Psalms 142:1-4

Psalm 142 ¹ 

A well-written song ²  by David, when he was in the cave; ³  a prayer.

142:1 To the Lord I cry out; ⁴ 

to the Lord I plead for mercy. ⁵ 

142:2 I pour out my lament before him;

I tell him about ⁶  my troubles.

142:3 Even when my strength leaves me, ⁷ 

you watch my footsteps. ⁸ 

In the path where I walk

they have hidden a trap for me.

142:4 Look to the right and see!

No one cares about me. ⁹ 

I have nowhere to run; ¹⁰ 

no one is concerned about my life. ¹¹ 

[142:1]  ¹ sn Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.

[142:1]  ² tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

[142:1]  ³ sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm while in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3. See the superscription of Ps 57.

[142:1]  ⁴ tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I cry out.”

[142:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I plead for mercy.”

[142:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “my trouble before him I declare.”

[142:3]  ⁷ tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”

[142:3]  ⁸ tn Heb “you know my path.”

[142:4]  ⁹ tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”

[142:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”

[142:4]  ¹¹ tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”