Salmi 42:7 Commento

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.

Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of the water spouts,.... By which are meant afflictions, comparable to the deep waters of the sea, for their multitude and overwhelming nature; see Psa 69:1; these came pouring down, one after another, upon the psalmist: as soon as one affliction over, another came, as in the case of Job; which is signified by one calling to another, and were clamorous, troublesome, and very grievous and distressing; all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me: with which he seemed to be covered and overwhelmed, as a ship is at sea. It may be observed, that the psalmist calls afflictions God's water spouts, and "his" waves and "his" billows; because they are appointed, sent, ordered, and overruled by him, and made to work for the good of his people: and now, though these might seem to be a just cause of dejection, yet they were not, as appears from Psa 42:8.

Listen to this: “Deep calls on deep at the voice of your floodgates.” Scripture of the Old Testament calls on Scripture of the New Testament for the consummation of holiness and the fullness of grace; it calls with the voice of grace and the outflowing of spiritual abundance.

"Deep calls unto deep with the voice of your water-spouts" [Psalm 42:7]. I may perhaps finish the Psalm, aided as I am by your attention, whose fervour I perceive. As for your fatigue in hearing, I am not greatly solicitous, since you see me also, who speak, toiling in the heat of these exertions. Assuredly it is from your seeing me labouring, that you labour with me: for I am labouring not for myself, but for you. "Deep calls unto deep with the voice of your water-spouts." It was God whom he addressed, who "remembered him from the land of Jordan and Hermon." It was in wonder and admiration he spoke this: "Abyss calls unto abyss with the voice of Your water-spouts." What abyss is this that calls, and to what other abyss? Justly, because the "understanding" spoken of is an "abyss." For an "abyss" is a depth that cannot be reached or comprehended; and it is principally applied to a great body of water. For there is a "depth," a "profound," the bottom of which cannot be reached by sounding. Furthermore, it is said in a certain passage, "Your judgments are a mighty abyss," Scripture meaning to suggest that the judgments of God are incomprehensible. What then is the "abyss" that calls, and to what other "abyss" does it call? If by "abyss" we understand a great depth, is not man's heart, do you not suppose, "an abyss"? For what is there more profound than that "abyss"? Men may speak, may be seen by the operations of their members, may be heard speaking in conversation: but whose thought is penetrated, whose heart seen into? What he is inwardly engaged on, what he is inwardly capable of, what he is inwardly doing or what purposing, what he is inwardly wishing to happen, or not to happen, who shall comprehend? I think an "abyss" may not unreasonably be understood of man, of whom it is said elsewhere, "Man shall come to a deep heart, and God shall be exalted." If man then is an "abyss," in what way does "abyss" call on "abyss"? Does man "call on" man as God is called upon? No, but "calls on" is equivalent to "calls to him." For it was said of a certain person, he calls on death; [Wisdom 1:16] that is, lives in such a way as to be inviting death; for there is no man at all who puts up a prayer, and calls expressly on death: but men by evil-living invite death. "Deep calls on deep," then, is, "man calls to man." Thus is it wisdom is learned, and thus faith, when "man calls to man." The holy preachers of God's word call on the "deep:" are they not themselves "a deep" also?...

When deep calls deep, the Son calls the Father from the depth of land and river, and you have opened the cataracts of heaven. As the Holy Spirit descends, the Father addresses the Son from the height of the heavens. When he calls from the deep to deep, the glory of the Lord comes to me.

"Deep calls to deep." He explains the remedy with respect to two things said: namely, with respect to the disturbance he has in himself, and with respect to the remembrance of God, at "In the day he commanded." As to the first he proposes a likeness and explains its cause. "Deep" in Scripture signifies a multitude of waters. Gen. 1: "Darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of the Lord," etc. It also happens that when waters are generated in great quantity in the air, they can be called a deep. And in these rains there is a certain circulation: because they descend to the earth, and from them vapors are raised that generate other waters; and in between there are frequently thunders, which are produced from the commotion of clouds generated by vapors and rains. Likewise it happens that after thunder, lightning follows. Ps. 135: "He made lightning for the rain." He says therefore, "The deep," that is, a multitude of waters, "calls to the deep," that is, draws to itself another multitude of waters; and this "at the voice of your cataracts," that is, there are certain hidden places in which waters are generated and from which they descend. Hence cataracts, that is, clouds, which are, as it were, certain cataracts from which they are generated. And in Scripture, the deep and the tempest signify evil. Ex. 15: "The deeps covered them." Hence "deep calls to deep"; as if to say: one punishment of God calls to another, that is, is followed by another; as if to say: the judgment of God by which he inflicts present evils calls to the judgment by which he inflicts future evils. Ps. 36: "Your judgments are a great deep." And this thus, "at the voice of your cataracts," that is, through the voice of your Scriptures, or of preachers. And this is referred to what he says, "My soul was disturbed." Why? Because "deep calls to deep": that is, from one evil or from one sin a great punishment follows. Or otherwise, "therefore I will be mindful," etc., so that by "deeps" is understood sacred doctrine; and thus the sense is: "the deep," that is, the Old Testament, calls to another, that is, the New Testament. And these two he brings together in harmony so that I may be mindful of you, because in both the help of God is promised to man; and this "at the voice of your cataracts," that is, of preachers and teachers. Or otherwise, "therefore I will be mindful," etc., because "deep calls to deep": that is, man, who is called a deep. "Who knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him?" 1 Cor. 2. Jer. 17: according to another reading, "The heart of man is deep and unsearchable." Therefore, "deep," that is, one man, calls another to Christ. And this happens not by one's own power, but "at the voice of your cataracts," that is, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, from which the tongue of the preacher has its efficacy. "All your heights." Above, the Psalmist set forth a likeness of his tribulation; here, however, he explains the likeness itself. Above he said, "Deep calls to deep"; and this refers to signifying that he suffered not only one punishment, but many. And to this he follows his likeness: a man is afflicted by water, either descending from the air, or being in the air, or being below; and he says he is afflicted by both. By the first, when he says, "All your heights"; by the second, when he says, "And your waves have passed over me." These heights are future punishments, and they look toward the future judgment, which was in the sea, when they were submerged like lead, Ex. 15. The waves are the present punishments that call to that. And therefore, "I was troubled." Job 19: "They have made their way over me." The Gloss says, "They have passed over," that is, they have departed from me, "your waves." And thus according to this explanation, this is the reason for consolation; as if to say: I will be mindful of you, because all your heights and your waves have departed from me; as if to say: the greater punishments, which are designated by the waves, have passed over me, that is, they seemed to exceed my capacity. But the first explanation is better.

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 roar of successive billows, responding to that of floods of rain, represented the heavy waves of sorrow which overwhelmed him.