The Bible Commentaries and Others

PSALM 142

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 shewed 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.

⁴I looked^a on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. ⁵ I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living. ⁶ Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. ⁷ 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.

The Holy Bible

King James Version

The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^aI looked...: or, Look on the right hand, and see

PSALM 141

A Psalm of David.

¹ LORD, I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. ² Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. ³ Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. ⁴ Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

⁵Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness^a: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head: for yet my prayer also shall be in their calamities. ⁶ When their judges are overthrown in stony places, they shall hear my words; for they are sweet. ⁷ Our bones are scattered at the grave’s mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth. ⁸ But mine eyes are unto thee, O GOD the Lord: in thee is my trust; leave^b not my soul destitute. ⁹ Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity. ¹⁰ Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that I withal escape^c.

The Holy Bible

King James Version

The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^ame: it shall be a...: or, me kindly, and reprove me; let not their precious oil break, etc

^bleave...: Heb. make not my soul bare

^cescape: Heb. pass over

PSALM 140

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

¹ Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent^a man; ² Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. ³ They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah. ⁴ Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man; who have purposed to overthrow my goings. ⁵ The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set gins for me. Selah. ⁶ I said unto the LORD, Thou art my God: hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD. ⁷ O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

⁸Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked: further not his wicked device; lest they exalt themselves. Selah. ⁹ As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them. ¹⁰ Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again. ¹¹ Let not an evil speaker be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him. ¹² I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor. ¹³ Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

The Holy Bible

King James Version

The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^aviolent...: Heb. man of violences

PSALM 139

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

¹ O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. ² Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. ³ Thou compassest^a my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. ⁴ For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. ⁵ Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

⁷Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? ⁸ If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. ⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; ¹⁰ Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. ¹¹ If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. ¹² Yea, the darkness hideth^b not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. ¹³ For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. ¹⁴ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. ¹⁵ My substance^c was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. ¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written^d, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! ¹⁸ If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee. ¹⁹ Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God: depart from me therefore, ye bloody men. ²⁰ For they speak against thee wickedly, and thine enemies take thy name in vain. ²¹ Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee? ²² I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. ²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: ²⁴ And see if there be any wicked^e way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

The Holy Bible

King James Version

The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^acompassest: or, winnowest

^bhideth...: Heb. darkeneth not

^csubstance: or, strength, or, body

^dall...: Heb. all of them

^ewicked...: Heb. way of pain, or, grief

PSALM 138

A Psalm of David.

¹ I will praise thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto thee. ² I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. ³ In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul. ⁴ All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of thy mouth. ⁵ Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the LORD: for great is the glory of the LORD.

⁶Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. ⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. ⁸ The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

The Holy Bible

King James Version

The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

PSALM 137

¹By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. ² We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. ³ For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song^a; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. ⁴ How shall we sing the LORD’S song in a strange^b land? ⁵ If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. ⁶ If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief^c joy.

⁷Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof. ⁸ O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed^d; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. ⁹ Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones^e.

The Holy Bible

King James Version

The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^aa song: Heb. the words of a song

^bstrange...: Heb. land of a stranger?

^cmy chief...: Heb. the head of my joy

^ddestroyed: Heb. wasted

^ethe stones: Heb. the rock

PSALM 136

¹O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. ² O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever. ³ O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever. ⁴ To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever. ⁵ To him that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth for ever. ⁶ To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever. ⁷ To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: ⁸ The sun to rule^a by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: ⁹ The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

¹⁰To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever: ¹¹ And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever: ¹² With a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever. ¹³ To him which divided the Red sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever: ¹⁴ And made Israel to pass through the midst of it: for his mercy endureth for ever: ¹⁵ But overthrew^b Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea: for his mercy endureth for ever. ¹⁶ To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever. ¹⁷ To him which smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: ¹⁸ And slew famous kings: for his mercy endureth for ever: ¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for ever: ²⁰ And Og the king of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for ever: ²¹ And gave their land for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for ever: ²² Even an heritage unto Israel his servant: for his mercy endureth for ever.

²³Who remembered us in our low estate: for his mercy endureth for ever: ²⁴ And hath redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever. ²⁵ Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever. ²⁶ O give thanks unto the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

The Holy Bible

King James Version

The Holy Bible : King James Version. 1995. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^ato rule...: Heb. for the rulings by day

^boverthrew: Heb. shaked off