Psalm 42 - As the Hart Panteth After the Water Brooks
A psalm of deep longing for God's presence amid tears and distant memory.
Psalm 42 opens in Psalms 42:1 comparing the soul's thirst for God to a hart panting after water brooks, while tears have become the psalmist's food day and night. He remembers leading festive worship at God's house, a memory now sharpened by distance and taunts of "Where is thy God?"
As the hart pants after the water brooks, so my soul pants after thee, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, Where is thy God?
These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I went with the throng, and led them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday.
Why are thou cast down, O my soul? And why are thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
O my God, my soul is cast down within me. Therefore I remember thee from the land of the Jordan, and the Hermons, from the hill Mizar.
Deep calls to deep at the noise of thy waterfalls. All thy waves and thy billows have gone over me.
Yet Jehovah will command his loving kindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, even a prayer to the God of my life.
I will say to God my rock, Why have thou forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me; while they continually say to me, Where is thy God?
Why are thou cast down, O my soul? And why are thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, the help of my countenance, and my God.