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Psalms Chapter 42 (DRC)

minutes - words.
Psalm 42 - As the Hart Panteth After the Water Brooks
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1 A psalm for David. Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy: deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man.

2 For thou art God my strength: why hast thou cast me off? and why do I go sorrowful whilst the enemy afflicteth me?

3 Sent forth thy light and thy truth: they have conducted me, and brought me unto thy holy hill, and into thy tabernacles.

4 And I will go in to the altar of God: to God who giveth joy to my youth.

5 To thee, O God my God, I will give praise upon the harp: why art thou sad, O my soul? and why dost thou disquiet me?

6 Hope in God, for I will still give praise to him: the salvation of my countenance, and my God.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Psalm 42 express?
Psalm 42 expresses deep longing for God -- 'As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee' (v.1) -- while remembering past worship with joy (v.4) and repeatedly asking why the soul is 'cast down' (vv.5,11).
What does the refrain 'Why art thou cast down, O my soul?' mean?
It's repeated in verses 5 and 11 as the psalmist argues with his own despair, each time answering himself with 'hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him.'
What does verse 1 compare the soul's thirst to?
It compares longing for God to a deer panting for water brooks, a thirst for God similarly expressed in Psalms 63:1-2. See Psalms 42:1.

Today's Verse

And straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after him.

Mark 1:20 | ASV

Verse Of The Day

Twice the psalmist questions his own despair, asking "why art thou cast down, O my soul?" before choosing to hope in God despite waves and billows going over him. That same yearning reappears in Psalms 63:1-2; step back to Psalms 41 or forward to Psalms 43.