Psalm 42:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, "Where is your God?"

NIV: My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, "Where is your God?"

NASB: As a shattering of my bones, my adversaries taunt me, While they say to me all day long, 'Where is your God?'

CSB: My adversaries taunt me, as if crushing my bones, while all day long they say to me, "Where is your God?"

NLT: Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, 'Where is this God of yours?'

KJV: As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?

NKJV: As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

When enemies attack, the natural human habit is to panic. We can easily assume God has abandoned us. Those same enemies often mock God, sarcastically asking where He might be. Here, the psalmist expresses the pain caused by that persecution. Their words cause emotional pain much as a deep, lethal wound would. Of course, the passage will soon circle back to the perfectly reliable character of the Lord (Psalm 42:11). When despair starts to set in, we can recognize it, while being reassured of the reasons for our hope.

At the crucifixion, Jesus received similar treatment. While He was experiencing the severe pain of crucifixion, He also experienced taunting and teasing. Those who passed by insulted Him. They challenged: "If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross" (Matthew 27:40). The chief priests, scribes, and elders joined in taunting Jesus. They "mocked him, saying, 'He saved others; he cannot save himself… He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him'" (Matthew 27:41–43). Jesus' followers are also the targets of ridicule (John 16:33), but He said, "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:11–12).

Psalm 42:6–11 describes the psalmist's intense dejection, but he acknowledges the Lord's power to control the storms of life. He views God as the God of his life and his Rock, and he tells his troubled soul again to hope in God and be assured that he will praise God again as his deliverer and his God.

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.