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Psalm Forty-two
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 42
To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. Of the word
"Maschil", See Gill on Psalm 32:1, title.
Korah was he who was at the head of a conspiracy against Moses and Aaron, for
which sin the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed alive him and his company,
and fire devoured two hundred and fifty more; the history of which is recorded
in Numbers 16:1; yet
all his posterity were not cut off, Numbers 26:11; some
were in David's time porters, or keepers of the gates of the tabernacle, and
some were singers; see 1 Chronicles 6:33;
and to the chief musician was this psalm directed for them to sing, for they
were not the authors of it, as someF2So R. Moses in Muis, Gussetius,
Ebr. Comment. p. 918, & others. have thought; but most probably David
himself composed it; and it seems to have been written by him, not as
representing the captives in Babylon, as Theodoret, but on his own account,
when he was persecuted by Saul, and driven out by men from abiding in the
Lord's inheritance, and was in a strange land among the Heathen, where he was
reproached by them; and everything in this psalm agrees with his state and
condition; or rather when he fled from his son Absalom, and was in those parts
beyond Jordan, mentioned in this psalm; see 2 Samuel 17:24; so
the Syriac inscription, the song which David sung in the time of his persecution,
desiring to return to Jerusalem.
Psalm 42:1 As
the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.
YLT
1To the Overseer. -- An
Instruction. By sons of Korah. As a hart doth pant for streams of water, So my
soul panteth toward Thee, O God.
As the hart panteth after the water brooks,.... Either
through a natural thirst that creature is said to have; or through the heat of
the summer season; and especially when hunted by dogs, it betakes itself to
rivers of water, partly to make its escape, and partly to extinguish its
thirst, and refresh itself. The word here used denotes the cry of the hart,
when in distress for water, and pants after it, and is peculiar to it; and the
verb being of the feminine gender, hence the Septuagint render it the
"hind"; and Kimchi conjectures that the reason of it may be, because
the voice of the female may be stronger than that of the male; but the contrary
is asserted by the philosopherF3Aristot. Hist. Animal. l. 4. c. 11.
, who says, that the male harts cry much stronger than the females; and that
the voice of the female is short, but that of the male is long, or protracted.
SchindlerF4Lexic. Pentaglott. col. 68. so Kimchi. gives three
reasons why these creatures are so desirous of water; because they were in
desert places, where water was wanting; and another, that being heated by
destroying and eating serpents, they coveted water to refresh themselves; and
the third, when followed by dogs, they betake themselves into the water, and go
into that for safety;
so panteth my soul after thee, O God; being
persecuted by men, and deprived of the word and worship of God, which
occasioned a vehement desire after communion with him in his house and
ordinances: some render the words, "as the field", or "meadow, desires
the shower", &c.F5Sept. & Symmachus apud Drusium. ; or
thirsts after it when parched with drought; see Isaiah 35:7; and by
these metaphors, one or the other, is expressed the psalmist's violent and
eager thirst after the enjoyment of God in public worship.
Psalm 42:2 2 My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?[b]
YLT
2My soul thirsted for God,
for the living God, When do I enter and see the face of God?
My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God,.... Who is so
called, in opposition to the idols of the Gentiles, which were lifeless
statues; and who is the author, giver, and maintainer of natural life; and who
has promised and provided eternal life in his Son; and is himself the fountain
of life, and the fountain of living waters, and a place of broad rivers and
streams: particularly his lovingkindness, which is better than life, is a pure
river of water of life, the streams where make glad the saints; and hence it is
that the psalmist thirsted after God, and the discoveries of his love: saying,
when shall I come and appear before God? meaning, not
in heaven, as desiring the beatific vision; but in the tabernacle, where were
the worship of God, and the ark, the symbol of the divine Presence, and where
the Israelites appeared before him, even in Zion; see Psalm 84:7.
Psalm 42:3 3 My tears have been my food
day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?”
YLT
3My tear hath been to me
bread day and night, In their saying unto me all the day, `Where [is] thy God?'
My tears have been my meat day and night,.... That is,
he could not eat for sorrow, like Hannah,
1Sa 1:7,8; or while he
was eating tears fell in plenty, and they were as common, day and night, as his
food, and mixed with itF6"--lachrymaeque alimenta fuere",
Ovid. Metamorph. l. 10. Fab. 1. v. 75. ; see Psalm 80:5;
while they continually say unto me, his enemies the
Philistines,
where is thy God? theirs were to be seen
and pointed at, as the host of heaven, the sun, moon, and stars, and idols of
gold, silver, brass, wood, and stone; wherefore they ask, where was his? but
David's God was invisible; he is in the heavens, and does what he pleases, Psalm 115:2; or the
sense is, that if there was such a God he believed in and professed, and he was
his servant, surely he would never have suffered him to fall into so much
distress and calamity, but would have appeared for his relief and deliverance;
and therefore tauntingly, and by way of reproach, ask where he was.
Psalm 42:4 4 When I remember these things,
I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went
with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a
multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.
YLT
4These I remember, and pour
out my soul in me, For I pass over into the booth, I go softly with them unto
the house of God, With the voice of singing and confession, The multitude
keeping feast!
When I remember these things,.... Either the
reproaches of his enemies; or rather his past enjoyments of God in his house,
he after makes mention of;
I pour out my soul in me, that is, he had no life
nor spirit in him, but was quite overwhelmed with distress and anguish; or he
poured out his soul in prayer to God, that it might be with him as in times
past;
for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house
of God; the place of public worship, whither he had often gone, with
great pleasure and delight; and, which added thereto, there were many that went
along with him; or whom he had "caused to go"F7אדרם "deduceham", Tigurine version;
"assumebum mihi iilos", Michaelis; "efficiebam eos in societatem
collectos socios esse mihi", Gussetius, p. 180. , had brought along with
him; which is the sense of the word, only used here and in Isaiah 38:15; as
Dr. Hammond from R. Tanchum and Aben Walid, has shown: a good man will not only
attend divine worship himself, but will bring others with him: but now, he
could neither go alone, nor in company, the remembrance of which greatly
affected his mind; see Psalm 137:1;
with the voice of joy and praise: the people singing
psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs;
with a multitude that kept holy day; as especially on the
three great festivals in the year, the feasts of passover, pentecost, and
tabernacles, when all the males of Israel appeared before God together, and
which was a large multitude; and a delightful sight it was to behold them, when
they were all engaged in religious worship at once.
Psalm 42:5 5 Why are you cast down, O
my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall
yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.[c]
YLT
5What! bowest thou thyself,
O my soul? Yea, art thou troubled within me? Wait for God, for still I confess
Him: The salvation of my countenance -- My God!
Why art thou cast down, O my soul?.... The psalmist
corrects himself, as being too much depressed in spirit with his present
circumstances, and expostulates with himself; adding,
and why art thou disquieted in me? which
suggests, that the dejections of God's people are unreasonable ones; sin itself
is no just cause and reason of them; for though it is very disagreeable,
loathsome, and abhorring, troublesome and burdensome, to a spiritual man, and
is ingenuously confessed, and heartily mourned over, and is matter of
humiliation; yet no true reason of dejection: because there is forgiveness of
it with God; the blood of Christ has been shed for the remission of it; it has
been bore and done away by him; nor is there any condemnation for it to them
that are in him; and though it rages, and threatens to get the ascendant; yet
it is promised it shall not have the dominion over the saints; neither the
nature of it, being great, as committed against God himself, nor the multitude
of sins, nor the aggravated circumstances of them, are just causes of
dejection, since the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin; nor are Satan and
his temptations; he is indeed an enemy, very powerful, subtle, and terrible; he
is the strong man armed, the old serpent, and a roaring lion; and his
temptations are very troublesome and grieving; and it becomes the saints to be
upon their guard against him and them; but they have no reason to be cast down
on account hereof; for God, who is on the side of his people, is mightier than
he; Christ is stronger than the strong man armed, and the divine Spirit who is
in them is greater than he that is in the world: Satan is under divine
restraints, and can go no further in tempting than he is suffered, and his
temptations are overruled for good; besides, good armour is provided for the
Christian to fight against him with, and in a short time he will be bruised
under his feet: nor are the hidings of God's face a sufficient reason of
dejection; for though such a case is very distressing, and gives great trouble
to those that love the Lord; nor can they, nor does it become them to sit easy
and unconcerned in such circumstances, as they are great trials of faith and
patience; yet it is the experience of the people of God in all ages: some good
ends are answered hereby, as to bring saints to a sense of sins, which has
deprived them of the divine Presence, to make them prize it the more when they
have it, and to be careful of losing it for the future. Besides, the love of
God continues the same when he hides and chides; and he will return again, and
will not finally and totally forsake his people; and in a little while they
shall be for ever with him, and see him as he is; and though by one providence
or another they may be deprived for a while of the word, worship, and
ordinances of God, he that provides a place for his church, and feeds and
nourishes her in the wilderness, can make up the lack of such enjoyments by his
presence and Spirit. The means and methods the psalmist took to remove his
dejections and disquietudes of mind are as follow;
hope thou in God; for the pardon of sin; for which there is
good ground of hope, and so no reason to be cast down on account of it; for
strength against Satan's temptations, which is to be had in Christ, as well as
righteousness; and for the appearance of God, and the discoveries of his love,
who has his set time to favour his people, and therefore to be hoped, and
quietly waited for. Hope is of great use against castings down; it is an
helmet, an erector of the head, which keeps it upright, and from bowing down:
it is an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast, and is of great service in the
troubles of life, and against the fears of death;
for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance; or "the
salvations of his countenance"F8ישועות
פניו "salutes faciei ipsius", Cocceius; so
Michaelis. ; which implies that the psalmist believed, notwithstanding his
present circumstances, that he should have salvation upon salvation; salvation
of every kind; or a full and complete one, which should spring, not from any
merits of his, but from the free grace and favour of God, expressed in his
gracious countenance towards him; and also intimates, that the light of his
countenance would be salvation to himF9"Salutes sunt facies
ejus", De Dieu. now; and that his consummate happiness hereafter would lie
in beholding his face for evermore: all which would give him occasion and
opportunity of praising the Lord. Now such a faith and persuasion as this is a
good antidote against dejections of soul, and disquietude of mind; see Psalm 27:13.
Psalm 42:6 6 O my God,[d] my soul is
cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan,
And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar.
YLT
6In me doth my soul bow
itself, Therefore I remember Thee from the land of Jordan, And of the Hermons,
from the hill Mizar.
O my God, my soul is cast down within me,.... Which the
psalmist repeats, partly to show the greatness of his dejection, though he had
not lost his view of interest in God as his covenant God; and partly to observe
another method he made use of to remove his dejection and refresh his spirits;
and that was by calling to mind past experiences of divine goodness;
therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan; the country
round about it, or rather beyond it; which was at the farthest parts of the
land of Canaan, where David was obliged to flee, and where he had often met
with God;
and of the Hermonites; who inhabited the
mountain of Hermon; or the Hermonian mountains, as the Targum; see Psalm 133:3; a
mountain upon the border of the land of Israel eastward, and which was very
high; Cocceius thinks the Geshurites are meant; see 1 Samuel 27:8; here
also the Lord had appeared to him, and for him; and
from the hill Mizar; or "the little
hill"F11מצער מהר
"de monte modico", V. L. Musculus; "parvo", Pagninus,
Vatablus; so Montanus, Tigurine version, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator. ;
which might be so in comparison of Hermon. The above interpreter thinks Zoar is
meant, which Lot so called, Genesis 19:20;
which was near Sodom and Gomorrah: Kimchi thinks it might be Zior, mentioned in
Joshua 15:54; but,
be it what or where it will, in this little hill David enjoyed the divine
Presence; or was indulged with some remarkable favour; from all which he
concludes he had no just reason to be dejected and disquieted in his mind: and
right it is for the people of God to call to mind past experiences, and make
mention of them; partly for the glory of divine grace, and to express their
gratitude to God, and their sense of his goodness; and partly to cheer and
refresh their own spirits, and prevent dejection and despondency: and
delightful it is to call to mind, how, at such a time, and in such a place, the
Lord was pleased to manifest his love, apply some gracious promise, or deliver
from some sore temptation or distress: all which must tend to encourage faith
and hope. The Jewish writers differently interpret these words; Jarchi, of
David's remembrance of the wonderful works God did for the people of Israel of
old, in drying up the river Jordan, and giving them the law on Mount Sinai, a
little hill, in comparison of some others: Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech,
understand them as a reason of his dejection, when he remembered how the
Israelites came from those several parts to the solemn feasts at Jerusalem,
which he was now deprived of; and the Targum paraphrases them of the
inhabitants of those places, and of the people that received the law on Mount
Sinai, remembering God; and so Arama thinks "beyond Jordan" is
mentioned because the law was given there; and by the hill Mizar he understands
Sinai: and some Christian interpreters consider them as a reason why David's
soul was cast down in him, he being in such places as here mentioned, at a
distance from his own house, from Jerusalem, and the place of divine worship,
and so render the words, "because that I remember thee", &c.F12על־כן "propterea quod", Tigurine version,
Piscator, Muis; "quia", Noldius, p. 727, No. 1790. .
Psalm 42:7 7 Deep calls unto deep at
the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me.
YLT
7Deep unto deep is calling
At the noise of Thy water-spouts, All Thy breakers and Thy billows passed over
me.
Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of the water spouts,.... By which
are meant afflictions, comparable to the deep waters of the sea, for their
multitude and overwhelming nature; see Psalm 69:1; these
came pouring down, one after another, upon the psalmist: as soon as one
affliction over, another came, as in the case of Job; which is signified by one
calling to another, and were clamorous, troublesome, and very grievous and
distressing;
all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me: with which he
seemed to be covered and overwhelmed, as a ship is at sea. It may be observed,
that the psalmist calls afflictions God's water spouts, and "his"
waves and "his" billows; because they are appointed, sent, ordered,
and overruled by him, and made to work for the good of his people: and now,
though these might seem to be a just cause of dejection, yet they were not, as
appears from Psalm 42:8.
Psalm 42:8 8 The Lord will command
His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be
with me—A prayer to the God of my life.
YLT
8By day Jehovah commandeth
His kindness, And by night a song [is] with me, A prayer to the God of my life.
Yet the Lord will command his
lovingkindness in the daytime,.... Which is a tender affection in God
towards his people, springs from his sovereign will and pleasure, is from
everlasting, is ever the same, never removes from them, and is better than
life; the effects of which are all spiritual blessings, grace, and glory: and this
the Lord "commands" when he sends it forth with power, makes a clear
manifestation and home application of it to them; when he commands his
covenant, or bestows covenant blessings on them; when he commands his strength,
or gives them strength to bear up under afflictions; when he commands
deliverances for Jacob, or works salvation for them; and when he commands
blessings temporal and spiritual on them, especially life for evermore: see Psalm 111:9; and
this is done in "the daytime"; either, as some interpret it, in a fit
and seasonable time, in God's appointed time, who has his set time to favour
his people, and show his lovingkindness to them; or openly and publicly, so as
themselves and others may see the salvation of the Lord; or continually; for
mercy, goodness, and lovingkindness, follow them all the days of their lives;
yea, are from everlasting to everlasting: and these words may be read either in
the past tense, as some do, "yet the Lord hath commanded"F13יצוה "praecepit", Tigurine version;
"mandavit", Hammond; so Aben Ezra and others. , &c. and so
respect what had been, and relate to the former experiences and manifestations
of the love of God, with which the psalmist encourages himself under his
present afflictions; or in the future, as in our version; and so they are an
expression of faith as to what would be hereafter, that the Lord would appear
again, and show him his face and favour;
and in the night his song shall be with me; signifying
hereby, that he strongly believed he should have occasion of singing praise to
God in the night season, though he was now in such mournful circumstances: he
calls it "his song"; that is, the Lord's song; because the matter of
it are his lovingkindness, and the blessings springing from it; because the
Lord himself is the subject of it; his perfections, his works, his salvation
and glory; and because he gives songs in the night, and puts them into the
mouths of his people; see Isaiah 12:2; and
the psalmist says it would be with him, in his heart, and in his mouth, and be
his constant companion wherever he was, lying down, or rising up; and that
"in the night"; either figuratively understood of affliction and
distress, out of which he would be delivered, and so be compassed about with
songs of deliverance; or literally, it being a time of leisure to call to mind
the salvation and mercies of the day, and be thankful for them; see Psalm 77:6;
and my prayer unto the God of
my life: natural, spiritual, and eternal; being the author, giver, and
preserver of each; and this is no inconsiderable mercy, to have such a God to
pray unto in a time of distress; as well as in a time of salvation, to go to,
and make known requests with thanksgiving; which seems to be intended here,
since it is joined with a song. Prayer and praise go together, the object of
which are not lifeless idols, that cannot save; but the living God, who is a
God hearing and answering prayer, and does not despise the prayer of the
destitute. The prayer of the psalmist follows.
Psalm 42:9 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?”
YLT
9I say to God my rock, `Why
hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning in the oppression of an enemy?
I will say unto God my rock,.... A name frequently
given to the eternal God, Father, Son, and Spirit, Deuteronomy 32:4;
See Gill on Psalm 18:2;
why hast thou forgotten me? See Gill on Psalm 13:1;
why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? meaning
perhaps Saul; though it may be applied to any spiritual enemy, sin, Satan, and
the world; who are very oppressive and afflicting, and occasion continual
mourning to the children of God.
Psalm 42:10 10 As
with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all
day long, “Where is your God?”
YLT
10With a sword in my bones
Have mine adversaries reproached me, In their saying unto me all the day,
`Where [is] thy God?'
As with a sword in my bones,
mine enemies reproach me,.... The reproaches of his enemies were grievous and cutting to
him, as if a sword pierced through the marrow in his bones, which, being very
sensitive, gives exquisite pain. There is a various reading here: some copies,
as Vatablus observes, read ב, "in", or
with, and others כ, "as", which seems to be
the truest; and our translators supply "as", to make the sense,
though they read "with"; but someF14כרצח
ως σφαγην, Symmachus in Drusius;
"ut occisio", Pagninus, Amama; so Aben Ezra interprets it. only read
"as"; and the sense is, the reproaches cast upon the psalmist were as
a sword cutting and killing; and these reproaches were as follow;
while they say daily unto me, where is thy God? See Gill on Psalm 42:3.
Psalm 42:11 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, The help of my countenance and my God.
YLT
11What! bowest thou thyself,
O my soul? And what! art thou troubled within me? Wait for God, for still I
confess Him, The salvation of my countenance, and my God!
Why art thou cast down, O my soul?.... The same
expostulation as in Psalm 42:5; and so
is what follows,
and why art thou disquieted within me? and the same
argument and means are made use of to remove dejection and disquietude;
hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him; See Gill on Psalm 42:5; to
which is added a new argument, taken from the grace and goodness of God, and
covenant interest in him;
who is the health of
my countenance, and my God; as the bodily health of man is seen in the
countenance, and for the most part to be judged of by it; so is the spiritual
health of the saints, and which they have from the Lord; when he, as the sun of
righteousness, arises upon them with healing in his wings, he, by his gracious
presence, makes their countenances cheerful, fills them with joy unspeakable
and full of glory, and causes them to lift up their heads with an holy boldness
and confidence, and without shame and fear: or as it may be rendered, who
"is the salvations of my countenance"F15ישועת "salutes", Pagninus, Montanus, Cocceius,
Michaelis. ; that is, who is or will be the author of full and complete
salvation to me; which will be so public and open, so clear and manifest, as to
be beheld by myself and others; and this the psalmist mentions, in order to
remove his present dejections; and besides, this God of salvation he believed
was his covenant God, and would be so even unto death; and therefore he had no
just reason to be dejected and disquieted.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)