Ps. 42 is a pathetic lament of David, “a hunted fugitive, finding refuge in the rocks and caves of the wilderness” (Ed 164), exiled from the house of God, where he had found his joy in participating in the holy services. The form of the psalm is exquisite, consisting of two sections of similar length, each followed by the refrain found first in v. 5 and then in v. 11 (and a third time in Ps. 43:5).
Those who consider Ps. 42 and 43 a unit submit the following reasons: Several Hebrew manuscripts unite them as one psalm (the twice recurrent refrain of Ps. 42 occurring again at the close of Ps. 43); Ps. 43 is the only psalm in Book Two without superscription; the sentiments in Ps. 42:4 and 43:3 are similar. However, if “holy hill” (Ps. 43:3) refers to Jerusalem, then Ps. 43 could hardly have been written while David was a fugitive from Saul.
On the superscription see pp. 617, 627.
Hart.
Heb. ’ayyal, “male deer,” probably to be written ’ayyalah, “a female deer,” to agree with the verb “panteth,” which in the Hebrew is feminine. Verses 1-6 constitute the first stanza of the elegy.
Panteth.
Heb. ‘arag, “to long for.”‘Arag occurs only here and in Joel 1:20, where it is translated “cry,” but where it should probably have the same meaning as here.