Psalm 142:1-3

New English Translation

Footnotes

1. Psalm 142:1 sn Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Psalm 142:1 tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I cry out.”
5. Psalm 142:1 tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I plead for mercy.”
6. Psalm 142:2 tn Heb “my trouble before him I declare.”
7. Psalm 142:3 tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
8. Psalm 142:3 tn Heb “you know my path.”