Psalm 142:2

2 I ¹pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.

Psalm 142:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 142:2

I poured out my complaint before him
Not a complaint of the Lord and of his providences, but of himself; of his sins, and particularly his unbelief; and also of them that persecuted and afflicted him; which he "poured" out from the abundance of his heart, and in the bitterness of his soul; denoting the fulness of his prayer, his freedom in it, the power and fervency of it, and which he left before the Lord, and submitted to his will; see ( Psalms 102:1 ) , title;

I showed before him my trouble;
the present trouble he was in, being pursued and surrounded by Saul and his army; not as if the Lord was ignorant of it, and did not see and observe it, but to affect his own soul with it, to exercise grace under it, and ease his burdened and distressed mind; the best of men have their troubles both within and without, and the way to be rid of them is to carry them to the Lord.

Psalm 142:2 In-Context

1 With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.

2 I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.

3 When my spirit faints within me, you know my way! In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.

4 Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.

5 I cry to you, O Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. ”

Cross References

• 1. 142:2 [Isa. 26:16]; See Ps. 102, title