Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Psalms Chapter 42 mean?

This begins the second major division of the Psalms, often referred to as “Book Two,” which continues through Psalm 72. This is labelled as a maskil, most likely a musical arrangement, as are Psalms 32, 52, and 89, among others. Psalm 42 is associated with the “Sons of Korah.” These were probably groups descended from the infamous family punished after the exodus (Numbers 26:9–11). Some commentators believe the Sons of Korah became influential worship leaders during the time of David and Solomon. Whether they wrote the psalms tied to their names, or the psalms were written for them to sing, is not clear.

The psalm begins expressing a desperate longing for God. This famous comparison depicts an animal panting with thirst. Desire to know and commune with God is an urgent, vital need. Here, the psalmist likely wishes to worship God in the sanctuary—the temple—in Jerusalem. Being kept from that worship is painful. Yet the psalmist puts trust in the Lord and speaks reassurance about his own salvation (Psalm 42:1–5).

Even faithful people can be tempted to despair. The writer turns to express a sense of overwhelming grief. This is compared to a brutal chain of oncoming waves or the relentless pounding of a waterfall. Another possible nuance is the idea of deep spiritual need crying out for an equally deep response. Enemy attacks tempt the psalmist to despair, but God is the solid Rock worthy of trust. Being mocked by unbelievers is painful but should not override our trust in God’s goodness. Instead, the psalmist looks to the future with hope (Psalm 42:6–11).

Chapter Context
Psalms 1 through 41 are considered the first “book” of psalms. Psalm 42 is the first of “Book 2.” Because of its similarity to Psalm 43, it is thought that both psalms were originally one psalm, but there is no explanation for why they were separated. This “maskil” has a similar tone to Psalms 32, 52, and 89. It is associated with the “Sons of Korah,” likely a group tied to worship during the era of David and Solomon.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. As a deer pants for flowing streams,so pants my soul for you, O God.

The authorship of Psalm 42 is unclear, although the author may have been a worship leader in the sanctuary (Psalm 42:4). The text refers to “the Sons of Korah,” likely meaning descendants of a group spared from their family’s destruction after the exodus (Numbers 26:9–11). Whether the “Sons of Korah” wrote the psalms associated with them, or the psalms were written “for” them to perform, is uncertain. This is the first of the second “book” of psalms, continuing through Psalm 72.

This psalm expresses intense desire to know God intimately. The psalmist compares his thirst for God to a deer’s thirst for flowing water. The Hebrew term translated “pant” or “panting” implies an intense experience. This is not simple thirst, but rather a desperate need for something vital. Perhaps the land was experiencing a drought; Joel 1:20 refers to animals panting because the water brooks had dried up. Anyone who has been outdoors for long on an extremely hot summer day knows how thirsty he becomes and how he wants to hydrate. He finds a drink of cold water very refreshing. The Bible commends those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. In His Beatitudes Jesus promised, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Jesus spoke of thirst that only He can quench (John 4:13–14).

This psalm is referred to as a “maskil,” from a Hebrew term that is not clear. It probably means a self-reflective song, given the other psalms labeled using the word. Examples are Psalms 32, 52, and 89.

Context Summary
Psalm 42:1–5 records the psalmist’s feeling of distance from God. Yet he longs to be close to the Lord. He thirsts for God and is pained by the taunts he is subject to from his foes. He recalls the former days, when he led a jubilant procession to Jerusalem to observe a festival, and he urges himself to hope in God, because he will praise Him again.

Verse 2. My soul thirsts for God,for the living God.When shall I come and appear before God?

The psalmist repeats his thirst for the Lord, whom he calls “the living God.” The prior verse compared this desire to that of a thirsty animal who “pants” when desperately thirsty. This suggests a vital need which can only be helped in one way. The soul seeking restoration doesn’t simply prefer God—it urgently needs Him. The psalmist longed to worship the living God in the sanctuary at Jerusalem.

Other nations in Old Testament times worshiped a variety of false gods, physical idols, and aspects of nature such as wind or fire. In contrast, the people of Israel were called to worship the living God. Abraham, the father of Israel, worshiped false gods in Ur of the Chaldees. Yet the Lord revealed Himself to Abraham, calling him to leave his homeland and travel to Canaan (Genesis 12:1; Joshua 24:3, 14). At Mount Sinai, God explicitly commanded the Israelites to reject all false gods and idols. He insisted they not make statues and carvings for worship (Exodus 20:2–6).

Verse 3. My tears have been my foodday and night,while they say to me all the day long,”Where is your God?”

The psalmist missed the worship of God in the sanctuary so much that he cried heavy tears day and night. There are two possible ways to interpret the metaphor which compares tears to bread. This might mean someone who cries daily, and regularly, as someone might daily and regularly eat food (Matthew 6:11). Another possibility is that the psalmist is upset to the point that he cries, but doesn’t eat.

To add insult to injury, the psalmist’s enemies mock him. They asked, “Where is your God?” When Jesus died on the cross, He felt the sting of separation from God. He cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders, the very men who had campaigned for His crucifixion, jeered at Him and said sarcastically, “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now” (Matthew 27:43).

“Where is your God?” was frequently asked of righteous Jews by Gentiles who worshiped false gods (Psalm 115:2; Micah 7:10). Christians, too, may be the target of this question. It’s commonly used to challenge the biblical view of God during some tragedy or bizarre circumstance (2 Peter 3:3–4). Of course, God is seated on a throne in heaven, but He also lives in the hearts of those who know Him.

Verse 4. These things I remember,as I pour out my soul:how I would go with the throngand lead them in procession to the house of Godwith glad shouts and songs of praise,a multitude keeping festival.

As the psalmist prayed fervently to the Lord, he recalled leading a procession of worshipers to the sanctuary in Jerusalem. This strongly suggests the writer was a worship leader. This corresponds to the “Sons of Korah” mentioned at the beginning of the psalm (Psalm 42:1). They seem to have been a group connected to worship and music, as well as upkeep in the temple (1 Chronicles 9:19–20; 2 Chronicles 20:19). As the multitude moved along, they shouted with joy and sang praises.

Perhaps the festival alluded to in this verse was the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:39–43). Although believers of the church age are not under the Law and are not required to observe the Jewish feast days, they should worship the Lord joyfully and praise Him. Colossians 3:16 admonishes believers: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymn and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Just as the psalmist enjoyed going to the sanctuary to worship the Lord, Christians should look forward to attending church, where they fellowship with other believers and worship the Lord.

Verse 5. Why are you cast down, O my soul,and why are you in turmoil within me?Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,my salvation

In this verse the psalmist’s memory of joyful worship turns quickly to sorrow, then just as quickly to hope. It is not out of the question for believers like the psalmist to experience inner turmoil. Certainly, the prophet Elijah experienced sorrow when he fled to the Horeb to escape Jezebel’s wrath (1 Kings 19:1–8). He complained he was no better than his fathers and therefore he wanted to die (1 Kings 19:4). Even Jesus experienced turmoil of soul as He approached the time of His crucifixion. He said, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name” (John 12:27–28). Later, in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told His disciples, Peter, James, and John, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (Matthew 26:38).

However, the psalmist refused to let depression win. He told his soul to hope in God, and he was sure his turmoil would turn to praise of the Lord, whom he trusted as his deliverer. The same rhetorical question, and the same answer, is used at the end of the psalm (Psalm 42:11).

The Hebrew of this Psalm allows for two possible divisions between sentences. Some translations include the first words of verse 6 here; this makes the statement “my salvation and my God.” Others connect it to the next paragraph, starting off a new sentence with a phrase such as “Oh, my God, my soul is cast down…” Most modern translations favor the first option; older versions tend towards the second.

Verse 6. and my God. My soul is cast down within me;therefore I remember youfrom the land of Jordan and of Hermon,from Mount Mizar.

The psalmist expresses intense sorrow, thanks to his experiences (Psalm 42:9–10). Perhaps some of this is grief that he is away from Jerusalem (Psalm 42:2–4). The Jordan River begins at Mount Hermon, the northernmost boundary of Palestine, northeast of the Sea of Galilee. This stands some 9,000 feet, or 2,743 meters, above the Mediterranean Sea. Melting snow and rain from Mount Hermon sends water cascading into the Jordan river and into the Sea of Galilee. Mount Hermon has often been speculated as the site of the Lord’s transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–8).

The psalmist mentions his praying specifically from Mount Mizar, a peak in the Mount Hermon range. He does not indicate why he was in this region. Assuming this is the same author as Psalm 43, and perhaps even that Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 make up one psalm, the psalmist wanted to be at Mount Zion, God’s holy hill, the place of worship (Psalm 43:3). Psalm 42:2 seems to allude to the psalmist’s desire to go to the temple. Christians are not obligated to some specific location on earth for worship (john 4:21–24). However, believers should long to worship publicly in their local church (Hebrews 10:24–25).

Context Summary
Psalm 42:6–11 describes the psalmist’s intense dejection, but he acknowledges the Lord’s power to control the storms of life. He views God as the God of his life and his Rock, and he tells his troubled soul again to hope in God and be assured that he will praise God again as his deliverer and his God.

Verse 7. Deep calls to deepat the roar of your waterfalls;all your breakers and your waveshave gone over me.

Because of his suffering (Psalm 42:9–10), the psalmist feels despondent. His grief is like floods cascading over his head. Nevertheless, he refers to those floods as the Lord’s “breakers and waves.” It appears that he sees the Lord’s hand in his trials.

The phrase “deep calls to deep” can reflect a few possible meanings. One is that the deep waves and waterfalls are being followed by other, equally deep waves. This would imply a constant barrage: an unending chain of these overwhelming feelings and experiences. Another interpretation is that the depths of the psalmist’s desire for God (Psalm 42:1) call out for an intense response from the Lord. Either connects to similar phrasing used in the book of Jonah, when Jonah recalls his experience being swallowed by a sea creature (Jonah 2:3).

When trials sweep over a believer, he can take courage, knowing that the Lord has a purpose in allowing those trials. Trials have the capacity to draw believers closer to the Lord if they see them as serving the Lord’s purpose. In Romans 5:3–5, Paul explains that “we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” In love, God allows trials to inflict believers, not to make them bitter, but to make them better.

Verse 8. By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,and at night his song is with me,a prayer to the God of my life.

In this verse, the psalmist’s focus turns from his trials (Psalm 42:3, 5–7, 9–10). He acknowledges the Lord’s unfailing love and joy are greater than his earthly struggles. Earlier in the psalm, the writer compared his desire for God to that of a thirsty animal (Psalm 42:1), or a deep need calling out for an equally deep response (Psalm 42:7).

The apostle Paul experienced harsh conditions as he served the Lord (2 Corinthians 11:21–33). Yet he knew nothing could separate him from God’s love. He writes in Romans 8:38–39: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Even when he was under house arrest and undergoing a trial that would determine whether he would live or die, Paul’s joy in the Lord spilled over. He penned the letter to the Philippians that reveals his joy in the Lord (Philippians 1:18–19) and his exhortation to his readers to “rejoice in the Lord” (Philippians 4:4).

Verse 9. I say to God, my rock:”Why have you forgotten me?Why do I go mourningbecause of the oppression of the enemy?”

The psalmist’s continued prayer mentions how enemy attacks tempt him to doubt God’s faithfulness. Of course, God had not forgotten him. Yet his enemies dominated him so severely that he wondered if God had turned away and left him alone. His heart was full of sadness; he mourned. However, he recognized that the Lord was still his God and his foundation (Psalm 42:8). These verses express the psalmist’s emotions, but also come back to the idea that God is perfectly faithful (Psalm 42:10¬–11).

The psalmist’s question, “Why have you forgotten me?” is like Jesus’ cry from the cross, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). Many scholars note that Jesus was likely quoting Psalm 22 when He spoke those words—connecting His suffering to the prophecies of the Old Testament. Jesus took on that sense of loneliness and abandonment, temporarily, to bear our sins on the cross. God allows this to happen, briefly, so He would not have to forsake eternally those who believe on Jesus as their Savior. Romans 8:1 affirms: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Verse 10. As with a deadly wound in my bones,my adversaries taunt me,while they say to me all the day long,”Where is your God?”

When enemies attack, the natural human habit is to panic. We can easily assume God has abandoned us. Those same enemies often mock God, sarcastically asking where He might be. Here, the psalmist expresses the pain caused by that persecution. Their words cause emotional pain much as a deep, lethal wound would. Of course, the passage will soon circle back to the perfectly reliable character of the Lord (Psalm 42:11). When despair starts to set in, we can recognize it, while being reassured of the reasons for our hope.

At the crucifixion, Jesus received similar treatment. While He was experiencing the severe pain of crucifixion, He also experienced taunting and teasing. Those who passed by insulted Him. They challenged: “If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross” (Matthew 27:40). The chief priests, scribes, and elders joined in taunting Jesus. They “mocked him, saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself… He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him’” (Matthew 27:41–43). Jesus’ followers are also the targets of ridicule (John 16:33), but He said, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11–12).

Verse 11. Why are you cast down, O my soul,and why are you in turmoil within me?Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,my salvation and my God.

Prior verses expressed the psalmist’s frustration and temptation to despair (Psalm 42:9–10). Here, the message returns to a hopeful tone (Psalm 42:8). The first part of this verse is rhetorical: it makes a positive statement, despite being framed as a question. This repeats an earlier verse (Psalm 42:5). In both instances, the point is that the psalmist should not be crushed or in anguish. The writer realizes the Lord is his salvation and his God. By calling God his salvation, he acknowledges Him as his deliverer. He does not dwell on present difficulties but on future deliverance.

The ultimate answer to these experiences is the only firm optimism that is reasonable: to “hope in God.” The psalmist looks forward to the time when he will join God’s people in praising Him in the temple at Jerusalem (Psalm 42:5). Believers today may experience physical pain and emotional sorrow as the psalmist did, but they possess a firm hope of being free of all their trouble. Someday, they will join the host of heaven in praising the Lamb who was slain (Revelation 5:8–14). Until then, believers are on a pilgrimage, not a picnic, and Jesus is with them every step of the way (Hebrews 13:5–6).

End of Psalm 42

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