1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2 For thou art the God of my strength: why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.
4 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.
5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
1 Judge H8199 me, O God, H430 and plead H7378 my cause H7379 against an ungodly H3808 H2623 nation: H1471 O deliver H6403 me from the deceitful H4820 and unjust H5766 man. H376
2 For thou art the God H430 of my strength: H4581 why dost thou cast me off? H2186 why go H1980 I mourning H6937 because of the oppression H3906 of the enemy? H341
3 O send out H7971 thy light H216 and thy truth: H571 let them lead H5148 me; let them bring H935 me unto thy holy H6944 hill, H2022 and to thy tabernacles. H4908
4 Then will I go H935 unto the altar H4196 of God, H430 unto God H410 my exceeding H8057 joy: H1524 yea, upon the harp H3658 will I praise H3034 thee, O God H430 my God. H430
5 Why art thou cast down, H7817 O my soul? H5315 and why art thou disquieted H1993 within me? hope H3176 in God: H430 for I shall yet praise H3034 him, who is the health H3444 of my countenance, H6440 and my God. H430
1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: Oh deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.
2 For thou art the God of my strength; why hast thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me: Let them bring me unto thy holy hill, And to thy tabernacles.
4 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.
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, `Who is' the help of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 44 For the Chief Musician. `A Psalm' of the sons of Korah. Maschil.
1 Judge me, O God, And plead my cause against a nation not pious, From a man of deceit and perverseness Thou dost deliver me,
2 For thou `art' the God of my strength. Why hast Thou cast me off? Why mourning do I go up and down, In the oppression of an enemy?
3 Send forth Thy light and Thy truth, They -- they lead me, they bring me in, Unto Thy holy hill, and unto Thy tabernacles.
4 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.
5 What! bowest thou thyself, O my soul? And what! art thou troubled within me? Wait for God, for still I confess Him, The salvation of my countenance, and my God!
1 Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; deliver me from the deceitful and unrighteous man.
2 For thou art the God of my strength: why hast thou cast me off? why go I about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Send out thy light and thy truth: *they* shall lead me, *they* shall bring me to thy holy mount, and unto thy habitations.
4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto the ùGod of the gladness of my joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.
5 Why art thou cast down, my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God; for I shall yet praise him, [who is] the health of my countenance, and my God.
1 Vindicate me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Oh, deliver me from deceitful and wicked men.
2 For you are the God of my strength. Why have you rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 Oh, send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy hill, To your tents.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God, To God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you on the harp, God, my God.
5 Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him: My Savior, my helper, and my God.
1 Be my judge, O God, supporting my cause against a nation without religion; O keep me from the false and evil man.
2 You are the God of my strength; why have you put me from you? why do I go in sorrow because of the attacks of my haters?
3 O send out your light and your true word; let them be my guide: let them take me to your holy hill, and to your tents.
4 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.
5 Why are you crushed down, O my soul? and why are you troubled in me? put your hope in God, for I will again give him praise who is my help and my God.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Psalms 43
Commentary on Psalms 43 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 43
This psalm is without a title; but may well enough be thought to be one of David's: and the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, Ethiopic, and Syriac versions, call it a psalm of David, and the latter adds, when Jonathan told him that Saul intended to kill him; and certain it is, that it was wrote by the same person, at the same time, and upon the same occasion as the preceding, seeing some of the same expressions are used in it, see Psalm 42:1, title; and some take this and the preceding to be but one psalm, and this might be written with that on account of the rebellion of his son Absalom.
Judge me, O God,.... The Targum adds, with the judgment of truth; see Romans 2:2;
and plead my cause; which was a righteous one; and therefore he could commit it to God to be tried and judged by him, and could put it into his hands to plead it for him; See Gill on Psalm 35:1;
against an ungodly nation; meaning either the Philistines, among whom he was; or his own nation, when they joined his son Absalom in rebellion against him: some understand it of the great numbers that were with Saul, when he was persecuted by him;
O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man; either Absalom, who, under pretence of a vow he had vowed in Hebron, got leave of David to go thither, and then engaged in a conspiracy against him; or Ahithophel, who had been his friend and acquaintance, but now joined with Absalom. It is true of Saul, who, under pretence of friendship, sought his ruin, and to whom he expressed himself almost in the same words here used; see 1 Samuel 18:17.
For thou art the God of my strength,.... Who being the strong and mighty God was able to deliver and save him, as well as to plead his cause; and was the author and giver of strength, natural and spiritual, to him; and was the strength of his heart, life and salvation; and is a good reason why he committed his cause unto him;
why doest thou cast me off? this is the language of unbelief: it being what was not in reality, only in appearance: the psalmist was ready to conclude he was cast off and rejected of God, because he was afflicted and left in a desolate condition by him, and he did not immediately arise to his help and deliverance, and had withdrawn the light of his countenance from him; but God does not cast off or reject any of his people; they always continue in his love, and in his covenant, and in the hands of his Son; they are always in his sight and family, and shall never perish eternally; and whoever casts them off, or casts them out, he will not;
why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? See Gill on Psalm 42:9.
O send out thy light and thy truth,.... By light is meant, not the law, as Arama; but rather, as some JewishF16Midrash Tillim, & Jarchi, in loc. interpreters understand it, the Messiah, the sun of righteousness, and light of the world; who is the author of all light, natural, spiritual, and eternal; and whose coming into the world is often signified by being sent into it. The Spirit of God also is the enlightener of men, both at first conversion and afterwards, and is sent down into their hearts as a comforter of them, by being the Spirit of adoption. The Gospel of Christ is a great and glorious light, which, with the Holy Ghost, is sent down from heaven; though perhaps here rather may be meant the light of God's countenance, the discoveries of his favour and lovingkindness, which produce light, life, joy, peace, and comfort: and by "truth" may be meant, either Christ himself, who is the truth; or the Gospel the word of truth; or rather the faithfulness of God in the fulfilment of his promises; and so the words are a petition that God would show forth his lovingkindness, and make good his word, which would be of the following use:
let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles; that is, to the place of public worship, where the tabernacle was, the "hill" where it was, which seems to be Mount Zion; and is called "holy"; not that there was any real holiness in it; only relative, because of the worship of God in it; and the "tabernacle" is called "tabernacles", because of the holy place and the most holy place in it; the one being the first, the other the second tabernacle, as in Hebrews 9:2; and this hill and tabernacles represented the church and ordinances of God, to which such who are possessed of light and truth are led.
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.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul?.... See Gill on Psalm 42:5 and See Gill on Psalm 42:11.