A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer. I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift my voice to the LORD for mercy.
When Saul cornered David in that cave, the man might have panicked or done something rash, as desperate people do. Instead this Psalm shows David kept his composure, held fast to God in assured confidence, and gave himself to prayer rather than taking any step God had not warranted. That is the mark of true faith.
AI summary
Commenting on Psalm 142:1-7
I cried unto the Lord with my voice. It was a cry of such anguish that he remembers it long after, and makes a record of it. In the loneliness of the cave he could use his voice as much as he pleased; and therefore he made its gloomy vaults echo with his appeals to heaven.
Whether it was in the cave of Adullam, or that of Engedi, that David prayed this prayer, is not material; it is plain that he was in distress. It was a great disgrace to so great a soldier, so great a courtier, to be put to such shifts for his own safety, and a great terror to be so hotly pursued and every moment in...
Commenting on Psalm 142:1-3