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Psalms Chapter 42 (JPS)

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Psalm 42 - As the Hart Panteth After the Water Brooks
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1 For the Leader; Maschil of the sons of Korah.

2 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O G-d.

3 My soul thirsteth for G-d, for the living G-d: 'When shall I come and appear before G-d?'

4 My tears have been my food day and night, while they say unto me all the day: 'Where is Thy G-d?'

5 These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I passed on with the throng, and led them to the house of G-d, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.

6 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why moanest thou within me? Hope thou in G-d; for I shall yet praise Him for the salvation of His countenance.

7 O my G-d, my soul is cast down within me; therefore do I remember Thee from the land of Jordan, and the Hermons, from the hill Mizar.

8 Deep calleth unto deep at the voice of Thy cataracts; all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me.

9 By day HaShem will command His lovingkindness, and in the night His song shall be with me, even a prayer unto the G-d of my life.

10 I will say unto G-d my Rock: 'Why hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning under the oppression of the enemy?'

11 As with a crushing in my bones, mine adversaries taunt me; while they say unto me all the day: 'Where is Thy G-d?'

12 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why moanest thou within me? Hope thou in G-d; for I shall yet praise Him, the salvation of my countenance, and my G-d.

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

the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks are seven churches.

Revelation 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.