Psalm 42:2

Translations

Modern

My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God’s presence?

Traditional

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

Literal

My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before the face of God?

Latin

Sitivit anima mea ad Deum fortem, vivum; quando veniam, et apparebo ante faciem Dei?

Original

Hebrew

English

My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God’s presence?

Notes

Psalms 42:1–4

The psalmist's deep desire for God arises from being far away from the temple as he remembers the past.
The verb translated as "longs" appears only here and in Joel 1:20 (meaning "cry out"). In both instances, it describes extreme thirst in a dry desert (see Psalms 63:1; 143:6; see also 84:2).

Psalms 42:1–43:5

These psalms, like Psalms 9 and 10, form a unit with a lament and a bittersweet refrain of hope (Psalm 42:5, 11; 43:5). Many Hebrew manuscripts combine these two psalms into one.

The historical context is unclear; these psalms might represent God's people in exile, expressing loyalty to God while he punishes them for their ongoing disobedience.

The psalmist longs for the fellowship with God he had in Jerusalem (Psalm 42:4); his memories only deepen his discouragement. As the psalmist cries out to God, he remembers God's love and faithfulness (Psalm 42:8), which leads him to ask for vindication (43:1–4).

Theme notes and profiles

Questions and Doubt

Related verses

Psalm 63:1
A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.
Psalm 84:10
For better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
John 7:37
On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
Psalm 27:4
One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple.
Revelation 22:1
Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
Psalm 84:2
My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Psalm 36:8–9
They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from Your river of delights.
Psalm 84:4
How blessed are those who dwell in Your house! They are ever praising You. Selah
Psalm 43:4
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my greatest joy. I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God.
Job 23:3
If only I knew where to find Him, so that I could go to His seat.
Jeremiah 2:13
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug their own cisterns—broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
1 Thessalonians 1:9
For they themselves report what kind of welcome you gave us, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

People

LORD: Names or title used to refer to God

Glossary

David Korahite, Korathite Music Numbers, Book of Psalms, Book of Zion

Topics

Access to God: Saints Earnestly Seek Desire: Spiritual Intimacy with God Religious Zeal: General Scriptures Concerning Seekers: General Scriptures Concerning The Hart: (Panting for Water) Afflicted Saints Longing for God Thirst: Figurative of the Ardent Desire of the Devout Mind

Psalm 42:2

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