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 42:9

Western Saints

Augustine of Hippo

"I will say unto God, Thou art my lifter up. Why hast Thou forgotten me?" For I am suffering here, even as if Thou hadst forgotten me. But Thou art trying me, and I know that Thou dost but put off, not take utterly from me, what Thou hast promised me. But yet, "Why hast Thou forgotten me?" So cried our Head also, as if speaking in our name. …

On the Psalms, Psalm 42 ↗

Thomas Aquinas

Next the prayer is set forth: "And I will say to God: You are my protector," etc. In which he does two things. First he gives thanks for benefits received; second he inquires about the reason for the evils he suffers. First a man ought to acknowledge, because one who is not grateful for benefits received is unworthy of those yet to be received. Wis. 16: "The hope of the ungrateful," etc. And therefore he says, "You are my protector." Jerome has, "You are my rock," that is, my strength. …

Exposition on the Psalms of David ↗