Psalms 42
As the Deer Pants for Water 1–5
Remembering God Amidst Deep Waters 6–11
Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain
Study Notes for Psalms 42
Verse 1
As the hart panteth — Arag, to long for, is the verb of both clauses, so the deer's cry for 'water brooks' (aphiq, stream beds) is the soul's cry 'after thee, O God'. The title gives 'Maschil, for the sons of Korah'. Compare 'my soul thirsteth for thee' (Ps 63:1).
Verse 2
the living God — The thirst (tsame) is for God himself, not only his house: 'my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God' (Ps 84:2). 'Appear before God' is to come to the sanctuary (Ps 27:4); Christ takes up the figure: 'If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink' (John 7:37).
Verse 3
My tears have been my meat — 'Meat' is lechem, bread, the daily food; tears take its place 'day and night'. Another psalm says 'Thou feedest them with the bread of tears' (Ps 80:5). The taunt 'Where is thy God?' is the one the heathen raise in Ps 79:10 and Ps 115:2, and it returns in v.10.
Verse 4
I pour out my soul in me — Shaphak, to pour out, as Hannah 'poured out my soul before the LORD' (1 Sam 1:15). The remembered scene is the pilgrim company going 'to the house of God' with 'the voice of joy and praise' (rinnah, todah), the gladness of Ps 122:1.
Verse 5
hope thou in God — The psalmist addresses his own soul: 'cast down' (shachach, bowed low) and 'disquieted' (hamah, to be in tumult) are answered by yachal, to wait or hope. 'Help' is yeshuah, salvation, the word rendered 'health' in v.11. The refrain recurs in v.11 and Ps 43:5.
Verse 6
the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites — 'Hermonites' is the plural of Hermon, its peaks, and Mizar is named as a hill beside them; the psalmist is far from the sanctuary. From that distance the soul 'cast down' still says 'will I remember thee', as Jonah did: 'When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD' (Jonah 2:7).
Verse 7
Deep calleth unto deep — Tehom, the deep, answers tehom; 'waterspouts' (tsinnor) are channels or cataracts through which the waters pour. 'All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me' is echoed by Jonah: 'all thy billows and thy waves passed over me' (Jonah 2:3). The waves are called God's own.
Verse 8
will command his lovingkindness — Chesed, covenant love, is what the LORD 'will command' (tsavah), as he 'shall command the blessing' on his people (Deut 28:8). By day the love is sent; by night 'his song' is with the psalmist, as God 'giveth songs in the night' (Job 35:10). 'God of my life' is El chay.
Verse 9
God my rock — Sela, a crag or cliff, the strength the psalmist addresses even while asking 'Why hast thou forgotten me?' Ps 18:2 has 'The LORD is my rock'. The question 'why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?' returns word for word in Ps 43:2, where it follows 'why dost thou cast me off?'
Verse 10
a sword in my bones — Retsach is a crushing, a murder-cry, so the reproach strikes to the frame like a wound. The words 'Where is thy God?' repeat v.3, now 'daily' (yom); the same taunt is faced by Israel in Joel 2:17 and in Micah 7:10, where shame covers the one who said it.
Verse 11
the health of my countenance — The refrain of v.5, varied at its close: 'the help of his countenance' becomes 'the health of my countenance, and my God', 'help' and 'health' both being yeshuah, salvation. The same words close Ps 43:5, so Psalms 42–43 end on one hope: 'I shall yet praise him'.