Psalms 42

BOOK II. Psalms 42-72.

To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah.

With this psalm begins the second book of Psalms, which is distinguished from the first book by its use of the divine name. The first is Jehovistic, the second Elohistic. The name Jehovah occurs two hundred and seventy-two times in the first book, and the name Elohim, God, only fifteen times; while the name God occurs one hundred and sixty-four times in the second, and Jehovah only thirty times. ( Delitzsch.) David was almost the exclusive author of the first book, while in the second an entire series is attributed to some of the Levitical singers. In the psalm before us the author is absent from Jerusalem and the sanctuary, which he laments, and longs to return. He seems to be in the region east of Jordan, with a prospect of possible banishment still farther, even to Hermon. Psalms 42:6-7. From the valley of Jordan and the hills of Gilead he utters his lament. “From these heights,” says Stanley, “Abner in his flight from the Philistines, David in his flight from Absalom, the Israelites on their way to Babylon, and the Christian Jews of Pella, [in their flight from Jerusalem Matthew 24:15-18,] caught the last glimpse of their familiar mountains.” The psalm is elegiac throughout. Undoubtedly David wrote it on his way to Mahanaim, in his flight from Absalom, 2 Samuel 17:0. Psalms 42, 43 are commonly considered as having been originally one, as in many MSS. they are so written, though in the Septuagint and other early versions, and in the present Hebrew text, they are divided. Plainly enough they belong to the same author and occasion. In Psalms 42:1-2, of our psalm, David breathes out his ardent desire for God in the sanctuary; Psalms 42:3-7 are a complaint; Psalms 42:8-11 express his hopeful trust in God; and if we add Psalms 43:0, we have an earnest prayer offered in a more subdued tone of confidence and hope. Psalms 42:5; Psalms 42:11, and Psalms 43:5, are a plaintive refrain. Taking the two psalms together, and dividing by the refrains, we make three strophes of five, six, and five verses.

TITLE:

Maschil See note on title of Psalms 32:0.

For the sons of Korah Korah was a great grandson of Levi, (Exodus 6:16; Exodus 6:18; Exodus 6:21,) destroyed suddenly for rebellion in the wilderness, Numbers 16:0. But his descendants, called Korahites, or Korhites, or sons of Korah, attained honourable rank among the Levites, and in later times were attached to the singers, Heman himself being one of them. 1 Chronicles 6:33; 2 Chronicles 20:19. (But see note on title of Psalms 88:0.) Twelve psalms are ascribed to them, (or delivered to them for performance,) namely, Psalms 42-49, 84, 85, 87, 88