The Book of Psalms is a very famous part of the Bible, each chapter of which is a separate work of poetry. For ease of use, they are numbered; today we will talk about Psalm 142. It is found near the end of the Psalter, written at the time when King David's son, Absalom, began his rebellion. In the prayer, the author asks to be delivered from enemy attacks.
Psalm 142 - text
| Psalm to David, when Absalom his son persecuted him | Psalm of David when he was pursued by Absalom his son. |
| 1 Lord, hear my prayer, inspire my supplication in Thy truth, hear me in Thy righteousness | 1 Lord, hear my prayer, hearken to my supplication in Thy truth, hear me in Thy righteousness |
| 2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for no one living will be justified in Your sight. | 2 And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for no one living will be justified before You. |
| 3 For the enemy has driven away my soul, he has humbled my belly to eat, and he has made me eat in dark ages, like dead ages. | 3 For the enemy began to persecute my soul, he brought my life down to the ground, and he planted me in darkness, as those who had been dead for centuries. |
| 4 And my spirit is faint within me, my heart is troubled within me. | 4 And my spirit was faint within me, my heart was troubled within me. |
| 5 I have remembered the days of old; I have learned in all Your works; I have learned Your hand in all creation. | 5 I remembered the days of old, I thought about all Your works, I meditated on the work of Your hands. |
| 6 My hands have lifted up to You, my soul, like a waterless land to You. | 6 I have stretched out my hands to You; my soul before You is like a dry land. |
| 7 Hear me quickly, O Lord; my spirit has perished; do not turn Your face away from me, and I will become like those who go down into the pit. | 7 Hear me quickly, O Lord, my spirit is faint: turn not Thy face away from me, lest I be like them that go down into the pit. |
| 8 I hear that Thy mercy should be shown to me in the morning, for I have trusted in Thee. Tell me, Lord, I will go the other way, because I have taken my soul to You. | 8 Let me hear Your mercy early in the morning, for I trust in You; Open to me, Lord, the path along which I should go, for I have lifted up my soul to You. |
| 9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, I have fled to You. | 9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, for I have fled to You. |
| 10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Your Good Spirit will guide me to the right land. | 10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your good Spirit will lead me to the land of righteousness. |
| 11 For Thy name's sake, O Lord, live me, and through Thy righteousness bring my soul out of sorrow. | 11 For Thy name's sake, O Lord, Thou wilt revive me; according to Thy righteousness Thou wilt bring my soul out of sorrow, |
| 12 And by Thy mercy consume my enemies and destroy all my cold souls, for I am Thy servant. | 12 And according to Your mercy You will destroy my enemies, and destroy all those who oppress my soul, for I am Your servant. |
| Glory: | Glory: |
Why read Psalm 142
The Psalms are so respected in Orthodoxy that they are often published as a separate book. In former times, monastics learned it completely by heart. And today believers are advised to know at least a few chapters from the Bible by heart. This gives a great advantage - you can call on God's help anywhere. Psalm 142 in the Russian Orthodox Church has liturgical application:
- Used at Great Compline;
- Read at Small Compline;
- Included in the six psalms;
- Sounds during the ceremony of unction (blessing of oil).
The Six Psalms is part of Matins - the service is held in the evenings, and chapters from the Psalter are heard in the dark, only the reader holds a lit candle in his hand. This is done so that the attention of believers is focused only on the words of repentance.
Interpretation
One of the great saints said that without understanding, the very essence of prayer is lost. Therefore, every time you pick up the Holy Scriptures, you should make an effort to delve into the meaning of what is written. Why read Psalm 142:
- To call on God's help in a difficult situation.
- Recommended for women who are expecting a child.
- For repentance of sins.
- At home, any believer can use it at the behest of his heart during times of grief, when sadness overcomes him.
Today there are several translations in Russian; you can choose the one you like best. There is no need to take special permission to read the Psalter, since it is part of Holy Scripture. Studying the Bible is a sacred duty of any Christian. There is a pious custom of reading a psalm 40 times. But this is recommended only for those believers who have sufficient prayer experience. Simply repeating words will not give any result; this action must be meaningful.
The meaning of the psalm
The meaning of Psalm 143 is that the one who prays calls on God. He is in a difficult situation - this is not only a spiritual situation. External enemies threaten to attack; at that period of his life, King David feared for his life. But first of all, he asks the Lord not for physical salvation, but for forgiveness and mercy. He feels uncomfortable away from the promised land; here it symbolically represents paradise, from which man was expelled for his sins.
Not a single living person, as King David rightly asserts, can present to God deeds worthy of His goodness. No righteous person can justify himself by his virtues. It is also common for a person to attribute his own weaknesses to the Lord, find various tricks, and make excuses. David appears before the Creator in a state of spiritual humility. This is a view of the world when a believer first of all thinks not about himself, but about how to please God.
Psalm 143 contains many beautiful epithets and vivid images. The psalmist compares his soul to dried up earth. Even if there are grains of goodness in it, they cannot sprout without the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit, which can only be found in repentance and prayer.
- sets an example of how Christians should communicate with the Lord. He does not cheat, does not try to bargain with the Almighty. He does not demand a cozy, comfortable life in exchange for good deeds, as many modern believers do. He cries out to heaven for the Lord to look at him, because without God he does not feel fully alive.
- With all the strength of his soul, the author seeks the path to his heavenly Master. People can't always see the straight path. Although we know that the path to salvation is
1 Lord, hear my prayer, hear my cry for mercy, let Your truth and righteousness come to me.
2 Do not judge Your servant, for in comparison with You, no one is truly unrighteous.
3 But the enemy pursues me and, having plunged me into the mud, forces me to live in the darkness of the grave, like those who died many years ago.
4 Hope is leaving me, there is horror in my heart.
5 Remembering ancient times, I reflect on Your deeds, on what You have done with Your power.
6 In prayer I stretch out my hands to You, I wait for Your help, like a parched land thirsts for rain. Selah
7 I have lost heart, answer me quickly. Lord, don’t turn away from me, don’t let me die and go to the grave.
8 May the morning bring words of Your great love, because I believe in You. I entrust my life into Your hands, so guide me on the righteous path.
9 I seek salvation in You, Lord, protect me from enemy attacks.
10 Let me know what You want from me, for You are my God. May Your good Spirit guide me along a smooth path.
11 Don't let me die, Lord. Save from troubles and show Your kindness and justice.
12 Show me mercy and silence my enemies, and destroy them all, for I am Your faithful servant.
Written, according to the inscriptions of the Greek and Latin Bibles, during the persecution of Absalom, the psalm represents a prayer to God for possible quick help and inner enlightenment of the persecuted writer.
God! Hear me and do not enter into judgment with Your servant (1-2). The enemy is pursuing me; I lose courage and calm down only by thinking about Your works (3-5). I wait for help from You, like a thirsty land for rain. Grant me Your mercy and deliver me from my enemies (6–9). Teach me to do Your will and destroy my enemies (10–12).
Ps.142:1. God! Hear my prayer, heed my prayer according to Thy truth; hear me according to Your righteousness
Ps.142:2. and do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for not one living will be justified before You.
“Listen to my prayer according to Thy truth; hear me according to Thy righteousness.” Protect, O Lord, me, unjustly persecuted, and punish the persecutors as those who act wickedly, since You, Lord, are the defender of righteousness.
Ps.142:3. The enemy pursues my soul, trampled my life into the ground, forced me to live in darkness, like those long dead, -
“He trampled my life into the ground” - danger threatens me with death, descent into the ground, into the grave.
Ps.142:5. I remember the days of old, I meditate on all Your works, I reason about the works of Your hands.
“I remember the days of old, I meditate on all Your works, I consider the works of Your hands.” In the difficult circumstances of persecution, David recalled the extraordinary mercy that the Lord had shown in the history of the Jewish people, reflected, as far as circumstances allowed, on everything that He did, and reflected on all His creation. Obviously, these reflections had a calming effect on David, as they revealed the extraordinary love of God for all created things, which is why in the following verses David continues to turn to Him with a prayer for quick help (vv. 6–7).
Ps.142:8. Grant me early hearing of Your mercy, for I trust in You. Show me, [Lord], the path along which I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.
Ps.142:9. Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I come running to You.
Ps.142:10. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; May Your good Spirit lead me to the land of righteousness.
“It’s too early to hear mercy” - to see an ambulance. – “Show me... the path I should follow”, “teach me to do Your will”, “Let Your good Spirit lead me to the land of righteousness” - synonymous expressions. Teach me, Lord, to steadfastly follow Your commandments, so that I may be worthy to dwell in that land (Palestine), which You have appointed only for the righteous.
Ps.142:11. For Thy name's sake, O Lord, quicken me; For the sake of Your righteousness, lead my soul out of adversity.
“For the sake of Your name, Lord, revive me” - in order to be worthy of praising Your name, revive me with justification, internal cleansing from my shortcomings. Here, David’s recognition of some of his uncleanness before the Gods during his flight from his enemies is one of the signs of the origin of the psalm in the persecution of Absalom, which we discussed above.
This psalm is the last in the sixth psalm. Having strengthened a person in the hope of receiving salvation (Ps. 102), the Church, on behalf of the believers, prays to God to show him the path of activity (8 art.), teach him to do His will and honor him with the “land of righteousness” (10).
Lord, hear my prayer, inspire my prayer in Thy truth, hear me in Thy righteousness, and do not enter into judgment with Thy servant, for no one living will be justified before You. As if the enemy drove my soul, he humbled my belly to eat, he planted me to eat in dark, like dead centuries. And my spirit is depressed within me, my heart is troubled within me. I have remembered the days of old, I have learned in all Your works, I have learned Your hand in all creation. My hands have lifted up to You, my soul, like a waterless land to You. Hear me soon, Lord, my spirit has disappeared, do not turn Your face away from me, and I will become like those who go down into the pit. I hear Thy mercy upon me in the morning, for I trust in Thee. Tell me, Lord, I will go the other way, because I have taken my soul to You. Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord, I have fled to You. Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God. Your Good Spirit will guide me to the right land. For Thy name's sake, Lord, live me, by Thy righteousness remove my soul from sorrow. And by Thy mercy consume my enemies and destroy all my cold souls, for I am Thy servant.
And contains 150 chapters or psalms. A psalm is a text that is written in poetic form, although, of course, the rhyme is observed in the original Hebrew. In the Russian language, poetic form, unfortunately, has not been achieved and translators have preserved only the meaning of the text for modern Christians.
History of writing
The Psalter was written in Hebrew and was used in temple services and during the worship of the Lord. Over time, the book was supplemented with texts, after David’s death, but Psalm 142 was written by him during the time of his family tragedy.
Righteous David the Psalmist
The lyrics of the song are directed to the Lord; this is not a prayer of the king, but of the inconsolable father David, who suffered from the greed and ambition of his own son. Absalom was one of the king's sons, he killed his half-brother because he abused Absalom's own sister. But the king forgave him and returned him home when he ran away in fear from the presence of the king.
David forgave Absalom and brought himself closer to him again, but he insidiously began to gather an army against his father and he was forced to flee from his own son. The text of this psalm (like several others) was written during this shameful flight.
Today Christians have the opportunity to read the psalm in translations into more than 100 languages, including Russian(Synodal or modern translation). This song covers quite a lot of topics: remembering blessings, asking the Lord for protection, one’s own repentance, asking for wisdom, destroying enemies and guidance on the true path.
Text of Psalm 142:
- God! Hear my prayer, heed my prayer according to Thy truth; Hear me according to Your righteousness and do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for not one living will be justified before You.
- The enemy pursues my soul, trampled my life into the ground, forced me to live in darkness, like those long dead,
- and my spirit became sad within me, my heart became numb within me.
- I remember the days of old, I meditate on all Your works, I reason about the works of Your hands.
- I stretch out my hands to You; my soul is drawn to You, like a thirsty land.
- Hear me soon, O Lord: my spirit faints; do not hide Your face from me, lest I become like those who go down to the grave.
- Grant me early hearing of Your mercy, for I trust in You. Show me, [Lord], the path along which I should go, for to You I lift up my soul.
- Deliver me, O Lord, from my enemies; I come running to You.
- Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; May Your good Spirit lead me to the land of righteousness.
- For Thy name's sake, O Lord, quicken me; For the sake of Your righteousness, lead my soul out of adversity.
- And by Thy mercy destroy my enemies and destroy all who oppress my soul, for I am Thy servant.
Interpretation
There are several published printed interpretations on the entire Psalter in general and specifically on 142 cantos.
From the first line it becomes clear that the author is desperate and frantically asks the Lord for help. The words “Lord, why don’t you hear me?” they talk about David’s despair, that he is looking for and cannot find an answer. He calls the Lord, calls Him his Protector and Comforter, speaks of his own grief, of the darkness into which he has fallen. He asks the Creator for mercy and protection, because only God can destroy all enemies and once again raise the king to his throne.
David asks the Lord for help, mercy and protection
The one who prays clearly understands how incompetent he is before the Almighty Creator. The psalm clearly reflects the idea that the law (the set of rules of the Jews) cannot save a person, but only the love of God and His mercy is capable of this. In the New Testament, the same idea can be traced in Jesus Christ, as well as in the letters of the Apostle Paul.
In the Psalter, in the book of praises, there are 150 inspired psalms and a special 151 psalm.
There are 15 psalms - songs of degrees, from 119 to 133; penitential 7 psalms: 6, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129, 142.
Each psalm, at the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, sings of the mysteries of God, good deeds, providence for the world and man, love, and especially about the coming of Christ the Savior to earth, His most pure passion, mercy to man, the resurrection, the creation of the Church and the Kingdom of God - Heavenly Jerusalem.
Each psalm has a main idea
On this basis, all psalms can be divided into groups:
Glorification of the properties of God: 8, 17, 18, 23, 28, 33, 44, 45, 46, 47, 49, 65, 75, 76, 92, 94, 95, 96, 98, 103, 110, 112, 113, 133, 138, 141, 144, 148, 150
Thanks be to God for his blessings to God's chosen people: 45, 47, 64, 65, 67, 75, 80, 84, 97, 104, 123, 125, 128, 134, 135, 149
Thanks be to God for good deeds to the good: 22, 33, 35, 90, 99, 102, 111, 117, 120, 144, 145
Celebrating God's goodness toward individuals: 9, 17, 21, 29, 39, 74, 102, 107, 115, 117, 137, 143
Asking God for forgiveness of sins: 6, 24, 31, 37, 50, 101, 129, 142
Trust in God in troubled spirit: 3, 12, 15, 21, 26, 30, 53, 55, 56, 60, 61, 68,70, 76, 85, 87
Appeal to God in deep sorrow: 4, 5, 10, 27, 40, 54, 58, 63, 69, 108, 119, 136, 139, 140, 142
Petition for God's help: 7, 16, 19, 25, 34, 43, 59, 66, 73, 78, 79, 82, 88, 93, 101, 121, 128, 131, 143
For good luck - 89-131-9
To find the right job - 73-51-62 (if the work is dangerous for you and your safety, then what you want will not be obtained.)
For respect and honor at work, read psalms - 76,39,10,3
To make your wishes come true - 1,126,22,99
To the aid of wealthy patrons - 84,69,39,10
Find a job- 49,37,31,83
Reward for mercy - 17,32,49,111
To get hired(before or after the interview) - 83.53.28.1
For a happy woman's lot - 99,126,130,33
Getting rid of money difficulties - 18,1,133,6
Amulet of family life and happiness from witchcraft- 6,111,128,2
Breaking out of the vicious circle - 75,30,29,4
For monetary well-being - 3,27,49,52
For happiness in family life - 26,22,99,126
So that everyone in your family has a job - 88,126,17,31
From longing and sadness - 94,127,48,141
Change of fate (use in special cases!!! At the beginning, specify the request, what exactly and in what direction you want to change) - 2,50,39,148
To make your aspirations come true - 45,95,39,111
To achieve the goal - 84,6,20,49
From misfortunes and troubles - 4, 60, 39, 67.m
To overcome adversity - 84,43,70,5
Cleaning and protection - 3, 27, 90, 150.
To remove damage - 93, 114, 3, 8.
The most powerful psalms:
3 Psalm
Psalm 24
Psalm 26
Psalm 36
Psalm 37
Psalm 39
Psalm 90
17 Kathisma
Psalms for every need:
Psalm 80 - from poverty (read 24 times!)
Psalm 2 - to work
Psalm 112 - from getting rid of debts
Psalm 22 - to calm children
Psalm 126 - to eradicate enmity between loved ones
Psalm 102 - deliverance from all diseases
Psalm 27 - for nervous diseases
Psalm 133 - from all danger
Psalm 101 - out of despondency
Psalm 125 - for migraines, headaches
Psalm 58 - for those speechless
Psalm 44 - for heart and kidney diseases
Psalm 37 - for toothache
Psalm 95 - to improve hearing
Psalm 123 - from pride
Psalm 116 and 126 - to preserve love and harmony in the family
Psalm 108 - prayer-curse. It contains the wish “Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow.” Psalm 108 is David's prayer to the Lord, asking for vengeance on his enemies who are mercilessly persecuting him. This psalm is replete with curses, mainly directed at one of David's sworn enemies. Many people offer prayers for the death of their enemies. But not all of these prayers reach God. In addition, often evil thoughts directed against someone turn against the person praying. This means that in heaven those prayers that should be heard are heard. This psalm is similar to the cabalistic ritual of Pulse de Nura.
Opening Prayers:
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Lord Eternal Heavenly Father, You said with Your most pure lips that nothing can be done without You. I ask for your help! I begin every business with You, for Your glory and the salvation of my soul. And now, and forever, and forever and ever. Amen."
“Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.”
"Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us"(3 times)
“All-Holy Trinity, God and Creator of the whole world, hasten and direct my heart, begin with reason and finish the good works of these God-inspired books, even the Holy Spirit will vomit the mouth of David, which I now want to say, I, unworthy, understanding my ignorance, falling down and praying to Ty , and asking for help from You: Lord, guide my mind and confirm my heart, not about the words of the mouth of this cold, but about the mind of those who say to rejoice, and prepare to do good deeds, even as I learn, and I say: let me be enlightened by good deeds, to judge of the right hand of Thy country I will be a partaker with all Thy chosen ones. And now, O Lord, bless, and sigh from my heart and sing with my tongue, saying to my face:
Come, let us worship our King God.
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King God.
Come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and our God."
"Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also forgive the debtor ours and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil."(3 times)
Closing prayers:
“Heavenly King, Comforter, Soul of truth, Who is everywhere and fulfills everything, Treasure of good things and Giver of life, come and dwell in us, and cleanse us from all filth, and save, O Good One, our souls.”
“Give thanks to Thy unworthy servants, O Lord, for Thy great good deeds upon us; we glorify Thee, bless, thank Thee, sing and magnify Thy compassion, and slavishly cry out to Thy love: O our Benefactor, glory to Thee. servants of indecency, having been vouchsafed, O Master, we earnestly flow to You with thanksgiving, and we glorify You as the Benefactor and Creator, crying out: Glory to You, All-Bountiful God. Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen."
"Theotokos, Christian Helper, Your servants, having acquired Your intercession, cry out to You in gratitude: Rejoice, Most Pure Virgin Mother of God, and always deliver us from all our troubles with Your prayers, One who will soon intercede. We thank Thee, Lord our God, for all Thy good deeds, even from the first age to the present, in us, Thy unworthy servants (names), who were, known and unknown, about those revealed and unmanifested, even those who were in deed and in word: who loved us as and you have deigned to give Thy Only Begotten Son for us, making us worthy to be worthy of Thy love. Grant with Your word wisdom and with Your fear inhale strength from Your power, and whether we have sinned willingly or unwillingly, forgive and not impute it, and keep our soul holy, and present it to Thy Throne, having a clear conscience, and the end is worthy of Thy love for mankind; and remember, O Lord, all who call upon Thy name in truth, remember all who desire good or evil against us: for all are men, and every man is in vain; We also pray to You, Lord, grant us Your great mercy."
"The assembly of saints, Angels and Archangels, with all the heavenly powers sings to Thee, and says: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts, heaven and earth are filled with Thy glory. Hosanna in the highest, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest. Save me, Who Thou art the King in the highest, save me and sanctify me, the Source of sanctification; from You all creation is strengthened, unto You innumerable howls sing the thrice-holy hymn. Cleanse your heart and open your lips, so that I may worthily sing to You: Holy, Holy, Holy art thou, Lord, always, now, and ever, and unto the endless ages of ages, Amen.”
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, prayers for the sake of Thy Most Pure Mother, our reverend and God-bearing fathers and all the saints, have mercy on us. Amen.”
