CANDLER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

TIME WILL TELL FOR THE PSALMIST:

AN EXEGETICAL ANALYSIS OF PSALM 42/43

SUBMITTED TO DR. JOEL M. LEMONIN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF

OT502: INTERPRETATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT II

BY2082248

APRIL 10, 2014

INTRODUCTION

Reading and analyzing the structure of the Psalms allows for greater understanding of the

messages that are driving the text. Structural analysis reveals a variety of ideas, patterns, and

themes that constitute the psalm’s message. However, historical context is the most important

aspect for uncovering the text’s original meaning—that is, what the text meant in its ancient

setting. Focusing on Psalm 42 and 431 and the historical context, I argue that the psalmist is

among the exilic community in Babylon feeling distant from God and wanting to soon return to

the temple in Jerusalem, but remaining faithful and having hope in God. Thus, Psalm 42/43

employs metaphorical language to describe the psalmist’s constant longing for God, but utilizes

the aspect of time—remembering the past, acknowledging the present, and having hope for the

future—and use of a refrain to characterize the psalmist’s state as one of hope and anticipation

for returning to the temple in Jerusalem. To elucidate this claim, I will, throughout the course of

this paper, focus on three distinct sections in Psalm 42/43, examining its use of metaphor and

powerful imagery, evocative description of the past, present, and future, and the refrain, which

functions as the psalmist’s faithful question and recognition of hope. First, however, I will

present a structural outline of Psalm 42/43, discuss its form, and identify key points in the text.

1 Though they are divided into two, Psalm 42 and 43 are most often read as one unit due to similar language and themes, the refrain in 42.5, 11 and 43.5, and the lack of heading for Psalm 43 in most translations. I argue Psalm 42 and 43 should be read as one unit and when referring to it throughout this paper it will be written as 42/43. The translation being used for this exegesis is the New Revised Standard Version.

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I. 42.1-5: The psalmist remembering the pasta. The psalmist longing for God in vv.1-3

i. Imagery of water and thirst b. Remembering the past in v.4 c. Refrain in v.5

i. Use of the word ׁש�חח in the Hithpolel stemII. 42.6-11: The psalmist acknowledging the present

a. The psalmist being faithful to God in the present b. Acknowledging the present in vv.9-10c. Refrain in v.11

i. Use of the word ׁש�חח in the Hithpolel stemIII. 43.1-5: The psalmist having hope for the future

a. Addressing God and asking faithful questionb. Having hope for the future in vv.3-4c. Refrain in v.5

i. Use of the word ׁש�חח in the Hithpolel stem

Using dramatic imagery, Psalm 42/43 reflects the psalmist’s experience in exile by

portraying the psalmist as faithful and having hope, coming to God for both questions and

affirmations, laments and praises. This contrast between question and affirmation, lament and

praise, occurs throughout Psalm 42/43 and binds the two together in a more literary way, since

the psalmist feels forgotten while not forgetting to be faithful to God. Nevertheless, the contrast

between lament and praise is ultimately what sets this psalm apart.2 While it begins Book II of

the five books, analogous to the Torah, Psalm 42/43 also begins to use “God” (Elohim) more

commonly than “the Lord” (Yahweh).3 Lastly, Psalm 42/43 begins with a superscription

designating it for the Korahites, a group of Levite temple singers.4

The aspect of time, as I argue, is the organizing frame of Psalm 42/43. The psalm

employs powerful analogies in the first section, remarkable depictions in the second, and explicit

22 Some scholars suggest that Psalm 42 should be read as a lament and Psalm 43 as a direct petition, but that both Psalm 42 and 43 should still be regarded as a single unit. I argue that the themes and language interwoven throughout both psalms distinguishes them as a single unit, to be read together as one.

33 John Eaton, The Psalms: A Historical and Spiritual Commentary with an Introduction and New Translation (New York: T&T Clark, 2003), 179.

44 See 2 Chr 20.19

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imperatives in the third, adding to the dramatic reading of the psalmist’s despair and hope. And

the refrain, which concludes each section, reminds the reader that the psalmist is more hopeful

than not. Interestingly, the only occurrences of ׁש�חח in the Hithpolel stem are found in Psalm

42/43. I will explain the importance of this in the following section.

TEXT AND INTERPRETATION

42.1-5: The Psalmist Remembering the Past

The psalmist begins, in the first three verses, by alluding to and describing the distance from God

that is being experienced, a distance so tremendous that the psalmist relates to a deer that longs

for water, an absolute necessity. The psalmist’s soul thirsts for God, making the deity an

essential part of life for the psalmist. But in the midst of feeling alone and perhaps desperate, the

psalmist is confident; the psalmist’s soul thirsts for not just any God, but the living God. Once

the psalmist says this and thinks of the living God, the question arises in the psalmists mind:

“When shall I come and behold the face of God?” The consonantal Hebrew text of this verse

could also mean, “When shall I come to see God,” making the question feel more direct and

desirable. Following this cry, the psalmist, again using the water motif, describes the reality of

life in exile and the emotional distress of being distant from God.

The aspect of time in the past tense appears first in verse 4, as the psalmist thinks of

walking with the crowd and going to the House of God with joyous shouts of praise.5 The

psalmist is distant from God and from the temple; what the psalmist must do is retrieve

memories. Glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving encourage the psalmist, particularly in a place

55 I prefer the JPS translation of this verse because it is supplied as a response to the previous verse; the psalmist is thinking of the past in response to the people asking, “Where is your God?”

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where they occur less often. With undertones of encouragement and hope, verse 4 and the refrain

connect. In response to this wonderful memory, the psalmist, having no explanation for the

despair of his/her soul, insists on keeping hope in God.

Being a significant feature of the psalm, I must return to and elaborate on the earlier

mention of ׁש�חח occurring in the Hithpolel stem in Psalm 42/43. When ׁש�חח occurs throughout

the Hebrew Bible in books besides Psalms, it is used either in the Qal, Niphal, or Hiphil; while

there is a wide variety of meaning, ׁש�חח, in the Psalms, conveys a sense of mourning or despair.

In dealing with Psalm 42/43, one finds that the only occurrences of ׁש�חח in the Hithpolel are

found in Psalm 42/43; thus, there is something distinctive about ׁש�חח occurring only in the

Hithpolel stem only in Psalm 42/43.6 As Waltke and O’Connor note in An Introduction to

Biblical Hebrew Syntax, the Hithpael stem, with its morphological complexities, is the reflexive-

reciprocal counterpart of the Piel stem and has a number of variants, one being the attested

Hithpolel stem.7 This variant is one of geminate roots (ׁש�חח) and whatever its counterpart, its

primary use is reflexive or reciprocal.8 Thus, the occurrences of ׁש�חח in the Hithpolel stem—

given its primary meaning but variability in translation—in Psalm 42/43 demonstrate the

psalmist being directly reflexive of him/herself and the despair and silence of his/her soul. For

this reason, the refrain, characterizes the psalmist as being faithful to him/herself and God.

66 BDB 1005d. In the Qal: to be bowed down, prostrated, humbled; to bow (in homage); to bow (of mourner); to crouch (of wild beast in lair). In the Niphal: to be prostrated, humbled; to be reduced, weakened. In the Hiphal: to prostrate, lay low (city, walls, etc.). In the Hithpolel: to be cast down, despairing.

77 Bruce K. Waltke and M. O’Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (Winona Lake, Ind: Eisenbrauns, 1990), 424.

88 Waltke and O’Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax, 425-426. On p. 429, Waltke and O’Connor breakdown the reflexive use of the Hithpael into direct reflexive, indirect reflexive, benefactive reflexive, and estimative-declarative reflexive. I argue because ׁש�חח only occurs in this stem in Psalm 42/43, there is a noteworthy emphasis on the psalmist being directly reflexive of him/herself, questioning the despair and silence of his/her soul.

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42.6-11: The Psalmist Acknowledging the Present9

The second section of Psalm 42/43 begins immediately with the psalmist expressing his/her

longing for God by proclaiming that his/her soul is cast down, similar to the refrain. As one may

notice, verse 6 is the fourth occurrence of ׁש�חח in the Hithpolel stem, not being used in the

refrain.1010 In exile, the psalmist keeps hope in God by remembering God (“therefore I

remember you”) in response to the despair of the psalmist’s soul. Specific locations are given—

land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar—which introduce the powerful imagery that

follows, suggesting God’s actions are taking place not just at home, but in exile as well.

The psalmist describes the relationship between him/herself and God, interestingly

linking God’s waves and billows with God’s love. As best put by William P. Brown: “Sin and

judgment find no place in this psalm. Rather, the psalmist discerns something profoundly

liturgical about “deep call[ing] to deep,” something irresistible in the peals of praise and

thanksgiving from the temple.”1111 The description in verse 7 asserts that God’s waves and

billows have gone over the psalmist; in turn, as one reads in verse 8, the psalmist acknowledges

God’s steadfast love by day and song by night. “As God stirs the stormy waves, so Go

“commands” steadfast kindness.”1212

The second aspect of time, the present state, appears in verse 9 when the psalmist asks

God, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy

99 I argue that verse 6 begins, “My soul is cast down within me,” and verse 5 ends with “and my God” connected to “me help.” Again, I prefer the JPS translation—which is given in the footnote—for all three refrains because it relates more closely to the theme of the psalmist being hopeful in exile: “my ever-present help, my God.”

1010 In verse 6: ּת�ֹו�ח�ח�ׁש�ּת�ֹו�ח ח�י :imperfect 3 fs. In the refrain ,ּת�ׁש� .imperfect 2 fs ,ּת�

1111 William P. Brown, Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2002), 133.

1212 Brown, Seeing the Psalms, 133.

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oppresses me?” This verse is a vital part of the passage. Just describing the drastic, powerful

ways in which the psalmist experienced God’s steadfast love, the psalmist immediately asks the

tough question; by day the Lord commands his steadfast love but has forgotten me? Adversaries

taunt the psalmist, like a deadly wound in the body, by questioning the presence of the psalmist’s

God, as they did before. However, in response, the psalmist repeats the refrain, questioning

his/her soul and having hope in God. One should note that the refrain in the second section

follows the description of the experience in exile, with the significant use of ׁש�חח, whereas the

refrain in the first section follows the memory of going to the House of God. In analyzing the

refrain, H. Schmidt suggests: “Beginning in the abyss of doubt…and with the beginning of each

strophe once again carried away into it, he lifts himself each time in his refrain to confidence, to

a wonderful tranquility…”1313

43.1-5: The Psalmist Having Hope for the Future

“Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people.” The third section

begins with an imperative and is the first time the psalmist directly addresses God rather than

being passive. It seems as if God has abandoned the psalmist in exile, but still the psalmist

declares, “For you are the God in whom I take refuge,” but asks yet again why God has cast

him/her off. As one may have noticed, the psalmist’s questions in verse 2 come after the first two

sections, where the psalmist’s adversaries have already asked, “Where is your God?” Thus, the

psalmist is wondering, after keeping hope in God, “Why must I walk about mournfully because

of the oppression of the enemy?”

1313 Luis Alonso Schökel, “The Poetic Structure of Psalm 42-43,” JSOT 1 (1976), 9.

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Following the psalmist’s questions in Psalm 42/43 is the third aspect of time in, the

future. Here, the psalmist insists on turning hope into a reality. The psalmist demands light and

truth from God to lead him/her, especially if when walking mournfully. Because he/she

remembers going to and is distant from the temple, the psalmist wants to return to the temple and

needs God’s light and truth. As Eaton suggests, the light and truth are imagined as leading the

psalmist to testify of his deliverance in the temple.1414 In this case, the light and truth will lead

him/her to God’s “holy mountain” and the God’s “dwelling-place” (Tabernacle), so that the

psalmist can visit the “altar of God” once again.1515 Finally, as the psalmist envisions

worshipping God at the temple again, the psalmist must ask him/herself the question, “Why are

you cast down, O my soul?” The psalmist is hopeful of returning to the temple, which begs the

question of his/her soul, “Why are you disquieted within me?” Furthermore, the occurrence of

in the Hithpolel is nothing short of significant, as it portrays the psalmist as one who, no ׁש�חח

matter the circumstances, keeps hope in God.

Theological Significance

Like one dying from thirst, the psalmist is dying from his/her thirst, the thirst for the living God.

Being in exile separates the psalmist from God and from being at the temple; the vivid memories

of going to the House of God with glad shouts and songs torture the psalmist in exile.1616 But in

the future, perhaps, this may have led to the psalmist’s deliverance in the temple, after returning

1414 Eaton, The Psalms, 181.

1515 For this verse, I prefer the JPS translation because of its use of the future tense. The Hebrew words are in the imperfect, which allows for it to be translated in the future tense. “Dwelling-place” (� נֹו�ּת�יָך� can also be (ִמ�ׁש�ְּכtranslated “tabernacle,” as footnoted in the JPS. See BDB 1015d.

1616 Rolf A. Jacobson, “Psalms” in The New Interpreter’s Bible (ed. Beverly Roberts Gaventa and et al.; Nashville: Abingdon, 2010), 321.

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home from exile in 538 B.C.E. After returning to Jerusalem, the psalmist had a new perspective

on what it meant to have hope in God.

The psalmist in Psalm 42/43 exemplifies what it means to be faithful. From the initial

comparison to a deer longing for water, adversaries taunting the psalmist, to feeling alone and

forgotten the psalmist has little to no reason to call upon God for help; but the psalmist is one

who remains always faithful to the God whom he/she takes refuge in, knowing that the future

holds something promising—the psalmist shall again praise the one who is both “help” and

“God.” Thus, “reminiscence is succeeded by hope, the God of the past becomes the God of the

future, rather like the collective hope of the exile expressed by Second Isaiah.”1717

CONCLUSION

While reading Psalm 42/43, one can imagine the psalmist saying these things. Enemies in exile

ask the psalmist where the God in whom he/she trusts and relies on and the psalmist asks the

obvious, faithful question—acknowledging the present saying (42.9), “Why have you forgotten

me?” The aspect of time, however, as presented in the psalm, enables the psalmist to keep hope

in God, the living God. The memory of being at the temple along with the expectation of

returning to the temple in the future allows the psalmist to recollect the power of God during

exile; God “commands his steadfast love,” and at night a “prayer to the God of my life.”

Thus, after reading and analyzing Psalm 42/43, one sees how it employs metaphorical

language to describe the psalmist’s constant longing for God, but utilizes the aspect of time—

remembering the past, acknowledging the present, and having hope for the future—and use of a

1717 Schökel, “The Poetic Structure,” 10. Cf. Isa 43.3-11, 18-19.

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refrain to characterize the psalmist’s state as one of hope and anticipation for returning to the

temple in Jerusalem. This anticipation for returning to Jerusalem has the psalmist asking God a

faithful question while also recognizing hope.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Berlin, Adele and Marc Zvi Brettler. “Psalms Introduction and Annotations.” Pages 1328-1330 in The Jewish Study Bible. Tanakh Translation. Edited by Adele Berlin and Marc Zvi Brettler. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Brown, F., S. Driver, and C. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon. Peabody, Mass: Hendrickson, [1906]. Reprint, [2008].

Brown, William P. Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2002.

Eaton, John. The Psalms: A Historical and Spiritual Commentary with an Introduction and New Translation. New York: T&T Clark, 2003.

Jacobson, Rolf A. “Psalms.” Page 321 in The New Interpreter’s Bible. Edited by Beverly Roberts Gaventa et al. Nashville: Abingdon, 2010.

Schökel, Luis Alonso. “The Poetic Structure of Psalm 42-43.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 1 (1976): 4-11.

Waltke, Bruce K. and M. O’Connor. An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, Ind: Eisenbrauns, 1990.

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