Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life. New Living Translation I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me. English Standard Version 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. Berean Standard Bible Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul. King James Bible I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. New King James Version Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul. New American Standard Bible Look to the right and see; For there is no one who regards me favorably; There is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul. NASB 1995 Look to the right and see; For there is no one who regards me; There is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul. NASB 1977 Look to the right and see; For there is no one who regards me; There is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul. Legacy Standard Bible Look to the right and see; That there is no one who regards me; A way of escape has been destroyed from me; No one cares for my soul. Amplified Bible Look to the right [the point of attack] and see; For there is no one who has regard for me [to act in my favor]. Escape has failed me and I have nowhere to run; No one cares about my life. Christian Standard Bible Look to the right and see: no one stands up for me; there is no refuge for me; no one cares about me. Holman Christian Standard Bible Look to the right and see: no one stands up for me; there is no refuge for me; no one cares about me. American Standard Version Look on my right hand, and see; For there is no man that knoweth me: Refuge hath failed me; No man careth for my soul. Contemporary English Version Even if you look, you won't see anyone who cares enough to walk beside me. There is no place to hide, and no one who really cares. English Revised Version Look on my right hand, and see; for there is no man that knoweth me: refuge hath failed me; no man careth for my soul. GOD'S WORD® Translation Look to my right and see that no one notices me. Escape is impossible for me. No one cares about me. Good News Translation When I look beside me, I see that there is no one to help me, no one to protect me. No one cares for me. International Standard Version I look to my right and observe— no one is concerned about me. There is nowhere I can go for refuge, and no one cares for me. Majority Standard Bible Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul. NET Bible Look to the right and see! No one cares about me. I have nowhere to run; no one is concerned about my life. New Heart English Bible Look on my right, and see; for there is no one who is concerned for me. Refuge has fled from me. No one cares for my soul. Webster's Bible Translation I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. World English Bible Look on my right, and see; for there is no one who is concerned for me. Refuge has fled from me. No one cares for my soul. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionLooking on the right hand—and seeing, "" And I have none recognizing; Refuge has perished from me, "" There is none inquiring for my soul. Young's Literal Translation Looking on the right hand -- and seeing, And I have none recognizing; Perished hath refuge from me, There is none inquiring for my soul. Smith's Literal Translation Looking upon the right hand, and seeing, and none caring for me: flight perished from me; none sought for my soul. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleI looked on my right hand, and beheld, and there was no one that would know me. Flight hath failed me: and there is no one that hath regard to my soul. Catholic Public Domain Version New American Bible I look to my right hand to see that there is no one willing to acknowledge me. My escape has perished; no one cares for me. New Revised Standard Version Look on my right hand and see— there is no one who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for me. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleI looked on my right hand, and there was no one to advise me; refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated I looked to the right and I saw there was none to advise me; a place of refuge was lost to me and there was no avenger for my soul. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Look on my right hand, and see, For there is no man that knoweth me; I have no way to flee; No man careth for my soul. Brenton Septuagint Translation I looked on my right hand, and behold, for there was none that noticed me; refuge failed me; and there was none that cared for my soul. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context I Lift My Voice to the LORD…3Although my spirit grows faint within me, You know my way. Along the path I travel they have hidden a snare for me. 4Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul. 5I cry to You, O LORD: “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”… Cross References 2 Timothy 4:16 At my first defense, no one stood with me, but everyone deserted me. May it not be charged against them. Job 19:14 My kinsmen have failed me, and my friends have forgotten me. Isaiah 63:5 I looked, but there was no one to help; I was appalled that no one assisted. So My arm brought Me salvation, and My own wrath upheld Me. Jeremiah 25:35 Flight will evade the shepherds, and escape will elude the leaders of the flock. Lamentations 1:2 She weeps aloud in the night, with tears upon her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies. John 16:32 “Look, an hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. Matthew 26:56 But this has all happened so that the writings of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples deserted Him and fled. Job 6:15-23 But my brothers are as faithless as wadis, as seasonal streams that overflow, / darkened because of the ice and the inflow of melting snow, / but ceasing in the dry season and vanishing from their channels in the heat. ... Psalm 31:11 Among all my enemies I am a disgrace, and among my neighbors even more. I am dreaded by my friends—they flee when they see me on the street. Psalm 38:11 My beloved and friends shun my disease, and my kinsmen stand at a distance. Psalm 69:20 Insults have broken my heart, and I am in despair. I looked for sympathy, but there was none, for comforters, but I found no one. Psalm 88:8 You have removed my friends from me; You have made me repulsive to them; I am confined and cannot escape. Psalm 88:18 You have removed my beloved and my friend; darkness is my closest companion. Mark 14:50 Then everyone deserted Him and fled. Luke 22:31-34 Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you like wheat. / But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” / “Lord,” said Peter, “I am ready to go with You even to prison and to death.” ... Treasury of Scripture I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul. I looked, etc. Psalm 31:11 I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me. Psalm 69:20 Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. Psalm 88:8,18 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth… refuge 1 Samuel 23:11-13,19,20 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down… 1 Samuel 27:1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand. failed me. Jump to Previous Beheld Care Cared Cares Careth Concerned Escape Failed Fled Flee Friend Hand Inquiring Life Notice Perished Recognizing Refuge Regards Right Safe Side Soul Watch WayJump to Next Beheld Care Cared Cares Careth Concerned Escape Failed Fled Flee Friend Hand Inquiring Life Notice Perished Recognizing Refuge Regards Right Safe Side Soul Watch WayPsalm 142 1. David shows that in his trouble all his comfort was in prayer unto GodLook to my right and see; In ancient Near Eastern culture, the right side was considered a place of honor and protection. The psalmist's plea to "look to my right" suggests a search for an ally or defender, someone who would stand by him in times of trouble. Biblically, the right hand is often associated with strength and support, as seen in passages like Psalm 16:8 and Isaiah 41:10. The absence of anyone on the psalmist's right highlights his isolation and vulnerability, a theme echoed in the life of Jesus, who was often abandoned by His closest followers in His time of need (Matthew 26:56). no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidThe author of this psalm, traditionally believed to be King David, who often found himself in dire situations, seeking refuge and expressing his reliance on God. 2. Cave of Adullam While not explicitly mentioned in this verse, the context of Psalm 142 is often associated with David's time hiding in the cave of Adullam, a place of refuge during his flight from Saul. 3. Enemies Though not named in this verse, David's enemies, including King Saul, are the implicit threat that drives him to seek refuge and express his feelings of abandonment. Teaching Points The Reality of IsolationEven the most faithful believers can experience times of profound loneliness and abandonment. Recognizing this can help us empathize with others and seek God's presence in our own times of need. God as Our Refuge When earthly support fails, God remains our steadfast refuge. This truth encourages us to turn to Him in prayer and trust, just as David did. The Importance of Community While David felt alone, the broader biblical account emphasizes the importance of community. We are called to be attentive to those around us who may feel isolated, offering support and care. Prayer as a Lifeline David's psalm is a prayer, reminding us of the power and necessity of prayer in times of distress. It is through prayer that we can express our deepest fears and find solace in God's presence. Trust in God's Faithfulness Despite feelings of abandonment, David's psalm ultimately reflects trust in God's faithfulness. We are encouraged to hold onto this trust, knowing that God sees and cares for us even when others do not.(4) I looked.--The Authorised Version follows the ancient versions in turning the Hebrew imperatives into historic tenses. But they are easily intelligible if taken rhetorically, and indeed the psalm loses in liveliness by missing them: "On the path by which I must walk they have laid a trap for me; Look to the right and see, Not a friend is in sight. Failed has refuge from me, There is none who careth for my soul." To the "right," because according to the regular Hebrew metaphor it was on the "right hand" that the protector would stand. (See Note Psalm 16:8, &c; and comp. Psalm 109:6; Psalm 109:31; Psalm 110:5; Psalm 121:5.) . . . Verse 4. - I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me. I looked about, i.e., for human aid, but there was no one who would so much as know me. I was utterly deserted in my trouble. Refuge failed me. I had nowhere to flee unto - no safe and sure abiding-place. The "cave of Adullam" was but a miserable spot to hide in. No man cared for my soul; or, "looked after my soul" (comp. Jeremiah 30:17).Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Lookהַבֵּ֤יט (hab·bêṭ) Verb - Hifil - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 5027: To scan, look intently at, to regard to my right יָמִ֨ין ׀ (yā·mîn) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 3225: The right hand, side, the south and see, וּרְאֵה֮ (ū·rə·’êh) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular Strong's 7200: To see no one וְאֵֽין־ (wə·’ên-) Conjunctive waw | Adverb Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle attends to me; מַ֫כִּ֥יר (mak·kîr) Verb - Hifil - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 5234: To regard, recognize there is no אָבַ֣ד (’ā·ḇaḏ) Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish refuge מָנ֣וֹס (mā·nō·ws) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4498: Flight, place of escape or refuge for me, מִמֶּ֑נִּי (mim·men·nî) Preposition | first person common singular Strong's 4480: A part of, from, out of no one אֵ֖ין (’ên) Adverb Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle cares דּוֹרֵ֣שׁ (dō·w·rêš) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 1875: To tread, frequent, to follow, to seek, ask, to worship for my soul. לְנַפְשִֽׁי׃ (lə·nap̄·šî) Preposition-l | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion Links Psalm 142:4 NIVPsalm 142:4 NLT Psalm 142:4 ESV Psalm 142:4 NASB Psalm 142:4 KJV Psalm 142:4 BibleApps.com Psalm 142:4 Biblia Paralela Psalm 142:4 Chinese Bible Psalm 142:4 French Bible Psalm 142:4 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Psalm 142:4 Look on my right and see (Psalm Ps Psa.) |
    |