Псалом 41

The second collection of psalms begins with Psalm XLI and ends with LXXI. Both psalms, due to the similarity of their content and structure of speech, are complementary. With the refrain “Why are you depressed, my soul,” both psalms are divided into three parts, of which the first two, representing the outpouring of the psalmist’s sorrowful feelings about being abandoned by God, are supplemented by the third, containing a prayer to the Lord for salvation from disasters. This similarity in the external structure of the syllable and content indicates that the writer of both psalms was the same person. Such an author, according to the inscription on Psalm XLI in Heb. The Bible names the sons of Korah, and Psalm XLII should also be attributed to them. The psalms depict the mournful feeling of the writer, forced to live at a distance from the church (Ps. 41:3), the memory of visiting which for him, who is in exile near the mountains of Hermon and therefore deprived of this benefit (Ps. 41:7), serves as a source of suffering (Ps. 41:5). The reason for his flight was the rebellion of “an unkind people” and “a wicked and unjust man” (Ps. 42:1). This position of the psalmist is consistent with the era of persecution and flight of David from Jerusalem, from Absalom, when he had to hide in the Trans-Jordan country, in the Mahanaim desert, located near the Hermon mountains, the border of the country of Judah on the northern side. Therefore, in the Greek Bible after the name of the sons The name of Korah is placed above Psalm XLII in the LXX and in the Vulgate. These additions can be explained by the fact that the writer of the psalms, who belonged to the family of the sons of Korah, was a defender of David and, together with the latter, shared the dangers of exile. He well understood the mood of the royal exile, distinguished by his religiosity and piety, but now forced to live away from the church, and he depicted this mood in the aforementioned psalms. I am as drawn to Your holy church, O Lord, as a thirsty deer is to a spring (2-3). I water my bread with tears and am sad about the impossibility, as before, of going with the people to Your holy church (4-5). My soul is depressed among the mountains of Hermon and cries out to the Lord, why have you forsaken me and let your enemies mock me? (6-12) Sort out my case with my crafty enemy and send me Your light, so that I can go to Your altar and praise You, O God. Do not be discouraged, my soul, but trust in the Lord (Ps. 42:1–5)! Ps.41:2. As a deer longs for streams of water, so does my soul long for You, O God! Ps.41:3. My soul thirsts for the mighty, living God: when will I come and appear before the face of God! A vivid description of the feeling of oppressive melancholy and dissatisfaction that the writer experienced at a distance from the church. Life near the latter was as necessary a need for his soul as water is to quench the thirst of a deer. - “To the mighty, living God” - omnipotent in power and eternal. - “Before the face of God” - before the altar of the church, or in the sanctuary, as a place of the special and constant presence of God. Ps.41:4. My tears were bread for me day and night, when they said to me every day: “Where is your God?” “My tears were... bread day and night” - I fed only on my tears, that is, I could not take any food so that I would not be oppressed by the bitter feeling of being abandoned by God, which was supported by the cowardly people around me, who asked with bewilderment and despair every day: “Where is your God”? Why is there no help from the One Whom you served? Ps.41:6. Why are you depressed, my soul, and why are you embarrassed? Trust in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God. This state of depression of spirit, naturally caused by the psalmist’s plight, however, did not turn into despair. He found in himself enough living faith in God and calmed himself with hope: “Trust in God: for I will still glorify Him, my Savior and my God.” He believes that God will not abandon his righteous man. Ps.41:7. My soul faints within me; Therefore I remember You from the land of Jordan, from Hermon, from Mount Zoar. Mount Tzoar - must be read - Mount Mizar. It is not known exactly where this mountain is located, but it is certain that it was one of the low peaks of Mount Hermon near Mahanaim, where the writer of the psalm was located. This area was very far from Jerusalem and the tabernacle, and therefore the feeling of despondency that grew in the writer as he moved away from the church is understandable. Ps.41:8. The abyss calls upon the abyss with the voice of Your waterfalls; all Your waters and Your waves passed over me. The main peaks of Mount Hermon rose 12 thousand feet above sea level and were covered with snow. The melting of the latter formed streams of water, noisily falling along the cliffs. These flows assumed formidable proportions when they intensified due to heavy rains. Then they fell down with a terrible noise, tore down trees and carried huge stones with them. The noise of these waters was especially great and menacing because the water fell from steep cliffs. - “The abyss calls upon the abyss” - after one mass of water, after one menacing stream, another rushes. With this comparison, observed by the writer of the picture, he wanted to indicate the strength and swiftness of the real disasters of exile he was experiencing: “the waters... and Your waves” - the disasters You sent, numerous and formidable, like the streams of Hermon. Ps.41:9. During the day the Lord will show His mercy, and at night I have a song to Him, a prayer to the God of my life. But these disasters could not shake the exile’s faith in God. He expects mercy from Him and lives by this faith day and night. You might be interested in: