What does Psalm 142:2 mean?
ESV: I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.
NIV: I pour out before him my complaint; before him I tell my trouble.
NASB: I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare my trouble before Him.
CSB: I pour out my complaint before him; I reveal my trouble to him.
NLT: I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles.
KJV: I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.
NKJV: I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble.
Verse Commentary:
Please see our chapter commentary on Psalm 142; verse-level content coming soon!
Verse Context:
Psalm 142:1–2 is a cry for help when David is in trouble. He brings his struggles and fears to the Lord in prayer. David's phrasing emphasizes his earnest appeals: he "cries out," "pleads," and "pours out" his worries (1 Peter 5:7).
Chapter Summary:
David calls for mercy and rescue from the Lord. This either refers to when David was forced to flee to a cave (1 Samuel 22:1) or when King Saul entered a cave in which he and his men were hiding (1 Samuel 24:2–3). David takes all his concerns to God. Enemies are looking for ways to kill David and he feels alone and friendless. Faced with a dire situation, he calls on God with confidence that the future brings the Lord's blessings.
Chapter Context:
While evading death at the hands of King Saul (1 Samuel 19:1–2), David spent time living in a cave (1 Samuel 22:1). Later, he was cornered in a cave when Saul unknowingly entered the cave in which David and his men were hiding in order to relieve himself (1 Samuel 24:2–3). Either of these experiences may have inspired David. It's possible this psalm was composed while David was living in a cave, and that but Psalm 57 was inspired by the tense moments before the encounter with Saul (Psalm 57:1–4). This song is labelled as a maskil, probably referring to a musical style (Psalm 32:1; 42:1; 44:1; 45:1; 52:1; 53:1; 54:1; 55:1; 74:1; 78:1; 88:1; 89:1).
Book Summary:
The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.
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