Fathers

Psalms 42

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As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?” These things I remember, and pour out my soul within me, how I used to go with the crowd, and led them to God’s house, with the voice of joy and praise, a multitude keeping a holy day. Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him for the saving help of his presence. My God, my soul is in despair within me. Therefore I remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar. Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me. Yahweh will command his loving kindness in the daytime. In the night his song shall be with me: a prayer to the God of my life. I will ask God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?” Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God.

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What the Fathers say

Psalms 42:8

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

Therefore follows: "The Lord will commend His loving-kindness in the day-time; and in the night-time will He declare it" [Psalm 42:8]. In tribulation no man has leisure to hear: attend, when it is well with you; hear, when it is well with you; learn, when you are in tranquillity, the discipline of wisdom, and store up the word of God as you do food. For in tribulation every one must be profited by what he heard in the time of security. …

Exposition on Psalm 42 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

"In the day." As has been said, he stated two things: the disturbance in himself, etc., and confidence, at "Therefore I will be mindful of you." And he set forth the cause of the disturbance; now he explains the cause why he is mindful of God. And first he sets forth the experience of divine mercy; second he adds a prayer, at "With me is prayer." And he does two things, according to the twofold state of divine mercy, because the mercy of God is gentle in prosperity and in adversity. …

Exposition on the Psalms of David ↗