Psalm 42:4 Komentář

If the book of Psalms be, as some have styled it, a mirror or looking-glass of pious and devout affections, this psalm in particular deserves, as much as any one psalm, to be so entitled, and is as proper as any to kindle and excite such in us: gracious desires are here strong and fervent; gracious hopes and fears, joys and sorrows, are here struggling, but the pleasing passion comes off a conqueror. Or we may take it for a conflict between sense and faith, sense objecting and faith answering. I. Faith begins with holy desires towards God and communion with him (Psa 42:1, Psa 42:2). II. Sense complains of the darkness and cloudiness of the present condition, aggravated by the remembrance of the former enjoyments (Psa 42:3, Psa 42:4). III. Faith silences the complaint with the assurance of a good issue at last (Psa 42:5). IV. Sense renews its complaints of the present dark and melancholy state (Psa 42:6, Psa 42:7). V. Faith holds up the heart, notwithstanding, with hope that the day will dawn (Psa 42:8). VI. Sense repeats its lamentations (Psa 42:9, Psa 42:10) and sighs out the same remonstrance it had before made of its grievances. VII. Faith gets the last word (Psa 42:11), for the silencing of the complaints of sense, and, though it be almost the same with that (Psa 42:5) yet now it prevails and carries the day. The title does not tell us who was the penman of this psalm, but most probably it was David, and we may conjecture that it was penned by him at a time when, either by Saul's persecution or Absalom's rebellion, he was driven from the sanctuary and cut off from the privilege of waiting upon God in public ordinances. The strain of it is much the same with Psa 63:1-11, and therefore we may presume it was penned by the same hand and upon the same or a similar occasion. In singing it, if we be either in outward affliction or in inward distress, we may accommodate to ourselves the melancholy expressions we find here; if not, we must, in singing them, sympathize with those whose case they speak too plainly, and thank God it is not our own case; but those passages in it which express and excite holy desires towards God, and dependence on him, we must earnestly endeavour to bring our minds up to. To the chief musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 42 To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. Of the word "Maschil", See Gill on Psa 32:1, title. Korah was he who was at the head of a conspiracy against Moses and Aaron, for which sin the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed alive him and his company, and fire devoured two hundred and fifty more; the history of which is recorded in Num 16:1; yet all his posterity were not cut off, Num 26:11; some were in David's time porters, or keepers of the gates of the tabernacle, and some were singers; see Ch1 6:33; and to the chief musician was this psalm directed for them to sing, for they were not the authors of it, as some (b) have thought; but most probably David himself composed it; and it seems to have been written by him, not as representing the captives in Babylon, as Theodoret, but on his own account, when he was persecuted by Saul, and driven out by men from abiding in the Lord's inheritance, and was in a strange land among the Heathen, where he was reproached by them; and everything in this psalm agrees with his state and condition; or rather when he fled from his son Absalom, and was in those parts beyond Jordan, mentioned in this psalm; see Sa2 17:24; so the Syriac inscription, the song which David sung in the time of his persecution, desiring to return to Jerusalem. (b) So R. Moses in Muis, Gussetius, Ebr. Comment. p. 918, & others.

When I remember these things,.... Either the reproaches of his enemies; or rather his past enjoyments of God in his house, he after makes mention of; I pour out my soul in me, that is, he had no life nor spirit in him, but was quite overwhelmed with distress and anguish; or he poured out his soul in prayer to God, that it might be with him as in times past; for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God; the place of public worship, whither he had often gone, with great pleasure and delight; and, which added thereto, there were many that went along with him; or whom he had "caused to go" (g), had brought along with him; which is the sense of the word, only used here and in Isa 38:15; as Dr. Hammond from R. Tanchum and Aben Walid, has shown: a good man will not only attend divine worship himself, but will bring others with him: but now, he could neither go alone, nor in company, the remembrance of which greatly affected his mind; see Psa 137:1; with the voice of joy and praise: the people singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; with a multitude that kept holy day; as especially on the three great festivals in the year, the feasts of passover, pentecost, and tabernacles, when all the males of Israel appeared before God together, and which was a large multitude; and a delightful sight it was to behold them, when they were all engaged in religious worship at once. (g) "deduceham", Tigurine version; "assumebum mihi iilos", Michaelis; "efficiebam eos in societatem collectos socios esse mihi", Gussetius, p. 180.

"I thought on these things, and poured out my soul above myself" [Psalm 42:4]. When would my soul attain to that object of its search, which is "above my soul," if my soul were not to "pour itself out above itself"? For were it to rest in itself, it would not see anything else beyond itself; and in seeing itself, would not, for all that, see God. Let then my insulting enemies now say, "Where is your God?" aye, let them say it! I, so long as I do not "see," so long as my happiness is postponed, make my tears my "bread day and night." Let them still say, "Where is your God?" I seek my God in every corporeal nature, terrestrial or celestial, and find Him not: I seek His Substance in my own soul, and I find it not, yet still I have thought on these things, and wishing to "see the invisible things of my God, being understood by the things made," [Romans 1:20] I have poured forth my soul above myself, and there remains no longer any being for me to attain to, save my God. For it is "there" is the "house of my God." His dwelling-place is above my soul; from thence He beholds me; from thence He created me; from thence He directs me and provides for me; from thence he appeals to me, and calls me, and directs me; leads me in the way, and to the end of my way.. ..

After the sad events, therefore, he proclaims pleasant ones and ahead of time teaches that they will quickly secure their recall, and with the guidance of God’s grace, they will return to the land of their desire and will rebuild God’s house, will celebrate the customary festivals and welcome into their ears the festive sound and spiritual melody.

Rejoicing refers to the singing of psalms, while confession must include lamentation over sins. The combination of these two things undoubtedly makes for a complete Christian.… What is sweeter and more salutary than to praise God and to continually accuse oneself.

"These things I remembered." Above, the Psalmist set forth his desire, and the cause of the desire; here, however, he sets forth the remedy against the cause, namely sadness. And concerning this he proposes or does two things. First he sets forth a remedy from his own meditation. Second, from divine help, at "Within myself." Concerning the first he does two things. First he proposes the remedy. Second, through this remedy, the impediment of sadness, at "Why are you sad?" In the remedy he proposes first the meditation. Second, the delight of the mind, at "I poured out." And he assigns the reason for this, at "Because I shall pass." He says therefore, "These things I remembered," namely the taunts of the unbelievers saying, "Where is your God?" Lam. 3: "Remembering I shall remember." And I had consolation of mind, because "I poured out my soul within me." When a liquid is poured out, it is expanded. Hence, because the breadth of heart pertains to joy, which is a certain delight, therefore in the pouring out of the soul is designated delight. Ps. 62: "Pour out your hearts before him." Another reading has, "I poured out my soul upon me." And according to this it is read differently, and the sense is: they say, "Where is your God?" And I, remembering these things, first searched insensible creatures to see if I might find my God; but I found in them certain vestiges of God. Rom. 1: "The invisible things of God, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made." But I proceeded further into the intellectual realities of the soul. "And I poured out my soul upon me," that is, searching carefully I sought whatever is in them, as placing all things before me; like one who extracts everything from a vessel to examine whatever is within. And yet my God is not there. But there is still something above this, and this I did: "Because I shall pass over into the place of the wonderful tabernacle, even to the house of God"; as if to say: all the solace I could have is the hope of tending toward God. And he says two things: namely, where he tends, and how, at "With the voice," etc. Concerning the first, the following imagination is to be taken. In the Old Testament there was a twofold place dedicated to divine worship: namely, the tabernacle, about which we read in Ex. 36. Afterward, as the state and devotion of the people grew, the house of God was built, namely the temple—not like the tabernacle, but as a fixed structure. And David wished to build this, but was forbidden by God. 2 Sam. 7: "Shall you build me a house?" Likewise 1 Chr. 17. But it was promised to him that his son would build the house of God; hence he himself prepared the expenses. And therefore he says: they say to me, "Where is your God?" And so, remembering these things, I delight that I shall find him; and therefore with all my affection I shall tend toward him. "And I shall pass over into the place of the wonderful tabernacle"; as if to say: I shall not rest until I find him. And he says, "I shall pass over," because by the tabernacle, which was mobile, is signified the state of the present Church, which is not perpetual nor stable except until the consummation of the age, and then it will be transferred. And this is said in Rev. 21: "Behold the tabernacle of God with men," that is, the present Church with men, that is, as long as men shall be in this life. And from this I shall pass over to the stable house of God. Ps. 65: "We shall be filled with the good things of your house." Jn. 14: "In my Father's house," etc. And thus he intimates going into the wonderful tabernacle and into the house of God. And it is called the wonderful tabernacle on account of the wonderful things he does for his saints. "With the voice." Here is described the manner of passing over to the house of God. And here likewise a certain imagination is to be taken. Now it was the custom that when some went in groups to the tabernacle, they went with joy. Is. 30: "You shall have a song as in the night of a holy solemnity, and joy of heart." Thus one who goes with a pipe goes joyfully; and therefore he says, "I shall go into the place of the tabernacle," etc. And with joy, because "With the voice of exultation and confession, the sound of one feasting." Another reading has, "The sounds of one feasting"; as if to say: I shall go with the sound of one feasting, because at banquets there is a sound of joy; and this is more evident according to the other joys that are there. Let us therefore refer this to the entrance of joy, because there will be three things there. First, there will be exultation over the goods possessed. Is. 35: "They shall obtain joy and gladness." Second, there will be confession of the benefits of grace, because they will acknowledge that they obtained those things through the grace of God; and therefore thanksgiving will follow there, and the voice of praise. Third, there will be spiritual refreshment. Is. 65: "My servants shall eat, and you shall be hungry; my servants shall drink, and you shall thirst," etc. Mt. 5: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice," etc.; and therefore there will be the sound of one feasting. Likewise of festivity, that is, perpetual exultation. Bar. 5: "Look, O Jerusalem, toward the east, and see the joy that comes to you from God."

Maschil--(See on Psa 32:1, title). For, or of (see Introduction) the sons of Korah. The writer, perhaps one of this Levitical family of singers accompanying David in exile, mourns his absence from the sanctuary, a cause of grief aggravated by the taunts of enemies, and is comforted in hopes of relief. This course of thought is repeated with some variety of detail, but closing with the same refrain. (Psa 42:1-11) Compare (Psa 63:1). panteth--desires in a state of exhaustion.

The verbs are properly rendered as futures, "I will remember," &c.,--that is, the recollection of this season of distress will give greater zest to the privileges of God's worship, when obtained.