Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 42

1. AS the hart panteth after the waterbrooks , so panteth my Soul after thee , O God.

The Hart is naturally Hot and Thirsty. And this Thirst is increased; Partly, by its dwelling in Desert and dry places, to which it retireth for fear of Men and Wild beasts: and Partly, by its long and violent Running, when it is pursued by the Hunters: And, some add, by eating of Serpents.

After the enjoyment of thee in thy Sanctuary, as it appears from v. 4.

Marginal references: Heb. brayeth.

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

Thirst is more Vehement than Hunger, and more impatient of Dis-satisfacton.

This he mentions as a just Cause of his Thirst. He did not Thirst after vain useless Idols, but after the onely true and living God, who was his Life, and the length of his Days, as is said, Deut. 30. 20. and without whose Presence and Favour, David accounted himself for a Dead and lost Man, Psal. 143. 7.

In the place of his special Presence and publick Worship. See, Exod. 23▪ 15. and 25. 30. What is called, before the Lord, 1 Chron. 13. 10. is before, or with the Ark▪ 2 Sam. 6. 7.

Marginal references: Psal▪ 63. 1. & 84. 2.

3. My tears have been my meat , day and night, while they continually say unto me; Where is thy God !

Which notes both the great abundance and constant Course of his Tears, and the secret Satisfaction, and Ease which he found in giving vent to his Passion this way. Possibly his Tears and Grief took away his Appetite, and so were to him instead of Food.

Of whom thou hast so often boasted, as of one so able and ready to help, all that trust in him, and call upon him, and particularly, as one ingaged to thee by many great and special Promises. He is gone and departed from thee, and no where to be found of thee. He is either unable or unwilling to help thee, or regardless of thee.

Marginal references: Psal. 80. 5. & 102. 9.; Psal. 79. 10. & 115. 2.

4. When I remember these things , I pour out my soul ▪ in me , for I had gone with the multitude , I went with them to the house of God; with the voyce of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy-day .

Either, 1. Which follow, to wit, my former Freedom: Or rather, 2. Last mentioned, my Banishment from God's Presence, and mine Enemies scoffs and Triumphs upon that Occasion.

This Phrase notes Either, 1. His fervent Prayer, as it is taken, 1 Sam. 1. 15. Psal. 62. 8. Or, 2. His bitter Sorrows, whereby his very Heart was almost melted, or dissolved, and his Spirits spent, and he was ready to saint away; as it is used, Iob 30. 16. Lam. 2. 12. Comp. Psal. 22. 14. Or rather, 3. Both together; that he breathed out his Sorrows and sad Complaints, unto God by fervent Prayers.

(i. e.) Within my own Breast, between God and my own Soul; not openly, lest mine Enemies should turn it into matter of rejoycing and insulting over me.

To wit, in the way to Ierusalem. And my sorrow was increased, by the Remembrance of my former Enjoyments. Comp. [illegible: 1+ letters]am. 1. 7.

According to the Custome, and in the Company of Israelites, who went thither in great numbers. Comp. Psal. 84. 6, 7.

Or, I led them, encouraging them by my Presence and Forwardness.

Or, That kept the Feast, to wit, the three Solemn Festival Solemnities, which they kept holy unto the Lord.

5. Why art thou cast down , O my soul! and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

With excessive Sorrow and Despair.

r Heb. for the Salvavations of his Face, (i. e.) For those Suppor[illegible: 1+ letters]s, Deliverances, and Comforts which I doubt not, I shall ere long enjoy, both in his Presence and Sanctuary, to which he will restore me, and from his Presence, and the Light of his Countenance, which he will graciously afford to me.

Marginal references: Psal. 43. 5.; Heb. bowed down.; Or, give thanks.; Or, his Presence is Salvation.

6. O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Iordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar .

That I may revive my drooping Spirits.

I will consider thy infinite Mercy and Power, and Faithfulness, and thy gracious Presence in the Sanctuary, from whence thou dost hear and Answer, all those that call upon thee, in all the parts of the Land.

(i. e.) From all the places, and parts of the Land, to which I shall be driven, whether from the Parts about, or beyond Iordan on the East; Or, the Hermonim, (i. e.) Either, the People inhabiting Herm[illegible: 1+ letters]n; Or, the Mountain of Hermon, which was in the Northern parts, N[illegible: 1+ letters]mb. 34. 7. Deut. 3. 8. Psal. 89. 12. here called Hermonim in the plural Number, because of its great largeness, and many Tops and Parts of it, which are called by several Names: Or, the Hill Missar, an Hill so called, though not mentioned elsewhere, which is supposed to have been in the Southern parts of the Land: But peradventure it was in the East and beyond Iordan: and David might mention these places, because when he was banished by Absalom, he had been successively at all of them, and in all of them, had remembred God, and directed his Prayer to him.

Marginal references: Or, the little Hill.

7. Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy water-spouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me .

(i, e.) One affliction comes immediately after another, as if it were called for, and invited by the former. Which he expresseth by a Metaphor taken, Either, 1. From the old Flood, when the [illegible: 1+ letters]pper deep, or Abyss of Waters (in the Clouds) called for the lower deep, or Abyss of Waters, in the Sea and Rivers, that both might unite their Forces together, to drown the World. And thus the Chaldee understands it. Or, 2. From the Sea, when its Waves Rage, and it is full of deep furrows, into which ships and Passingers sink down, and then rise and sink again, successively and continually. But these Tempests are caused in the Sea by God's mighty Winds, rather than by his Water-spouts. Or, 3. From violent and successive showers of Rain; which frequently come down from Heaven, as it were at the Noise, or Call of God's Waterspouts, to wit, the Clouds; which by their ratling Noises and terrible Thunders, do in a manner invite and call forth the Showers, which are contained in their Bowels.

Thou hast sent one sharp Tryal, or affliction upon me after another:

(i. e.) Are gone over my Head, as this same Verb is used, Psal. 38. 4. They do not lightly sprinkle me, but almost overwhelm me.

Marginal references: Jer. 4. 20. Ezek. 7. 26.; Psal. 88. 7. Jon. 2. 3.

8. Yet the LORD will command his loving kindness in the day-time, and in the night his song shall be with me , and my prayer shall be unto the God of my life .

(i. e.) Will effectually procure or Confer upon me, as this Verb is used, Levit. 25. 21. Psa. 7. 6. &c. The Verb is Future, but some render it by the time past: The Lord hath Commanded, making this Rehearsal of his former Experiences of Gods goodness, his Argument to support himself, and to prevail with God in Prayer. Which may seem to suit best with the foregoing and following Verses. But▪ we must remember that Davi[illegible: 1+ letters]'s Hopes and Fears were strangely mixed, and his Expressions of them are commonly interwoven in the same P[illegible: 1+ letters]alm, and sometimes in one and the same Verse, a[illegible: 1+ letters] it is here v. 5. 11. And therefore there is no necessity of departing from the Proper signification of the Verb.

(i. e.) His blessings, the Effects of his Loving-kindness, which God is oft said to Command, as Deut. 28. 8. Psal. 133. 3.

Both day and night, (i. e.) Continually.

(i. e.) I shall have constant matter of singing and praising God for his loving kindness.

And therefore I will boldly and believingly direct my Prayers to him, of whose readiness to hear and help me, I have had such ample Experience.

The giver and preserver of my Life, from time to time.

Marginal references: Job 35. 10. Psal. 149. 5.

9. I will say unto God my rock , Why hast thou forgotten me ? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

I will expostulate the Case with him.

Who hath formerly been a su[illegible: 1+ letters]e Refuge to me.

Why dost thou now seem quite to forget, and neglect me?

Why dost thou leave me in this mournful State, and not succour me speedily?

10. As with a sword in my bones , mine enemies reproach me: While they say daily unto me, Where is thy God ?

Or, in my Body, the Bones being oft put for the Body, whereof they are a very Considerable part. Or, as a Sword, which Pierceth and Cutteth my Flesh even to the Bones, and Cutteth or breaketh the very Bones also. So painful and Vexa[illegible: 1+ letters]ious are their Reproaches.

Of which see above, on v. 3.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word].

11. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my Countenance , and my God .

Heb. the Salvations of my Face, (i. e.) Either, 1. Which are present and manifest, being before my Face. Or, 2. Which will make my Face to shine, and my Countenance cheerful, which supposeth the gladness of the Heart, and the bettering of his Condition. Or, 3. Of his Person; as the Face sometimes signifies, as 2 Sam. 17. 11. Isa. 3. 15. As also the Greek word signifying Face, is very frequently put for the Person, whereof the Face is an eminent Part.

As he formerly was, so he still is, and ever will be, and will suddenly shew himself to be my God, although for a season he may hide his Face, Or, withdraw his help from me.