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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.
Psalms 42:5 — KJV
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Psalms 42:5
King James Version (KJV)
“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody
Commentary
Commentary on Psalms 42:5
Theological / DevotionalWhy? Verse 5 constitutes the refrain of the poem (repeated with slight variations in v. 11; Ps. 43:5). In view of such pleasant recollections, David rebukes himself for being depressed.
Cast down. Literally, “bowed down.”
Soul. The psalmist is addressing himself.
Disquieted. Heb. hamah, which has in it the idea of growling like an animal, roaring like the waves (see Ps. 46:3), or moaning like the wind.
Hope. See Ps. 25:3; 27:14; Lam. 3:24. We look for comfort in ourselves, when our only hope is in God.
Yet. In God’s own time, all will be well if we continue to trust.
For the help of his countenance. Literally, “the salvations of His face” (see Ps. 13:1). God’s salvations are manifold. It is said that when Luther was at the brink of despair, he would ask the question in this verse, and say to Melanchthon, “Come, Philipp, let us sing the 46th Psalm.”
By SdaBc