Ps. XXXIX. mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. 5 Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. 6 Surely every man walketh in a vain show: surely they are disquieted in vain he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them. 7 And now, LORD, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. 8 Deliver me from all my transgressions: make me not the reproach of the foolish. 9 I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because Thou didst it. 10 Remove Thy stroke away from me; I am consumed by the blow of Thine hand. II When Thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, Thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah. 12 Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not Thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with Thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. 13 O spare me, that I may recover strength, before I hence, and be no more. go Note on In great sorrow, or in great suffering, when Ps. XXXIX. Death has come very near to us or to those we love best, this Psalm seems to bring a solemn peace into our souls like the sound of very lovely music. The answering words to the prayer of verse 4 make each of us, young and old alike, feel as a little "And now Lord, what wait I note on child before God. Ps. XXXIX. PSALM XLII. To the Chief Musician. For the Sons of 'korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God. 2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? 4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday. 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance. 6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. 7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts; all Thy waves and Thy billows are gone over me. 8 Yet the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life. 9 I will say unto God my rock, Why hast Thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 10 As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me; while they say daily unto me, Where is thy God? II Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why Ps. XLII. art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Mote on PSALM XLIII. JUDGE me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. 2 For Thou art the God of my strength; why dost Thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? 3 O send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy dwelling-place. 4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upɔn the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God. 5 Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. The 42nd and 43rd Psalms form one poem, proDs. XLII. bably composed during the captivity, by an Israelite Ps. XLIII. dwelling far from Jerusalem and from the Temple. and The first part describes the poet's yearning to feel that the spirit of God is with him, even in those strange surroundings. How long, he cries, ere I come to appear before God? He weeps day and night, and the strange people around him ask him, "Where is thy God?" He cannot find words to tell |