Psalms 142:3
“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.”
Psalms 142:3 in 7 translations
- KJVKing James Version
- 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.
- DRADouay–Rheims
- When my spirit failed me, then thou newest my paths.
- ASVAmerican Standard Version
- When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walk Have they hidden a snare for me.
- DARBYDarby
- When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they hidden a snare for me.
- WEBThe World English Bible
- When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, you knew my path. In the way in which I walk, they have hidden a snare for me.
- YLTYoung's Literal Translation
- When my spirit hath been feeble in me, Then Thou hast known my path; In the way in which I walk, They have hid a snare for me.
- BPVBiblePics Version
- 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.
Context: Psalms 142
1{Maschil of David; A Prayer when he was in the cave.} I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.
2I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.
3When 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.
4I 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.
5I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.
About Psalms 142: A Cry for Help
Psalm 142 is a prayer of desperation and a cry for help from a person who feels completely alone and overwhelmed. The psalmist pours out his heart to God, pleading for deliverance from his enemies and expressing his utter dependence on God's mercy and faithfulness.
Commentary
The authorship of Psalm 142 is uncertain, but whoever wrote it clearly knew what it was like to be in the depths of despair. The psalmist describes being trapped, with no one to turn to for help. He acknowledges his own weakness and vulnerability, but also affirms his confidence in God's power to rescue him.What strikes me most about this psalm is how honest and raw it is. The psalmist doesn't hide his fear, his doubt, or his pain. He lays it all out before God, trusting that God will listen and respond with compassion. As a reader, I find this psalm to be deeply reassuring, because it reminds me that I can come to God with anything - even the things I'm ashamed of or scared to admit. And in God's presence, I can find the hope and strength to keep going, even when life feels overwhelming.