Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
Psalms 143:1-12 -Introductory prayer (Psalms 143:1-2) for an answer according to God's faithfulness. Deprecating judgment, he complains of his distress (Psalms 143:3-6); the object of his prayer, and the ground of hope (Psalms 143:7-12). The phrase, "servant of the Lord" (Psalms 143:2; Psalms 143:12) connects this psalm with 2 Samuel 7:1-29. David's design was to suggest to the Israel of God the means of reviving their fainting spirits in depression.
Hear my prayer, O Lord ... thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness. He urges his double cry on the two-fold ground of God's righteousness and God's faithfulness. His "righteousness" is just that principle whereby He gives to each that which it is consonant to the divine character to give-salvation to the righteous (i:e., to those justified in the righteousness of God through faith working by love, in spite of many infirmities, Psalms 143:2); to the unrighteous destruction. His "righteousness" also binds Him to vindicate His praying people when they are in suffering. "Faithfulness" presupposes the promise to which God is faithful-namely, 2 Samuel 7:1-29. Similarly, in Psalms 36:5-6, God's righteousness and faithfulness are spoken of together.