Psalm 142:3

3 Als mein Geist in mir ermattete, da kanntest du meinen Pfad. Auf dem Wege, den ich wandelte, haben sie mir heimlich eine Schlinge gelegt.

Psalm 142:3 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 142:3

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me
Ready to sink and faint under the present affliction, being attended with the hidings of God's face, and with unbelieving frames; which is sometimes the case of God's people, and with which they are as it were covered and overwhelmed, as well as with a sense of sin, and with shame and sorrow for it; see ( Psalms 61:2 ) ( 78:3 ) ; then thou knewest my path:
the eyes of the Lord are upon all men, and he knows their goings, none of them are hid from him; and he sees and approves of the way, of the life and conversation of his people in general; and particularly observes what way they take under affliction, which is to apply to him for help and deliverance, ( Psalms 1:6 ) ( Job 23:10 ) . R. Moses in Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it of the path he walked in, which was right and not evil, for which he could appeal to God, that knows all things; it may literally intend the path David took to escape the fury of Saul, that pursued him from place to place; in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me;
let him take which way he would, there were spies upon him, or men that were in ambush to take him; and snares were everywhere laid for him to entrap him; see ( Psalms 140:5 ) ( 141:9 ) .

Psalm 142:3 In-Context

1 Ein Maskil von David. Ein Gebet, als er in der Höhle war. Mit meiner Stimme schreie ich zu Jehova, mit meiner Stimme flehe ich zu Jehova.

2 Ich schütte meine Klage vor ihm aus, meine Bedrängnis tue ich vor ihm kund.

3 Als mein Geist in mir ermattete, da kanntest du meinen Pfad. Auf dem Wege, den ich wandelte, haben sie mir heimlich eine Schlinge gelegt.

4 Schaue zur Rechten, und sieh: ich habe ja niemand, der mich erkennt; verloren ist mir jede Zuflucht, niemand fragt nach meiner Seele.

5 Zu dir habe ich geschrieen, Jehova! Ich habe gesagt: Du bist meine Zuflucht, mein Teil im Lande der Lebendigen.