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Book II
Psalms 42–72

Psalms 42 & 43

An Exile’s Prayer: Why Are You Cast Down?[a]

Heading

For the choir director. A maskil[b] by the Sons of Korah.[c]

Longing for the Temple

As a doe pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and appear before God?[d]
My tears have been food for me day and night,
while people are saying to me all day,
“Where is your God?”

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 42:1 These two psalms are treated as a unit since they are united by a common theme, a common refrain, and a single heading.
  2. Psalm 42:1 Maskil is a musical term of uncertain meaning. It may be a skillful song or a song that gives wisdom. This form is used also in Psalms 44 and 45.
  3. Psalm 42:1 The Sons of Korah were a group of levitical musicians, who apparently were descendants of the Korah who rebelled against Moses. In this section of Psalms, Psalms 42–49 were written by them.
  4. Psalm 42:2 A different reading of the Hebrew verb yields the translation see the face of God.