1 To the chiefe Musician, Maschil, for the sonnes of Korah. As the Hart panteth after the water brookes, so panteth my soule after thee, O God.
2 My soule thirsteth for God, for the liuing God: when shall I come and appeare before God?
3 My teares haue bene my meate day and night; while they continually say vnto me, Where is thy God?
4 When I remember these things, I powre out my soule in mee; for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God; with the voyce of ioy and praise, with a multitude that kept holy day.
5 Why art thou cast downe, O my soule, and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance.
6 O my God, my soule is cast downe within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Iordane, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Missar.
7 Deepe calleth vnto deepe at the noyse of thy water-spouts: all thy waues, and thy billowes are gone ouer me.
8 Yet the Lord will command his louing kindnes in the day time, and in the night his song shalbe with me, and my prayer vnto the God of my life.
9 I will say vnto God, My rocke, why hast thou forgotten me? why goe I mourning, because of the oppression of the enemy?
10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproch mee: while they say dayly vnto me, Where is thy God?
11 Why art thou cast downe, O my soule? 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.
The conflict in the soul of a believer.
1-5 The psalmist looked to the Lord as his chief good, and set his heart upon him accordingly; casting anchor thus at first, he rides out the storm. A gracious soul can take little satisfaction in God's courts, if it do not meet with God himself there. Living souls never can take up their rest any where short of a living God. To appear before the Lord is the desire of the upright, as it is the dread of the hypocrite. Nothing is more grievous to a gracious soul, than what is intended to shake its confidence in the Lord. It was not the remembrance of the pleasures of his court that afflicted David; but the remembrance of the free access he formerly had to God's house, and his pleasure in attending there. Those that commune much with their own hearts, will often have to chide them. See the cure of sorrow. When the soul rests on itself, it sinks; if it catches hold on the power and promise of God, the head is kept above the billows. And what is our support under present woes but this, that we shall have comfort in Him. We have great cause to mourn for sin; but being cast down springs from unbelief and a rebellious will; we should therefore strive and pray against it.
6-11 The way to forget our miseries, is to remember the God of our mercies. David saw troubles coming from God's wrath, and that discouraged him. But if one trouble follow hard after another, if all seem to combine for our ruin, let us remember they are all appointed and overruled by the Lord. David regards the Divine favour as the fountain of all the good he looked for. In the Saviour's name let us hope and pray. One word from him will calm every storm, and turn midnight darkness into the light of noon, the bitterest complaints into joyful praises. Our believing expectation of mercy must quicken our prayers for it. At length, is faith came off conqueror, by encouraging him to trust in the name of the Lord, and to stay himself upon his God. He adds, And my God; this thought enabled him to triumph over all his griefs and fears. Let us never think that the God of our life, and the Rock of our salvation, has forgotten us, if we have made his mercy, truth, and power, our refuge. Thus the psalmist strove against his despondency: at last his faith and hope obtained the victory. Let us learn to check all unbelieving doubts and fears. Apply the promise first to ourselves, and then plead it to God.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.