?
Answer: The "enemy" (Hebrew: ʼôyêb - H341) in Psalms 143:3 can be understood on multiple, interconnected levels. Historically, it most likely referred to literal human adversaries who sought to harm or destroy the psalmist, such as King Saul or Absalom if David is indeed the author. However, in a broader theological and spiritual sense, the "enemy" can also represent the unseen spiritual forces of evil (as described in Ephesians 6:12), which seek to oppress and destroy. Furthermore, the intense language of being "smitten down to the ground" and dwelling "in darkness" suggests that the "enemy" can also encompass the overwhelming circumstances, severe sickness, or profound internal struggles that lead to deep despair and a feeling of being utterly lifeless. The psalmist's experience is thus relatable to anyone battling forces, visible or invisible, that seek to diminish their soul and vitality.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 143:3, with its raw depiction of relentless persecution, being "smitten down to the ground," and dwelling "in darkness, as those that have been long dead," finds its ultimate fulfillment and redemptive answer in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the psalmist cries out from his own experience of suffering, Christ perfectly embodies this lament and transcends it. He was truly persecuted by His enemies, both human and spiritual, who relentlessly pursued His soul unto death (Matthew 27:27-31). His life was literally "smitten down to the ground" at the cross, where He was utterly humiliated, crushed, and broken for the sins of humanity (Isaiah 53:5). Furthermore, Christ descended into the profound "darkness" of death, experiencing separation and the grave, truly becoming "as those that have been long dead" for three days (Acts 2:24). Yet, unlike the psalmist who yearns for deliverance, Christ's descent into this profound darkness was not a defeat but a victorious act, for He conquered death and the grave from within. His glorious resurrection from the dead is the ultimate light that dispels all darkness, offering hope, life, and triumph to all who are persecuted, smitten, or dwell in despair. Through Christ, the believer finds not just empathy for their suffering, but the divine power to overcome the very forces that seek to bring them down, realizing the promise of new life even from the depths of death (Romans 6:4).