1sn Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies. 2tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7. 3sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm while in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3. See the superscription of Ps 57. 4tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I cry out.” 5tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I plead for mercy.” 6tn Heb “my trouble before him I declare.” 7tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.” 8tn Heb “you know my path.” 9tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.” 10tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.” 11tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.” 12tn Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel. 13tn Heb “for I am very low.” 14tn Heb “bring out my life.” 15tn Or “gather around.” 16tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.
1sn Psalm 142. The psalmist laments his persecuted state and asks the Lord to deliver him from his enemies.
2tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.
3sn According to the superscription, David wrote this psalm while in “the cave.” This probably refers to either the incident recorded in 1 Sam 22:1 or to the one recorded in 1 Sam 24:3. See the superscription of Ps 57.
4tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I cry out.”
5tn Heb “[with] my voice to the Lord I plead for mercy.”
6tn Heb “my trouble before him I declare.”
7tn Heb “my spirit grows faint.”
8tn Heb “you know my path.”
9tn Heb “there is no one who recognizes me.”
10tn Heb “ a place of refuge perishes from me.”
11tn Heb “there is no one who seeks for the sake of my life.”
12tn Heb “my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.
13tn Heb “for I am very low.”
14tn Heb “bring out my life.”
15tn Or “gather around.”
16tn The Hebrew idiom גָּמַל עַל (gamal ’al) means “to repay,” here in a positive sense.