Psalm 42:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.

NIV: For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God.

NASB: As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, God.

CSB: For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you, God.

NLT: As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.

KJV: To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.

NKJV: {To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah.} As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.

The authorship of Psalm 42 is unclear, although the author may have been a worship leader in the sanctuary (Psalm 42:4). The text refers to "the Sons of Korah," likely meaning descendants of a group spared from their family's destruction after the exodus (Numbers 26:9–11). Whether the "Sons of Korah" wrote the psalms associated with them, or the psalms were written "for" them to perform, is uncertain. This is the first of the second "book" of psalms, continuing through Psalm 72.

This psalm expresses intense desire to know God intimately. The psalmist compares his thirst for God to a deer's thirst for flowing water. The Hebrew term translated "pant" or "panting" implies an intense experience. This is not simple thirst, but rather a desperate need for something vital. Perhaps the land was experiencing a drought; Joel 1:20 refers to animals panting because the water brooks had dried up. Anyone who has been outdoors for long on an extremely hot summer day knows how thirsty he becomes and how he wants to hydrate. He finds a drink of cold water very refreshing. The Bible commends those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. In His Beatitudes Jesus promised, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matthew 5:6). Jesus spoke of thirst that only He can quench (John 4:13–14).

This psalm is referred to as a "maskil," from a Hebrew term that is not clear. It probably means a self-reflective song, given the other psalms labeled using the word. Examples are Psalms 32, 52, and 89.

Psalm 42:1–5 records the psalmist's feeling of distance from God. Yet he longs to be close to the Lord. He thirsts for God and is pained by the taunts he is subject to from his foes. He recalls the former days, when he led a jubilant procession to Jerusalem to observe a festival, and he urges himself to hope in God, because he will praise Him again.

The psalmist begins and ends with hope and dependence on God. His desire for God is like thirst: a vital need, not simply a minor emotion. Enemy attacks, mocking, or grief over being far from home should not override trust in God's goodness. Hardship naturally tempts us to become bitter and defeatist; instead, we should look forward to praising God as our Savior.

Psalms 1 through 41 are considered the first "book" of psalms. Psalm 42 is the first of "Book 2." Because of its similarity to Psalm 43, it is thought that both psalms were originally one psalm, but there is no explanation for why they were separated. This "maskil" has a similar tone to Psalms 32, 52, and 89. It is associated with the "Sons of Korah," likely a group tied to worship during the era of David and Solomon.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.