Translation: ESV
With my voice I cry out to the LORD; with my voice I plead for mercy to the LORD.
Even in complete isolation, prayer that cries out loudly to God does not cease.
▸This is a prayer David composed while in the cave.
This is a prayer David composed while in the cave. 'With my voice I cry out'—not silence but earnest prayer raising the voice. The repetition of 'with my voice' emphasizes the urgency. In the extreme solitude of having no human helper, he cries out loudly to God alone.
I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.
Pouring out grievances and pain honestly before God without hiding them is true prayer.
▸'I pour out'—to spill out, to pour forth.
Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for my soul.
Extreme solitude when all human support has vanished becomes the environment that leads one to rely on God alone.
▸This depicts complete solitude and isolation.
I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."
Even losing everything, God is my refuge and my portion—this confession transforms despair into hope.
▸The desperate solitude of verse 4 is dramatically reversed in verse 5.
Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name! The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.
Salvation is liberation from bondage, and its purpose is to praise God and belong to the community.
▸This is the final prayer of Psalm 142.