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Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 42:6

O my God, my soul is cast down within me - This is the utterance of a soul in anguish, notwithstanding the purpose not to be cast down, and the conviction that hope ought to be cherished. The psalmist cannot but say that, despite all this, he is sad. His troubles come rushing over his soul; they all return at once; his heart is oppressed, and he is constrained to confess that, notwithstanding his solemn purpose not to be sad, and the conviction that he ought to be cheerful, and his wish to be... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 42:7

Deep calleth unto deep - The language used here would seem to imply that the psalmist was near some floods of water, some rapid river or water-fall, which constituted an appropriate illustration of the waves of sorrow that were rolling over his soul. It is not possible to determine exactly where this was, though, as suggested in the verse above, it would seem most probable that it was in the vicinity of the upper portion of the Jordan; and doubtless the Jordan, if swollen, would suggest all... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 42:8

Yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the daytime - literally, “By day the Lord will command his mercy;” that is, he will so order or direct his mercy or his favor. The word “daytime” here refers evidently to prosperity; and the expectation of the psalmist was that a time of prosperity would return; that he might hope for better days; that the loving-kindness of God would again be manifested to him. He did not wholly despair. He expected to see better times (compare the notes at... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 42:9

I will say unto God my rock - I will appeal to God as my defense, my helper, my Saviour. On the word rock, as applied to God, see the notes at Psalms 18:2.Why hast thou forgotten me? - See the notes at Psalms 22:1. He had seemed to forget and forsake him, for He did not come to interpose and save him. This is a part of the prayer which he says Psalms 42:8 that he would use.Why go I mourning? - On the meaning of the word used here - קדר qodēr - see Psalms 35:14, note; Psalms 38:6, note. The... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 42:10

As with a sword in my bones - Margin, killing. The treatment which I receive in their reproaches is like death. The word rendered “sword” - רצח retsach - means properly killing, slaying, breaking in pieces, crushing. It occurs only here and in Ezekiel 21:22, where it is rendered slaughter. The Septuagint renders it, “In the bruising of my bones they reproach me.” The Vulgate, “While they break my bones they reproach me.” Luther, “It is as death in my bones, that my enemies reproach me.” The... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Psalms 42:11

Why art thou cast down, O my soul? - This closes the second strophe of the psalm, and, with one or two slight and immaterial variations, is the same as that which closes the first Psalms 42:5. In this latter, the word “why” is inserted, and the expression “the salvation of my countenance” occurs instead of “salvations of his countenance,” with the addition of the words “and my God” at the close. The sense, however, is the same; and the verse contains, as before, self-reproof for being thus cast... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Psalms 42

A.M. 2981. B.C. 1023. This begins the second book of Psalms, (according to the Hebrew division,) the first part of which consists of pieces directed to the sons of Korah, to be set, or sung by them under the direction of the chief musician. Some of these were, undoubtedly, the composition of David, and probably this; as it is certain he composed most, if not all, of those that are contained in the latter part of this second book, from Psalm fifty to the end of the seventy-second. When he... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Psalms 42:1-2

Psalms 42:1-2. As the hart panteth תערג , tagnarog, brayeth: “The word is strong, and expresses that eagerness and fervency of desire, which extreme thirst may be supposed to raise in an animal almost spent in its flight from the pursuing dogs. Nothing can give us a higher idea of the psalmist’s ardent and inexpressible longing to attend the public worship of God than the burning thirst of such a hunted creature for a cooling and refreshing draught of water.” So panteth my soul after... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Psalms 42:3-4

Psalms 42:3-4. My tears have been my meat, &c. That is, I am wholly given over to grief and sorrow while I hear the continual reproaches of my enemies, saying unto me, Where is thy God? Of whom thou hast so often boasted, as of one so able and ready to help all that trust in him, and call upon him? and particularly as one engaged to thee by many great and special promises? He is departed from thee, and nowhere to be found of thee. He is either unable or unwilling to help thee, or... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Psalms 42:5

Psalms 42:5. Why art thou cast down, O my soul With excessive sorrow and despair. Why art thou disquieted within me? Is there any cause that anxiety of mind should put thee into a state of such perturbation, as if all hopes of this felicity were lost for ever? Hope thou in God Trust in him, and patiently wait upon him. For I shall yet praise him The time will come when I shall go again to his house, and praise him for his favour toward me. For the help of his countenance Hebrew, ... read more

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