Chapter Forty-Two

Psalm 42:1. Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Deliver me from the deceitful and unjust person, “Plead my cause against an ungodly nation.” The writer is conscious of his innocence before his persecutors and asks God to review his case. “The nation... ungodly” — all those who rose up against David and his followers, that is, the supporters of Absalom. By “the deceitful person,” we can understand Absalom, who stirred up the people with false accusations against David.

Psalm 42:3. Send Your light and Your truth; let them guide me and bring me to Your holy mountain and to Your dwelling places. “Send Your light and Your truth” — send Your mercy (“light”), protect from enemies. “Truth” — faithfulness to promises and revelation, by which the righteous deserves reward and the sinner deserves punishment. When this promise is fulfilled, the writer hopes to be again on Mount Zion in the “dwelling places” of the Lord, that is, at the tabernacle, in the places of the Lord’s dwelling.