At a glance
- Author
- David (traditional)
- Verses
- 7 / 2461 verses
- Location
- Cave of Adullam, The Gath Corridor
- Date
- c. 10th Century BC (Events); c. 5th Century BC (Final Compilation)
- Style
- Lament / Maskil
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Psalms 142Psalms 142 Summary
The Outlaw’s Last Sanctuary
Trapped in the limestone dark of Adullam while King Saul’s manhunt closes in, David finds himself in the ultimate psychological corner. Every social safety net has snapped: his family is distant, his army is a ragtag group of debtors, and his mentor is his hunter. In this damp, literal hole in the ground, the future king of Israel realizes that social isolation isn’t the end of his story—it’s the beginning of a conversation with the only One who can’t be locked out of a cave. This is the inciting moment where political desperation transforms into spiritual steel. As the shadows lengthen, David stops looking for an exit and starts looking for an Encounter. The geopolitical fate of the Davidic dynasty hangs in the balance, resting on whether a cornered man will break under the pressure or find an impregnable refuge in the silence.
The Hinge Point
The Psalm hinges on the movement from the horizontal abandonment of man ('no one cares') to the vertical recognition of God ('you know my way'). It teaches that intimacy with God is often a byproduct of being stripped of all earthly alternatives.
Key Figures
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Reflect
- What is God showing you through “The Cry of the Hunted”?
- How does this hinge point change your week: The Psalm hinges on the movement from the horizontal abandonment of man ('no one cares') to the vertical recognition of God ('you know my way')?
- Where do you need His leading in your life this week?
Did you know?
ARCHAEOLOGY

