The Psalms

Psalm 42

David's zeal to serve God in the temple, 1-4. He encourages his soul to trust in God, 5-11.

1 [To the Chief Musician. Maschil for the Sons of Korah.]

As the deer pants after the water brooks,/
so my soul pants after you, O God.

2  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God./
When shall I come and appear before God?

3  My tears have been my food day and night while they continually say to me, "Where is your God?"

4  When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me./
For I had gone with the multitude. I went with them to the house of God,/
with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude who kept holy-day.

5  Why are you cast down, O my soul?/
And why are you disquieted in me?/
Hope in God. For I shall yet praise him/
for the help of his countenance.

6  O my God, my soul is cast down within me;/
therefore, I will remember you from the land of the Jordan/
and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.

7  Deep calls to deep at the noise of your water-spouts./
All your waves and your billows have gone over me.

8  Yet the LORD will command his loving-kindness in the day-time,/
and in the night his song shall be with me,/
and my prayer to the God of my life.

9  I will 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 sword in my bones, my enemies reproach me/
while they daily say to me, "Where is your God?"

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?/
And why are you disquieted within me?/
Hope in God. For I shall yet praise him/
who is the health of my countenance and my God.

Commentary

Matthew Henry Commentary - Psalms, Chapter 42[➚]

Notes

John Calvin's Chapter Summary:

In the first place, David shows that when he was forced to flee by reason of the cruelty of Saul, and was living in a state of exile, what most of all grieved him was, that he was deprived of the opportunity of access to the sanctuary; for he preferred the service of God to every earthly advantage. In the second place, he shows that being tempted with despair, he had in this respect a very difficult contest to sustain. In order to strengthen his hope, he also introduces prayer and meditation on the grace of God. Last of all, he again makes mention of the inward conflict which he had with the sorrow which he experienced.

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