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Psalm 56

Psalm 56^[a]

For the music director, according to the yonath-elem-rekhoqim style;^[b] a prayer^[c] of David, written when the Philistines captured him in Gath.^[d]

56 Have mercy on me, O God, for men are attacking me.^[e]
All day long hostile enemies^[f] are tormenting me.^[g]
²Those who anticipate my defeat^[h] attack me all day long.
Indeed,^[i] many are fighting against me, O Exalted One.^[j]
³When^[k] I am afraid,
I trust in you.
⁴In God—I boast in his promise^[l]—
in God I trust; I am not afraid.
What can mere men^[m] do to me?^[n]
⁵All day long they cause me trouble;^[o]
they make a habit of plotting my demise.^[p]
⁶They stalk^[q] and lurk;^[r]
they watch my every step,^[s]
as^[t] they prepare to take my life.^[u]
⁷Because they are bent on violence, do not let them escape.^[v]
In your anger^[w] bring down the nations,^[x] O God.
⁸You keep track of my misery.^[y]
Put my tears in your leather container.^[z]
Are they not recorded in your scroll?^[aa]
⁹My enemies will turn back when I cry out to you for help;^[ab]
I know that God is on my side.^[ac]
¹⁰In God—I boast in his promise^[ad]—
in the Lord—I boast in his promise^[ae]—
¹¹in God I trust; I am not afraid.
What can mere men^[af] do to me?^[ag]
¹²I am obligated to fulfill the vows I made to you, O God;^[ah]
I will give you the thank offerings you deserve,^[ai]
¹³when you deliver^[aj] my life from death.
You keep my feet from stumbling,^[ak]
so that I might serve^[al] God as I enjoy life.^[am]

Footnotes

Psalm 56:1 sn Psalm 56. Despite the threats of his enemies, the psalmist is confident the Lord will keep his promise to protect and deliver him.
Psalm 56:1 tn The literal meaning of this phrase is “silent dove, distant ones.” Perhaps it refers to a particular style of music, a tune title, or a type of musical instrument.
Psalm 56:1 tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew word מִכְתָּם (miktam), which also appears in the heading to Pss 16 and 57-60 is uncertain. HALOT 582-83 s.v. defines it as “inscription.”
Psalm 56:1 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm when the Philistines seized him and took him to King Achish of Gath (see 1 Sam 21:11-15).
Psalm 56:1 tn According to BDB 983 s.v. II שָׁאַף, the verb is derived from שָׁאַף (shaʾaf, “to trample, crush”) rather than the homonymic verb “pant after.”
Psalm 56:1 tn Heb “a fighter.” The singular is collective for his enemies (see vv. 5-6). The Qal of לָחַם (lakham, “fight”) also occurs in Ps 35:1.
Psalm 56:1 tn The imperfect verbal form draws attention to the continuing nature of the enemies’ attacks.
Psalm 56:2 tn Heb “to those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 27:11; 54:5; 59:10.
Psalm 56:2 tn Or “for.”
Psalm 56:2 tn Some take the Hebrew term מָרוֹם (marom, “on high; above”) as an adverb modifying the preceding participle and translate, “proudly” (cf. NASB; NIV “in their pride”). The present translation assumes the term is a divine title here. The Lord is pictured as enthroned “on high” in Ps 92:8. (Note the substantival use of the term in Isa 24:4 and see C. A. Briggs and E. G. Briggs (Psalms [ICC], 2:34), who prefer to place the term at the beginning of the next verse.)
Psalm 56:3 tn Heb “[in] a day.”
Psalm 56:4 tn Heb “in God I boast, his word.” The syntax in the Hebrew text is difficult. (1) The line could be translated, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” Such a translation assumes that the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and that “his word” is appositional to “in God” and more specifically identifies the basis for the psalmist’s confidence. God’s “word” is here understood as an assuring promise of protection. Another option (2) is to translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” is a song of praise. (In this view the pronominal suffix “his” must be omitted as in v. 10.) The present translation reflects yet another option (3): In this case “I praise his word” is a parenthetical statement, with “his word” being the object of the verb. The sentence begun with the prepositional phrase “in God” is then completed in the next line, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.
Psalm 56:4 tn Heb “flesh,” which refers by metonymy to human beings (see v. 11, where “man” is used in this same question), envisioned here as mortal and powerless before God.
Psalm 56:4 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.
Psalm 56:5 tn Heb “my affairs they disturb.” For other instances of דָּבָר (davar) meaning “affairs, business,” see BDB 183 s.v.. The Piel of עָצַב (ʿatsav, “to hurt”) occurs only here and in Isa 63:10, where it is used of “grieving” (or “offending”) the Lord’s holy Spirit. Here in Ps 56:5, the verb seems to carry the nuance “disturb, upset,” in the sense of “cause trouble.”
Psalm 56:5 tn Heb “against me [are] all their thoughts for harm.”
Psalm 56:6 tn The verb is from the root גּוּר (gur), which means “to challenge, attack” in Isa 54:15 and “to stalk” (with hostile intent) in Ps 59:3.
Psalm 56:6 tn Or “hide.”
Psalm 56:6 tn Heb “my heels.”
Psalm 56:6 tn Heb “according to,” in the sense of “inasmuch as; since,” or “when; while.”
Psalm 56:6 tn Heb “they wait [for] my life.”
Psalm 56:7 tc Heb “because of wickedness, deliver them.” As it stands, the MT makes no sense. The translation assumes that the negative particle אַיִן (ʾayin, “there is not,”) was lost due to haplography because of its similarity to the immediately preceding אָוֶן (ʾaven, “wickedness”) as suggested by BHS with external support. Also, פַּלֵּט (pallet) is read as the noun “deliverance” instead of as an imperative verb (each has the same form). Even so, the presence of an imperative in the next line (note “bring down”) suggests that this line should be translated as a prayer as well, “may there not be deliverance to them.”
Psalm 56:7 tn Heb “in anger.” The pronoun “your” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
Psalm 56:7 tn Or perhaps “people” in a general sense.
Psalm 56:8 tn Heb “my wandering you count, you.” The Hebrew term נֹד (nod, “wandering,” derived from the verbal root נוֹד, nod, “to wander”; cf. NASB) here refers to the psalmist’s “changeable circumstances of life” and may be translated “misery.” The verb סָפַר (safar, “count”) probably carries the nuance “assess” here. Cf. NIV “my lament”; NRSV “my tossings.”
Psalm 56:8 tn Traditionally “your bottle.” Elsewhere the Hebrew word נֹאד (noʾd, “leather container”) refers to a container made from animal skin which is used to hold wine or milk (see Josh 9:4, 13; Judg 4:19; 1 Sam 16:20). If such a container is metaphorically in view here, then the psalmist seems to be asking God to store up his tears as a reminder of his suffering.
Psalm 56:8 tn The word “recorded” is supplied in the translation for clarification. The rhetorical question assumes a positive response (see the first line of the verse).
Psalm 56:9 tn Heb “then my enemies will turn back in the day I cry out.” The Hebrew particle אָז (ʾaz, “then”) is probably used here to draw attention to the following statement.
Psalm 56:9 tn Heb “this I know, that God is for me.”
Psalm 56:10 tn Heb “in God I praise a word.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult. The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except that the third person pronominal suffix is omitted here, where the text has simply “a word” instead of “his word.” (1) One could translate, “in God I will boast [with] a word.” In this case, the “word” refers to a song of praise. (2) If one assumes that God’s word is in view, as in v. 4, then one option is to translate, “in God I boast, [in] his word.” In this case the prepositional phrase “in God” goes with the following verb “I boast” (see Ps 44:8) and “[his] word” is appositional to “in God” and more specifically identifies the basis for the psalmist’s confidence. God’s “word” is here understood as an assuring promise of protection. (3) The present translation reflects another option: In this case “I praise [his] word” is a parenthetical statement, with “[his] word” being the object of the verb. The sentence begun with the prepositional phrase “in God” is then completed in v. 11, with the prepositional phrase being repeated after the parenthesis.
Psalm 56:10 tn The phrase “in the Lord” parallels “in God” in the first line. Once again the psalmist parenthetically remarks “I boast in [his] word” before completing the sentence in v. 11.
Psalm 56:11 tn The statement is similar to that of v. 4, except “flesh” is used there instead of “man.”
Psalm 56:11 tn The rhetorical question assumes the answer, “Nothing!” The imperfect is used in a modal sense here, indicating capability or potential.
Psalm 56:12 tn Heb “upon me, O God, [are] your vows.”
Psalm 56:12 tn Heb “I will repay thank-offerings to you.”
Psalm 56:13 tn The perfect verbal form is probably future perfect; the psalmist promises to make good on his vows once God has delivered him (see Pss 13:5; 52:9). (2) Another option is to understand the final two verses as being added later, after the Lord intervened on the psalmist’s behalf. In this case one may translate, “for you have delivered.” Other options include taking the perfect as (3) generalizing (“for you deliver”) or (4) rhetorical (“for you will”).
Psalm 56:13 tn Heb “are not my feet [kept] from stumbling?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course they are!” The question has been translated as an affirmation for the sake of clarification of meaning.
Psalm 56:13 tn Heb “walk before.” For a helpful discussion of the background and meaning of this Hebrew idiom, see M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 254; cf. the same idiom in 2 Kgs 20:3; Isa 38:3.
Psalm 56:13 tn Heb “in the light of life.” The phrase is used here and in Job 33:30.

Psalm 120

Psalm 120^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]

120 In my distress I cried out
to the Lord and he answered me.
²I said,^[c] “O Lord, rescue me^[d]
from those who lie with their lips^[e]
and those who deceive with their tongues.^[f]
³How will he severely punish you,
you deceptive talker?^[g]
⁴Here’s how!^[h] With the sharp arrows of warriors,
with arrowheads forged over the hot coals.^[i]
⁵How miserable I am.^[j]
For I have lived temporarily^[k] in Meshech;
I have resided among the tents of Kedar.^[l]
⁶For too long I have had to reside
with those who hate^[m] peace.
⁷I am committed to peace,^[n]
but when I speak, they want to make war.^[o]

Footnotes

Psalm 120:1 sn Psalm 120. The genre and structure of this psalm are uncertain. It begins like a thanksgiving psalm, with a brief notice that God has heard the psalmist’s prayer for help and has intervened. But v. 2 is a petition for help, followed by a taunt directed toward enemies (vv. 3-4) and a lament (vv. 5-7). Perhaps vv. 2-7 recall the psalmist’s prayer when he cried out to the Lord.
Psalm 120:1 sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.
Psalm 120:2 tn The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. See the introductory note for this psalm.
Psalm 120:2 tn Or “my life.”
Psalm 120:2 tn Heb “from a lip of falsehood.”
Psalm 120:2 tn Heb “from a tongue of deception.”
Psalm 120:3 tn Heb “What will he give to you, and what will he add to you, O tongue of deception?” The psalmist addresses his deceptive enemies. The Lord is the understood subject of the verbs “give” and “add.” The second part of the question echoes a standard curse formula, “thus the Lord/God will do…and thus he will add” (see Ruth 1:17; 1 Sam 3:17; 14:44; 20:13; 25:22; 2 Sam 3:9, 35; 19:13; 1 Kgs 2:23; 2 Kgs 6:31).
Psalm 120:4 tn The words “here’s how” are supplied in the translation as a clarification. In v. 4 the psalmist answers the question he raises in v. 3.
Psalm 120:4 tn Heb “with coals of the wood of the broom plant.” The wood of the broom plant was used to make charcoal, which in turn was used to fuel the fire used to forge the arrowheads.
Psalm 120:5 tn Or “woe to me.” The Hebrew term אוֹיָה (ʾoyah, “woe”) which occurs only here, is an alternate form of אוֹי (ʾoy).
Psalm 120:5 tn Heb “I live as a resident foreigner.”
Psalm 120:5 sn Meshech was located in central Anatolia (modern Turkey). Kedar was located in the desert to east-southeast of Israel. Because of the reference to Kedar, it is possible that Ps 120:5 refers to a different Meshech, perhaps one associated with the individual mentioned as a descendant of Aram in 1 Chr 1:17. (However, the LXX in 1 Chr 1:17 follows the parallel text in Gen 10:23, which reads “Mash,” not Meshech.) It is, of course, impossible that the psalmist could have been living in both the far north and the east at the same time. For this reason one must assume that he is recalling his experience as a wanderer among the nations or that he is using the geographical terms metaphorically and sarcastically to suggest that the enemies who surround him are like the barbarians who live in these distant regions. For a discussion of the problem, see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 146.
Psalm 120:6 tn The singular participial form probably has a representative function here. The psalmist envisions the typical hater of peace who represents the entire category of such individuals.
Psalm 120:7 tn Heb “I, peace.”
Psalm 120:7 tn Heb “they [are] for war.”

Psalm 140-142

Psalm 140^[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

140 O Lord, rescue me from wicked men.^[b]
Protect me from violent men,^[c]
²who plan ways to harm me.^[d]
All day long they stir up conflict.^[e]
³Their tongues wound like a serpent;^[f]
a viper’s^[g] venom is behind^[h] their lips. (Selah)
⁴O Lord, shelter me from the power^[i] of the wicked.
Protect me from violent men,
who plan to knock me over.^[j]
⁵Proud men hide a snare for me;
evil men^[k] spread a net by the path.
They set traps for me. (Selah)
⁶I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”
O Lord, pay attention to my plea for mercy.
⁷O Sovereign Lord, my strong deliverer,^[l]
you shield^[m] my head in the day of battle.
⁸O Lord, do not let the wicked have their way.^[n]
Do not allow their^[o] plan to succeed when they attack.^[p] (Selah)
⁹As for the heads of those who surround me—
may the harm done by^[q] their lips overwhelm them.
¹⁰May he rain down^[r] fiery coals upon them.
May he throw them into the fire.
From bottomless pits they will not escape.^[s]
¹¹A slanderer^[t] will not endure on^[u] the earth;
calamity will hunt down a violent man and strike him down.^[v]
¹²I know^[w] that the Lord defends the cause of the oppressed
and vindicates the poor.^[x]
¹³Certainly the godly will give thanks to your name;
the morally upright will live in your presence.

Psalm 141^[y]

A psalm of David.

141 O Lord, I cry out to you. Come quickly to me.
Pay attention to me when I cry out to you.
²May you accept my prayer like incense,
my uplifted hands like the evening offering.^[z]
³O Lord, place a guard on my mouth.
Protect the opening^[aa] of my lips.^[ab]
⁴Do not let me have evil desires,^[ac]
or participate in sinful activities
with men who behave wickedly.^[ad]
I will not eat their delicacies.^[ae]
⁵May the godly strike me in love and correct me.
May my head not refuse^[af] choice oil.^[ag]
Indeed, my prayer is a witness against their evil deeds.^[ah]
⁶They will be thrown over the side of a cliff by their judges.^[ai]
They^[aj] will listen to my words, for they are pleasant.
⁷As when one plows and breaks up the soil,^[ak]
so our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
⁸Surely I am looking to you,^[al] O Sovereign Lord.
In you I take shelter.
Do not expose me to danger.^[am]
⁹Protect me from the snare they have laid for me,
and the traps the evildoers have set.^[an]
¹⁰Let the wicked fall^[ao] into their^[ap] own nets,
while I escape.^[aq]

Psalm 142^[ar]

A well-written song^[as] by David, when he was in the cave;^[at] a prayer.

142 To the Lord I cry out;^[au]
to the Lord I plead for mercy.^[av]
²I pour out my lament before him;
I tell him about^[aw] my troubles.
³Even when my strength leaves me,^[ax]
you watch my footsteps.^[ay]
In the path where I walk
they have hidden a trap for me.
⁴Look to the right and see.
No one cares about me.^[az]
I have nowhere to run;^[ba]
no one is concerned about my life.^[bb]
⁵I cry out to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my shelter,
my security^[bc] in the land of the living.”
⁶Listen to my cry for help,
for I am in serious trouble.^[bd]
Rescue me from those who chase me,
for they are stronger than I am.
⁷Free me^[be] from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.
Because of me the godly will assemble,^[bf]
for you will vindicate me.^[bg]

Footnotes

Psalm 140:1 sn Psalm 140. The psalmist asks God to deliver him from his deadly enemies, calls judgment down upon them, and affirms his confidence in God’s justice.
Psalm 140:1 tn Heb “from a wicked man.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
Psalm 140:1 tn Heb “a man of violent acts.” The Hebrew uses the singular in a representative or collective sense (note the plural verbs in v. 2).
Psalm 140:2 tn Heb “they devise wicked [plans] in [their] mind.”
Psalm 140:2 tc Heb “they attack [for] war.” Some revocalize the verb (which is a Qal imperfect from גּוּר, gur, “to attack”) as יְגָרוּ (y^egaru), a Piel imperfect from גָרָה (garah, “stir up strife”). This is followed in the present translation.
Psalm 140:3 tn Heb “they sharpen their tongue like a serpent.” Ps 64:3 reads, “they sharpen their tongues like sword.” Perhaps Ps 140:3 uses a mixed metaphor, the point being that “they sharpen their tongues [like a sword],” as it were, so that when they speak, their words wound like a serpent’s bite. Another option is that the language refers to the pointed or forked nature of a serpent’s tongue, which is viewed metaphorically as “sharpened.”
Psalm 140:3 tn The Hebrew term is used only here in the OT.
Psalm 140:3 tn Heb “under.”
Psalm 140:4 tn Heb “hands.”
Psalm 140:4 tn Heb “to push down my steps.”
Psalm 140:5 tn Heb “and ropes,” but many prefer to revocalize the noun as a participle (חֹבְלִים, khov^elim) from the verb חָבַל (khaval, “act corruptly”).
Psalm 140:7 tn Heb “the strength of my deliverance.”
Psalm 140:7 tn Heb “cover.”
Psalm 140:8 tn Heb “do not grant the desires of the wicked.”
Psalm 140:8 tn Heb “his.” The singular is used in a representative sense (see v. 1).
Psalm 140:8 tn Heb “his plot do not promote, they rise up.” The translation understands the final verb as being an unmarked temporal clause. Another option is to revocalize the verb as a Hiphil and take the verb with the next verse, “those who surround me lift up [their] head,” which could refer to their proud attitude as they anticipate victory (see Ps 27:6).
Psalm 140:9 tn Heb “harm of their lips.” The genitive here indicates the source or agent of the harm.
Psalm 140:10 tn The verb form in the Kethib (consonantal Hebrew text) appears to be a Hiphil imperfect from the root מוּט (mut, “to sway”), but the Hiphil occurs only here and in Ps 55:3, where it is preferable to read יַמְטִירוּ (yamtiru, “they rain down”). In Ps 140:10 the form יַמְטֵר (yamter, “let him rain down”) should probably be read.
Psalm 140:10 tn Heb “into bottomless pits, they will not arise.” The translation assumes that the preposition ב (bet) has the nuance “from” here. Another option is to connect the line with what precedes, take the final clause as an asyndetic relative clause, and translate, “into bottomless pits [from which] they cannot arise.” The Hebrew noun מַהֲמֹרָה (mahamorah, “bottomless pit”) occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 140:11 tn Heb “a man of a tongue.”
Psalm 140:11 tn Heb “be established in.”
Psalm 140:11 tn Heb “for blows.” The Hebrew noun מַדְחֵפֹה (madkhefoh, “blow”) occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 140:12 tc The translation follows the Qere and many medieval Hebrew mss in reading a first person verb form here. The Kethib reads the second person.
Psalm 140:12 tn Heb “and the just cause of the poor.”
Psalm 141:1 sn Psalm 141. The psalmist asks God to protect him from sin and from sinful men.
Psalm 141:2 tn Heb “may my prayer be established [like] incense before you, the uplifting of my hands [like] an evening offering.”
Psalm 141:3 tn Heb “door.” The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.
Psalm 141:3 sn My mouth…my lips. The psalmist asks God to protect him from speaking inappropriately or sinfully.
Psalm 141:4 tn Heb “do not turn my heart toward an evil thing.”
Psalm 141:4 tn Heb “to act sinfully in practices in wickedness with men, doers of evil.”
Psalm 141:4 sn Their delicacies. This probably refers to the enjoyment that a sinful lifestyle appears to offer.
Psalm 141:5 tn The form יָנִי (yani) appears to be derived from the verbal root נוּא (nuʾ). Another option is to emend the form to יְנָא (y^enaʾ), a Piel from נָאָה (naʾah), and translate “may choice oil not adorn my head” (see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 [WBC], 271). In this case, choice oil, like delicacies in v. 4, symbolize the pleasures of sin.
Psalm 141:5 sn May my head not refuse choice oil. The psalmist compares the constructive criticism of the godly (see the previous line) to having refreshing olive oil poured over one’s head.
Psalm 141:5 tc Heb “for still, and my prayer [is] against their evil deeds.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult; the sequence -כִּי־עוֹד וּ (ki ʿod u-, “for still and”) occurs only here. The translation assumes an emendation to כִּי עֵד תְּפִלָּתִי (ki ʿed t^efillati, “indeed a witness [is] my prayer”). The psalmist’s lament about the evil actions of sinful men (see v. 4) testifies against the wicked in the divine court.
Psalm 141:6 tn Heb “they are thrown down by the hands of a cliff, their judges.” The syntax of the Hebrew text is difficult and the meaning uncertain. The perfect verbal form is understood as rhetorical; the psalmist describes the anticipated downfall of the wicked as if it had already occurred. “Their judges” could be taken as the subject of the verb, but this makes little, if any, sense. The translation assumes the judges are the agents and that the wicked, mentioned earlier in the psalm, are the subjects of the verb.
Psalm 141:6 tn It is unclear how this statement relates to the preceding sentence. Perhaps the judges are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the verb “will listen,” and “my words” are the referent of the pronominal subject (“they”) of the phrase “are pleasant.” The psalmist may be affirming here his confidence that he will be vindicated when he presents his case before the judges, while the wicked will be punished.
Psalm 141:7 tn Heb “like splitting and breaking open in the earth.” The meaning of the statement and the point of the comparison are not entirely clear. Perhaps the psalmist is suggesting that he and other godly individuals are as good as dead; their bones are scattered about like dirt that is dug up and tossed aside.
Psalm 141:8 tn Heb “my eyes [are] toward you.”
Psalm 141:8 tn Heb “do not lay bare my life.” Only here is the Piel form of the verb collocated with the term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, “life”). In Isa 53:12 the Lord’s servant “lays bare (the Hiphil form of the verb is used) his life to death.”
Psalm 141:9 tn Heb “and the traps of the doers of evil.”
Psalm 141:10 tn The prefixed verbal form is understood as a jussive of prayer. Another option is to translate, “the wicked will fall.”
Psalm 141:10 tn Heb “his.”
Psalm 141:10 tn Heb “at the same [that] I, until I pass by.” Another option is to take יַחַד (yakhad) with the preceding line, “let the wicked fall together into their own nets.”
Psalm 142:1 sn Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
Psalm 142:1 tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
Psalm 142:1 sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm while in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3. See the superscription of Ps 57.
Psalm 142:1 tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I cry out.”
Psalm 142:1 tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I plead for mercy.”
Psalm 142:2 tn Heb “my trouble before him I declare.”
Psalm 142:3 tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
Psalm 142:3 tn Heb “you know my path.”
Psalm 142:4 tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”
Psalm 142:4 tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”
Psalm 142:4 tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”
Psalm 142:5 tn Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.
Psalm 142:6 tn Heb “for I am very low.”
Psalm 142:7 tn Heb “bring out my life.”
Psalm 142:7 tn Or “gather around.”
Psalm 142:7 tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ʿal) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.

New English Translation (NET)

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Chronological

Psalm 56[a]

For the music director, according to the yonath-elem-rekhoqim style;[b] a prayer[c] of David, written when the Philistines captured him in Gath.[d]

Footnotes

Psalm 120[a]

A song of ascents.[b]

Footnotes

Psalm 140[a]

For the music director, a psalm of David.

Psalm 141[y]

A psalm of David.

Psalm 142[ar]

A well-written song[as] by David, when he was in the cave;[at] a prayer.

Footnotes

Psalm 56^[a]

For the music director, according to the yonath-elem-rekhoqim style;^[b] a prayer^[c] of David, written when the Philistines captured him in Gath.^[d]

Psalm 120^[a]

A song of ascents.^[b]

Psalm 140^[a]

Psalm 141^[y]

Psalm 142^[ar]

A well-written song^[as] by David, when he was in the cave;^[at] a prayer.