Psalms 144:14

[That] our oxen [may be] strong to labour,.... To draw carriages, to plough with, and to tread out the corn: or "may be burdened" (w); fit to carry burdens; or burdened with flesh, be plump and fat,

That our oxen may be strong to labour; that there be no breaking in, nor going out; that there be no complaining in our streets.

To labour, Heb. laden, either with flesh and fat, as many understand it; or, as others, with young: but then the foregoing word is not to be rendered oxen, but cows, as the same word and in the same masculine gender is used . And so this agrees best with the former prayer for the sheep, , and he wisheth the same blessing of fruitfulness both for greater and smaller cattle. No breaking in, to wit, of enemies invading the land, or assaulting our cities, and making breaches in their walls. Nor going out, to wit, of our people; either out of the towns and cities, to fight with an invading enemy; or out of the land into captivity. No complaining; or, no outcry, or howling, for any sad tidings, or public grievances or calamities.

Psalms 144:14 [That] our oxen [may be] strong to labour; [that there be] no breaking in, nor going out; that [there be] no complaining in our streets.Ver. 14. Nor going out] viz. To encounter the enemy, or to be led into captivity. No complaining] No outcries but harvest homes.

(14) This verse is full of obscurities. The words rendered “oxen, strong to labour,” can hardly bear this meaning with the present pointing, since the participle is passive, and there is no authority for rendering oxen bearing burdens. The words have been rendered oxen laden, either with the produce of the land, or with their own fat (so apparently the LXX.), or with young, pregnant—all open to the objection that the passive of to bear must mean “to be borne,” and the latter to the further objection that the words are in the masculine. But since allϋphξm elsewhere means “heads of families” (Jeremiah 13:21, &c) or “princes,” and the noun cognate with the verb is used of a post connected with the revenue (1 Kings 11:28; comp. the connection between the Greek ϕορός and ϕέρτερος), the participle passive may easily here mean “honoured,” or “high in office.” Or, from the use of the cognate Chaldee form in Ezra 6:3, “strongly laid,” we might render, our princes firmly established; and this is the best explanation of the passage. No breaking in.—Heb., a “breach,” i.e., in the town walls. LXX. and Vulg., “no falling of the fence.” Others refer to the folds for cattle. (See Psalms 60:2.) Ewald, however, connecting closely with the mention of “pregnant oxen,” renders no abortion. So Syriac: “Our cattle are great (with young), and there is not a barren one among them.” Nor going out—i.e., either to war, or into captivity (Prayer Book version), or the breaking out of cattle. The first is the more probable. Complaining.—Rather, outcry, cry of sorrow, as in Jeremiah 14:2; or possibly, cry of battle.Streets.—Better, squares.

Verse 14. Our oxen may be strong to labour] We have not only an abundance of cattle; but they are of the most strong and vigorous breed. No breaking in] So well ordered is the police of the kingdom, that there are no depredations, no robbers, house-breakers, or marauding parties, in the land; no sudden incursions of neighbouring tribes or banditti breaking into fields or houses, carrying away property, and taking with them the people to sell them into captivity: there is no such breaking in, and no such going out, in the nation. My enemies are either become friends, and are united with me in political interests; or are, through fear, obliged to stand aloof.

14. our oxen … strong to labour] Both words are of uncertain meaning. (1) Most commentators follow the Ancient Versions in regarding the word allϋphξm here as a variant form for alβphξm, ‘oxen’ or ‘cattle.’ Oxen, it is thought, are naturally mentioned after sheep. The participle m’subbβlξm is variously explained. As it is passive in form it can hardly mean capable of bearing burdens, strong to labour (A.V.); and as it is masculine, it can hardly mean laden with young, pregnant. It is not a natural expression fox fat and strong, as the LXX, Aq., Symm. and Jerome render it, i.e. loaded with flesh. Most probably it means well laden (R.V.) with the produce of the fields which they draw home in carts. (2) Allϋphξm however may mean chieftains (cp. Zechariah 12:5-6), and in Ezra 6:3 the verb in Aramaic appears to mean set up or firmly established. In such a late Psalm it is quite possible that the word might be used in the sense it bears in Aramaic (cp. the word for rescue in Psalms 144:7), and the meaning our chieftains firmly established suits the context very well. It is of course to be connected with the remainder of the verse, and not with Psalms 144:13. If the leaders of the community are strong and their authority well established, the community will be in less danger of attacks from without. no breaking in] No hostile invasion of the country: or, no breach in the city walls by which the enemy may enter (Nehemiah 6:1). nor going out] No going forth to surrender to the enemy (Amos 4:3; 2 Kings 24:11), or into captivity (Jeremiah 29:16): or no sallying forth to repel an attacking force. no complaining in our streets] No outcry of citizens surprised by the enemy, or generally, no cry of mourning for disaster (Jeremiah 14:2; Jeremiah 46:12), in our broad places (Jeremiah 5:1), the open space inside the city gates, which was the usual place of concourse for the citizens, where justice was administered, and business transacted.

That our oxen may be strong to labour - Margin, “able to bear burdens;” or, “laden with flesh.” The Hebrew is simply loaded or laden: that is, with a burden; or, with flesh; or, as Gesenius renders it, with young.

14. Breaking in, is in Hebrew only “breaking,” and refers to damage or painful casualty; while going out is loss or failure.