Psalm 42:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation

NIV: Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

NASB: Why are you in despair, my soul? And why are you restless within me? Wait for God, for I will again praise Him For the help of His presence, my God.

CSB: Why, my soul, are you so dejected? Why are you in such turmoil? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.

NLT: Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again — my Savior and

KJV: Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

NKJV: Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.

In this verse the psalmist's memory of joyful worship turns quickly to sorrow, then just as quickly to hope. It is not out of the question for believers like the psalmist to experience inner turmoil. Certainly, the prophet Elijah experienced sorrow when he fled to the Horeb to escape Jezebel's wrath (1 Kings 19:1–8). He complained he was no better than his fathers and therefore he wanted to die (1 Kings 19:4). Even Jesus experienced turmoil of soul as He approached the time of His crucifixion. He said, "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name" (John 12:27–28). Later, in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus told His disciples, Peter, James, and John, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death" (Matthew 26:38).

However, the psalmist refused to let depression win. He told his soul to hope in God, and he was sure his turmoil would turn to praise of the Lord, whom he trusted as his deliverer. The same rhetorical question, and the same answer, is used at the end of the psalm (Psalm 42:11).

The Hebrew of this Psalm allows for two possible divisions between sentences. Some translations include the first words of verse 6 here; this makes the statement "my salvation and my God." Others connect it to the next paragraph, starting off a new sentence with a phrase such as "Oh, my God, my soul is cast down…" Most modern translations favor the first option; older versions tend towards the second.

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.