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Psalms Chapter 42 (JPS)

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Psalms Chapter 42 (JPS)
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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

but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and he hath made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:

Daniel 2:28 | ASV

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