Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 142:3

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 142:3. Then thou knewest my path. — When Saul and his army were about the cave in which I was hidden, thou knewest my path - that I had then no way of escape but by miracle: but thou didst not permit them to know that I was wholly in their power.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalm 140 - 143 Troubles for the godly

These four psalms are similar, and from the title of Psalms 142:0 it appears that all four belong to the time when David was fleeing from Saul. (See introductory notes to Psalms 34:0.)

Treachery and slander are the chief weapons that David’s enemies use to attack him. These men have the poison of snakes and the cunning of hunters (140:1-5). But Yahweh is David’s God, his defender in whom he trusts for victory (6-8). David’s enemies will receive a fitting punishment if they suffer the torments that they intended to inflict upon David (9-11). The righteous will praise God when they see his justice in punishing the wicked and delivering the innocent (12-13).
When a person is the victim of slanderous talk, such as David was at the time, he is tempted to use strong words and unwise speech in return. David prays that he may be kept from such sins. He does not want to follow the evil ways of the wicked (141:1-4). If a godly person ever has cause to rebuke him, David prays that he may receive it as a blessing, as if he has been anointed with oil. But he will always remain opposed to evil (5). People will be forced to take notice when God acts, for his punishments will leave the wicked completely shattered (6-7). Meanwhile, the wicked still live, and David prays that he will be saved from the traps they have set for him (8-10).

Still pursued by his enemies, David escaped from Gath and fled to the cave of Adullam, though at the time of this psalm others have not yet joined him (1 Samuel 22:1). He is overcome by a feeling of terrible loneliness. Feeling that no one cares for him, he cries out to God (142:1-4). He prays that God will deal with his enemies and so enable him to live a normal life in freedom and security again (5-7).

The frightening thought occurs to David that God might be using the enemy to punish him for his sins. He knows that he, like others, is a sinner, and there is no way of escaping punishment if God decides to act. He therefore casts himself entirely on the mercy of God for forgiveness and deliverance (143:1-2). David tells God about his troubles, how he has been pursued and is forced to live in darkness in the cave (3-4). He thinks of God’s mighty acts in the past and prays that God will save him again (5-6). He fears the hopelessness of those who die without God. He longs for a greater experience of God (7-8). He prays that God, having rescued him, will instruct and guide him in the future (9-12).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"I cry with my voice unto Jehovah; With my voice unto Jehovah do I make supplication. I pour out my complaint before him; I show before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Thou knewest my path."

"I cry with my voice" There was nothing "silent" about this prayer. Briggs pointed out that the repetition of the words, "with my voice," "Is to emphasize the fact that it was oral… it burst forth in loud cries."International Critical Commentary, Vol. II, p. 512.

Nothing embarrasses the Devil like a loud prayer. The classical example is Bartimaeus' yelling at the top of his voice, "Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy upon me!" This sent the Pharisees into a frenzy trying to hush him up, but Jesus loved it, and said, "Bring the man to me" (Mark 10:47).

"Thou knewest my path" God already knew all about David's problems, but that did not eliminate the necessity of his calling upon God for help. "Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things" (Matthew 6:32).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

"In the way wherein I walk Have they hidden a snare for me. Look on my right hand, and see; For there is no man that knoweth me: Refuge hath failed me; No man careth for my soul. I cried unto thee, O Jehovah; I said, Thou art my refuge, My portion in the land of the living."

"They have hidden a snare for me" The Davidic nature of this complaint must be obvious to anyone. Such things as "snares," "gins" and "traps" were common terms in David's vocabulary of complaint.

"Look on my right hand and see" "The right hand was the place of the advocate,"Ibid. or the defense attorney, in all ancient court proceedings; and David here uses this as a metaphor declaring that there is no one to defend him, no one on his right hand.

"But thou art my refuge" Briggs noted that, "`Thou' is here emphatic, emphasizing that it is God, and no other, who is his refuge."Ibid.

"Refuge" "This word carries with it the meaning of, "Shelter from storm or danger."C. M. Miller, co-author with Anthony L. Ash, p. 435. See the words of Wesley's hymn (above). Kidner identified the term "refuge" as, "A favorite word with David, as in Psalms 57:1)."Derek Kidner, Vol. II, p. 474.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me - Luther renders this, “When my spirit was in distress.” The Hebrew word rendered “overwhelmed” means, in Kal, to cover as with a garment; then, to be covered as with darkness, trouble, sorrow; and then, to languish, to faint, to be feeble: Psalms 77:3; Psalms 107:5. The idea here is, that, in his troubles, he had no vigor, no life, no spirit. He did not see how he could escape from his troubles, and he had no heart to make an effort.

Then thou knewest my path - Thou didst see all. Thou didst see the way that I was treading, and all its darkness and dangers, implying here that God had made it an object to mark his course; to see what egress there might be - what way to escape from the danger. It was in no sense concealed from God, and no danger of the way was hidden from him. It is much for us to feel when we are in danger or difficulty that God knows it all, and that nothing can be hidden from him.

In the way wherein I walked - In my path; the path that I was treading.

Have they privily laid a snare for me - They treated me as a man would treat his neighbor, who should spread a snare, or set a trap, for him in the path which he knew he must take. The word rendered “have privily laid” means to hide, to conceal. It was so concealed that I could not perceive it. They did it unknown to me. I neither knew that it was laid, nor where it was laid. They meant to spring it upon me at a moment when I was not aware, and when I should be taken by surprise. It was not open and manly warfare; it was stealth, cunning, trick, art.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

3.When, my spirit, etc. Though he owns here that he felt anxiety, yet he confirms what he had said as to the constancy of his faith. The figure which he uses of his spirit being perplexed, ⁽²⁴⁶⁾ aptly represents the state of the mind in alternating between various resolutions when there was no apparent outgate from danger, and increasing its distress by resorting to all kinds of devices. He adds, that though there was no apparent way of safety, God knew from the beginning in what way his deliverance should be effected. Others put a different meaning upon this clause, thou knowest my way, as if David asserted God to have been witness of his integrity, but the other is the more correct, that God knew the way to deliver him, while his own mind was distracted by a variety of thoughts, and yet could not conceive any mode of extrication. The words teach us, when we have tried every remedy and know not what to do, to rest satisfied with the conviction that God is acquainted with our afflictions, and condescends to care for us, as Abraham said —

“The Lord will provide.” (Genesis 22:8.)

(246) “Or c’est une belle similitude quand il dit que son esprit a este en tortille et enveloppe,” etc. — Fr.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 142:1-7 . This is a prayer of David when he was in the cave. No doubt the cave of Adullam when he was hiding from Saul.

I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my prayer. I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble. When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then you knew my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privately laid a trap for me. I looked upon my right hand, and I 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 ( Psalms 142:1-7 ).

So the psalm begins so typical of David in a very mournful state, a melancholy depression, but it ends with a note of confidence. "The righteous shall compass me about; Thou shalt deal bountifully with me."

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Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 142

The superscription identifies the time when David wrote this psalm. He wrote it when he was "in the cave," evidently while Saul was pursuing him (cf. Psalms 57; 1 Samuel 22:1; 1 Samuel 24:3). The psalmist spoke as one who had no other hope of deliverance but Yahweh. This is another individual lament psalm.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. David’s lament of his condition 142:3-4

Even when David could not see his way clearly, God knew what course he should take to reach safety. It seemed to the psalmist that the path he took was one that his enemy had booby-trapped. Evidently if David had had a human defender, that person would have been standing at his right hand, but no one was there. He felt totally forsaken by all other people, and without God’s help, escape was impossible.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

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;

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. 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.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

Maschil of David. A prayer when he was in the cave.

      1 I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.   2 I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble.   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.

      Whether it was in the cave of Adullam, or that of Engedi, that David prayed this prayer, is not material; it is plain that he was in distress. It was a great disgrace to so great a soldier, so great a courtier, to be put to such shifts for his own safety, and a great terror to be so hotly pursued and every moment in expectation of death; yet then he had such a presence of mind as to pray this prayer, and, wherever he was, still had his religion about him. Prayers and tears were his weapons, and, when he durst not stretch forth his hands against his prince, he lifted them up to his God. There is no cave so deep, so dark, but we may out of it send up our prayers, and our souls in prayer, to God. He calls this prayer Maschil--a psalm of instruction, because of the good lessons he had himself learnt in the cave, learnt on his knees, which he desired to teach others. In these verses observe,

      I. How David complained to God, Psalms 142:1; Psalms 142:2. When the danger was over he was not ashamed to own (as great spirits sometimes are) the fright he had been in and the application he had made to God. Let no men of the first rank think it any diminution or disparagement to them, when they are in affliction, to cry to God, and to cry like children to their parents when any thing frightens them. David poured out his complaint, which denotes a free and full complaint; he was copious and particular in it. His heart was as full of his grievances as it could hold, but he made himself easy by pouring them out before the Lord; and this he did with great fervency: He cried unto the Lord with his voice, with the voice of his mind (so some think), for, being hidden in the cave, he durst not speak with an audible voice, lest that should betray him; but mental prayer is vocal to God, and he hears the groanings which cannot, or dare not, be uttered, Romans 8:26. Two things David laid open to God, in this complaint:-- 1. His distress. He exhibited a remonstrance or memorial of his case: I showed before him my trouble, and all the circumstances of it. He did not prescribe to God, nor show him his trouble, as if God did not know it without his showing; but as one that put a confidence in God, desired to keep up communion with him, and was willing to refer himself entirely to him, he unbosomed himself to him, humbly laid the matter before him, and then cheerfully left it with him. We are apt to show our trouble too much to ourselves, aggravating it, and poring upon it, which does us no service, whereas by showing it to God we might cast the care upon him who careth for us, and thereby ease ourselves. Nor should we allow of any complaint to ourselves or others which we cannot with due decency and sincerity of devotion make to God, and stand to before him. 2. His desire. When he made his complaint he made his supplication (Psalms 142:1; Psalms 142:1), not claiming relief as a debt, but humbly begging it as a favour. Complainants must be suppliants, for God will be sought unto.

      II. What he complained of: "In the way wherein I walked, suspecting no danger, have they privily laid a snare for me, to entrap me." Saul gave Michal his daughter to David on purpose that she might be a snare to him,1 Samuel 18:21. This he complains of to God, that every thing was done with a design against him. If he had gone out of his way, and met with snares, he might have thanked himself; but when he met with them in the way of his duty he might with humble boldness tell God of them.

      III. What comforted him in the midst of these complaints (Psalms 142:3; Psalms 142:3): "When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, and ready to sink under the burden of grief and fear, when I was quite at a loss and ready to despair, then thou knewest my path, that is, then it was a pleasure to me to think that thou knewest it. Thou knewest my sincerity, the right path which I have walked in, and that I am not such a one as my persecutors represent me. Thou knewest my condition in all the particulars of it; when my spirit was so overwhelmed that I could not distinctly show it, this comforted me, that thou knewest it, Job 23:10. Thou knewest it, that is, thou didst protect, preserve, and secure it," Psalms 31:7; Deuteronomy 2:7.