ETB Psalm 42:1-11

Session 14: God’s Presence p.122

The book starts off with the statement:

There are people today who think mature Christians never struggle with feelings of discouragement. [Lifeway Adults (2025). Explore the Bible: Adult Personal Study Guide - CSB - Summer 2025. Lifeway Press. Retrieved from https://read.lifeway.com]

By saying “people” we can assume the writers are not talking about “believers” exclusively.

Where do you think people get this idea from?

Although skewed, it does show an acceptance that the God of the Christian is one who is good and blesses. We know, however, from reading Scripture and living by faith that “down days” or discouragement in some form does come into the life of every believer.

Ask: How would you counsel a friend who is struggling with discouragement?

Understand the Context

Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 are considered lament psalms. They reflect the distress of a person who’s crying out to God for help in a deeply discouraging situation. These two psalms also express sincere praise to God for the certainty of lasting hope that He alone can give. 

Psalm 42 introduces the second of five sections—or books—in the Psalms. The second book includes Psalms 42–72. One of the distinguishing features of this section involves God’s name. In the first book (Pss. 1–41), the writers referred to God as Yahweh. However, the psalms in the second section referred to Him as Elohim. Both names set Him apart as holy to His people.  [LifeWay Adults (2025). Explore the Bible: Adult Leader Guide, Summer 2025]

The ESV Study Bible Chapter 42

While each of these psalms can be taken separately,

The book briefly mentions that in the title of this Psalm it is attributed to “the sons of Korah.” I remember the story of Korah’s rebellion against Moses and Aaron and how God did “a new thing” by swallowing up what I thought was all the tribe and their possessions. Then when I saw this earlier this we I had to do some more reading.

Numbers 26:9–11 ESV

9 The sons of Eliab: Nemuel, Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram, chosen from the congregation, who contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord 10 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah, when that company died, when the fire devoured 250 men, and they became a warning. 11 But the sons of Korah did not die.

Several generations later the prophet Samuel would come out of this line and then:

Got Questions? Bible Questions Answered Who Were the Sons of Korah in the Old Testament?

during the time of King David, they became the great leaders in choral and orchestral music in the Tabernacle and the Temple.

As I thought about that history and the internal struggles that this Psalm displays, it seemed quite appropriate that from a family that was both destroyed and saved by God such turmoil and hope could be written.

Explore the Text

Psalm 42:1–5 ESV

1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation

As a deer pants

Other than in this Psalm, the word translated as “pant” is only used one other place in Scripture. It helps us see a better image of this deer’s thirst.

Joel 1:20 “20 Even the beasts of the field pant for you because the water brooks are dried up, and fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness.”

Instead of an image of a deer in a field next to a stream, artists should show a deer in a desert wilderness head hanging low snorting and pawing at the dust.

Verse 4 also helps us in that the Psalmist mentions things he remembers and longs to do again. This deer “remembers” flowing streams and is desperately looking for them again.

Of course, this is poetic imagery trying to help us see how desperate the poet is for the presence of God to be felt again as he remembers it.

Memories are strange things. We can remember the most obscure details of trivial matters, but then forget the omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence of God.

My soul thirsts for God

Soul in the Hebrews talks about

“the inner being with its thoughts and emotions. [Baker, Warren, and Eugene E. Carpenter. The complete word study dictionary: Old Testament 2003: 746. Print.]

It is a different word than “mind” or “might”.

Deuteronomy 6:5 “5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”

Can our “soul” want one thing, and our “mind” want another?

Romans 7:15 “15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

My soul thirst… for the living God

I like the Psalmist’s distinction here that Yahweh is a living god, in contrast to all the other “dead” ones that the enemy offers as substitutes. Sometimes even non-believers can see the difference when He interacts with them.

If you have been reading along with the church calendar, you read this week about King Darius after pulling Daniel from the lion’s den alive declared:

Daniel 6:26 “26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, enduring forever; his kingdom shall never be destroyed, and his dominion shall be to the end.”

I think this the reaction most people have when God touches their mind or heart, and they truly “see” Him in contrast to everything else they have been “worshipping.”

How does God display this “living” aspect to you?

Where is your God?

Have you ever been asked that question?

It was probably not at a time when He was clearly visible to those looking at your life. Our response to questions like these at moments of turmoil will truly reveal where, or who, our faith is.

Our memories are not perfect, sometimes we need God or one of His people to help us focus our memories.

I remember

The heartbreaking memories of the psalmist as he worshiped God at the temple gave way to recollections of some joyful days too. He could remember when he joined others during a festival procession. [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

I remember… leading them

What is the psalmist suggesting about himself if he had gone “with the throng” and “lead them” in a worship parade?

God was with him and enabled him to be able to lead others in their worship.

Where does the psalmist consider himself to be now?

We may never lead a worship time like this, but there are men who stand before us each week that do. We must remember them in our prayers and encourage them often so that they do not end up like this psalmist. They may not actually be “away from God,” but they can feel that way. Instead of being like this psalmist tormentors and asking, “where is your God?” we can encourage our leader by saying, “Look here at God” and “See what God has done.” Sometimes they may need a little help “remembering” how God used them in the past.

Why are you cast down, O my soul

The psalmist’s pain placed him in good company of others in the Old Testament who grieved over God’s apparent silence. He challenged his soul to get past the paralyzing sadness and the spiritual restlessness that left him feeling cast down. [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

This question helps us see the distinct view that the Jewish mind had which separated the mind and soul. “You” infers a “me” that is different from the one being addressed. Unlike the jokes about “me, myself, and I” this question is more serious and expects not only an answer but a change or action to be taken.

Hope in God

The psalmist determined that instead of being overwhelmed with sadness, he would take a step of faith. Accordingly, he ordered his soul to embrace God with a heart full of hope in Him (see Heb. 11:1). When he placed His faith in the living God, his hope had a durable resting place. In turn, lasting praise would replace the painful sorrow in his broken heart. [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

This kind of hope is a powerful tool to eliminate many errors in thought or perception. Our hope must be in a “living God” or it cannot overcome any misperception.

From the words are presented here and other English translations, the soul has to be reminded and by the mind as it looks ahead to the time when the soul does remember as the psalmist’s entire being will be able to praise God again.

The NIV Application Commentary on the Bible Psalms 42:1–43:5

One of the roles of the worshiping congregation is to worship when I cannot, to celebrate the resurrection of Christ when I am mourning the death of a loved one or struggling with my own sin. The congregation is to declare the wonderful works of God even when I can no longer see him or sense his presence.

There are times when friends or family need someone to come along side in the struggle and wait until they are ready before taking the next step. Pointing out the goal of restored joy is good, but forcing or guilting the person into happiness does not help and takes the focus off of God’s gracious gifts and His salvation from the conflict.

What are some things that you need to “remind yourself” about God?

Psalm 42:6–8 ESV

6 and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. 8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.

Cast down

For the second time, the psalmist confessed his desperation using the Hebrew word shachach. This term described individuals who were bent over or humbled because they carried a heavy burden. The prophet Habakkuk used this word to proclaim that the presence of God made the hills “bow down” (Hab. 3:6).

But the psalmist’s concerns were more spiritual and emotional than physical. His body may have been fine, but his spirit was cast down. The psalmist bore a heavy burden that buckled his heart. He was devastated because he could not go to the temple and worship God.  [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

Deep calls to deep

If it were not for context from the other verses, I would have no clue what the psalmist is trying to help us see here.

The literal translation is “ocean call out to ocean” but I do not see the connection with the psalmist “cast down” soul or the desire to remember and get back into the presence of God. Maybe it is a reference to the pressures that prevent him from coming back to the surface and further into God presence since sometimes the word deep is used as a contrast to heaven.

Could be that thoughts in one pit of despair draw us into another one, but I’m still not sure.

This is just going to be another one of those “questions for heaven.”

Your breakers.. Your waves

The emotional images that swirled around the overwhelmed psalmist register the intensity of his despair. Like a raging storm at sea, the intensifying agony that came his way kept on separating him from the temple for a long stretch of time. The intensity had become most troubling for him. It swelled into an emotional flood that threatened him spiritually.

Yet, he acknowledged that God was in control. The waterfalls, breakers, and waves that had humbled him were directed by God (your) and were being used for His purposes. [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

When we can get to this spiritual maturity and recognizing that even the turmoil we face is from God and He also has the way through, we can help others through their trials more easily. We can still get overwhelmed by life’s events, we just also know where we have to go to get through them.

Ask: To what Bible truths can you cling when you feel overwhelmed?

By day . . . His Love … at night… His song

The emotional typhoon that God had stirred would not be the last word about His involvement in the psalmist’s struggle. Every day, the psalmist reflected on God’s grace.

The psalmist praised God for His steadfast love, but this was no ordinary love. The Hebrew hesed emphasizes the enduring nature of God’s favor and grace toward His people. Often, it is used to describe redemption from sin or deliverance from an enemy. But it always denotes God’s kindness and mercy in reaching down to help His people because they cannot help themselves. We do not deserve this love and cannot earn it. But He demonstrates this grace because it is innate to His holy character.

At night, a song filled his heart, possibly music associated with temple worship. Singing God’s song provided a sense of intimacy with the Lord and served as a vehicle for the psalmist’s prayers. It helped him focus on the God who had given him a reason to live. [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

For those who enjoy singing and music, it can be a useful tool to help redirect one’s focus away from the struggles of the day toward the realities of eternity with God. I have heard several testimonies of people not “feeling like” singing but then find peace and rest in following through with the worship in song.

The Psalmist shifts his speech back and forth from talking to “his soul” and now back to His Lord, before finishing with another bit of “self-encouragement.”

Psalm 42:9–11 ESV

9 I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

God, my rock

All throughout this psalm, the writer has never lost faith our doubted who was in control, who had the answers, and who was going to sustain him through this trying time.

Psalm 18:2 “2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”

Part of know that God is our rock, is also knowing that He is “the Rock” and questioning Him does not unseat or unsettle Him.

Why have you forgotten me?

Even though the psalmist had been separated from worship at the temple, he testified that he had depended on God with extreme confidence. For him, God had been the constant and unmovable rockof his stability. Even so, he wondered if God had wandered away from him, and why he had been forgotten. The term suggests that God was oblivious to the writer and his struggles.

Of course, that was not the case. God does not forsake or abandon His people (Deut. 31:8; Heb. 13:5). The prophet Isaiah even compared God to a loving mother who could not forget or forsake her children (Isa. 49:14-15). [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

The psalmist repeats the question his adversaries hound him with and also the internal conversation with his soul again. I think it may show how the psalmist like us is impatient for the Lord’s answer. It could also be the only thing he knows to do while he waits for God to intervene, keep reminding himself of God’s past goodness and interventions. He ends his writing and thoughts in a good place.

My salvation and my God

The writer simply could not justify the turbulence in his soul when he compared it to the certainty that came with his confidence in God, his salvation. For that reason, he would not allow the circumstances swirling around him to dictate his life.

He determined that he would anchor his hope in the Lord alone. Instead of dwelling on the insults of his enemies and the mystery of God’s silence, his heart would be filled with praise. Therefore, as he dealt with the uncertainties in his life, he declared his certainty that the Lord would be my God. [ETB:ALG Sum'25]

Hebrews 6:18–19 “18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. 19 We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,”

Not only can we go behind that curtain now, since the Lord tore it away, but we have access to the very throne room of God where can take all these to Him and through the spirit worship Him at any time.

Apply the Text

The Book of Psalms & The Book of Proverbs Commentary

As was mentioned earlier (see commentary on

The Book of Psalms & The Book of Proverbs Commentary

People in the old covenant entered God’s presence when they entered the Temple. But the Temple was only a shadow, not the reality itself (

“Have Faith in God” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZk-miJqetw

Pray: God, You know every heart and mind here today and the struggles that we are having and are coming this week. Holy Spirit, remind us to seek You for our comfort and deliverance. Help us to take comfort in Your overwhelming love for us. Jesus, we need Your help to wait on God’s timing like You did for 33 years. God we love You and want to turn to You when the trials come. Teach us Your word and Your ways so that they are our habits and first thoughts when the hard times come. Remind us this week to pray for each other.