Psalm 142:2

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

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 I shall cry unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice shall I ask the LORD for mercy.

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

3 When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou didst know my path. In the way in which I walked have they secretly laid a snare for me.

4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no one that would know me; I had no refuge; no one cared for my soul.

5 I cried unto thee, O LORD; I said, Thou art my hope and my portion in the land of the living.