Psalms 42:2

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹For the choirmaster. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. ²My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God's presence?³My tears have been my food both day and night, while men ask me all day long, "Where is your God?" ⁴These things come to mind as I pour out my soul: how I walked with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and praise. ⁵Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence.

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 43:2
So when Jacob's sons had eaten all the grain they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, "Go back and buy a little more food for us."

Genesis 43:4
If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.

Genesis 43:8
And Judah said to his father Israel, "Send the boy with me, and we will go at once, so that we may live and not die-neither we, nor you, nor our children.

Genesis 45:9
Now return quickly to my father and tell him, 'This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me lord of all Egypt. Come down to me without delay.

Psalms 118:17
I will not die, but I will live and proclaim what the LORD has done.

Isaiah 38:1
In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, for you are about to die; you will not recover."

Matthew 4:4
But Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

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.