Psalm 42:5 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.

Why art thou cast down, O my soul?.... The psalmist corrects himself, as being too much depressed in spirit with his present circumstances, and expostulates with himself; adding, and why art thou disquieted in me? which suggests, that the dejections of God's people are unreasonable ones; sin itself is no just cause and reason of them; for though it is very disagreeable, loathsome, and abhorring, troublesome and burdensome, to a spiritual man, and is ingenuously confessed, and heartily mourned over, and is matter of humiliation; yet no true reason of dejection: because there is forgiveness of it with God; the blood of Christ has been shed for the remission of it; it has been bore and done away by him; nor is there any condemnation for it to them that are in him; and though it rages, and threatens to get the ascendant; yet it is promised it shall not have the dominion over the saints; neither the nature of it, being great, as committed against God himself, nor the multitude of sins, nor the aggravated circumstances of them, are just causes of dejection, since the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin; nor are Satan and his temptations; he is indeed an enemy, very powerful, subtle, and terrible; he is the strong man armed, the old serpent, and a roaring lion; and his temptations are very troublesome and grieving; and it becomes the saints to be upon their guard against him and them; but they have no reason to be cast down on account hereof; for God, who is on the side of his people, is mightier than he; Christ is stronger than the strong man armed, and the divine Spirit who is in them is greater than he that is in the world: Satan is under divine restraints, and can go no further in tempting than he is suffered, and his temptations are overruled for good; besides, good armour is provided for the Christian to fight against him with, and in a short time he will be bruised under his feet: nor are the hidings of God's face a sufficient reason of dejection; for though such a case is very distressing, and gives great trouble to those that love the Lord; nor can they, nor does it become them to sit easy and unconcerned in such circumstances, as they are great trials of faith and patience; yet it is the experience of the people of God in all ages: some good ends are answered hereby, as to bring saints to a sense of sins, which has deprived them of the divine Presence, to make them prize it the more when they have it, and to be careful of losing it for the future. Besides, the love of God continues the same when he hides and chides; and he will return again, and will not finally and totally forsake his people; and in a little while they shall be for ever with him, and see him as he is; and though by one providence or another they may be deprived for a while of the word, worship, and ordinances of God, he that provides a place for his church, and feeds and nourishes her in the wilderness, can make up the lack of such enjoyments by his presence and Spirit. The means and methods the psalmist took to remove his dejections and disquietudes of mind are as follow; hope thou in God; for the pardon of sin; for which there is good ground of hope, and so no reason to be cast down on account of it; for strength against Satan's temptations, which is to be had in Christ, as well as righteousness; and for the appearance of God, and the discoveries of his love, who has his set time to favour his people, and therefore to be hoped, and quietly waited for. Hope is of great use against castings down; it is an helmet, an erector of the head, which keeps it upright, and from bowing down: it is an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast, and is of great service in the troubles of life, and against the fears of death; for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance; or "the salvations of his countenance" (h); which implies that the psalmist believed, notwithstanding his present circumstances, that he should have salvation upon salvation; salvation of every kind; or a full and complete one, which should spring, not from any merits of his, but from the free grace and favour of God, expressed in his gracious countenance towards him; and also intimates, that the light of his countenance would be salvation to him (i) now; and that his consummate happiness hereafter would lie in beholding his face for evermore: all which would give him occasion and opportunity of praising the Lord. Now such a faith and persuasion as this is a good antidote against dejections of soul, and disquietude of mind; see Psa 27:13. (h) "salutes faciei ipsius", Cocceius; so Michaelis. (i) "Salutes sunt facies ejus", De Dieu.

Troubled by the hazardous turnings of this world, David says, “Why are you sad, O soul, why do you trouble me? Hope in God, for I will give praise to him, the salvation of my countenance and my God.” Therefore, when we are distressed and apprehensive, let hope strengthen us with the expectation of things that are to come. Look to each phrase individually. “Hope, for I will give praise,” he says; not “I give praise,” but “I will give praise.” This means: I will give praise better at that time when I shall behold the glory of God with face unveiled and be transformed into the same image. As he was consoling himself, suddenly turning to himself, he says, “My soul is troubled within myself”; that is, I, who ought to strengthen others, am myself disturbed, and because I do not have strength of myself, let us receive it from the Creator.

But seeing, brethren, so long as "we are at home in this body, we are absent from the Lord;" [2 Corinthians 5:6] and "the corruptible body presses down the soul, and the earthly tabernacle weighs down the mind that muses on many things;" [Wisdom 9:15] even though we have some way or other dispersed the clouds, by walking as "longing" leads us on, and for a brief while have come within reach of that sound, so that by an effort we may catch something from that "house of God," yet through the burden, so to speak, of our infirmity, we sink back to our usual level, and relapse to our ordinary state. And just as there we found cause for rejoicing, so here there will not be wanting an occasion for sorrow. For that hart that made "tears" its "bread day and night," borne along by "longing to the water-brooks" (that is, to the spiritual delights of God), "pouring forth his soul above himself," that he may attain to what is "above" his own soul, walking towards "the place of the wonderful tabernacle, even unto the house of God," and led on by the sweetness of that inward spiritual sound to feel contempt for all outward things, and be borne on to things spiritual, is but a mortal man still; is still groaning here, still bearing about the frailty of flesh, still in peril in the midst of the "offenses" [Matthew 18:7] of this world. He therefore glances back to himself, as if he were coming from that world; and says to himself, now placed in the midst of these sorrows, comparing these with the things, to see which he had entered in there, and after seeing which he had come forth from thence; "Why art you cast down, O my soul, and why do you disquiet me?" [Psalm 42:5]. Lo, we have just now been gladdened by certain inward delights: with the mind's eye we have been able to behold, though but with a momentary glance, something not susceptible of change: why do you still "disquiet me, why are you" still "cast down"? For you do not doubt of your God. For now you are not without somewhat to say to yourself, in answer to those who say, "Where is your God?" I have now had the perception of something that is unchangeable; why do you disquiet me still? "Hope in God." Just as if his soul was silently replying to him, "Why do I disquiet you, but because I am not yet there, where that delight is, to which I was, as it were, rapt for a moment? Am I already 'drinking' from this 'fountain' with nothing to fear?"...Still "Hope in God," is his answer to the soul that disquiets him, and would fain account for her disquiet from the evils with which this world abounds. In the mean while dwell in hope: for "hope that is seen is not hope; but if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." [Romans 8:24-25]

Do not be sad, spirit, but hope in the Lord because I confess to him. He is the Savior of my countenance, that is, my God is the restorer of his own image.

And because all these things exist imperfectly in the Church, he adds, "Why are you sad, O my soul?" Here he applies the remedy against the cause of sadness. And first he removes the feeling. Second he removes its effect. He says therefore, "Why are you sad, O my soul?" When you ought to rejoice, because you are in the tabernacle, and because I shall go to the house of the Lord. Why then are you sad? For small evils are not to be regarded in consideration of eternal goods. Sir. 30: "Drive sadness," namely of the world, "far from you." 2 Cor. 7: "The sadness of the world works death." The effect of sadness is disturbance, because from the disorder of the affections, reason itself is disturbed. And who is speaking? The soul, according to this sense. The soul has two parts: namely, the sensitive part, which he here calls the soul on account of its animality; and the higher reason, which names itself, because each person is most of all that which is best in him. And therefore the higher reason says to the lower: "Why do you disturb me?" And what is the cause? He shows, moreover, that it should not be sad, because there is hope of future confession; and therefore he says, "Hope in the Lord, for I shall yet praise him"; as if to say: hope in God himself, because you will yet come to that which you desire, because, namely, "I shall yet praise him," that is, I still hope for his countenance, either on the way or in the homeland, which is especially the matter of joy. Jas. 5: "Is anyone among you sad? Let him pray. Is anyone in good spirits? Let him sing psalms," etc. "The salvation of my countenance." Here the word "salvation," according to the Gloss, is in the nominative case, and the sense is: I say that I shall praise him. And whom? Namely Christ, in whom there are two natures: the human, namely, by which he is like his mother; and therefore he says, "The salvation of my countenance," that is, bearing my countenance. Lk. 2: "My eyes have seen your salvation," etc. Gen. 49: "I will wait for your salvation, O Lord." Likewise the divine nature; and with respect to this he is my God; therefore he says, "My God." Rom. 9: "From whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is over all things, God blessed forever." Or, according to Jerome, "salvation" is in the accusative case; as if to say: I shall confess to him salvation, that is, the salvation by which he saved me. And what follows, "my God," is joined with what follows.

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.

Hence he chides his despondent soul, assuring himself of a time of joy. help of his countenance--or, "face" (compare Num 6:25; Psa 4:6; Psa 16:11).