Psalm 142:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.

NIV: When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. In the path where I walk people have hidden a snare for me.

NASB: When my spirit felt weak within me, You knew my path. In the way where I walk They have hidden a trap for me.

CSB: Although my spirit is weak within me, you know my way. Along this path I travel they have hidden a trap for me.

NLT: When I am overwhelmed, you alone know the way I should turn. Wherever I go, my enemies have set traps for me.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk They have secretly set a snare for me.

Psalm 142:3–4 expresses David's feelings. He is afraid because of the enemies who scheme to kill him. At the same time, he knows the Lord is aware of his situation. David feels alone and without help: there is no one standing at his right side, where an ally would normally be. He has nowhere truly safe to hide and feels as if he has no friends. This was inspired by one of two times when David was in a cave while hunted by Saul (1 Samuel 22:1; 24:2–3).

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.

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).

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.

Accessed 4/16/2025 3:16:05 PM