Psalms 43:4

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then I will come to the altar of God,to God, my greatest joy.I will praise you with the lyre,God, my God.

Hebrew Names Version
Then I will go to the altar of God, To God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you on the harp, God, my God.

King James Version
Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

English Standard Version
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God.

New Century Version
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God who is my joy and happiness. I will praise you with a harp, God, my God.

New English Translation
Then I will go to the altar of God, to the God who gives me ecstatic joy, so that I express my thanks to you, O God, my God, with a harp.

Amplified Bible
Then I will go to the altar of God, To God, my exceeding joy; With the lyre I will praise You, O God, my God!

New American Standard Bible
Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And I will praise You on the lyre, God, my God.

World English Bible
Then I will go to the altar of God, To God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you on the harp, God, my God.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then wil I go vnto the altar of God, euen vnto the God of my ioy & gladnes: and vpon the harpe wil I giue thanks vnto thee, O God, my God.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then I will go to the altar of God,To God my exceeding joy;And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

Contemporary English Version
Then I will worship at your altar because you make me joyful. You are my God, and I will praise you. Yes, I will praise you as I play my harp.

Complete Jewish Bible
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and delight; I will praise you on the lyre, God, my God.

Darby Translation
Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto the God of the gladness of my joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.

Easy-to-Read Version
I want to go to God's altar, to the God who makes me so very happy. God, my God, I want to play my harp and sing praises to you!

George Lamsa Translation
Then will I go before the altar of God, to God who makes me joyful with the joy of youth; yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.

Good News Translation
Then I will go to your altar, O God; you are the source of my happiness. I will play my harp and sing praise to you, O God, my God.

Lexham English Bible
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my surpassing joy, and I will praise you with lyre, O God, my God.

Literal Translation
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, the joy of my delight, and I will thank with the lyre, O God, my God.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
That I maye go into the aulter of God, euen vnto the God which is my ioye & pleasure, & vpon the harpe to geue thakes vnto ye, o God, my God.

American Standard Version
Then will I go unto the altar of God, Unto God my exceeding joy; And upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.

Bible in Basic English
Then I will go up to the altar of God, to the God of my joy; I will be glad and give praise to you on an instrument of music, O God, my God.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God, my exceeding joy;

King James Version (1611)
Then will I goe vnto the Altar of God, vnto God my exceeding ioy: yea vpon the harpe will I praise thee, O God, my God.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And I wyll go vnto the aulter of the Lorde, euen vnto the Lorde of my ioy & gladnesse: and vpon the harpe I will acknowledge thee O Lorde my Lord.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And I will go in to the altar of God, to God who gladdens my youth: I will give thanks to thee on the harp, O God, my God.

English Revised Version
Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: and upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Y schal entre to the auter of God; to God, that gladith my yongthe. God, my God, Y schal knowleche to thee in an harpe; my soule,

Update Bible Version
Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise you, O God, my God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy: yes, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

New King James Version
Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.

New Living Translation
There I will go to the altar of God, to God—the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp, O God, my God!

New Life Bible
Then I will go to the altar of God, the God of my joy. And I will praise You with the harp, O God, my God.

New Revised Standard
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
That I may go in unto the altar of God, Unto GOD, mine exultant joy, - That I may praise thee with the lyre, O God - mine own God!

Douay-Rheims Bible
(42-4) And I will go in to the altar of God: to God who giveth joy to my youth.

Revised Standard Version
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise thee with the lyre, O God, my God.

Young's Literal Translation
And I go in unto the altar of God, Unto God, the joy of my rejoicing. And I thank Thee with a harp, O God, my God.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And upon the lyre I shall praise You, O God, my God.

Contextual Overview

¹Clear my name, God; stick up for me against these loveless, immoral people. Get me out of here, away from these lying degenerates. I counted on you, God. Why did you walk out on me? Why am I pacing the floor, wringing my hands over these outrageous people? ³Give me your lantern and compass, give me a map, So I can find my way to the sacred mountain, to the place of your presence, To enter the place of worship, meet my exuberant God, Sing my thanks with a harp, magnificent God, my God. 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

Then: Psalms 66:13-15, Psalms 116:12-19

my exceeding joy: Heb. the gladness of my joy, Psalms 71:23, Isaiah 61:10, Habakkuk 3:17, Habakkuk 3:18, Romans 5:11

upon: Psalms 57:8, Psalms 71:22, Psalms 81:2, 2 Samuel 6:5, Revelation 5:8

O God: Psalms 42:6

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 1:8 - am not 2 Samuel 15:25 - he will bring Job 27:10 - delight Psalms 4:7 - put Psalms 7:1 - O Psalms 9:2 - I will be Psalms 13:5 - my heart Psalms 15:1 - holy Psalms 25:5 - Lead Psalms 26:6 - so will Psalms 27:6 - therefore Psalms 37:4 - Delight Psalms 63:5 - with joyful Psalms 68:3 - exceedingly rejoice Psalms 73:25 - Whom Psalms 84:10 - For Psalms 89:26 - God Psalms 91:2 - my God Song of Solomon 7:12 - there will I give thee Joel 1:16 - joy John 17:13 - that John 20:17 - your God Ephesians 3:19 - that ye Revelation 14:2 - harpers

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then will I go unto the altar of God,.... Which was in the tabernacle, either of burnt offerings, or of incense, there to offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for mercies received. The altar under the Gospel dispensation is Christ, on which such sacrifices being offered, are acceptable to God, Hebrews 13:10;

unto God my exceeding joy; as over the mercy seat, upon a throne of grace, and as his covenant God; or this is exegetical of the altar, which is Christ, God over all, blessed for ever; and who is the object of the unspeakable joy of his people, in his person, righteousness, and salvation;

yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God: the harp is a musical instrument, used in that part of public worship which concerned the praise of God under the former dispensation, and was typical of that spiritual melody made in the hearts of God's people when they sing his praise, see Revelation 5:8.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Then will I go unto the altar of God - The altar on Mount Zion, where sacrifices were offered: 2 Samuel 6:17. The meaning is, that he would again unite with others in the public and customary worship of God. Compare the notes at Psalms 42:4.

Unto God - Into the immediate presence of God; the place where he was worshipped.

My exceeding joy - Margin, the gladness of my joy. The Septuagint renders this, “who makes my youth joyous:” or, “the joy of my youth,” (Thompson) The Hebrew is, the gladness of my joy; meaning, that God was the source of his joy, so that he found all his happiness in Him.

Yea, upon the harp will I praise thee - Compare the notes at Psalms 33:2-3. Instruments of music were commonly used in the worship of God, and David is represented as excelling in the music of the harp. Compare 1 Samuel 16:16-23.

O God, my God - It was not merely God as such that he desired to worship, or to whom he now appealed, but God as his God, the God to whom he had devoted himself, and whom he regarded as his God even in affliction and trouble. Compare the notes at Psalms 22:1.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Psalms 43:4. Then will I go unto the altar — When thy light - a favourable turn on our affairs, leads us to the land of our fathers, and thy truth - the fulfillment of thy gracious promises, has placed us again at the door of thy tabernacles, then will we go to thy altar, and joyfully offer those sacrifices and offerings which thy law requires, and rejoice in thee with exceeding great joy.