| Psalm 142 | |
| Subtitle: | "I cried unto the LORD with my voice" |
Psalm 142 is the 142nd psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "I cried unto the LORD with my voice." In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the Bible, and the Latin Vulgate, this psalm is Psalm 141. In Latin, it is known as "Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi".[1] It is attributed to David in the opening verses.[2] It is labelled as a maschil or contemplation.[3] The text is presented as a prayer uttered by David at the time he was hiding in the Cave of Adullam (part of the David and Jonathan narrative in the Books of Samuel). Albert Barnes notes that "a prayer when he was in the cave" could mean it was a prayer which he composed while in the cave, or one which he composed at a later date, "putting into a poetic form the substance of the prayer which he breathed forth there."[4] It is, consequently, used as a prayer in times of distress.
The psalm is used as a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies; it has been set to music.
The following table shows the Hebrew text[5] [6] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
| Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maschil of David, when he was in the cave; a Prayer. | ||
| 2 | With my voice I cry unto the LORD; With my voice I make supplication unto the LORD. | ||
| 3 | I pour out my complaint before Him, I declare before Him my trouble; | ||
| 4 | When my spirit fainteth within me— Thou knowest my path— In the way wherein I walk Have they hidden a snare for me. | ||
| 5 | Look on my right hand, and see, For there is no man that knoweth me; I have no way to flee; No man careth for my soul. | ||
| 6 | I have cried unto Thee, O LORD; I have said: 'Thou art my refuge, My portion in the land of the living.' | ||
| 7 | Attend unto my cry; For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors; For they are too strong for me. | ||
| 8 | Bring my soul out of prison, That I may give thanks unto Thy name; The righteous shall crown themselves because of me; For Thou wilt deal bountifully with me. |
The following is the English text of the Psalm from the King James Bible.
Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.
In the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 142:1 comprises the designation
Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave. (KJV)From then on verses 1–7 in most English versions correspond to verses 2–8 in the Hebrew text.
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.[7] Barnes points out that the psalmist is not so much "complaining" as meditating, or praying for release.
In Catholic liturgy, this psalm has been recited at Vespers since the Middle Ages. According to the Rule of St. Benedict (530), this psalm traditionally appeared on Friday night.[8] [9] In the current Liturgy of the Hours, this psalm is recited on Saturday Vespers in the first week of the cycle of four weeks. Psalm 142 is said or sung at Evensong on the 29th of the month following the rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer. This psalm is known to have been recited by Saint Francis of Assisi on his deathbed.
Heinrich Schütz composed a metred paraphrase of Psalm 142 in German, "Ich schrei zu meinem lieben Gott", SWV 247, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628.
Artemy Vedel composed a choral concerto based on the Psalm 142, Glasom moim.[10] Polyphonic settings of the psalm have been composed by Andreas Hakenberger, Gracián Babán, and Jules Van Nuffel, among others.
NKJV