Psa 43:5 | NETfull | STEP | Why are you depressed, O my soul? Why are you upset? Wait for God! For I will again give thanks to my God for his saving intervention. For the music director; by the Korahites, a well-written song.

Psalms 43:5

Why are you depressed, ^{▼▼ Heb “Why do you bow down?”} O my soul? ^{▼▼ For poetic effect the psalmist addresses his soul, or inner self.}
Why are you upset? ^{▼▼ Heb “and why are you in turmoil upon me?”}
Wait for God!
For I will again give thanks
to my God for his saving intervention. ^{▼▼ Heb “for again I will give him thanks, the saving acts of my face and my God.” The last line should be emended to read יְשׁוּעֹת פְנֵי אֱלֹהָי (y^eshu’ot f^eney ’elohay, “[for] the saving acts of the face of my God,” that is, the saving acts associated with God’s presence/intervention. This refrain is identical to the one in Ps 42:11. See also 42:5, which differs only slightly.}

Psalm 44

^{▼▼ Psalm 44. The speakers in this psalm (the worshiping community within the nation Israel) were disappointed with God. The psalm begins on a positive note, praising God for leading Israel to past military victories. Verses 1–8 appear to be a song of confidence and petition which the people recited prior to battle. But suddenly the mood changes as the nation laments a recent defeat. The stark contrast between the present and the past only heightens the nation’s confusion. Israel trusted in God for victory, but the Lord rejected them and allowed them to be humiliated in battle. If Israel had been unfaithful to God, their defeat would make sense, but the nation was loyal to the Lord. Comparing the Lord to a careless shepherd, the nation urges God to wake up and to extend his compassion to his suffering people.}

For the music director; by the Korahites, a well-written song.

5 ^{▼▼ The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. See the note on the phrase “well-written song” in the superscription of Ps 42.}