Psalm 42:1

Context

Psalm 42 is the first psalm of Book II of the Psalms (Psalms 42–72). Its superscription introduces it as "Maschil, for the sons of Korah." The sons of Korah were a Levite family responsible for praise in the temple, and maskil is a psalm heading whose meaning remains uncertain. Psalms 42 and 43 share the same refrain (42:5, 42:11, 43:5), and Psalm 43 has no superscription. For this reason, a widely held view is that the two psalms were originally a single poem.

The speaker is in the region of "the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites" (42:6), far from the Temple in Jerusalem. He recalls how he once led the multitude up to the house of God. Now, he confesses, his tears have been his meat while others taunt him, "Where is thy God?" (42:3). Verse 1 opens this lament: "As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God."

Interpretation

• Historical and literary reading: The verse is read as the lament of someone cut off from temple worship who longs to stand before God again. The verb rendered "panteth" (Korean galgeuphada) denotes intense, anxious longing. The underlying Hebrew verb is rare in the Old Testament; it also appears in a scene of wild animals panting during drought (Joel 1:20). Many scholars take "water brooks" to refer to stream channels in valleys that are drying up.
• Early church reading: There was a tradition of connecting this verse with the longing for baptism. Augustine is said to have had candidates preparing for baptism in mind in his exposition of this psalm. Examples of baptistery decoration depicting deer drinking water have also come down to us.
• Protestant devotional reading: The verse is read as an expression of longing for God himself rather than for the blessings he gives.
• Pentecostal and charismatic reading: The verse is often linked to thirst for the Holy Spirit and cited together with John 7:37–38.

Questions of Application

There is no marked interpretive controversy among denominations. Several observations have nonetheless been made.

• The verse is commonly quoted as an expression of fervent zeal. Some point out, however, that it should also be read in its context as a lament arising from discouragement when God seems distant.
• In the Hebrew text, the word for "deer" is a masculine noun, but the verb is feminine. Some have therefore proposed reading it as "doe."
• The New Korean Revised Version retains the wording of the earlier Korean Revised Version almost unchanged. The Revised New Korean Standard Version renders the verb as "pant," conveying the image of breathlessness more directly.

In the Korean Church

Martin Nystrom's English worship song "As the Deer" is based on this verse. It has been translated into Korean as the contemporary Christian music song "Mongmareun Saseum" ("The Thirsty Deer") and is widely sung in worship services and prayer meetings. In Korean churches, the expression "spiritual thirst" is common in sermons and prayers, and the verse is frequently chosen as the theme verse for retreats and revival meetings.

Related Passages

• Psalm 42:5
• Psalm 63:1
• Psalm 84:2
• Joel 1:20
• John 7:37–38