Psalm 142
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Psalm 142 is the 142nd
psalm The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived f ...
of the
biblical The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of ...
Book of Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
in the
Masoretic The Masoretic Text (MT or 𝕸; he, נֻסָּח הַמָּסוֹרָה, Nūssāḥ Hammāsōrā, lit. 'Text of the Tradition') is the authoritative Hebrew and Aramaic text of the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) in Rabbinic Judaism. ...
text and modern numbering, part of the final Davidic collection of psalms, comprising Psalms 138 to
145 145 may refer to: *145 (number), a natural number *AD 145, a year in the 2nd century AD *145 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC *145 (dinghy), a two-person intermediate sailing dinghy *145 (South) Brigade *145 (New Jersey bus) 145 may refer to: * 1 ...
, which are specifically attributed to
David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...
in their opening verses. It is labelled as a ''maschil'' or contemplation. In the Latin
Vulgate The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...
, it is an ''oratio'' or prayer. The text is presented as a prayer uttered by David at the time he was hiding in the
Cave of Adullam The Cave of Adullam was originally a stronghold referred to in the Old Testament, near the town of Adullam, where future King David sought refuge from King Saul. The word "cave" is usually used but "fortress", which has a similar appearance in w ...
(part of the
David and Jonathan David and Jonathan were, according to the Hebrew Bible's Books of Samuel, heroic figures of the Kingdom of Israel, who formed a covenant, taking a mutual oath. Jonathan was the son of Saul, king of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and David ...
narrative in the
Books of Samuel The Book of Samuel (, ''Sefer Shmuel'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the narrative history of Ancient Israel called the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books ( Jo ...
). Albert Barnes notes that "a prayer when he was in the cave" could mean it was a prayer which he composed while in the cave, or one which he composed at a later date, "putting into a poetic form the substance of the prayer which he breathed forth there".Barnes, A.
Barnes' Notes
on Psalm 142, accessed 30 June 2022
It is, consequently, used as a prayer in times of distress. In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek
Septuagint The Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint (, ; from the la, septuaginta, lit=seventy; often abbreviated ''70''; in Roman numerals, LXX), is the earliest extant Greek translation of books from the Hebrew Bible. It includes several books beyond t ...
version of the Bible, and in the Latin
Vulgate The Vulgate (; also called (Bible in common tongue), ) is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible. The Vulgate is largely the work of Jerome who, in 382, had been commissioned by Pope Damasus I to revise the Gospels u ...
/
Vulgata Clementina The Sixto-Clementine Vulgate or Clementine Vulgate () is the edition promulgated in 1592 by Pope Clement VIII of the Vulgate—a 4th-century Latin translation of the Bible that was written largely by Jerome. It was the second edition of the V ...
, this psalm is Psalm 141.


Text


Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 142:


King James Version

The following is the English text of the Psalm from the
King James Bible The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by sponsorship of ...
. : 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. # I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. # 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. # 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. # I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. # Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. # 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.


Verse numbering

In the
Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
'' KJV The King James Version (KJV), also the King James Bible (KJB) and the Authorized Version, is an English translation of the Christian Bible for the Church of England, which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611, by sponsorship of K ...
) From then on verses 1–7 in most English versions correspond to verses 2–8 in the Hebrew text.


Verse 2

:''I pour out my complaint before Him; :''I declare before Him my trouble.'' Barnes points out that the psalmist is not so much "complaining" as meditating, or praying for release.


Liturgical use

In Catholic liturgy, this psalm (also known by its Latin
incipit The incipit () of a text is the first few words of the text, employed as an identifying label. In a musical composition, an incipit is an initial sequence of notes, having the same purpose. The word ''incipit'' comes from Latin and means "it b ...
''Voce mea ad Dominum clamavi'') has been recited at
Vespers Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic (both Latin and Eastern), Lutheran, and Anglican liturgies. The word for this fixed prayer time comes from the Latin , mea ...
since the Middle Ages. According to the Rule of St. Benedict (530), this psalm traditionally appeared on Friday night. In the current
Liturgy of the Hours The Liturgy of the Hours (Latin: ''Liturgia Horarum'') or Divine Office (Latin: ''Officium Divinum'') or ''Opus Dei'' ("Work of God") are a set of Catholic prayers comprising the canonical hours, often also referred to as the breviary, of the ...
, this psalm is recited on Saturday Vespers in the first week of the cycle of four weeks. Psalm 142 is said or sung at Evensong on the 29th of the month following the rubrics of the
Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the name given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The original book, published in 1549 in the reign ...
. This psalm is known to have been recited by Saint
Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...
on his deathbed.


Musical settings

Artemy Vedel Artemy Lukyanovich Vedel (russian: Артемий Лукьянович Ведель, uk, Артем Лук'янович Ведель, translit=Artem Lukianovych Vedel; ), born Artemy Lukyanovich Vedelsky, was a Ukrainian-born Russian composer ...
composed a choral concerto based on the Psalm 142, ''Glasom moim''.
Polyphonic Polyphony ( ) is a type of musical texture consisting of two or more simultaneous lines of independent melody, as opposed to a musical texture with just one voice, monophony, or a texture with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords, ...
settings of the psalm have been composed by Andreas Hakenberger, Gracián Babán, and
Jules Van Nuffel Jules Van Nuffel (21 March 1883 – 25 June 1953) was a Belgian priest, musicologist, composer, and a renowned expert on religious music. Biography Born on 21 March 1883 in Hemiksem, Belgium, Van Nuffel studied at the Grand Seminary of Mechele ...
, among others.


Notes


References


External links

* in Hebrew and English - Mechon-mamre * {{Psalms 142 Works attributed to David