Psalms 142 - Introduction

CXLII.

This is one of the eight psalms assigned by their inscriptions to the time of David’s persecution by Saul.
There is nothing in the contents either to support or controvert the title, unless the recurrence of expressions found in Psalms 42, 61, 77, marks dependence on them. But such dependence would not detract from the originality of the poem before us, an originality shown rather in the passion and play of feeling than in the poetic figure and expression. The parallelism is varied.

Title. — Maschil. (See Title Psalms 32) For the rest of the inscription see Introduction.