Psalms 42

As the deer pants for the water

s the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.a ²I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?b ³Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?”c ⁴My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration!

⁵Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior andd ⁶my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you— even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar.e ⁷I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me.f

⁸But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life.g ⁹“O God my rock,” I cry, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?” ¹⁰Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?” ¹¹Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!h

Commentary

Psalm 42 captures the raw ache of a soul separated from God’s presence. The psalmist, likely a Levite exiled from the temple, pours out a lament that oscillates between desperate longing and defiant hope. The famous opening image — a deer panting for water — sets the tone for a s

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Bible Dictionary· Psalms 42(8)

Cry Hermon House Jordan Mount Seas Water Why

References· Psalms 42

a: v.1 — Psalms 63:1-2, Psalms 143:6-7, Psalms 119:131, Isaiah 26:8-9, Psalms 84:1-2, Psalms 48:1, Psalms 46:1, Psalms 85:1, Psalms 45:1, Psalms 47:1
b: v.2 — Psalms 63:1, Psalms 84:10, John 7:37, Psalms 27:4, Revelation 22:1, Psalms 84:2, Psalms 36:8-9, Psalms 84:4, Job 23:3, Psalms 43:4
c: v.3 — Psalms 79:10, Psalms 115:2, Joel 2:17, Psalms 42:10, Psalms 80:5, Psalms 102:9, Micah 7:10, Psalms 79:12, Psalms 22:8, Psalms 3:2
d: v.5 — My soul is deeply sad: Matthew 26:38; Psalms 37:7, Hebrews 10:36-37, Psalms 61:2, Matthew 1:23, Psalms 27:13-14, Psalms 56:3, Lamentations 3:24-26, Psalms 43:5, Psalms 42:11, 1 Samuel 30:6
e: v.6 — Psalms 61:2, Jonah 2:7, Deuteronomy 3:8-9, Psalms 43:4, 2 Samuel 17:22, Deuteronomy 4:47-48, Psalms 22:1, Matthew 27:46, Psalms 88:1-3, Matthew 26:39
f: v.7 — Jonah 2:3, Psalms 69:14-15, Psalms 88:7, Lamentations 3:53-55, Psalms 88:15-17, Job 1:14-19, Jeremiah 4:20, Ezekiel 7:26, Job 10:17
g: v.8 — Psalms 16:7, Psalms 149:5, Psalms 63:6, Job 35:10, Deuteronomy 28:8, Acts 16:25, Colossians 3:3, Psalms 133:3, Matthew 8:8, Psalms 44:4
h: v.11 — Psalms 42:5, Jeremiah 33:6, Jeremiah 30:17, Psalms 43:5, Matthew 9:12

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