Psalms 42:2

Psalms 42:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?
• New International Version (NIV)My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
• English Standard Version (ESV)My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
• New King James Version (NKJV)My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?

Context of Psalms 42:2

1As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? 3Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?” 4My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration!

Psalms 42:2 word by word

צָמְאָ֬ה נַפְשִׁ֨י׀ לֵאלֹהִים֮ לְאֵ֪ל חָ֥י מָתַ֥י אָב֑וֹא וְ֝אֵרָאֶ֗ה פְּנֵ֣י אֱלֹהִֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• My soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
• thirstethצָמֵאtsâmê' · to thirstH6770
• for Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• for the livingחַיchay · aliveH2416
• Godאֵל'êl · GodH410
• when shall I comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• and appearרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440

Cross-references for Psalms 42:2

• Psalms 36:8You feed them from the abundance of your own house, letting them drink from your river of delights.
• Psalms 63:1O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.
• John 7:37On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me!
• Revelation 22:1Then the angel showed me a river with the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
• Job 23:3If only I knew where to find God, I would go to his court.
• Jeremiah 2:13“For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!
• Jeremiah 10:10But the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King! The whole earth trembles at his anger. The nations cannot stand up to his wrath.
• John 5:26The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son.
• 1 Thessalonians 1:9for they keep talking about the wonderful welcome you gave us and how you turned away from idols to serve the living and true God.
• Psalms 27:4The one thing I ask of the Lord— the thing I seek most— is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple.
• Psalms 84:4What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises. Interlude

Commentaries on Psalms 42:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2When shall I come - When, when shall I have the privilege of appearing in his courts before God? In the mouth of a Christian these words would import: "When shall I see my heavenly country? When shall I come to God, the Judge of all, and to Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant?" He who is a stranger and a pilgrim here below, and feels a heart full of piety to God, may use these words in this sense; but he who feels himself here at home, whose soul is…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2My soul thirsteth for God - That is, as the hind thirsts for the running stream. For the living God - God, not merely as God, without anything more definitely specified, but God considered as living, as himself possessing life, and as having the power of imparting that life to the soul. When shall I come and appear before God? - That is, as I have been accustomed to do in the sanctuary. When shall I be restored to the privilege of again uniting with his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4The psalmist's deep desire for God arises from being far away from the temple as he remembers the past. The verb translated as "longs" appears only here and in Joel 1:20 (meaning "cry out"). In both instances, it describes extreme thirst in a dry desert (see Psalms 63:1; 143:6; see also 84:2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-111-2. Compare (Psa 63:1). panteth--desires in a state of exhaustion.Read the comment

Topics related to Psalms 42:2

• Desire
• Seekers
• Thirst
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Cast
• Disquiet
• Fat
• Pant
• Poetry
• Psalms
• Thirst
• Bible, the

Commentaries on Psalms 42

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• The Treasury of David
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings