Psalms 42:2

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
I thirst for God, the living God.When can I come and appear before God?

Hebrew Names Version
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

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

English Standard Version
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

New Century Version
I thirst for the living God. When can I go to meet with him?

New English Translation
I thirst for God, for the living God. I say, "When will I be able to go and appear in God's presence?"

Amplified Bible
My soul (my life, my inner self) thirsts for God, for the living God. When will I come and see the face of God?

New American Standard Bible
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?

World English Bible
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Geneva Bible (1587)
My soule thirsteth for God, euen for the liuing God: when shall I come and appeare before the presence of God?

Legacy Standard Bible
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;When shall I come and appear before God?

Berean Standard Bible
My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God's presence?

Contemporary English Version
In my heart, I am thirsty for you, the living God. When will I see your face?

Complete Jewish Bible
Just as a deer longs for running streams, God, I long for you.

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

Easy-to-Read Version
My soul thirsts for the living God. When can I go to meet with him?

George Lamsa Translation
My soul thirsts after thee, O living God; when shall I come to see thy face?

Good News Translation
I thirst for you, the living God. When can I go and worship in your presence?

Lexham English Bible
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Literal Translation
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and see the face of God?

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
My teares are my meate daye and night, whyle it is daylie sayde vnto me: where is now thy God?

American Standard Version
My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I come and appear before God?

Bible in Basic English
My soul is dry for need of God, the living God; when may I come and see the face of God?

JPS Old Testament (1917)
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.

King James Version (1611)
My soule thirsteth for God, for the liuing God: when shall I come and appeare before God?

Bishop's Bible (1568)
My soule is a thirst for the Lorde, yea euen for the lyuyng Lorde: when shall I come to appeare before the face of the Lorde?

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
My soul has thirsted for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

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

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Mi soule thirstide to God, `that is a `quik welle; whanne schal Y come, and appere bifor the face of God?

Update Bible Version
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God: When shall I come and see the face of God?

Webster's Bible Translation
My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

New King James Version
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.When shall I come and appear before God? [fn]

New Living Translation
I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?

New Life Bible
My soul is thirsty for God, for the living God. When will I come and meet with God?

New Revised Standard
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
My soul thirsteth for God, for a GOD who liveth, - When shall I enter in, and see the face of God?

Douay-Rheims Bible
(41-3) My soul hath thirsted after the strong living God; when shall I come and appear before the face of God?

Revised Standard Version
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?

Young's Literal Translation
My soul thirsted for God, for the living God, When do I enter and see the face of God?

New American Standard Bible (1995)
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?

Contextual Overview

¹A psalm of the sons of Korah A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God. I'm thirsty for God-alive. I wonder, "Will I ever make it— arrive and drink in God's presence?" I'm on a diet of tears— tears for breakfast, tears for supper. All day long people knock at my door, Pestering, "Where is this God of yours?" ⁴ These are the things I go over and over, emptying out the pockets of my life. I was always at the head of the worshiping crowd, right out in front, Leading them all, eager to arrive and worship, Shouting praises, singing thanksgiving— celebrating, all of us, God's feast! ⁵ Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God— soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

thirsteth: Psalms 36:8, Psalms 36:9, Psalms 63:1, John 7:37, Revelation 22:1

living: Job 23:3, Jeremiah 2:13, Jeremiah 10:10, John 5:26, 1 Thessalonians 1:9

when: Psalms 27:4, Psalms 84:4, Psalms 84:10

Reciprocal: Genesis 13:4 - Unto Deuteronomy 5:26 - living 1 Samuel 26:19 - they have driven 2 Samuel 15:25 - he will bring 2 Samuel 23:15 - longed 2 Kings 2:14 - Where is 1 Chronicles 11:17 - of the water Psalms 73:25 - none upon Psalms 84:2 - soul Psalms 119:81 - fainteth Psalms 143:6 - my soul Proverbs 25:25 - cold Song of Solomon 2:5 - Stay Song of Solomon 8:6 - love Isaiah 38:22 - What Isaiah 41:17 - seek Isaiah 55:1 - every Zephaniah 3:18 - sorrowful Matthew 5:6 - are Matthew 16:16 - the living Luke 6:21 - ye that hunger 2 Corinthians 3:3 - the living 1 Timothy 3:15 - the living Hebrews 12:22 - of the Revelation 7:16 - hunger

Cross-References

Genesis 43:8
Judah pushed his father Israel. "Let the boy go; I'll take charge of him. Let us go and be on our way—if we don't get going, we're all going to starve to death—we and you and our children, too! I'll take full responsibility for his safety; it's my life on the line for his. If I don't bring him back safe and sound, I'm the guilty one; I'll take all the blame. If we had gone ahead in the first place instead of procrastinating like this, we could have been there and back twice over."

Genesis 45:9
"Hurry back to my father. Tell him, ‘Your son Joseph says: I'm master of all of Egypt. Come as fast as you can and join me here. I'll give you a place to live in Goshen where you'll be close to me—you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and anything else you can think of. I'll take care of you there completely. There are still five more years of famine ahead; I'll make sure all your needs are taken care of, you and everyone connected with you—you won't want for a thing.'

Psalms 118:17
I didn't die. I lived! And now I'm telling the world what God did. God tested me, he pushed me hard, but he didn't hand me over to Death. Swing wide the city gates—the righteous gates! I'll walk right through and thank God ! This Temple Gate belongs to God , so the victors can enter and praise.

Isaiah 38:1
At that time, Hezekiah got sick. He was about to die. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz visited him and said, " God says, ‘Prepare your affairs and your family. This is it: You're going to die. You're not going to get well.'"

Matthew 4:4
Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God,.... Who is so called, in opposition to the idols of the Gentiles, which were lifeless statues; and who is the author, giver, and maintainer of natural life; and who has promised and provided eternal life in his Son; and is himself the fountain of life, and the fountain of living waters, and a place of broad rivers and streams: particularly his lovingkindness, which is better than life, is a pure river of water of life, the streams where make glad the saints; and hence it is that the psalmist thirsted after God, and the discoveries of his love: saying,

when shall I come and appear before God? meaning, not in heaven, as desiring the beatific vision; but in the tabernacle, where were the worship of God, and the ark, the symbol of the divine Presence, and where the Israelites appeared before him, even in Zion; see Psalms 84:7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

My soul thirsteth for God - That is, as the hind thirsts for the running stream.

For the living God - God, not merely as God, without anything more definitely specified, but God considered as living, as himself possessing life, and as having the power of imparting that life to the soul.

When shall I come and appear before God? - That is, as I have been accustomed to do in the sanctuary. When shall I be restored to the privilege of again uniting with his people in public prayer and praise? The psalmist evidently expected that this would be; but to one who loves public worship the time seems long when he is prevented from enjoying that privilege.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 42:2. When shall I come — When, when shall I have the privilege of appearing in his courts before God? In the mouth of a Christian these words would import: "When shall I see my heavenly country? When shall I come to God, the Judge of all, and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant?" He who is a stranger and a pilgrim here below, and feels a heart full of piety to God, may use these words in this sense; but he who feels himself here at home, whose soul is not spiritual, wishes the earth to be eternal, and himself eternal on it-feels no panting after the living God.