You Are My Refuge
Psalm 142 summary: what it means
Psalm 142 is a short, direct prayer from someone who feels trapped and alone. The heading places it in a cave. The speaker cries aloud to the LORD and pours out his complaint, telling God his troubles. His spirit is overwhelmed, and a snare has been hidden on his path. He asks God to look to his right and see that no one there is concerned for him. Nobody cares for his soul.
The turn comes in verse 5. With no human refuge left, the speaker names the LORD as his refuge and his portion in the land of the living. He asks to be rescued from persecutors who are too strong for him and brought out of prison. The psalm ends looking ahead: the righteous will surround him, because God will be good to him.
Psalm 142: You Are My Refuge
World English Bible, public domain. allpsalms.com/psalm-142
Psalm 142 commentary: explained verse by verse
I cry with my voice to the LORD.With my voice, I ask the LORD for mercy.
I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.
The prayer starts aloud. The speaker cries with his voice to the LORD and asks for mercy, and he says it twice. There is nothing quiet or formal about it.
Also read Psalm 32:1, 1 Samuel 22:1-2, Psalm 30:8, Hebrews 11:38
I pour out my complaint before him.I tell him my troubles.
I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.
He pours out his complaint and tells God his troubles. Prayer here is unloading everything, without tidying it first.
Also read 1 Samuel 1:15-16, Philippians 4:6-7, Psalm 62:8, Psalm 42:4
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,you knew my route.On the path in which I walk,they have hidden a snare for me.
When 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.
When his spirit was overwhelmed, God knew his route. The speaker cannot see a way through, but God knows the path he is on, including the snare hidden on it. The comfort is in being known, not in the danger going away.
Also read Psalm 61:2, Psalm 17:3, Job 23:10, Psalm 139:2-4
Look on my right, and see;for there is no one who is concerned for me.Refuge has fled from me.No one cares for my soul.
I 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.
He asks God to look to his right and see that there is no one concerned for him. Refuge has fled and nobody cares for his soul. It is the lowest point of the psalm.
Also read Psalm 31:11, Matthew 26:56, Job 11:20, 1 Samuel 23:19-20
I cried to you, LORD.I said, “You are my refuge,my portion in the land of the living.”
I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
This is the turn. Having found no one, the speaker cries to the LORD and says you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. The refuge that fled in verse 4 is found in God.
Also read Psalm 73:26, Psalm 62:6-7, John 16:32, Psalm 91:9-10
Listen to my cry,for I am in desperate need.Deliver me from my persecutors,for they are too strong for me.
Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.
He asks God to listen because he is in desperate need. His persecutors are too strong for him, and he says so plainly.
Also read Psalm 143:7, Psalm 17:1, Psalm 57:3-4, Psalm 38:19
Bring my soul out of prison,that I may give thanks to your name.The righteous will surround me,for you will be good to me.
Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.
He asks God to bring his soul out of prison so that he can give thanks to God's name. The psalm ends with the righteous gathering around him because God will be good to him. The man who was alone in verse 4 now expects company.
Also read Psalm 88:4-8, Psalm 9:3, Psalm 34:2, Psalm 13:6
A prayer from Psalm 142
LORD, I cry to you with my voice. I ask you for mercy. I pour out my complaint before you and tell you my troubles. When my spirit is overwhelmed, you know my route, even where others have hidden a snare. I look to my right, and there is no one who is concerned for me. Refuge has fled from me. But you are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need. Bring my soul out of prison, so that I may give thanks to your name. Amen.
Psalm 142 Bible study questions
- In the heading, where does it say David was, and in verse 2, what does he pour out before the LORD?
- In verse 4, what does the writer ask the LORD to look at and see on his right?
- Verse 2 speaks of pouring out a complaint. What does it mean to you to bring complaints to God honestly?
- Verse 7 asks to be brought out of prison. What might feel like a prison to someone today, and what would getting out look like?
- The heading of Psalm 57 also places David in the cave. What do you notice when you read Psalm 57:1 beside Psalm 142:5?
Questions about Psalm 142
What does Psalm 142 mean?
It is the prayer of someone trapped and alone, with no one to help, who turns to the LORD as his only refuge and asks to be brought out of prison.
Who wrote Psalm 142?
The heading attributes it to David, calls it a contemplation and a prayer, and sets it when he was in the cave.
What does Psalm 142:3 mean?
It says that when the speaker's spirit was overwhelmed, God knew his route, even though a snare had been hidden on the path he walked.
What does Psalm 142:4 mean?
The speaker asks God to look to his right and see that no one is concerned for him. Refuge has fled and no one cares for his soul.
What does Psalm 142:7 mean?
It asks God to bring the speaker's soul out of prison so that he can give thanks, and looks ahead to the righteous surrounding him because God will be good to him.
How does the King James Version word Psalm 142:3?
The KJV reads "When 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."
Psalm 142 KJV: the King James Version
I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.1
I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.2
When 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.3
I 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.4
I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.5
Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.6
Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the righteous shall compass me about; for thou shalt deal bountifully with me.7
Psalm 142 in Hebrew
The Hebrew text from the Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain. Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, which counts a psalm's heading as verse 1, so they can run one ahead of English Bibles.
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1 מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לְדָוִ֑ד בִּהְיוֹת֖וֹ בַמְּעָרָ֣ה תְפִלָּֽה׃
2 ק֭וֹלִי אֶל־יְהוָ֣ה אֶזְעָ֑ק ק֝וֹלִ֗י אֶל־יְהוָ֥ה אֶתְחַנָּֽן׃
3 אֶשְׁפֹּ֣ךְ לְפָנָ֣יו שִׂיחִ֑י צָ֝רָתִ֗י לְפָנָ֥יו אַגִּֽיד׃
4 בְּהִתְעַטֵּ֬ף עָלַ֨י ׀ רוּחִ֗י וְאַתָּה֮ יָדַ֪עְתָּ נְֽתִיבָ֫תִ֥י בְּאֹֽרַח־ז֥וּ אֲהַלֵּ֑ךְ טָמְנ֖וּ פַ֣ח לִֽי׃
5 הַבֵּ֤יט יָמִ֨ין ׀ וּרְאֵה֮ וְאֵֽין־לִ֪י מַ֫כִּ֥יר אָבַ֣ד מָנ֣וֹס מִמֶּ֑נִּי אֵ֖ין דּוֹרֵ֣שׁ לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃
6 זָעַ֥קְתִּי אֵלֶ֗יךָ יְה֫וָ֥ה אָ֭מַרְתִּי אַתָּ֣ה מַחְסִ֑י חֶ֝לְקִ֗י בְּאֶ֣רֶץ הַֽחַיִּים׃
7 הַקְשִׁ֤יבָה ׀ אֶֽל־רִנָּתִי֮ כִּֽי־דַלּ֪וֹתִ֫י מְאֹ֥ד הַצִּילֵ֥נִי מֵרֹדְפַ֑י כִּ֖י אָמְצ֣וּ מִמֶּֽנִּי׃
8 ה֘וֹצִ֤יאָה מִמַּסְגֵּ֨ר ׀ נַפְשִׁי֮ לְהוֹד֪וֹת אֶת־שְׁ֫מֶ֥ךָ בִּ֭י יַכְתִּ֣רוּ צַדִּיקִ֑ים כִּ֖י תִגְמֹ֣ל עָלָֽי׃
Psalm 142 in the Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible
The Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain. It follows the Greek and Latin numbering, so this psalm is Psalm 141 there.
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1 Of understanding for David. A prayer when he was in the cave. 1 Kings 24
2 I cried to the Lord with my voice: with my voice I made supplication to the Lord.
3 In his sight I pour out my prayer, and before him I declare my trouble:
4 When my spirit failed me, then thou newest my paths.
5 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, and there was no one that would know me. Flight hath failed me: and there is no one that hath regard to my soul.
6 I cried to thee, O Lord: I said: Thou art my hope, my portion in the land of the living.
7 Attend to my supplication: for I am brought very low. Deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I.
8 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name: the just wait for me, until thou reward me.
Psalm 142 in Latin
The Clementine Vulgate, public domain, where this psalm is Psalm 141.
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1 Intellectus David, cum esset in spelunca, oratio.
2 Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi, voce mea ad Dominum deprecatus sum.
3 Effundo in conspectu ejus orationem meam, et tribulationem meam ante ipsum pronuntio:
4 in deficiendo ex me spiritum meum, et tu cognovisti semitas meas. In via hac qua ambulabam absconderunt laqueum mihi.
5 Considerabam ad dexteram, et videbam, et non erat qui cognosceret me: periit fuga a me, et non est qui requirat animam meam.
6 Clamavi ad te, Domine; dixi: Tu es spes mea, portio mea in terra viventium.
7 Intende ad deprecationem meam, quia humiliatus sum nimis. Libera me a persequentibus me, quia confortati sunt super me.
8 Educ de custodia animam meam ad confitendum nomini tuo; me exspectant justi donec retribuas mihi.
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Psalm 142 at a glance
| Verses | 7 |
| Heading in the text | A contemplation by David, when he was in the cave. A Prayer. |
| Attributed to | The heading attributes it to David, calls it a contemplation and a prayer, and sets it when he was in the cave. |
| Type | Lament and Prayer |
| Number in Greek and Latin Bibles | Psalm 141 |
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Psalm 142 in other translations
This page prints the World English Bible and the King James Version because both are public domain. The NIV, ESV, NKJV, NLT and NASB are under copyright, so they cannot be printed in full here. You can read Psalm 142 in those translations at Bible Gateway.
Where Psalm 142 belongs
Psalms of DavidBook 5 of the Psalms
How this page was made
The psalm text comes from public domain translations and is not edited. The summary, the verse notes and the answers are written for this page from the text of the psalm itself. Where a claim goes beyond the text, it is sourced below.
Sources
- Text: World English Bible and King James Version, both public domain, from ebible.org source
- Hebrew text: Westminster Leningrad Codex, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Douay-Rheims: Douay-Rheims Bible, 1899 edition, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Latin text: Clementine Vulgate, public domain, from ebible.org source
- Numbering: Greek and Latin psalm numbering, Wikipedia, Psalms source