Wisdom & Poetry · Old Testament
Psalms 142
Psalm 142: a cry to the Lord when no man cared for my soul
General context
The speaker says he cried to the Lord with his voice and made his supplication, poured out his complaint and showed the Lord his trouble. When his spirit was overwhelmed within him, the Lord knew his path; in the way he walked, they secretly laid a snare for him. He looked on his right hand and saw no one who would know him; refuge failed him and no man cared for his soul. He cried to the Lord and said, thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. He asks the Lord to attend to his cry because he is brought very low, and to deliver him from persecutors stronger than he is. He asks that his soul be brought out of prison so that he may praise the Lord's name, and says the righteous will surround him because the Lord will deal bountifully with him.
Cited passages: Psalms 142:1, Psalms 142:2, Psalms 142:3, Psalms 142:4, Psalms 142:5, Psalms 142:6, Psalms 142:7
Psalms 142 (KJV)
1I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication.
2I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.
3When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
4I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
5I cried unto thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
6Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.
7Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.
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Historical context
The source prints no heading for this psalm; verse 1 begins with "I cried unto the Lord with my voice", so no title, author or occasion is given and none is asserted. The speaker is a single "I" who is not named. The persecutors are "they" who laid a snare and are "stronger than I", without names. No place is named; "the land of the living" and "prison" are the only settings, and the text does not say whether the prison is a building or a figure for the speaker's condition. Verses 1-2 speak of the Lord in the third person and report a cry already made; verse 3 changes to direct address, "thou knewest", and the rest of the psalm speaks to the Lord. The speaker quotes his own earlier words in verse 5. The righteous who will surround him are mentioned only in the last verse and in the future tense. No Selah occurs.
Cited passages: Psalms 142:1, Psalms 142:3, Psalms 142:6, Psalms 142:5, Psalms 142:7
Literary context
The psalm says "I cried" in verse 1 and again in verse 5, and the second cry is quoted. The opening two verses are all report, with four verbs for the same act: cried, made supplication, poured out, shewed. Verse 4 is the psalm's low point and its one look sideways, to the right hand, where the speaker finds no one; the line piles up absences, no man to know him, refuge failed, no man cared. Verse 5 answers that absence with the same word, "refuge", now given to the Lord. The petitions in verses 6-7 come in pairs, attend and deliver, bring out and praise, with reasons attached by "for": brought very low, stronger than I, thou shalt deal bountifully. The psalm ends not with the speaker's escape but with a circle of the righteous around him, so the isolation of verse 4 is answered by company at the close.
Cited passages: Psalms 142:1, Psalms 142:5, Psalms 142:2, Psalms 142:4, Psalms 142:6, Psalms 142:7
Key moments
- A cry with the voice (Psalms 142:1). The speaker says he cried to the Lord with his voice and made supplication.
- Complaint poured out (Psalms 142:2). The speaker pours out his complaint and shows the Lord his trouble.
- A snare in the way (Psalms 142:3). When his spirit was overwhelmed, the Lord knew his path, where a snare had been laid.
- No man cared for my soul (Psalms 142:4). The speaker looks to his right hand and finds no one who knows or cares for him.
- The Lord my refuge (Psalms 142:5). The speaker tells the Lord he is his refuge and portion in the land of the living.
- Bring my soul out of prison (Psalms 142:7). The speaker asks to be brought out of prison to praise, and expects the righteous to surround him.
For reflection
The speaker looks to his right hand and finds no one who knows him, then tells the Lord he is his refuge. What does the psalm suggest about the difference between having no man care for one's soul and being known by the Lord?
