Psalm 142:2

I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) I poured out.—See the same verb used in similar sense, Psalm 42:4; Psalm 62:8; and with the second clause comp. Psalm 107:6.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

142:1-7 David's comfort in prayer. - There can be no situation so distressing or dangerous, in which faith will not get comfort from God by prayer. We are apt to show our troubles too much to ourselves, poring upon them, which does us no service; whereas, by showing them to God, we might cast the cares upon him who careth for us, and thereby ease ourselves. Nor should we allow any complaint to ourselves or others, which we cannot make to God. When our spirits are overwhelmed by distress, and filled with discouragement; when we see snares laid for us on every side, while we walk in his way, we may reflect with comfort that the Lord knoweth our path. Those who in sincerity take the Lord for their God, find him all-sufficient, as a Refuge, and as a Portion: every thing else is a refuge of lies, and a portion of no value. In this situation David prayed earnestly to God. We may apply it spiritually; the souls of believers are often straitened by doubts and fears. And it is then their duty and interest to beg of God to set them at liberty, that they may run the way of his commandments. Thus the Lord delivered David from his powerful persecutors, and dealt bountifully with him. Thus he raised the crucified Redeemer to the throne of glory, and made him Head over all things for his church. Thus the convinced sinner cries for help, and is brought to praise the Lord in the company of his redeemed people; and thus all believers will at length be delivered from this evil world, from sin and death, and praise their Saviour for ever.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

I poured out my complaint before him - literally, my meditation; that is, What so much occupied my thoughts at the time I expressed aloud. The word "complaint" does not express the idea. The meaning is, not that he "complained" of God or of man; but that his mind "meditated" on his condition. He was full of care and of anxiety; and he went and poured this out freely before God. The Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate render this, "my prayer." See Psalm 55:2, where the same Hebrew word is used.

I showed before him my trouble - I made mention of it. I spoke of it.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. (Compare Ps 62:8).

I poured out my complaint—or, "a sad musing."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

I poured out; I did it fully, and fervently, and confidently.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

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 Psalm 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.

Geneva Study Bible

I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. I will pour out before him my complaint;

My distress before him will I declare.

Aloud, lit. with my voice, not merely in silent prayer, but with cries which give relief to pent up feeling and express the intensity of distress. Cp. Psalm 3:4; Psalm 30:8; and for ‘cry,’ a word expressing the cry of need, anxiety, distress, cp. Psalm 142:5; Psalm 22:5; Psalm 77:1; Psalm 107:13; Psalm 107:19.

poured out my complaint] Cp. 102 title; Psalm 42:4; Psalm 62:8.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble (comp. Psalm 140, 141, and 143.). Psalm 142:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The emphasis of the first two lines rests upon אל־ה. Forsaken by all created beings, he confides in Jahve. He turns to Him in pathetic and importunate prayer (זעק, the parallel word being התחנּן, as in Psalm 30:9), and that not merely inwardly (Exodus 14:15), but with his voice (vid., on Psalm 3:5) - for audible prayer reacts soothingly, strengtheningly, and sanctifyingly upon the praying one - he pours out before Him his trouble which distracts his thoughts (שׁפך שׂיח as in Psalm 102:1, cf. Psalm 62:9; Psalm 64:2; 1 Samuel 1:16), he lays open before Him everything that burdens and distresses him. Not as though He did not also know it without all this; on the contrary, when his spirit (רוּחי as in Psalm 143:4; Psalm 77:4, cf. נפשׁי Jonah 2:7, Psalm 107:5, לבּי Psalm 61:3) within him (עלי, see Psalm 42:5) is enshrouded and languishes, just this is his consolation, that Jahve is intimately acquainted with his way together with the dangers that threaten him at every step, and therefore also understands how to estimate the title (right) and meaning of his complaints. The Waw of ואתּה is the same as in 1 Kings 8:36, cf. Psalm 35. Instead of saying: then I comfort myself with the fact that, etc., he at once declares the fact with which he comforts himself. Supposing this to be the case, there is no need for any alteration of the text in order to get over that which is apparently incongruous in the relation of Psalm 142:4 to Psalm 142:4.