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Psalm 42 | |
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"As the hart panteth after the water brooks" | |
Hymn psalm | |
Other name |
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Language | Hebrew (original) |
Psalm 42 is the 42nd psalm of the Book of Psalms, often known in English by its incipit, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks" (in the King James Version). The Book of Psalms is part of the third section of the Hebrew Bible, and a book of the Christian Old Testament. In the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 42 opens the second of the five books (divisions) of Psalms,[1] also known as the "Elohistic Psalter" because the word YHWH is rarely used and God is generally referred to as "Elohim".[2]
In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint version of the bible, and generally in its Latin translations, this psalm is Psalm 41, although the Nova Vulgata translation follows the Hebrew numbering.[3] The psalm is a hymn psalm. It is one of twelve psalms attributed to the sons of Korah.
In Latin, its incipit in the Psalterium Gallicanum (the version in the Roman Breviary until the optional introduction of the Versio Piana in 1945) is Quemadmodum desiderat cervus;[4] but Sicut cervus in the Psalterium Romanum. It begins "As pants the hart" in the English metrical version by Tate and Brady (1696) and in Coverdale's translation in the Book of Common Prayer, "Like as the hart".
The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies and has often been set to music, notably in Palestrina's Sicut cervus, Handel's As pants the hart and Mendelssohn's Psalm 42.
While the psalm is attributed to the "sons of Korah", the text is written in the first person singular.[5] The psalm can be divided into two parts, each ending with the same line (verses 6 and 12 in the Hebrew).[6]
The psalmist bemoans all the troubles he has endured in his exile and prays for salvation.[5] He laments his remoteness from the temple of God and expresses his desire for the renewal of the divine presence.[6] Matthew Henry speculates that David might have composed this psalm when he was prevented from returning to the sanctuary in Jerusalem, either due to persecution by Saul or because of Absalom's revolt.[7]
Some ancient Hebrew manuscripts have this Psalm combined with Psalm 43,[8] and C. S. Rodd argues on account of "similarities of thought and language" that these two psalms were originally one.[9]
The following table shows the Hebrew text[10][11] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).
Verse | Hebrew | English translation (JPS 1917) |
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1 | לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לִבְנֵי־קֹֽרַח׃ | For the Leader; Maschil of the sons of Korah. |
2 | כְּאַיָּ֗ל תַּעֲרֹ֥ג עַל־אֲפִֽיקֵי־מָ֑יִם כֵּ֤ן נַפְשִׁ֨י תַעֲרֹ֖ג אֵלֶ֣יךָ אֱלֹהִֽים׃ | As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. |
3 | צָמְאָ֬ה נַפְשִׁ֨י ׀ לֵאלֹהִים֮ לְאֵ֢ל חָ֥֫י מָתַ֥י אָב֑וֹא וְ֝אֵרָאֶ֗ה פְּנֵ֣י אֱלֹהִֽים׃ | My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: 'When shall I come and appear before God?' |
4 | הָיְתָה־לִּ֬י דִמְעָתִ֣י לֶ֭חֶם יוֹמָ֣ם וָלָ֑יְלָה בֶּאֱמֹ֥ר אֵלַ֥י כׇּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ | My tears have been my food day and night, while they say unto me all the day: 'Where is Thy God?' |
5 | אֵ֤לֶּה אֶזְכְּרָ֨ה ׀ וְאֶשְׁפְּכָ֬ה עָלַ֨י ׀ נַפְשִׁ֗י כִּ֤י אֶעֱבֹ֨ר ׀ בַּסָּךְ֮ אֶדַּדֵּ֗ם עַד־בֵּ֥ית אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים בְּקוֹל־רִנָּ֥ה וְתוֹדָ֗ה הָמ֥וֹן חוֹגֵֽג׃ | These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I passed on with the throng, and led them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping holyday. |
6 | מַה־תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י ׀ נַפְשִׁי֮ וַתֶּהֱמִ֢י עָ֫לָ֥י הוֹחִ֣לִי לֵ֭אלֹהִים כִּי־ע֥וֹד אוֹדֶ֗נּוּ יְשׁוּע֥וֹת פָּנָֽיו׃ | Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why moanest thou within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him for the salvation of His countenance. |
7 | אֱלֹהַ֗י עָלַי֮ נַפְשִׁ֢י תִשְׁתּ֫וֹחָ֥ח עַל־כֵּ֗ן אֶ֭זְכׇּרְךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ יַרְדֵּ֑ן וְ֝חֶרְמוֹנִ֗ים מֵהַ֥ר מִצְעָֽר׃ | O my God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore do I remember Thee from the land of Jordan, and the Hermons, from the hill Mizar. |
8 | תְּהוֹם־אֶל־תְּה֣וֹם ק֭וֹרֵא לְק֣וֹל צִנּוֹרֶ֑יךָ כׇּֽל־מִשְׁבָּרֶ֥יךָ וְ֝גַלֶּ֗יךָ עָלַ֥י עָבָֽרוּ׃ | Deep calleth unto deep at the voice of Thy cataracts; all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me. |
9 | יוֹמָ֤ם ׀ יְצַוֶּ֬ה יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ חַסְדּ֗וֹ וּ֭בַלַּיְלָה שִׁירֹ֣ה עִמִּ֑י תְּ֝פִלָּ֗ה לְאֵ֣ל חַיָּֽי׃ | By day the LORD will command His lovingkindness, and in the night His song shall be with me, even a prayer unto the God of my life. |
10 | אוֹמְרָ֤ה ׀ לְאֵ֥ל סַלְעִי֮ לָמָ֢ה שְׁכַ֫חְתָּ֥נִי לָֽמָּה־קֹדֵ֥ר אֵלֵ֗ךְ בְּלַ֣חַץ אוֹיֵֽב׃ | I will say unto God my Rock: 'Why hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning under the oppression of the enemy?' |
11 | בְּרֶ֤צַח ׀ בְּֽעַצְמוֹתַ֗י חֵרְפ֥וּנִי צוֹרְרָ֑י בְּאׇמְרָ֥ם אֵלַ֥י כׇּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ | As with a crushing in my bones, mine adversaries taunt me; while they say unto me all the day: 'Where is Thy God?' |
12 | מַה־תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י ׀ נַפְשִׁי֮ וּֽמַה־תֶּהֱמִ֢י עָ֫לָ֥י הוֹחִ֣ילִי לֵ֭אלֹהִים כִּי־ע֣וֹד אוֹדֶ֑נּוּ יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת פָּ֝נַ֗י וֵאלֹהָֽי׃ | Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why moanest thou within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the salvation of my countenance, and my God. |
The interpretation of the psalm's opening has been disputed for centuries. Jonathan Nathan argues that the traditional translation ("As the hart panteth after the water brooks") is based on an ancient but unsupported guess about the meaning of the rare Hebrew word תַּעֲרֹג. A better interpretation might be: "As you [God] turn a deer towards streams of water, so do you turn my soul towards yourself".[12]
Sephardi Jews recite Psalm 42 on the first and second nights of Sukkot prior to the evening prayer.[13] Those who follow the custom of the Gra say Psalm 42 as the Song of the Day on the second day of Sukkot.[14]
Verse 2 is said during Selichot.[14]
Psalm 42 is one of the ten Psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov.[15][16]
This psalm is traditionally recited as a prayer for the end of the exile, and "to find favor in the eyes of others".[17]
The Septuagint rendering of some words in verse 5[note 1] shows close resemblance to the words of Jesus during the Agony in the Garden[note 2] as recorded in Matthew 26:38[18] or Mark 14:34.[19][20][21] A part of the next verse[note 3] in Greek also resembles what was spoken by Jesus during the same event,[note 4] according to John 12:27.[22][23]
In his discourse on this psalm, Saint Augustine of Hippo says that it corresponds to the longings of the Church.[24][25]
In the Rule of St. Benedict (530)[26][27] this psalm was the fourth of those assigned to the second nocturn of Monday matins.[28] In the Roman Breviary promulgated by Pope Pius V in 1568, it is the fourth in Tuesday matins. In the 1911 Reform of the Roman Breviary by Pope Pius X, it appears, divided into two parts, in Tuesday sext. In the post-Vatican II Liturgy of the Hours it is the first psalm in lauds on the Monday of the second of the four weeks over which the psalter is spread. In the Roman Missal, the responsorial psalm sung after a reading is several times composed of verses from this psalm, as at the Easter Vigil and at Masses for the Dead.
In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, the text begins "Like as a hart". The psalm is appointed to be read on the evening of the eighth day of the month.[29]
Musical settings of the psalm include:
K'ayal ta'arog (As the hart pants, verses 2–3) is a popular Jewish song.[33] An early Hasidic nigun was composed by the first Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. The third Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (the Tzemach Tzedek) also composed a melody for it.[34]