Psalms 142:2

Psa 142:2 I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble.

Ver. 2. I poured out my complaint] Heb. my mussitation.

I showed before him] Plainly and plentifully, how my danger increased to a very crisis, as one expresseth it.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. (Psa 142:2) I pour out before him my care; my trouble before him I tell. With the first clause compare Psa 42:4; Psa 62:8, 1Sa 1:15, Lam 2:19. The word translated care means properly reflection, meditation, musing, especially such as is anxious and sad. See above, on Psa 64:1.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

(2) I poured out.—See the same verb used in similar sense, Psa_42:4; Psa_62:8; and with the second clause comp. Psa_107:6.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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. Psa_3:4; Psa_30:8; and for ‘cry,’ a word expressing the cry of need, anxiety, distress, cp. Psa_142:5; Psa_22:5; Psa_77:1; Psa_107:13; Psa_107:19.

poured out my complaint] Cp. 102 title; Psa_42:4; Psa_62:8.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 Psa 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.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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 Psa 55:2, where the same Hebrew word is used.

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

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

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

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 2. I poured out my complaint before him. His inward meditation filled his soul: the bitter water rose up to the brim; what was to be done? He must pour out the wormwood and the gall, he could not keep it in; he lets it run away as best it can, that so his heart may be emptied of the fermenting mixture. But he took care where he outpoured his complaint, lest he should do mischief, or receive an ill return. If he poured it out before man he might only receive contempt from the proud, hardheartedness from the careless, or pretended sympathy from the false; and therefore he resolved upon an outpouring before God alone, since he would pity and relieve. The word is Scarcely "complaint"; but even if it be so we may learn from this text that our complaint must never be of a kind that we dare not bring before God. We may complain to God, but not of God. When we complain it should not be before men, but before God alone.

I shewed before him my trouble. He exhibited his griefs to one who could assuage them: he did not fall into the mistaken plan of so many who publish their sorrows to those who cannot help them. This verse is parallel with the first; David first pours out his complaint, letting it flow forth in a natural, spontaneous manner, and then afterwards he makes a more elaborate show of his affliction; just as in the former verse (Ps 141:1-10) he began with crying, and went on to "make supplication." Praying men pray better as they proceed. Note that we do not show our trouble before the Lord that he may see it, but that we may see him. It is for our relief, and not for his information that we make plain statements concerning our woes: it does us much good to set out our sorrow in order, for much of it vanishes in the process, like a ghost which will not abide the light of day; and the rest loses much of its terror, because the veil of mystery is removed by a clear and deliberate stating of the trying facts. Pour out your thoughts and you will see what they are; show your trouble and the extent of it will be known to you: let all be done before the Lord, for in comparison with his great majesty of love the trouble will seem to be as nothing.

Ver. 2. I poured out my complaint before him. Literally, my meditation; that iswhat 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. Albert Barnes.

Ver. 2. I poured out, etc. I did it fully, and fervently, and confidently. Matthew Henry.

Ver. 2. Poured out...before him. Those words teach us that in prayer we should not try to keep anything back from God, but should show him all that is in our hearts, and that in his presence in our closet, with the door shut, but not before men. The Carmelite adds that there is much force in the words with my voice, twice repeated (as in Heb., A.V. Vulgate, etc.) to show us that we ought to pray to God directly for ourselves, and in person, and not be contented with an Ora pro me addressed to some one else. Cassiodorus and Ayguan, in Neale and Littledale.

Ver. 2. I shewed before him my trouble. Be very particular in secret prayer, both as to sins, wants, and mercies...Be not ashamed to open out all thy necessities. David argues because he is "poor and needy"; four several times he presses his wants and exigencies before God, like an earnest but holy beggar (Ps 40:17 70:5 86:1 109:22). He "shewed before him" his trouble. He presents "before" God his ragged condition, and spreads open his secret wounds; as Job said, he "would order" his "cause before him": Job 23:4...Before God we may speak out our minds fully, and name the persons that afflict, affront, and trouble us; and woe to them that a child of God upon a mature judgment names in prayer! I find not that such a prayer in Scripture ever returned empty...A great reason why we reap so little benefit in prayer is, because we rest too much in generals; and if we have success, it is but dark, so that often we cannot tell what to make of the issues of prayer. Besides, to be particular in our petitions would keep the spirit much from wandering when we are intent upon a weighty case, and the progress of the soul in grace would manifest its gradual success in prayer. Samuel Lee (1625-1691), in "The Morning Exercises."

Ver. 2. The committing of our cause to God is at once our duty, our safety, and our ease. Abraham Wright.

Ver. 2.

1. The true place for prayer"before him."

2. The freedom of prayer"poured out."

3. The unveiling of the heart in prayer"shewed before him my trouble."

Psalms 142:3*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. I poured out my complaint before him—The idea of profuseness, unreservedness, is given—I emptied out my complaint. Nothing was kept back. So, in the next line, I showed… him my trouble. This was done “before him”—literally, before his face. In the sacrificial coloring of these expressions, especially the emphatic לפנין, before his face, there is a drawing nigh to God answerable to the New Testament “coming boldly to the throne of grace,” a “drawing near” to the “holy of holies.” Heb_4:16; Heb_10:22. This earnest pouring out of complaint and prayer for mercy, before the face of God, takes also the Levitical idea of a “libation,” or “drink-offering,” poured freely upon the sacrifice of the altar, to give it flavour and acceptance. Lev_4:7, etc. See Isa_57:6

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

I poured out my complaint before him; I showed before him my trouble. (comp. Ps 140 Ps 141 and Ps 143)

HOMILIES BY R. TUCK Ver. 2. Prayer as complaint.

"I pour out my complaint before him." "Before God we may speak out our minds fully, and name the persons that afflict, affront, or trouble us." True religion must be genuine. What a man really does feel he ought to be able to express. Reserve is the bane of friendship; it is of our friendship with God. A friend should be free to tell his friend precisely what he is feeling, even when the feelings are neither good nor right. It is healthy and hopeful when there is such confidence between child and mother that the child can tell its bad thoughts and wishes as well as its good. When there is absolute confidence in the love of God to us, there can be free utterance before him of our bad moods as well as of our good. And seeing that the best of men are subject to human frailties, are influenced by bodily states, affected by changing circumstances, and mastered by peculiarities of disposition, he could be no God to us at all who could only bear relations to conditions and moods which represented us at our best.

I A SPIRIT OF COMPLAINING NEED NOT BE WRONG. It often is the proper and natural response to surrounding conditions. As natural as the response we make to things that are pleasing. To be tempted involves us in no wrong. To be set upon complaining need not involve us in wrong. To complain is a part of our complex human nature. The man is below his full manhood who is unable to complain. He does not feel in response to his circumstances as he ought to.

II A CHERISHING OF THE SPIRIT OF COMPLAINING MUST BE WRONG. When the spirit is awakened in us, we have to deal with it. And everything depends on how we deal with it. If we keep it, nourish it, brood over it, it exercises a mischievous influence on us, it grows into an evil far worse than itself, it excites to envious and unworthy conduct towards others. Keep to ourselves the complaining spirit, and a spiritual "dry rot" will be sure to get into our souls.

III PUTTING COMPLAINT INTO PRAYER PROVIDES SAFETY AND RELIEF. It is evident that prayer must include more than petition.

Prayer is really the expression of the soul"s confidence in God. And there is no fuller sign of confidence than telling freely our complaints. And yet doing so is a request for the Divine intervention and help; only in telling our trouble we wholly leave with God the way in which our circumstances shall be dealt with. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.