Psalm 42:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

NIV: My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon--from Mount Mizar.

NASB: My soul is in despair within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of the Jordan And the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

CSB: I am deeply depressed; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.

NLT: my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you — even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar.

KJV: O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar.

NKJV: O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar.

The psalmist expresses intense sorrow, thanks to his experiences (Psalm 42:9–10). Perhaps some of this is grief that he is away from Jerusalem (Psalm 42:2–4). The Jordan River begins at Mount Hermon, the northernmost boundary of Palestine, northeast of the Sea of Galilee. This stands some 9,000 feet, or 2,743 meters, above the Mediterranean Sea. Melting snow and rain from Mount Hermon sends water cascading into the Jordan river and into the Sea of Galilee. Mount Hermon has often been speculated as the site of the Lord's transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–8).

The psalmist mentions his praying specifically from Mount Mizar, a peak in the Mount Hermon range. He does not indicate why he was in this region. Assuming this is the same author as Psalm 43, and perhaps even that Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 make up one psalm, the psalmist wanted to be at Mount Zion, God's holy hill, the place of worship (Psalm 43:3). Psalm 42:2 seems to allude to the psalmist's desire to go to the temple. Christians are not obligated to some specific location on earth for worship (john 4:21–24). However, believers should long to worship publicly in their local church (Hebrews 10:24–25).

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.