The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 141
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 142 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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A Psalm of instruction for David, when he was in the cave—a Prayer.
Συνέσεως τῷ Δαυὶδ, ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ σπηλαίῳ, προσευχή.
I cried to the Lord with my voice; With my voice I made supplication to the Lord.
Φωνῇ μου πρὸς Κύριον ἐκέκραξα, φωνῇ μου πρὸς Κύριον ἐδεήθην.
..."With my voice have I cried unto the Lord" (ver. 1). It were enough to say, "with voice:" not for nothing perhaps has "my" been added. For many cry unto the Lord, not with their own voice, but with the voice of their body. Let the "inner man" then, in whom "Christ" hath begun to "dwell by faith," cry unto the Lord,…
I will pour out before him my supplication: I will declare before him mine affliction.
Ἐκχεῶ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ τὴν δέησίν μου, τὴν θλίψιν μου ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἀπαγγελῶ.
"I will pour out before Him my prayer" (ver. 2). What is, "before Him"? In His sight. What is, in His sight? Where He seeth. But where doth He not see? For so do we say, 'where He seeth,' as though somewhere He seeth not. But in this assemblage of bodily substances men too see, animals too see: He seeth where man…
When my spirit was fainting within me, Then thou knewest my paths; In the very way wherein I was walking, they hid a snare for me.
Ἐν τῷ ἐκλείπειν ἐξ ἐμοῦ τὸ πνεῦμά μου, καὶ σὺ ἔγνως τὰς τρίβους μου· ἐν ὁδῷ ταύτῃ ᾗ ἐπορευόμην, ἔκρυψαν παγίδα μοι.
"My tribulation I will proclaim in His sight." There is a repetition, both in the two preceding sentences, and in these which follow: the sentiments are two, but both twice expressed. ...For, "in His sight," is the same as "before Him;" "I will proclaim my tribulation," is the same as, "I will pour out my prayer."…
I looked on my right hand, and behold, For there was none that noticed me; Refuge failed me; And there was none that cared for my soul.
Κατενόουν εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ καὶ ἐπέβλεπον, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐπιγινώσκων με· ἀπώλετο φυγὴ ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ἐκζητῶν τὴν ψυχήν μου.
"I considered upon the right hand, and saw". He considered upon the right hand, and saw: whoso considers upon the left hand, is blinded. What is to consider on the right hand? Where they will be to whom shall be said, "Come, you blessed of My Father," etc., [Matthew 25:34, 41] ...He goes on to say, "and there was none…
I cried unto thee, O Lord, And said, Thou art my hope, My portion in the land of the living.
Πρὸς σὲ, Κύριε, ἐκέραξα, καὶ εἶπα, σὺ εἶ ἡ ἐλπίς μου, μερίς μου ἐν γῇ ζώντων.
"Unto you have I cried, O Lord: I have said, You are my hope". When I endured, when I was in tribulation, "I said, You are my hope." My hope here, therefore I endure. But "my portion," not here, but "in the land of the living." God gives a portion in the land of the living; but not something from Himself without…
Attend to my supplication, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from them that persecute me; For they are stronger than I.
Πρόσχες πρὸς τὴν δέησίν μου, ὅτι ἐταπεινώθην σφόδρα· ῥῦσαί με ἐκ τῶν καταδιωκόντων με, ὅτι ἐκραταιώθησαν ὑπὲρ ἐμέ.
"Give heed unto my prayer, for much have I been humbled" (ver. 6). Humbled by persecutors, humbled in confession. He humbleth himself out of the sight of man: he is humbled by enemies in their sight. Therefore is he lifted up by Him both visibly and invisibly. Invisibly are the martyrs already lifted up; visibly shall…
Bring my soul out of prison, That I may give thanks to thy name, O Lord; The righteous shall wait for me, until thou recompense me.
Ἐξάγαγε ἐκ φυλακῆς τὴν ψυχήν μου, τοῦ ἐξομολογήσασθαι τῷ ὀνόματί σου, Κύριε· ἐμὲ ὑπομενοῦσι δίκαιοι, ἕως οὗ ἀνταποδῷς μοι.
"Bring forth my soul out of prison, that it may confess to Thy Name" (ver. 7). This "prison" has been variously understood by former writers. And perhaps it is the prison which is called in the title, "the cave." For the title of this Psalm runneth thus: "Of understanding to David himself, a prayer when he was in the…
Every note is a real passage, quoted word for word from a published English translation, with its source. Nothing here is summarised or written by us. Some verses have many notes and some have none, because the Fathers wrote more on some passages than others.
All of these translations are in the public domain. The passages were matched to their verses by the Historical Christian Commentaries project, which also hosts the full texts we link to. The Fathers are a treasury of the Church's mind, and they are best read alongside the life of the Church: if a passage raises a question, bring it to your priest.