Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
English Standard Version (ESV)
David isn't just asking God to listen; he's grounding his plea in God's own character. By invoking God's faithfulness and righteousness, he's reminding the Lord of His covenant promises and His very nature – the ultimate foundation for any prayer to be heard and answered.
Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!
English Standard Version (ESV)
David, in deep distress and pursued by enemies, cries out to God, grounding his desperate plea not on his own merit, but on God's unwavering character and promises. This prayer emerges from a place of realizing his own sinfulness, yet trusting that God's faithfulness to His covenant and His inherent righteousness will compel Him to answer and deliver.
Why would David remind God of His promises? What does it mean to trust God's faithfulness when things feel out of control?
David starts this prayer by appealing to God's 'faithfulness.' This isn't just a general characteristic; it points to God's covenant promises. God established a special relationship with His people, promising His protection, provision, and presence. When David cries out, 'In your faithfulness answer me,' he's reminding God of this ancient agreement. It's like saying, 'God, you promised to be my God and to hear my prayers. Your character is bound by these promises, so act accordingly!' This shows us that our prayers aren't just hopeful wishes, but can be grounded in God's revealed character and His commitment to His people. He is trustworthy because He is faithful to His word.
David pleads for an answer 'in your righteousness.' How can God's righteousness, which judges sin, be a basis for answering a sinner's prayer?
This is a crucial point: David isn't asking God to answer him based on David's righteousness. He knows he's flawed and has sinned, even against God. Instead, he's appealing to God's own righteousness. This means two things: First, God is inherently just and right, and it is in His nature to act justly and to uphold what is right. Second, God's righteousness is also expressed in His commitment to His covenant promises, which include mercy and forgiveness for those who turn to Him. So, David is pleading, 'God, it is right for you, according to your just and merciful nature, to answer me. Vindicate your own righteous name by showing mercy and delivering me.' It's a bold move that trusts God's perfect justice to include His perfect mercy.
Ask a follow-up
Understand the original words
YHWH · Hebrew Proper Noun
A reference to Yahweh, the self-existent, covenant-keeping God of Israel who revealed Himself to Moses. It signifies God's personal and relational nature in His dealings with His people.
emunah · Hebrew Noun
The quality of God being firm, constant, and reliable in keeping His covenant promises. It is His steadfastness that provides the basis for the believer's confidence in prayer.
tsedaqah · Hebrew Noun
God's character that conforms to His own holy standard; it is the attribute by which He acts in accordance with His law and His nature. Because He is righteous, He judges sin and upholds justice.
This prayer is deeply rooted in the personal anguish of King David, likely composed during a time of intense personal sin, familial rebellion, or imminent danger. The plea relies heavily on God's covenant faithfulness and His inherent righteousness, showing how ancient believers appealed to God's character even amidst profound personal failure and national upheaval.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David's Reign and Royal Struggles
During King David's reign, Israel faced internal and external threats. David experienced periods of intense personal sin, rebellion from his own family (like Absalom's revolt), and conflict with enemies.
c. 970 BC
David's Later Years
As David aged, his kingdom experienced turmoil, including conspiracies and succession disputes, adding to the emotional and spiritual pressures he faced.
c. 970-931 BC
Solomon's Reign and Temple Construction
After David, Solomon succeeded him. While initially wise, his reign eventually saw decline, but the construction of the First Temple in Jerusalem marked a significant religious and political milestone.
c. 722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of its people. This event served as a stark warning to the southern kingdom of Judah.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquered Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and exiled much of the population. This was a catastrophic period for the people of God, shattering their national and religious life.
This passage echoes the Psalmist's plea by directly linking God's faithfulness and righteousness to the act of forgiving sins, reinforcing the idea that these divine attributes are the foundation for answered prayer.
Romans 3:23-26This passage explains that while no one can stand on their own righteousness, God's righteousness is revealed through Jesus, providing a basis for mercy and justification, which aligns with pleading God's righteousness in prayer even in our sinfulness.
Psalm 36:5This verse declares that God's steadfast love (faithfulness) reaches to the heavens and His faithfulness extends to the clouds, mirroring the Psalmist's trust in God's unwavering faithfulness as a reason for His answer.
Psalm 61:7Here, the Psalmist prays, 'O, continue steadfast love and faithfulness to him!' This direct plea for these specific divine attributes highlights their importance in seeking God's protection and favor, much like in Psalm 143:1.
ellicottPsalms 143:1: "A Psalm of David. Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness."
(1) Faithfulness . . . righteousness. —The first word recalls the covenant promise, the second the faith, expressed so frequently, on which the covenant rested, that the Judge of all the world must do right. St. John founds the appeal for forgiveness on the same pair of Divine qualities ( 1John 1:9 ; comp. Psalm 65:5 .)
pulpitPsalms 143:1: "<> Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness."
Verse 1. - Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications (comp. Psalm 28:2; Psalm 39:12; Psalm 54:2; Psalm 55:1, etc.). In thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. In thy faithfulness to thy promises, since thou hast promised to hear prayer, and in thy mere righteousness, since it is right and just that thou shouldest do so, hearken unto me.
David isn't just asking God to listen; he's grounding his plea in God's own character. By invoking God's faithfulness and righteousness, he's reminding the Lord of His covenant promises and His very nature – the ultimate foundation for any prayer to be heard and answered.
David, in deep distress and pursued by enemies, cries out to God, grounding his desperate plea not on his own merit, but on God's unwavering character and promises. This prayer emerges from a place of realizing his own sinfulness, yet trusting that God's faithfulness to His covenant and His inherent righteousness will compel Him to answer and deliver.
David, in deep distress and pursued by enemies, cries out to God, grounding his desperate plea not on his own merit, but on God's unwavering character and promises. This prayer emerges from a place of realizing his own sinfulness, yet trusting that God's faithfulness to His covenant and His inherent righteousness will compel Him to answer and deliver.
"Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my pleas for mercy! In your faithfulness answer me, in your righteousness!" — David isn't just asking God to listen; he's grounding his plea in God's own character. By invoking God's faithfulness and righteousness, he's reminding the Lord of His covenant promises and His very…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026