What does Psalm 43:3 mean?
This echoes a reference seen in the prior psalm (Psalm 42:4) which seems to refer to the temple in Jerusalem. The "holy hill" is also referred to elsewhere in the Book of Psalms (Psalm 48:1; 87:1; 99:9). The tabernacle was erected there, and later Solomon built the temple in the same spot. God met with His people at the tabernacle and then at the temple. Habakkuk 2:20 affirms that "the LORD is in his holy temple."Biblical references to "light" imply truth, knowledge, goodness, and life (2 Samuel 23:4; Psalm 18:28; 27:1; 97:11; John 8:12). "Truth," in the Psalms, often refers to the recorded Word of God: to Scripture (Psalm 25:5; 86:11; 119:160). In this case, the psalmist may also have been thinking of the remarkable guidance the Lord provided during Israel's journey through the wilderness. He provided a cloud to lead them by day and a pillar of fire to lead them by night (Exodus 13:21–22). Today God's Spirit guides believers by granting them understanding through God's truth, His holy Word. Jesus promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would teach them all things (John 14:26; cf. 1 Corinthians 2:6–16), and He identified God's Word as truth (John 17:17).
Psalm 43:1–4 asks God to come to the psalmist's assistance and defend his cause against the wicked. He expresses faith in the Lord but struggles with the feeling that God has rejected him. He prays for guidance to bring him back to the temple, where he anticipates worshiping God joyfully.
The psalmist prays to be delivered from ungodly people and injustice. He places trust in God, but grapples with feelings of abandonment during his hardships. He prays for God's light and truth to bring him back to Jerusalem, where he will gladly worship the Lord. The psalm concludes with a rhetorical question asked twice in the prior psalm (Psalm 42:5, 11).
