Psalms 42:4

When I remember these things - Or, these things I shall remember. They often occur to me, and sharpen my distressful feelings. My soul is dissolved, becomes weak as water, when I reflect on what I have had, and on what I have lost. Or, I pour out my soul to myself in deep regrets and complaints, when reflecting on these things. I once enjoyed all the ordinances of God, and now I have none. I once had the joyous communion of saints in God's ordinances; but that communion no longer exists, for there are no ordinances to support it. There was a multitude to worship God in public; with these I often went: but alas, this is no more; now there are found only a few solitary individuals who sigh for the desolations of Zion. There we had our holy days, our appointed feasts, to commemorate the wonderful works of the Lord; now there are no processions, no festivals, no joyous assemblies; all is desolation in Zion, and all is mourning in our captivity. I have endeavored to give a general sense to this verse, but there are several difficulties in it; and different commentators and critics have given it a great variety of translations, and as many different meanings. My plan will not permit me to follow them. Much may be seen in Dr. Horsley's work on this verse.

When I remember these things - These sorrows; this banishment from the house of God; these reproaches of my enemies. The verb used here is in the future tense, and would be appropriately rendered "I will remember these things, and I will pour out my soul within me." That is, it is not a mere recollection of the past, but it indicates a state or purpose of mind - a solemn resolution to bear these things ever in remembrance, and to allow them to produce a proper impression on his mind and heart that would not be effaced by time. Though the future tense is used as denoting what the state of his mind would be, the immediate reference is to the past. The sorrows and afflictions which had overwhelmed him were the things he would remember.

I pour out my soul in me - Hebrew, upon me. See the notes at Job 30:16. The idea is derived from the fact that the soul in grief seems to be dissolved, or to lose all firmness, consistency, or power, and to be like water. We speak now of the soul as being melted, tender, dissolved, with sympathy or grief, or as overflowing with joy.

For I had gone with the multitude - The word here rendered "multitude" - סך sâk - occurs nowhere else in the Scriptures. It is supposed to denote properly a thicket of trees; a thick wood; and then, a crowd of men. The Septuagint renders it, "I will pass on to the place of the wonderful tabernacle," σκηνῆς θαυμαστῆς skēnēs thaumastēs. So the Latin Vulgate. Luther translates it, "multitude," Haufen. The Hebrew verb is in the future - "I shall pass," or "when I pass," indicating a confident expectation of a favorable issue of his present trials, and referring not to the fact that he had gone with the multitude in time past, but to the fact that he would be permitted to go with them in solemn procession to the house of God, and that then he would recall these things, and pour out his soul in the fullness of his emotions. The Septuagint renders this in the future; so also the Latin Vulgate, DeWette, and Prof. Alexander. Luther renders it, "For I would gladly go hence with the multitude." It seems clear, therefore, that this does not refer to what had been in the past, but to what he confidently hoped and expected would be in the future. He expected again to go with the multitude to the house of God. Even in his exile, and in his sorrows, he confidently anticipated this, and he says that he would then pour forth the full expression of gratitude - his whole soul - in view of all these things which had occurred. He was now in exile: his heart was overwhelmed with sorrow; he was away from the place of worship - the house of God; he no longer went with others with solemn steps to the sanctuary, but he hoped and expected again to be permitted to do so; and, in view of this, he calls on his soul Psalm 42:5 not to be cast down. This interpretation, referring it to the future, also brings this part of the psalm into harmony with the subsequent part Psalm 42:8, where the author of the psalm confidently expresses the same hope.

I went with them to the house of God - The tabernacle; the place of public worship. See the notes at Psalm 23:6. The Hebrew verb here is also in the future tense, and, in accordance with the interpretation above, the meaning is, "I will go," etc. The word occurs only here, and in Isaiah 38:15, "I shall go softly all my years." See the word explained in the notes at that passage. It seems here to be used with reference to a movement in a slow and solemn procession, as in the usual processions connected with public worship among the Hebrews. The meaning is, that he would go with the multitude with seriousness and solemnity, as they went up to the house of God to worship.

With the voice of joy and praise - Chanting hymns to God.

With a multitude that kept holyday - The word here rendered "multitude" - המון hâmôn - is different from that which is employed in the former part of the verse. This is the usual word to denote a multitude. It literally means a noise or sound, as of rain, 1 Kings 18:41; then, a multitude or crowd making a noise, as of nations, or of an army, Isaiah 13:4; Judges 4:7; Daniel 11:11-13. The word rendered "that kept holyday" - חוגג chogēg - from חגג châgag, to dance - means literally dancing; dancing in a circle; and then, keeping a festival, celebrating a holyday, as this was done formerly by leaping and dancing, Exodus 5:1; Leviticus 23:41. The meaning is, that he would join with the multitude in the joyful celebrations of public worship. This was the bright anticipation before him in exile; this cheered and sustained his heart when sinking in despair.

42:4 Remember - My banishment from God's presence, and mine enemies triumphs. In me - I breathe out my sorrows and complaints to God within my own breast. The multitudes - Israelites, who went thither in great numbers. Holy - day - Or that kept the feast, the three solemn festival solemnities, which they kept holy unto the Lord.