Salt meats, but healthful to the soul. - Webster's Bible As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God. Giro him his God and he is as content as the poor deer which at length slakes its thirst and is perfectly happy; but deny him his Lord, and his heart heaves, his bosom palpitates, his whole frame is convulsed, like one who gasps for breath, or pants with long running. Cruel taunts come naturally from coward minds. By David, when he was banished from the house of God, either by Saul’s tyranny, or by Absalom’s rebellion; or, 2. panteth—desires in a state of exhaustion. "With the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday." Nothing is more grievous to the gracious soul than that which is intended to shake its hope and confidence in God. Ps 42:1-11. Dear reader, dost thou know what this is, by personally having felt the same? As the hart (deer) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. How changed his present place! 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God? "When shall I come and appear before God?" 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God? By 'water-brooks' are meant the streams that run in vallies. Far away from such goodly company the holy man pictures the sacred scene and dwells upon the details of the pious march. (Psalm 42:1) The Question "What do you want more than anything else in the world?" 42:1). So sensible am I of want; so much does my soul need something that can satisfy its desires. Painful reflections were awakened by the memory of past joys; he had mingled in the pious throng, their numbers had helped to give him exhilaration and to awaken holy delight, their company had been a charm to him as with them he ascended the hill of Zion. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? As the hart panteth after the water brooks - The hart is not only fond of feeding near some water for the benefit of drinking, "but when he is hard hunted, and nearly spent, he will take to some river or brook, in which," says Tuberville, "he will keep as long as his breath will suffer him. The next best thing to living in the light of the Lord's love is to be unhappy till we have it, and to pant hourly after it - hourly, did I say? We may learn from this verse that the eagerness of our desires may be pleaded with God, and the more so, because there are special promises for the importunate and fervent. “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.” Psa 42:1. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: 'When shall I come and appear before God?' It was composed either, 1. "For the living God." 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 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. As the big tears stand in the stag's eyes in her distress, so did the salt drops glitter in the eyes of David. ; for the priests in white linen, soldiers in garments of war; for the song, the sneer of blasphemy; for the festivity, lamentation; for joy in the Lord, a mournful dirge over his absence. Yet why let reflections so gloomy engross us, since the result is of no value: merely to turn the soul on itself, to empty it from itself into itself is useless, how much better to pour out the heart before the Lord! They had better have thrust needles into his eyes than have darted insinuations against his God. Yet why let reflections so gloomy engross us, since the result is of no value: merely to turn the soul on itself, to empty it from itself into itself is useless, how much better to pour out the heart before the Lord! Dear reader, dost thou know what this is, by personally having felt the same? Ease he did not seek, honour he did not covet, but the enjoyment of communion with God was an urgent need of his soul; he viewed it not merely as the sweetest of all luxuries, but as an absolute necessity, like water to a stag. Psalm 42 1 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. The question is always there. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God." "When shall I come and appear before God?" 3. Understand the meaning of Psalms 42:1 using all available Bible versions and commentary. hart “ panteth ” תַּעֲרֹ֥ג: To long for: panteth “ after ” עַל: Above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications: after “ the water ” מָ֑יִם: Water; figuratively, juice; by euphemism, urine, semen: water “ brooks, ” אֲפִֽיקֵי Ps 42:1-11. As the hart brays so his soul prays. The wicked know that our worst misfortune would be to lose God's favour, hence their diabolical malice leads them-to declare that such is the case. Harts are stags or male deer whereas hinds are female deer. (e) Sept. & Symmachus apud Drusium. "For I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God." Gently proceeding with holy ease, in comely procession, with frequent strains of song, he and the people of Jehovah had marched in reverent ranks up to the shrine of sacrifice, the dear abode of peace and holiness. These are so timid, so gentle, so delicate in their structure, so much the natural objects of love and compassion, that our feelings are drawn toward them as to all other animals in similar circumstances. They are still found in Palestine (Tristram, ' Land of Israel,' pp. His appetite was gone, his tears not only seasoned his meat, but became his only meat, he had no mind for other diet. As after a long drought the poor fainting hind longs for the streams, or rather as the hunted hart instinctively seeks after the river to lave its smoking flanks and to escape the dogs, even so my weary, persecuted soul pants after the Lord my God. "To see the face of God" is the nearer translation of the Hebrew; but the two ideas may be combined - he would see his God and be seen of him; this is worth thirsting after! This was at first applied to the case of one who was cut off from the privileges of public worship, and who was driven into exile far from the place where he had been accustomed to unite with others in that service Psalm 42:4; but it will also express the deep and earnest feelings of the heart of piety at all times, and in all circumstances, in regard to God. 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? It is the idea of looking for, longing for, desiring, that is expressed there. Psalm 42 As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. The festive noise is in his ears, and the solemn dance before his eyes. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. As the hart pants after the water brooks, so pants my soul after you, O God. Painful reflections were awakened by the memory of past joys; he had mingled in the pious throng, their numbers had helped to give him exhilaration and to awaken holy delight, their company had been a charm to him as with them he ascended the hill of Zion.