Psalms 42 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Psalm 42

Book Two

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil¹ of the Sons of Korah.

42:1   As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
2   My soul thirsts for God,
    for the living God.
  When shall I come and appear before God?²
3   My tears have been my food
    day and night,
  while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”
4   These things I remember,
    as I pour out my soul:
  how I would go with the throng
    and lead them in procession to the house of God
  with glad shouts and songs of praise,
    a multitude keeping festival.
5   Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation³ 6 and my God.
  My soul is cast down within me;
    therefore I remember you
  from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
    from Mount Mizar.
7   Deep calls to deep
    at the roar of your waterfalls;
  all your breakers and your waves
    have gone over me.
8   By day the LORD commands his steadfast love,
    and at night his song is with me,
    a prayer to the God of my life.
9   I say to God, my rock:
    “Why have you forgotten me?
  Why do I go mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10   As with a deadly wound in my bones,
    my adversaries taunt me,
  while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”
11   Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
  Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

Footnotes

[1] 42:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term
[2] 42:2 Revocalization yields and see the face of God
[3] 42:5 Hebrew the salvation of my face; also verse 11 and 43:5

Commentary

Desiring God in times of trouble. Psalms 42-49 were written by Korah, with Ps 84; 85; 87; 88.

v1-2: A desire just to meet with God, Ps 43.3 also. A deep desire and hunger for God. This is the high desire simply for God; not even for what He can give to the worshipper.

v3: Others mocked these spiritual desires, bringing discouragement, see v5, 11.

v4: Remembering past blessings. Spiritual desire for God finds its expression with the multitude sharing the pilgrim feast; God's people together desiring God.

v5: When our soul is cast down, we must look to God our hope. "I will yet praise Him," shows the psalmist's hope in God.

v6-7: The trials of life are hard and repeated; yet our hope must remain in God.

v8: Never abandoned by God; He directs His love to us, inspiring songs of praise. As God encourages the discouraged, there is not mere survival, but great joy in Him.

v9: The fear of being forgotten and forsaken by God, and therefore at the mercy of wicked men.

v10: The taunt from v3, "Where is your God?" mocking the devotion of the godly man.

v11: The psalmist's hope points to a brighter future, "I will yet praise Him." We can look beyond the present circumstances, to a faithful God.