Psalms 142:1
Hear, O Lord, my prayer: give ear to my supplication in thy truth: hear me in thy justice.
Open Psalms 142:1 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Psalmus David, quando persequebatur eum Absalom filius ejus. Domine, exaudi orationem meam ; auribus percipe obsecrationem meam in veritate tua ; exaudi me in tua justitia.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυείδ, ὅτε αὐτὸν ὁ υἱὸς καταδιώκει. Κύριε, εἰσάκουσον τῆς προσευχῆς μου, ἐνώτισαι τὴν δέησίν μου ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ σου, ἐπάκουσόν μου ἐν τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ σου·
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Psalms 143:1
- מִזְמ֗וֹר לְדָ֫וִ֥ד יְהוָ֤ה שְׁמַ֬ע תְּפִלָּתִ֗י הַאֲזִ֥ינָה אֶל תַּחֲנוּנַ֑י בֶּאֱמֻנָתְךָ֥ עֲ֝נֵ֗נִי בְּצִדְקָתֶֽךָ
Haydock's commentary
Absalom is not specified in Roman Septuagint, &c., (Calmet) though it be in other copies. (Haydock)
The latter part of the title has been added by the Greeks. (St. Hilary)
If David composed the psalm, on occasion of his son's revolt, he considered it as a punishment of his former transgression. The Fathers explain it of Jesus Christ, who suffered for our sins. (Berthier)
It might also relate to the captives, (Ferrand) or to the same event as the preceding psalm, (Bossuet) though there is no reason for abandoning the title. (Calmet)
Justice. Or mercy. (St. Chrysostom)
Absalom had no just cause of complaint, (Haydock) and God had promised to protect David on the throne.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine Expositions on the Book of Psalms, Psalm CXLIII
2. Let then our Lord speak; let Christ with us, whole Christ, speak. “Lord, hear my prayer, receive with Thine ears my entreaty” ( ver. 1 ). “Hear” and “receive with ears” are the same thing. It is repetition, it is confirmation. “In Thy truth hear me, in Thy righteousness.” Take it not without emphasis when it is said, “in Thy righteousness.” For it is a commendation of grace, that none of us think his righteousness his own. For this is the righteousness of God, which God hath given thee to possess. …