TRV
Translation
King James Version
Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and delight; I will praise you on the lyre, God, my God.
Berean Standard Bible
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God.
American Standard Version
Then will I go unto the altar of God, Unto God my exceeding joy; And upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.
World English Bible Messianic
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you on the harp, God, my God.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then wil I go vnto the altar of God, euen vnto the God of my ioy and gladnes: and vpon the harpe wil I giue thanks vnto thee, O God, my God.
Young's Literal Translation
And I go in unto the altar of God, Unto God, the joy of my rejoicing. And I thank Thee with a harp, O God, my God.
In the KJVVerse 14,571 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 43 verses 1–5
1 ¶ Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2 For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
David here makes application to God, by faith and prayer, as his judge, his strength, his guide, his joy, his hope, with suitable affections and expressions.
I. As his Judge, his righteous Judge, who he knew would judge him, and who (being conscious of his own integrity) he knew would judge for him (Psa 43:1): Judge me, O God! and plead my cause. There were those that impeached him; against them he is defendant, and from their courts, where he stood unjustly convicted and condemned, he appeals to the court of heaven, the supreme judicature, praying to have their judgment given against him reversed and his innocency cleared. There were those that had injured him; against them he is plaintiff, and exhibits his complaint to him who is the avenger of wrong, praying for justice for himself and upon them. Observe, 1. Who his enemies were with whom he had this struggle. Here was a sinful body of men, whom he calls an ungodly or unmerciful nation. Those that are unmerciful make it appear that they are ungodly; for, those that have any fear or love of their master will have compassion on their fellow-servants. And here was one bad man the head of them, a deceitful and unjust man, most probably Saul, who not only showed no kindness to David, but dealt most perfidiously and dishonestly with him. If Absalom was the man he meant, his character was no better. As long as there are such bad men out of hell, and nations of them, it is not strange that good men, who are yet out of heaven, meet with hard and base treatment. Some think that David, by the spirit of prophecy, calculated this psalm for the use of the Jews in their captivity in Babylon, and that the Chaldeans are the ungodly nation here meant; to them it was very applicable, but only as other similar scriptures, none of which are of private interpretation. God might design it for their use, whether David did or no. 2. What is his prayer with reference to them: Judge me. As to the quarrel God had with him for sin, he prays, "Enter not into judgment with me, for then I shall be condemned;" but, as to the quarrel his enemies had with him he prays, "Lord, judge me, for I know that I shall be justified; plead my cause against them, take my part, and in thy providence appear on my behalf." He that has an honest cause may expect that God will plead it. "Plead my cause so as to deliver me from them, that they may not have their will against me." We must reckon our cause sufficiently pleaded if we be delivered, though our enemies be not destroyed.
II. As his strength, his all-sufficient strength; so he eyes God (Psa 43:2): "Thou art the God of my strength, my God, my strength, from whom all my strength is derived, in whom I strengthen myself, who hast often strengthened me, and without whom I am weak as water and utterly unable either to do or suffer any thing for thee." David now went mourning, destitute of spiritual joys, yet he found God to be the God of his strength. If we cannot comfort ourselves in God, we may stay ourselves upon him, and may have spiritual supports when we want spiritual delights. David here pleads this with God: "Thou art the God on whom I depend as my strength; why then dost thou cast me off?" This was a mistake; for God never cast off any that trusted in him, whatever melancholy apprehensions they may have had of their own state. "Thou art the God of my strength; why then is my enemy too strong for me, and why go I mourning because of his oppressive power?" It is hard to reconcile the mighty force of the church's enemies with the almighty power of the church's God; but the day will reconcile them when all his enemies shall become his footstool.
III. As his guide, his faithful guide (Psa 43:3): Lead me, bring me to thy holy hill. He prays, 1. That God by his providence would bring him back from his banishment, and open a way for him again to the free enjoyment of the privileges of God's sanctuary. His heart is upon the holy hill and the tabernacles, not upon his family-comforts, his court-preferments, or his diversions; he could bear the want of these, but he is impatient to see God's tabernacles again; nothing so amiable in his eyes as those; thither he would gladly be brought back. In order to this he prays, "Send out thy light and thy truth; let me have this as a fruit of thy favour, which is light, and the performance of thy promise, which is truth." We need desire no more to make us happy than the good that flows from God's favour and is included in his promise. That mercy, that truth, is enough, is all; and, when we see these in God's providences, we see ourselves under a very safe conduct. Note, Those whom God leads he leads to his holy hill, and to his tabernacles; those therefore who pretend to be led by the Spirit, and yet turn their backs upon instituted ordinances, certainly deceive themselves. 2. That God by his grace would bring him into communion with himself, and prepare him for the vision and fruition of himself in the other world. Some of the Jewish writers by the light and truth here understand Messiah the Prince and Elias his forerunner: these have come, in answer to the prayers of the Old Testament; but we are still to pray for God's light and truth, the Spirit of light and truth, who supplies the want of Christ's bodily presence, to lead us into the mystery of godliness and to guide us in the way to heaven. When God sends his light and truth into our hearts, these will guide us to the upper world in all our devotions as well as in all our aims and expectations; and, if we conscientiously follow that light and that truth, they will certainly bring us to the holy hill above.
IV. As his joy, his exceeding joy. If God guide him to his tabernacles, if he restore him to his former liberties, he knows very well what he has to do: Then will I go unto the altar of God, Psa 43:4. He will get as near as he can unto God, his exceeding joy. Note, 1. Those that come to the tabernacles should come to the altar; those that come to ordinances should qualify themselves to come, and then come to special ordinances, to those that are most affecting and most binding. The nearer we come, the closer we cleave, to God, the better. 2. Those that come to the altar of God must see to it that therein they come unto God, and draw near to him with the heart, with a true heart: we come in vain to holy ordinances if we do not in them come to the holy God. 3. Those that come unto God must come to him as their exceeding joy, not only as their future bliss, but as their present joy, and that not a common, but an exceeding joy, far exceeding all the joys of sense and time. The phrase, in the original, is very emphatic - unto God the gladness of my joy, or of my triumph. Whatever we rejoice or triumph in God must be the joy of it; all our joy in it must terminate in him, and must pass through the gift to the giver. 4. When we come to God as our exceeding joy our comforts in him must be the matter of our praises to him as God, and our God: Upon the harp will I praise thee, O God! my God. David excelled at the harp (Sa1 16:16, Sa1 16:18), and with that in which he excelled he would praise God; for God is to be praised with the best we have; it is fit he should be, for he is the best.
V. As his hope, his never-failing hope, Psa 43:5. Here, as before, David quarrels with himself for his dejections and despondencies, and owns he did ill to yield to them, and that he had no reason to do so: Why art thou cast down, O my soul? He then quiets himself in the believing expectation he had of giving glory to God (Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him) and of enjoying glory with God: He is the health of my countenance and my God. That is what we cannot too much insist upon, for it is what we must live and die by.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–5. Public domain.
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Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 43
Now then that we have been led on even to "the Tabernacle," and are placed on "His holy Hill," what hope do we carry with us? "Then will I go in unto the Altar of God" [Psalm 43:4]. For there is a certain invisible Altar on high, which the unrighteous man approaches not. To that Altar he alone draws near, who draws near to this one without cause to fear. There he shall find his Life, who in this one "separates his cause." "And I will go in unto the Altar of God." From His holy Hill, and from His Tabernacle, from His Holy Church, I will go in unto the Altar of God on High. What manner of Sacrifice is there? He himself who goes in is taken for a burnt-offering. "I will go in unto the Altar of God." What is the meaning of what he says, "The Altar of my God"? "Unto God, who makes glad my youth." Youth signifies newness: just as if he said, "Unto God, who makes glad my newness." It is He who makes glad my newness, who has filled my old estate with mourning. For now "I go mourning" in oldness, then shall "I stand," exulting in newness! "Yea, upon the harp will I praise You, O God my God." What is the meaning of "praising on the harp," and praising on the psaltery? For he does not always do so with the harp, nor always with the psaltery. These two instruments of the musicians have each a distinct meaning of their own, worthy of our consideration and notice. They are both borne in the hands, and played by the touch; and they stand for certain bodily works of ours. Both are good, if one knows how to play the psaltery, or to play the harp. But since the psaltery is that instrument which has the shell (i.e. that drum, that hollow piece of wood, by straining on which the chords resound) on the upper part of it, whereas the harp has that same concave sounding-board on the lower part, there is to be a distinction made between our works, when they are "upon the harp," when "on the psaltery:" both however are acceptable to God, and grateful to His ear. When we do anything according to God's Commandments, obeying His commands and hearkening to Him, that we may fulfil His injunctions, when we are active and not passive, it is the psaltery that is playing. For so also do the Angels: for they have nothing to suffer. But when we suffer anything of tribulation, of trials, of offenses on this earth (as we suffer only from the inferior part of ourselves; i.e. from the fact that we are mortal, that we owe somewhat of tribulation to our original cause, and also from the fact of our suffering much from those who are not "above"); this is "the harp." For there rises a sweet strain from that part of us which is "below:" we "suffer," and we strike the psaltery, or shall I rather say we sing and we strike the harp....
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 43:4 is a profound declaration of the psalmist's unwavering intent to return to God's presence and worship, even amidst deep spiritual distress and perceived abandonment. It expresses a resolute hope to approach the "altar of God," finding in Him the ultimate source of "exceeding joy," and vowing to offer heartfelt praise with the harp. This verse marks a pivotal shift from lament to confident anticipation, affirming God as the psalmist's personal God and the sole wellspring of true delight.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 43:4 employs several potent literary devices that amplify its message of hope and devotion. The most prominent is Parallelism, particularly a form of synonymous or climactic parallelism. The first half, "Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy," establishes the destination and the ultimate object of desire. The second half, "yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God," reinforces this by detailing the act of worship and reaffirming the personal relationship. The phrase "unto God my exceeding joy" functions as a powerful Metaphor or Appellation, equating God directly with the source and essence of the psalmist's deepest gladness. The use of "exceeding joy" itself can be seen as a form of Hyperbole, emphasizing the boundless and overwhelming nature of the joy found in God. Finally, the Repetition of "O God my God" at the end serves as an emphatic declaration of personal ownership and intimate relationship, a heartfelt cry of devotion and trust, reinforcing the psalmist's unwavering faith.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse stands as a powerful testament to the human spirit's capacity for hope and faith even in the depths of despair, rooted in the character of God. It teaches that true joy is not contingent on circumstances but is found supremely in God Himself and in the act of drawing near to Him in worship. The psalmist's resolve to return to the altar and praise God with the harp, despite his current suffering, models a faith that actively seeks God's presence as the ultimate source of restoration and delight. It underscores the theological truth that God is not merely a distant deity but a personal, accessible God who is the wellspring of life's deepest satisfactions, inviting His people into intimate communion and exuberant praise.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 43:4 offers profound encouragement for believers navigating seasons of spiritual dryness, isolation, or profound sorrow. It calls us to emulate the psalmist's determined faith, declaring our intention to seek God's presence as the ultimate source of our joy, regardless of our external circumstances. In a world that often equates happiness with material possessions, fleeting pleasures, or perfect conditions, this verse reorients our hearts to the enduring truth that "exceeding joy" is found solely in God. It reminds us that active worship—whether through prayer, song, service, or simply drawing near in quiet contemplation—is not merely a religious duty but a vital pathway to spiritual restoration, comfort, and peace. Like the psalmist, we are invited to cultivate a deeply personal relationship with "God my God," confident that He will ultimately lead us back to His presence and fill us with His abiding joy, transforming our laments into hymns of praise.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of the psalmist going to the "altar of God" when he feels distant?
Answer: The "altar of God" symbolizes the place of sacrifice, atonement, and communion with God in the Tabernacle or Temple. For the psalmist, who feels cast down and separated (as detailed in Psalm 42), declaring his intent to go to the altar is a powerful act of faith. It signifies his unwavering belief that God will restore him to His presence and that the means of drawing near to God (through worship and sacrifice) are still valid and effective, even when he feels alienated. It's a declaration of hope for spiritual restoration and renewed fellowship, anticipating God's faithfulness to His covenant.
Why is God called "my exceeding joy" in this verse?
Answer: The phrase "my exceeding joy" (Hebrew: śimḥat gîlî) conveys a profound, overflowing, and jubilant gladness. It emphasizes that God Himself, not His blessings or circumstances, is the ultimate and deepest source of the psalmist's delight. This kind of joy is not superficial or fleeting; it is a spiritual joy rooted in an intimate relationship with the Creator. It suggests that even in distress, the psalmist knows that true, lasting happiness can only be found in God's presence, reflecting a deep theological understanding that God is the supreme good and the wellspring of all true satisfaction (Psalm 16:11).
What does the mention of the "harp" imply about worship?
Answer: The "harp" (Hebrew: kinnôr) was a common musical instrument used in ancient Israelite worship, both public and private. Its inclusion signifies the psalmist's intention to offer heartfelt, expressive, and musical praise to God. It highlights that worship is not just a solemn duty but can be a joyful, artistic, and deeply personal expression of adoration. It underscores the importance of engaging our emotions and creative faculties in praising God, offering our best in response to His goodness and faithfulness (Psalm 150:3). It speaks to the holistic nature of worship, involving mind, heart, and body.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 43:4 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in Jesus Christ. The psalmist's longing to go "unto the altar of God" for reconciliation and joy foreshadows the perfect and final sacrifice of Christ. No longer do we need to approach a physical altar in Jerusalem; through Christ's once-for-all sacrifice on the cross, He became the ultimate "altar" (Hebrews 13:10) and the "Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). He has opened a new and living way for us to draw near to God (Hebrews 10:19-22). Furthermore, the "exceeding joy" the psalmist anticipates in God is fully realized in Christ. Jesus promised His disciples a joy that no one could take from them, a joy that would be full (John 15:11 and John 16:24). Our praise, once offered with harps and instruments in the Temple, is now offered spiritually and continually through Christ, "by Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name" (Hebrews 13:15). The personal relationship expressed by "O God my God" is now deepened and secured through our adoption as children of God by faith in Christ, allowing us to cry "Abba, Father" (Romans 8:15). Thus, Christ is the means, the source, and the object of our ultimate joy and worship, bringing us into perfect communion with God.