Psalms 144:5
Bow thy heavens, O LORD, and come down: touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Original Language Analysis
יְ֭הוָה
O LORD
H3068
יְ֭הוָה
O LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
1 of 7
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
הַט
Bow
H5186
הַט
Bow
Strong's:
H5186
Word #:
2 of 7
to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application (as follows)
שָׁמֶ֣יךָ
thy heavens
H8064
שָׁמֶ֣יךָ
thy heavens
Strong's:
H8064
Word #:
3 of 7
the sky (as aloft; the dual perhaps alluding to the visible arch in which the clouds move, as well as to the higher ether where the celestial bodies r
וְתֵרֵ֑ד
and come down
H3381
וְתֵרֵ֑ד
and come down
Strong's:
H3381
Word #:
4 of 7
to descend (literally, to go downwards; or conventionally to a lower region, as the shore, a boundary, the enemy, etc.; or figuratively, to fall); cau
גַּ֖ע
touch
H5060
גַּ֖ע
touch
Strong's:
H5060
Word #:
5 of 7
properly, to touch, i.e., lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication, to reach (figuratively, to arrive
Cross References
Psalms 104:32He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.Psalms 18:9He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet.Exodus 19:18And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
Historical Context
David likely prayed this during military crises when surrounded by superior forces (2 Samuel 5:17-25 against Philistines, or later conflicts). The language echoes Moses at Sinai and anticipates apocalyptic visions in Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Revelation. God's 'coming down' always means judgment for enemies and deliverance for His people.
Questions for Reflection
- What situations in your life require not just incremental help but God 'bowing the heavens' and intervening dramatically?
- How did Christ's incarnation fulfill this prayer for God to 'come down,' and how will His return complete it?
- Why does corporate or national crisis sometimes drive believers to pray with urgency and cosmic scope they neglect in comfortable times?
Analysis & Commentary
Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down (יְהוָה הַט־שָׁמֶיךָ וְתֵרֵד)—Hat shamekha ('bend your heavens') recalls theophanies where God tears through the veil separating heaven and earth (Exodus 19:18, Isaiah 64:1). Vtered (and descend)—divine invasion into earthly conflict. Touch the mountains, and they shall smoke—Sinai imagery (Exodus 19:18, Psalm 104:32).
David, overwhelmed by enemies, doesn't merely pray for help but summons divine intervention in cosmic proportions. He needs more than tactical assistance—he needs God Himself to descend in theophanic power. This prayer finds ultimate fulfillment in the Incarnation (heaven bowing down in Christ, John 1:14) and will be consummated at the Second Coming (Matthew 24:30, Revelation 19:11-16).