| Psalm 42 | |
|---|---|
| "As the hart panteth after the water brooks" | |
| Hymn psalm | |
 Psalm 42 inLes Très Riches Heures du duc de Berry (fol. 97v), with an illustration of a drinking hart | |
| Other name |
|
| Language | Hebrew (original) |
Psalm 42 is the 42nd psalm of theBook of Psalms, often known in English by itsincipit, "As the hart panteth after the water brooks" (in theKing James Version). The Book of Psalms is part of thethird section of theHebrew Bible, and a book of theChristianOld Testament. In the Hebrew Bible, Psalm 42 opens thesecond of the five books (divisions) of Psalms,[1] also known as the "Elohistic Psalter" because the wordYHWH is rarely used and God is generally referred to as "Elohim".[2]
In the slightly different numbering system used in the GreekSeptuagint version of the bible, and generally in its Latin translations, this psalm isPsalm 41, although theNova Vulgata translation follows the Hebrew numbering.[3] The psalm is ahymn psalm. It is one of twelve psalms attributed to thesons of Korah.
In Latin, its incipit in thePsalterium Gallicanum (the version in theRoman Breviary until the optional introduction of theVersio Piana in 1945) isQuemadmodum desiderat cervus;[4] butSicut cervus in thePsalterium Romanum. It begins "As pants the hart" in the English metrical version byTate and Brady (1696) and inCoverdale's translation in theBook of Common Prayer, "Like as the hart".
The psalm forms a regular part ofJewish,Catholic,Lutheran,Anglican and other Protestant liturgies and has often been set to music, notably in Palestrina'sSicut cervus, Handel'sAs pants the hart and Mendelssohn'sPsalm 42.
While the psalm is attributed to the "sons of Korah", the text is written in thefirst 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 thetemple ofGod and expresses his desire for the renewal of thedivine 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 bySaul or because ofAbsalom's revolt.[7]
Some ancient Hebrew manuscripts have this Psalm combined withPsalm 43,[8] and C. S. Rodd argues on account of "similarities of thought and language" that these two psalms were originally one.[9]
TheSeptuagint rendering of some words in verse 5[note 1] shows close resemblance to the words ofJesus during theAgony in the Garden[note 2] as recorded inMatthew26:38[10] orMark14:34.[11][12][13] A part of the next verse[note 3] in Greek also resembles what was spoken by Jesus during the same event,[note 4] according toJohn12:27.[14][15]
Sephardi Jews recite Psalm 42 on the first and second nights ofSukkot prior to theevening prayer.[16] Those who follow the custom of theGra say Psalm 42 as theSong of the Day on the second day of Sukkot.[17]
Verse 2 is said duringSelichot.[17]
Psalm 42 is one of the ten Psalms of theTikkun HaKlali of RebbeNachman of Breslov.[18][19]
This psalm is traditionally recited as a prayer for the end of the exile, and "to find favor in the eyes of others".[20]
In his discourse on this psalm, SaintAugustine of Hippo says that it corresponds to the longings of the Church.[21][22]
In theRule of St. Benedict (530)[23][24] this psalm was the fourth of those assigned to the second nocturn of Mondaymatins.[25] In theRoman Breviary promulgated byPope Pius V in 1568, it is the fourth in Tuesday matins. In the 1911Reform of the Roman Breviary by Pope Pius X, it appears, divided into two parts, in Tuesdaysext. In the post-Vatican IILiturgy of the Hours it is the first psalm inlauds on the Monday of the second of the four weeks over which the psalter is spread. In theRoman Missal, theresponsorial psalm sung after a reading is several times composed of verses from this psalm, as at theEaster Vigil and at Masses for the Dead.
In the Church of England'sBook 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.[26]
Musical settings of the psalm include:
K'ayal ta'arog (As the hart pants, verses 2–3) is a popular Jewish song.[30] An earlyHasidicnigun was composed by the firstLubavitcher Rebbe, RabbiShneur Zalman of Liadi. The third Lubavitcher Rebbe, RabbiMenachem Mendel Schneersohn (the Tzemach Tzedek) also composed a melody for it.[31]
The following table shows the Hebrew text[33][34] of the Psalm with vowels, alongside theKoine Greek text in theSeptuagint[35] and the English translation from theKing James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and theMasoretic text come from different textual traditions.[note 5] In the Septuagint, this psalm is numbered Psalm 41.
| # | Hebrew | English | Greek |
|---|---|---|---|
| [a] | לַמְנַצֵּ֗חַ מַשְׂכִּ֥יל לִבְנֵי־קֹֽרַח׃ | (To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah.) | Εἰς τὸ τέλος· εἰς σύνεσιν τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορέ. - |
| 1 | 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. | ΟΝ ΤΡΟΠΟΝ ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, οὕτως ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου πρός σέ, ὁ Θεός. |
| 2 | 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? | ἐδίψησεν ἡ ψυχή μου πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν τὸν ζῶντα· πότε ἥξω καὶ ὀφθήσομαι τῷ προσώπῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ; |
| 3 | הָיְתָה־לִּ֬י דִמְעָתִ֣י לֶ֭חֶם יוֹמָ֣ם וָלָ֑יְלָה בֶּאֱמֹ֥ר אֵלַ֥י כׇּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ | My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? | ἐγενήθη τὰ δάκρυά μου ἐμοὶ ἄρτος ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς ἐν τῷ λέγεσθαί μοι καθ᾿ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν· ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός σου; |
| 4 | אֵ֤לֶּה אֶזְכְּרָ֨ה ׀ וְאֶשְׁפְּכָ֬ה עָלַ֨י ׀ נַפְשִׁ֗י כִּ֤י אֶעֱבֹ֨ר ׀ בַּסָּךְ֮ אֶדַּדֵּ֗ם עַד־בֵּ֥ית אֱלֹ֫הִ֥ים בְּקוֹל־רִנָּ֥ה וְתוֹדָ֗ה הָמ֥וֹן חוֹגֵֽ ג׃ | 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 voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. | ταῦτα ἐμνήσθην καὶ ἐξέχεα ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ τὴν ψυχήν μου, ὅτι διελεύσομαι ἐν τόπῳ σκηνῆς θαυμαστῆς ἕως τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως ἤχου ἑορτάζοντος. |
| 5 | מַה־תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י ׀ נַפְשִׁי֮ וַתֶּהֱמִ֢י עָ֫לָ֥י הוֹחִ֣לִי לֵ֭אלֹהִים כִּי־ע֥וֹד אוֹדֶ֗נּוּ יְשׁוּע֥וֹת פָּנָֽיו׃ | Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance. | ἱνατί περίλυπος εἶ, ἡ ψυχή μου, καὶ ἱνατί συνταράσσεις με; ἔλπισον ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν, ὅτι ἐξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ· σωτήριον τοῦ προσώπου μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου. |
| 6 | אֱלֹהַ֗י עָלַי֮ נַפְשִׁ֢י תִשְׁתּ֫וֹחָ֥ח עַל־כֵּ֗ן אֶ֭זְכׇּרְךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ יַרְדֵּ֑ן וְ֝חֶרְמוֹנִ֗ים מֵהַ֥ר מִצְעָֽר׃ | O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. | πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν ἡ ψυχή μου ἐταράχθη· διὰ τοῦτο μνησθήσομαί σου ἐκ γῆς ᾿Ιορδάνου καὶ ᾿Ερμωνιείμ, ἀπὸ ὄρους μικροῦ. |
| 7 | תְּהוֹם־אֶל־תְּה֣וֹם ק֭וֹרֵא לְק֣וֹל צִנּוֹרֶ֑יךָ כׇּֽל־מִשְׁבָּרֶ֥יךָ וְ֝גַלֶּ֗יךָ עָלַ֥י עָבָֽרוּ׃ | Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. | ἄβυσσος ἄβυσσον ἐπικαλεῖται εἰς φωνὴν τῶν καταῤῥακτῶν σου, πάντες οἱ μετεωρισμοί σου καὶ τὰ κύματά σου ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ διῆλθον. |
| 8 | יוֹמָ֤ם ׀ יְצַוֶּ֬ה יְהֹוָ֨ה ׀ חַסְדּ֗וֹ וּ֭בַלַּיְלָה שִׁירֹ֣ה עִמִּ֑י תְּ֝פִלָּ֗ה לְאֵ֣ל חַיָּֽי׃ | Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. | ἡμέρας ἐντελεῖται Κύριος τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ, καὶ νυκτὸς ᾠδὴ αὐτῷ παρ᾿ ἐμοί, προσευχὴ τῷ Θεῷ τῆς ζωῆς μου. |
| 9 | 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 because of the oppression of the enemy? | ἐρῶ τῷ Θεῷ· ἀντιλήπτωρ μου εἶ· διατί μου ἐπελάθου; καὶ ἱνατί σκυθρωπάζων πορεύομαι ἐν τῷ ἐκθλίβειν τὸν ἐχθρόν μου; |
| 10 | בְּרֶ֤צַח ׀ בְּֽעַצְמוֹתַ֗י חֵרְפ֥וּנִי צוֹרְרָ֑י בְּאׇמְרָ֥ם אֵלַ֥י כׇּל־הַ֝יּ֗וֹם אַיֵּ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ | As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? | ἐν τῷ καταθλᾶσθαι τὰ ὀστᾶ μου ὠνείδιζόν με οἱ ἐχθροί μου, ἐν τῷ λέγειν αὐτούς μοι καθ᾿ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν· Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός σου; |
| 11 | מַה־תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י ׀ נַפְשִׁי֮ וּֽמַה־תֶּהֱמִ֢י עָ֫לָ֥י הוֹחִ֣ילִי לֵ֭אלֹהִים כִּי־ע֣וֹד אוֹדֶ֑נּוּ יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת פָּ֝נַ֗י וֵאלֹהָֽי׃ | 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. | ἱνατί περίλυπος εἶ, ἡ ψυχή μου; καὶ ἱνατί συνταράσσεις με; ἔλπισον ἐπὶ τὸν Θεόν, ὅτι ἐξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ· σωτήριον τοῦ προσώπου μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου. |
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".[36]
