The interpretation timeline
Psalm 118:143 Douay-Rheims

Trouble and anguish have found me: thy commandments are my meditation.

A.D. 373 – 1849 4 witnesses

Patristic

before A.D. 750
373
A.D.
c. A.D. 296–373
“For this is the divine promise: "The Lord shall fight for you." Henceforth, although afflictions and trials from without overtake them, yet, being fashioned after the apostolic words and "being steadfast in tribulations and persevering in prayers" and in meditation on the law, they stand against those things that befall them, are well-pleasing to God and give utterance to the words that are written, "Afflictions and distresses are come on me, but your commandments are my meditation."”
Source
430
A.D.
Augustine of Hippo Patristic
A.D. 354–430
“On account of this law the younger suffered persecution from the elder, so that the younger says what follows: "Trouble and hardship have taken hold upon me: yet is my meditation in Your commandments" [Psalm 119:143]. Let them rage, let them persecute; as long as the commandments of God be not abandoned, and, after those commandments, let even those who rage be loved.”
Source

Post-Reformation

c. 1650 – 1900
1771
A.D.
John Gill Reformed
1697–1771
“I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried,.... That is, he awoke and got up, and prayed, before the day broke, the morning looked forth, or the sun arose: he was early as well as earnest in his supplications to God; see Psa 5:3; as Christ, his antitype, rose early in the morning, a great while before day, and went out to a solitary place, and prayed, Mar 1:35; I hoped in thy word; which is a great encouragement to prayer, the grace of hope itself is, though a man can only put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope; and especially when it is grounded on the word of promise, that God will hear and answer his people, when they call upon him in a time of trouble: and particularly hope in Christ, the essential Word, is a great encouragement; many encouraging arguments to prayer are taken from the person, office, advocacy, and mediation of Jesus Christ, Heb 4:14.”
Source
1849
A.D.
1774–1849
“Trouble. Such is the portion of the just, Romans v. 3. — Mediation. Hebrew, “joy.” (Symmachus) (Calmet) — The sense is the same. Septuagint generally give the former meaning, as they render by seeking what moderns would restrain to signify observing, ver. 145, &c. (Berthier)”
Modern · 1953 →

The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.