The Meaning of Psalms 42:11 Explained

Psalms 42:11

KJV: 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.

YLT: What! bowest thou thyself, O my soul? And what! art thou troubled within me? Wait for God, for still I confess Him, The salvation of my countenance, and my God!

Darby: Why art thou cast down, my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

ASV: 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 help of my countenance, and my God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Psalms 42:11 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Again the psalmist encouraged himself with the rhetorical refrain (cf. Psalm 42:5).
When spiritually dry, we who are believers should remind ourselves that God is sufficient for all our needs. This remembrance will encourage us to continue to trust Him while we go through temporarily distressing periods. [1]

Context Summary

Psalms 42:1-11 - Thirsting After God
This psalm clearly embalms the holy musings and yearnings of the exiled king during Absalom's rebellion. Their setting to music was left to the sons of Korah, 2 Chronicles 20:19. It was a great favorite with the early Church, driven to the Catacombs, on the walls of which are many designs of hunted deer.
The water brooks, Psalms 42:1-3. The hind suffers much from the sultry heat, but it dare not linger too long at the water-hole, because the wild beasts gather there. We never realize the value of God's house till we are compulsorily separated from its sacred rites. How blessed it is to return to the sanctuary after such separation! "In the abundance of thy lovingkindness will I come into thy house," Psalms 5:7, r.v.
The blessed past, Psalms 42:4-6. Exiled to the Hermons, beyond the Jordan, the fugitive recalls the festal crowds, wont to gather at the holy feasts. But when such thoughts oppress us, we should turn our hearts to God and in touching Him, we cease to be lonely. See Hebrews 12:22, etc.
The bitter present, Psalms 42:7-11. The day of pain and rebuke, when the heart is pierced, is the day of God! "His lovingkindness;" "his song;" "the God of my life;" "God of my rock;" "the health of my countenance;" "my God"-what a heritage is this! [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 42

1  David's zeal to serve God in the temple
5  He encourages his soul to trust in God

What do the individual words in Psalms 42:11 mean?

why are you cast down my soul and why are you disquieted within me Hope in God for yet I shall praise Him the help of my countenance and my God
מַה־ תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י ׀ ؟ נַפְשִׁי֮ וּֽמַה־ תֶּהֱמִ֪י עָ֫לָ֥י הוֹחִ֣ילִי לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים כִּי־ ע֣וֹד אוֹדֶ֑נּוּ יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת פָּ֝נַ֗י וֵֽאלֹהָֽי

מַה־  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
תִּשְׁתּ֬וֹחֲחִ֨י ׀  are  you  cast  down 
Parse: Verb, Hitpael, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: שָׁחַח 
Sense: to bow, crouch, bow down, be bowed down.
؟ נַפְשִׁי֮  my  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
וּֽמַה־  and  why 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
תֶּהֱמִ֪י  are  you  disquieted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: הָמָה  
Sense: to murmur, growl, roar, cry aloud, mourn, rage, sound, make noise, tumult, be clamorous, be disquieted, be loud, be moved, be troubled, be in an uproar.
עָ֫לָ֥י  within  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הוֹחִ֣ילִי  Hope 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: יָחַל  
Sense: to wait, hope, expect.
לֵֽ֭אלֹהִים  in  God 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
ע֣וֹד  yet 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עֹוד  
Sense: a going round, continuance adv.
אוֹדֶ֑נּוּ  I  shall  praise  Him 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular, third person masculine singular
Root: יָדָה 
Sense: to throw, shoot, cast.
יְשׁוּעֹ֥ת  the  help 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: יְשׁוּעָה  
Sense: salvation, deliverance.
פָּ֝נַ֗י  of  my  countenance 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וֵֽאלֹהָֽי  and  my  God 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).

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