BibleHearthPsalm 42 (NASB2020)
BOOK 2
Psalm 42
Thirsting for God in Trouble and Exile.
For the music director. A 42:0 Possibly Contemplative; or Didactic; or Skillful PsalmMaskil of the sons of Korah.
1As the deer 42:1 Lit longs forpants for the water brooks,
So my soul 42:1 Lit longs forpants for You, God.
2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;
When shall I come and 42:2 Some mss see the face of Godappear before God?
3My tears have been my food day and night,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
4I remember these things and pour out my soul within me.
For I used to go over with the multitude and walk them to the house of God,
With a voice of joy and thanksgiving, a multitude celebrating a festival.
5¶Why are you 42:5 Lit dissolved awayin despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will 42:5 Or stillagain praise 42:5 Some ancient versions Him, the help of my face and my GodHim
For the 42:5 Or saving acts ofhelp of His 42:5 Or presence. O my God, my soul...presence, my God.
6My soul is 42:6 Or dissolved awayin despair within me;
Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan
And the 42:6 Lit Hermonspeaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have passed over me.
8The Lord will send His goodness in the daytime;
And His song will be with me in the night,
A prayer to the God of my life.
9¶I will say to God my rock, “Why have You forgotten me?
Why do I go about mourning 42:9 Or while the enemy oppressesbecause of the oppression of the enemy?”
10As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries taunt me,
While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”
11Why are you 42:11 Or dissolved awayin despair, my soul?
And why are you restless within me?
Wait for God, for I will again praise 42:11 As in some ancient mss, cf. v 5; MT Him, the help of my face and my GodHim
For the 42:11 Or saving acts ofhelp of His presence, my God.
Understand Psalm 42
A verse-by-verse study of Psalm 42: what the chapter is doing, and what three commentaries say about it. Written to be readable if this is new to you.
Read the Psalm 42 commentary