The interpretation timeline

Ps 144:1

How this passage has been read — the sources, oldest to newest.

From the early Church Fathers to now.

1 Patristic · 1 Jewish

Ps 144:1 · Douay-Rheims
“I will extol thee, O God my king: and I will bless thy name for ever; yea, for ever and ever.”
Patristic before A.D. 750
430
A.D.
Augustine of Hippo Patristic
A.D. 354–430
“The title is, "Praise, to David himself." Praise to Christ Himself. And since He is called David, who came to us of the seed of David, yet He was our King, ruling us, and bringing us into His kingdom, therefore "Praise to David himself" is understood to mean, Praise to Christ Himself. Christ according to the flesh is David, because He is the Son of David: but according to His Divine Nature He is the Creator of David, and Lord of David. "I will exalt Thee, my God, my King; and I will bless Thy Name for the age, and age upon age" (ver. 1). Ye see that the praise of God is here begun, and this praise is carried on even to the end of the Psalm.”
Source
805 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
Scholastic c. 1100 – 1500
1235
A.D.
Radak Jewish
c. 1160–1235
“Tehillah (A Praise): These six psalms until the end of the book are all praises of the Blessed God and His glory. Therefore, they begin and end with praise, reflecting the greatness of praise. This psalm starts with the word "Tehillah" in the first verse and also concludes with "Tehillah" in the last verse. The other five psalms start and end with "Hallelujah," all highlighting the greatness of praise. When will the praise of God be truly great? It will be during the ingathering of the exiles when all people will witness the wonders that God performs for Israel. Therefore, the psalms mention the ingathering of the exiles and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. This psalm is a praise to the Blessed God. Consequently, it was composed in alphabetical order, but the letter "Nun" was omitted, and we do not know why. Our sages explained that it is because it contains a reference to the downfall of the enemies of Israel, as it is written, "She has fallen and will not rise again, etc." (Amos 5:2). Anyone who contemplates this psalm will see the wonders of the Creator and His judgments upon His creations. Therefore, our sages said: Anyone who recites "A Praise of David" every day is assured of a place in the World to Come. They did not mean merely reciting it, but reciting it with one's mouth, heart, and tongue. I will extol Thee: With my heart and my tongue, for You are truly the King. All other kings and rulers, both earthly and heavenly, are under Your dominion, and You are exalted above them. One who recognizes Your exaltedness will say, "My God," but in truth, You are the God of all flesh and the God of gods. For ever and ever: This can mean that Your name exists forever and ever. Alternatively, it can mean that I will bless it forever and ever, meaning all the days of my life. Another interpretation is: "I will extol Thee" in this world, and "I will bless Thy name" in the World to Come, which is eternal. First, he says, "I will extol Thee," and then he says, "Thy name," to indicate that He and His name are one, and it is the Ineffable Name, while the other names are descriptive titles. The phrase is repeated for emphasis.”
Source
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.