No One Is Righteous before God

This individual prayer psalm is highly formulaic, that is, it consists of stock phrases repeated elsewhere in the Psalms (v. 3 // 7:5; Lam. 3:6; v. 4 // 77:3; 142:3; vv. 5–6 // 77:2, 5, 12; v. 6 // 63:1; v. 7 // 69:17; 88:4, 14; 102:2; v. 8 // 90:14; in general cf. Pss. 25; 86; further parallels listed in Culley, Oral Formulaic Language, p. 107). Yet it reflects an intimacy with God that is strikingly singular among the psalms.

143:1–2  The opening and closing verses draw attention to your righteousness (vv. 1, 11) and for good reason: Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. Although this admission may be obvious in Christian theology (e.g., Rom. 3:23), it is remarkably rare among the psalms. They contain a number of …