Notes on the Book of Psalms, Psalm 42 – Psalm 43
The xlii. PSALM.
David under Sauls persecution, being driven from the sanctuarie and publick worship of God, where a…oretime he had been conversant, bewailes his condition, testifies his ardent desire after it, and his sorrowful apprehensions of his enemies blasphemous misjudgeing him for his afflictions. But yet he blames himself with hope of better; promising to worship God as he is able in such a suffering condition. And though he be greatly overwhelmed with outward sorrows, y…t he inwardly comforts himself in the Lord, and takes incouragement humbly to expostulate with God concerning himself and his enemies, whose blasphemies go to his heart. And again rebukes his dejectedness, and quickens his faith.Psalm xlii. To the chief musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah.
A Psalm made by David for direction of his soul to trust in the Lord, and committed to Heman the the chief musician of the family of the Korathites, for him and them to sing.
1 AS the hunted and heated Hart greedily thirsts1As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. after the water-brooks to quench and cool him, so is my soul extreamly affected after those refreshing communions, and sweet enjoyments I was wont to have of thee in thy sanctuary, and publick ordinances, from which I am hunted and driven, and kept per-force by my persecuting enemies.
2My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?2 My heart and affections do keenly earn after God, his worship and ordinances, and the enlivening communion of him therein, who is the true and everliving (no idol) God; I cannot but think it extream long, till I be restored to the happiness of worshipping him at his sanctuary again.
3My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, where is thy God?3 I have sustained great and uncessant grief, at the reproachful blasphemy of mine enemies, who through me deride the Lord himself, and his faithfulness, wherein I have trusted, and by mine afflictions censure me a cast-away and rejected of God, banished his presence.
4When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me; for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God; with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy-day.4 When as these considerations offer themselves to my thoughts, I cannot but lay them sadly to heart, and express my self accordingly by sorrowful bewailings, for that I am debarred the happiness which once I had to go with, and accompany my brethren and fellow-Israelites, the people of God, to the sanctuary of the Lord, to worship and praise him, and rejoyce there before him with peace-offerings and feasts of thanksgivings at solemn appointed times.
5Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.5 But why art thou, O my soul, so dejected at thy present condition, and disquieted with inward grief, gather up thy self and fasten thy hope and confidence in Gods goodness and faithfulness, for I verily believe he will find a time to restore me, and fulfil his promise to me, so that I know how ever it is with me at present, I shall one day have ample occasion of praise and thanksgiving for his grace and favour to me.
6 O my God,6O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites from the hill Mizar. towards whom is all my desire, my soul is much troubled at my long exile from thine ordinances, therefore will I as I am able in this my banishment, longingly and prayerfully look towards thine holy sanctuary, wheresoever I am driven and how far soever distant from it, be it in the countrey beyond Jordan, whether oft times I am forced to fly; or in that, bordering upon mount Hermon, where I am fain to take refuge in one of the tops thereof, being a little obscure hill called Mizar, whence I send many a longing look, and thoughtful desire towards the place of thy worship, where thou art more especially present.
7 Thou hast brought an inundation of misery upon me,7Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water-spouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. troubles come so thick successively one in the neck of another, like waters falling from the clouds, which rise higher and higher, and implunge me lower and lower: as a ship in a storm in extremity of weather ready to sink, so am I, wave upon wave endlesly assailing me, to the continual hazard of my life. Yea, the waters both above and below the firmament, the windows of heaven are as it were opened, and give the watch-word to the fountains of the deep to be broken up, as at the deluge, and both of them seem to threaten to overwhelm and devour me at once, as then they did the world by thine appointment.
8 Yet I am not left without inward support in the midst of mine outward troubles,8Yet the Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. I am confident I shall see the sunne of righteousness shine through the clouds with healing in his wings, and by the power and grace of God, I doubt not but a happy day will succeed this uncomfortable night, to the chearing of mine heart, nor in the interim shall I be destitute of mercy and goodness, but shall ever and anon by particular providences, before I arrive at my full establishment, have cause of thanksgiving and praise; and incouragement to offer up my prayers in faith of him for my preserver at present, and deliverer at last.
9I will sing unto God, my rock, why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning, because of the oppression of the enemy?9 I will humbly and faithfully mind him of my condition, and his obligation to me; and praying, say, thou that by thy promise and my faith art my great and sole support, how is it then that thou hast thus left me, why go I mourning, and find no relief from under the heavy oppressions and wrongs of mine enemies.
10As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me: while they say dayly unto me, where is thy God?10 Whose reproachful and scornful blasphemies against thy word, and my faith in it, taunting me as one deluded by trusting in thee, and rejected by thee, wound me to the very heart, and torment me exceedingly.
11Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him.11 Yet such is my faith in thee, notwithstanding the opposition it receives, and all the heavy burdens that lie upon me, as that I cannot but rebuke my soul for being dejected at these things, and rouse it up to trust and hope still in thee, that one day I shall have my mourning turned into rejoycing, and my prayers into praises, for the good success and gracious favour thou wilt shew me, in delivering me, as thou hast promised, and as I believe.
The xliii. PSALM.
David under Sauls persecution, appeals to God to judge his cause, and pr…y…s to be delivered according to his gracious promise, that so he may worship him in Sion, which he promises to do joyfully, and thankfully, and quickens up his drooping spirit by the hopes thereof.Psalm xliii.
1 JUdge for me,1JUdge me, O God, & plead my cause against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. and in my behalf O righteous God, and maintain my just and honest cause, against an unjust and wicked people, that set themselves against me, and in me oppose the Lord himself. O deliver me (thou that art righteous and onelyonly all-sufficient) from them and their cheiftane, that dealeth deceitfully and injuriously with me.
2 For thou and thy promise is all the strength I have,2For thou art the God of my strength, why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy. and that I trust in, why doest thou seem then to neglect me, and doest thus expose me to my malignant adversaries? Why go I continually mourning, because of the intollerable oppressions and injuries of mine enemies.
3 O Lord,3O send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me, let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. shew forth thy favour and grace, and fulfill thy word of promise to me; Let them, spite of mine enemies, bring me into that estate thou hast promised me, wherein I may enjoy thy publick worship, and frequent thine Ark and Tabernacle in Sion, for there shall that be the place thereof.
4 Then will I go with a merry heart,4Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God. and carry my peace-offerings, and thankfully sacrifice them to God upon his altar, even to God who shall at that time by reason of his favour and grace, be unspeakable joy and consolation to me. I am ravished with the very thoughts of that day, when I shall have such exceeding cause of joy, and praise, which I will abundantly offer up unto him, and in the skilfullest and chearfullest manner I can devise, upon the Harp, which of all instruments I can best finger, will I praise thee, O Almighty, and my most gracious God.
5 And seeing these sorrows shall have an end,5Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God. and such an end, accompanied with so much happiness: be not dejected at thy present sufferings, O my soul; but chear up thy self in faith and hope, for thou shalt praise the Lord (in stead of praying to him) for thy great and his gracious deliverance.