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?"
<To the chief music-maker. Maschil. Of the sons of Korah.> Like the desire of the roe for the water-streams, so is my soul's desire for you, O God.
My soul is dry for need of God, the living God; when may I come and see the face of God?
My tears have been my food day and night, while they keep saying to me, Where is your God?
Let my soul be overflowing with grief when these things come back to my mind, how I went in company to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with the song of those who were keeping the feast.
Why are you crushed down, O my soul? and why are you troubled in me? put your hope in God; for I will again give him praise who is my help and my God.
My soul is crushed down in me, so I will keep you in mind; from the land of Jordan and of the Hermons, from the hill Mizar.
Deep is sounding to deep at the noise of your waterfalls; all your waves have gone rolling over me.
But the Lord will send his mercy in the daytime, and in the night his song will be with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
I will say to God my Rock, Why have you let me go from your memory? why do I go in sorrow because of the attacks of my haters?
The cruel words of my haters are like a crushing of my bones; when they say to me every day, Where is your God?
Why are you crushed down, O my soul? and why are you troubled in me? put your hope in God; for I will again give him praise who is my help and my God.