Psalm 42


Psalm 42 is the 42nd psalm of the Book of Psalms, often known in English by its incipit, in the King James Version being, As the hart panteth after the water brooks. The Book of Psalms is the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 42 opens the second of the five books of Psalms. In the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and generally in its Latin translations this psalm is Psalm 41 in a slightly different numbering system. The psalm is a hymn psalm. It is one of twelve psalms attributed to the sons of Korah.
In Latin, its incipit in the Psalterium Gallicanum is Quemadmodum desiderat cervus; but Sicut cervus in the little-used Psalterium Romanum. It begins, As pants the hart, in the English metrical version by Tate and Brady, and in Coverdale's translation in the Book of Common Prayer, Like as the hart desireth the water brooks.
The psalm is a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Anglican and Protestant liturgies and has often been set to music, notably in Palestrina's Sicut cervus, Handel's As pants the hart and Mendelssohn's Psalm 42.

Background and themes

While the psalm is attributed to the "sons of Korah", the text is written in the first person singular. The psalm can be divided into two parts, each ending with the same line.
The psalmist bemoans all the troubles he has endured in his exile and prays for salvation. He laments his remoteness from the temple of God and expresses his desire for the renewal of the divine presence. Henry speculates that David might have composed this psalm when he was prevented from returning to the sanctuary in Jerusalem either due to persecution by Saul or because of Absalom's revolt.
Some ancient Hebrew manuscripts have this Psalm combined with Psalm 43.

Text

Hebrew Bible version

Following is the Hebrew text of Psalm 42:
VerseHebrew
1לַֽמְנַצֵּ֜חַ מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לִבְנֵי־קֹֽרַח
2כְּאַיָּ֗ל תַּֽעֲרֹ֥ג עַל־אֲפִיקֵי־מָ֑יִם כֵּ֚ן נַפְשִׁ֨י תַֽעֲרֹ֖ג אֵלֶ֣יךָ אֱלֹהִֽים
3לֵֽאלֹהִים֘ לְאֵ֪ל֫ חָ֥י מָתַ֥י אָב֑וֹא וְ֜אֵֽרָאֶ֗ה פְּנֵ֣י אֱלֹהִֽים
4הָֽיְתָה־לִּ֬י דִמְעָתִ֣י לֶ֖חֶם יוֹמָ֣ם וָלָ֑יְלָה בֶּֽאֱמֹ֥ר אֵלַ֥י כָּל־הַ֜יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ
5בַּסָּךְ֘ אֶדַּדֵּ֗ם עַד־בֵּ֥ית אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים בְּקֽוֹל־רִנָּ֥ה וְ֜תוֹדָ֗ה הָ֘מ֥וֹן חוֹגֵֽג
6נַפְשִׁי֘ וַתֶּֽהֱמִ֪י עָ֫לָ֥י הוֹחִ֣ילִי לֵֽ֖אלֹהִים כִּי־ע֥וֹד אוֹדֶ֗נּוּ יְשׁוּע֥וֹת פָּנָֽיו
7אֱֽלֹהַ֗י עָלַי֘ נַפְשִׁ֪י תִשְׁתּ֫וֹחָ֥ח עַל־כֵּ֗ן אֶ֖זְכָּרְךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ יַרְדֵּ֑ן וְ֜חֶרְמוֹנִ֗ים מֵהַ֥ר מִצְעָֽר
8תְּהֽוֹם־אֶל־תְּה֣וֹם ק֖וֹרֵא לְק֣וֹל צִנּוֹרֶ֑יךָ כָּל־מִשְׁבָּרֶ֥יךָ וְ֜גַלֶּ֗יךָ עָלַ֥י עָבָֽרוּ
9חַסְדּ֗וֹ וּ֖בַלַּיְלָה שִׁירֹ֣ה עִמִּ֑י תְּ֜פִלָּ֗ה לְאֵ֣ל חַיָּֽי
10לְאֵ֥ל סַלְעִי֘ לָמָ֪ה שְׁכַ֫חְתָּ֥נִי לָֽמָּה־קֹדֵ֥ר אֵ֜לֵ֗ךְ בְּלַ֣חַץ אוֹיֵֽב
11בְּֽעַצְמוֹתַ֗י חֵֽרְפ֥וּנִי צֽוֹרְרָ֑י בְּאָמְרָ֖ם אֵלַ֥י כָּל־הַ֜יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ
12נַפְשִׁי֘ וּמַה־תֶּֽהֱמִ֪י עָ֫לָ֥י הוֹחִ֣ילִי לֵֽ֖אלֹהִים כִּי־ע֣וֹד אוֹדֶ֑נּוּ יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת פָּ֜נַ֗י וֵֽאלֹהָֽי

King James Version

  1. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
  2. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
  3. My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?
  4. When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
  8. Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
  9. I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
  10. As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God?
  11. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

    Uses

Judaism

recite Psalm 42 on the first and second nights of Sukkot prior to the evening prayer. Those who follow the custom of the Gra say Psalm 42 as the Song of the Day on the second day of Sukkot.
Verse 2 is said during Selichot.
Psalm 42 is one of the ten Psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.
This psalm is traditionally recited as a prayer for the end of the exile, and "to find favor in the eyes of others".

New Testament

The Septuagint rendering of some words in verse 5 shows close resemblance to the words of Jesus during the Agony in the Garden as recorded in Matthew or Mark A part of the next verse in Greek also resembles what was spoken by Jesus during the same event, according to John.

Fathers of the Church

In his discourse on this psalm, Saint Augustine of Hippo says that it corresponds to the longings of the Church.

Catholic Church

In the Rule of St. Benedict this psalm was the fourth of those assigned to the second nocturn of Monday matins. In the Roman Breviary promulgated by Pope Pius V in 1568, it is the fourth in Tuesday matins. In the 1911 Reform of the Roman Breviary by Pope Pius X, it appears, divided into two parts, in Tuesday sext. In the post-Vatican II Liturgy of the Hours it is the first psalm in lauds on the Monday of the second of the four weeks over which the psalter is spread. In the Roman Missal, the responsorial psalm sung after a reading is several times composed of verses from this psalm, as at the Easter Vigil and at Masses for the Dead.

Musical settings

The musical settings of the psalm include:

Classical

K'ayal ta'arog is a popular Jewish song. An early Hasidic nigun was composed by the first Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. The third Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn also composed a melody for it.