KJV
Psalms 42
1¶ To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
2My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
3My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where [is] thy God?
4When 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 that kept holyday.
5Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and [why] art thou disquieted in me? hope thou 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 will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.
7Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
8[Yet] the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song [shall be] with me, [and] my prayer unto the God of my life.
9I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
10[As] with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where [is] thy God?
11Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, [who is] the health of my countenance, and my God.
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Access to God: Saints Earnestly Seek Psalm 42:1, 2
For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. / My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God’s presence?
Affections of Saints, Supremely Set on God Psalm 42:1
For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God.
Afflictions and Adversities: Consolation In Psalm 42:5
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence.
Afflictions and Adversities: Often Severe Psalm 42:7
Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and waves have rolled over me.
Afflictions and Adversities: Prayer In Psalm 42:9
I say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why must I walk in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?”
Afflictions and Adversities: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To Psalm 42:6, 7
O my God, my soul despairs within me. Therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon—even from Mount Mizar. / Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and waves have rolled over me.
Afflictions: Often Severe Psalm 42:7
Deep calls to deep in the roar of Your waterfalls; all Your breakers and waves have rolled over me.
Assurance: Confident Hope in God Restores Psalm 42:11
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
Assurance: Saints Privileged to Have: Confident Hope in God Restores Psalm 42:11
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
Church: House of God Psalm 42:4
These things come to mind as I pour out my soul: how I walked with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God with shouts of joy and praise.
Communion of Saints: Delight of Psalm 42:4
These things come to mind as I pour out my soul: how I walked with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God with shouts of joy and praise.
Communion with God: Saints: Desire Psalm 42:1
For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God.
Compared To Saints: Thirsting Deer Psalm 42:1
For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God.
Consolation Under Affliction: To the Troubled in Mind Psalm 42:5
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence.
Countenance: Health Indicated In Psalm 42:11
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
Desire: Spiritual Psalm 42:1–11
For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. / My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God’s presence? / My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
Despair: Trust in God, a Preservative Against Psalm 42:5, 11
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence. / Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
Doubting: General Scriptures Concerning Psalm 42:5, 6
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence. / O my God, my soul despairs within me. Therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon—even from Mount Mizar.
Faith: Exemplified Psalm 42:5, 6, 8
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence. / O my God, my soul despairs within me. Therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon—even from Mount Mizar. / The LORD decrees His loving devotion by day, and at night His song is with me as a prayer to the God of my life.
Feasts: (Instituted by Moses): All Males Were Required to Attend Psalm 42:4
These things come to mind as I pour out my soul: how I walked with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God with shouts of joy and praise.
Feasts: (Instituted by Moses): Kept with Rejoicing Psalm 42:4
These things come to mind as I pour out my soul: how I walked with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God with shouts of joy and praise.
God: Love of Psalm 42:8
The LORD decrees His loving devotion by day, and at night His song is with me as a prayer to the God of my life.
God: Love of, Exemplified Psalm 42:8
The LORD decrees His loving devotion by day, and at night His song is with me as a prayer to the God of my life.
Infidelity: General Scriptures Concerning Psalm 42:3
My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, “Where is your God?”
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Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
Pastoral and devotional reflections focused on spiritual formation and application.
Psalms 42:1-5 Verses 1-5
The psalmist looked to the Lord as his chief good, and set his heart upon him accordingly; casting anchor thus at first, he rides out the storm. A gracious soul can take little satisfaction in God's courts, if it do not meet with God himself there. Living souls never can take up their rest any where short of a living God. To appear before the Lord is the desire of the upright, as it is the dread of the hypocrite. Nothing is more grievous to a gracious soul, than what is intended to shake its confidence in the Lord. It was not the remembrance of the pleasures of his court that afflicted David; but the remembrance of the free access he formerly had to God's house, and his pleasure in attending there. Those that commune much with their own hearts, will often have to chide them. See the cure of sorrow. When the soul rests on itself, it sinks; if it catches hold on the power and promise of God, the head is kept above the billows. And what is our support under present woes but this, that we shall have comfort in Him. We have great cause to mourn for sin; but being cast down springs from unbelief and a rebellious will; we should therefore strive and pray against it.
Psalms 42:1-999 Chapter 42
The conflict in the soul of a believer.
Psalms 42:6-11 Verses 6-11
The way to forget our miseries, is to remember the God of our mercies. David saw troubles coming from God's wrath, and that discouraged him. But if one trouble follow hard after another, if all seem to combine for our ruin, let us remember they are all appointed and overruled by the Lord. David regards the Divine favour as the fountain of all the good he looked for. In the Saviour's name let us hope and pray. One word from him will calm every storm, and turn midnight darkness into the light of noon, the bitterest complaints into joyful praises. Our believing expectation of mercy must quicken our prayers for it. At length, is faith came off conqueror, by encouraging him to trust in the name of the Lord, and to stay himself upon his God. He adds, And my God; this thought enabled him to triumph over all his griefs and fears. Let us never think that the God of our life, and the Rock of our salvation, has forgotten us, if we have made his mercy, truth, and power, our refuge. Thus the psalmist strove against his despondency: at last his faith and hope obtained the victory. Let us learn to check all unbelieving doubts and fears. Apply the promise first to ourselves, and then plead it to God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary
Historical, contextual, and verse-level study notes for deeper biblical exploration.
Psalms 42:1-2 Maschil--(See on Ps 32:1, title). For, or of (see
Compare (Ps 63:1). panteth--desires in a state of exhaustion.
Psalms 42:1-11 Maschil--(See on Ps 32:1, title). For, or of (see
Introduction) the sons of Korah. The writer, perhaps one of this Levitical family of singers accompanying David in exile, mourns his absence from the sanctuary, a cause of grief aggravated by the taunts of enemies, and is comforted in hopes of relief. This course of thought is repeated with some variety of detail, but closing with the same refrain.
Psalms 42:2 Maschil--(See on Ps 32:1, title). For, or of (see
appear before God--in acts of worship, the terms used in the command for the stated personal appearance of the Jews at the sanctuary.
Psalms 42:3 Maschil--(See on Ps 32:1, title). For, or of (see
Where is thy God?--implying that He had forsaken him (compare 2Sa 16:7; Ps 3:2; 22:8).
Psalms 42:4 Maschil--(See on Ps 32:1, title). For, or of (see
The verbs are properly rendered as futures, "I will remember," &c.,--that is, the recollection of this season of distress will give greater zest to the privileges of God's worship, when obtained.
Psalms 42:5 Maschil--(See on Ps 32:1, title). For, or of (see
Hence he chides his despondent soul, assuring himself of a time of joy. help of his countenance--or, "face" (compare Nu 6:25; Ps 4:6; 16:11).
Psalms 42:6 Maschil--(See on Ps 32:1, title). For, or of (see
Dejection again described. therefore--that is, finding no comfort in myself, I turn to Thee, even in this distant "land of Jordan and the (mountains) Hermon, the country east of Jordan. hill Mizar--as a name of a small hill contrasted with the mountains round about Jerusalem, perhaps denoted the contempt with which the place of exile was regarded.
Psalms 42:7 Maschil--(See on Ps 32:1, title). For, or of (see
The roar of successive billows, responding to that of floods of rain, represented the heavy waves of sorrow which overwhelmed him.
Psalms 42:8 Maschil--(See on Ps 32:1, title). For, or of (see
Still he relies on as constant a flow of divine mercy which will elicit his praise and encourage his prayer to God.
Psalms 42:9-10 Maschil--(See on Ps 32:1, title). For, or of (see
in view of which [Ps 42:8], he dictates to himself a prayer based on his distress, aggravated as it was by the cruel taunts and infidel suggestions of his foes.
Psalms 42:11 Maschil--(See on Ps 32:1, title). For, or of (see
This brings on a renewed self-chiding, and excites hopes of relief. health--or help. of my countenance--(compare Ps 42:5) who cheers me, driving away clouds of sorrow from my face. my God--It is He of whose existence and favor my foes would have me doubt. PSALM 43