Psalm 42 — Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause

^42:1^ A psalm for David. Judge me, O God, and distinguish my cause from the nation that is not holy; deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. ^42:2^ For you are God, my strength; why have you cast me off? and why do I go sorrowful while the enemy afflicts me?

^42:3^ Send forth your light and your truth: they have conducted me, and brought me unto your holy hill, and into your tabernacles. ^42:4^ And I will go in to the altar of God, to God who gives joy to my youth. ^42:5^ To you, O God my God, I will give praise upon the harp. Why are you sad, O my soul? And why do you disquiet me? ^42:6^ Hope in God, for I will still give praise to him: the salvation of my countenance, and my God.

438. In the previous psalm, David described his desire. Now, he adds a prayer for the fulfillment of his desire.

And he gives the prayer first;

second, its effect, at why do I go sorrowful.

In regard to the first, he does two things.

He proposes prayer in general first;

second, in particular, at deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man.

And first he asks for judgment;

second, for the effect of judgment.

Therefore, he asks, judge me, O God.

But this petition seems to stem from presumption, because he himself says elsewhere, enter not into judgment (Ps 142:2).

I respond that there are two types of judgment: that of severity and that of mercy or equity.

The first occurs when only the matter is given attention, and not the circumstances. And this is to be feared. About this, the psalm says, enter not into judgment (Ps 142:2), because our justice is nothing in the sight of God (Isa 64:6). And this judgment is without mercy (Jas 2:13).

The second judgment is when not only the nature of the thing is considered but the condition of the person. The Lord has compassion on those who fear him, for he knows our frame (Ps 102:13–14). And he asks for this kind of judgment.

Or it can be understood in another way.

There are two types of judgment:

the judgment of examination, when merits are examined, and here he does not ask for this, since examination is to be feared. I feared all my works, knowing that you did not spare the offender (Job 9:28).

The other type of judgment is that of distinction, namely, of separation from the evil people, and he asks for this, and so he adds, and distinguish my cause.

And this belongs to the present state, and so we ask to be set apart from evil people, if not in place, at least in regard to our plea. There is much in common between us and them, since place is an outcome of chance, but our plea is not, since the good use things in one way and the evil use the same things in another way. In troubles the good radiate by their patience, but the evil reek by their impatience.

If we apply this to the future judgment, we ask to be distinguished, since the cause of the evil will be judged unto condemnation, but of the good unto salvation.

In particular, he asks to be judged in two respects:

in regard to deliverance from evil

and furtherance in the good.

Therefore, he asks to be delivered from evil, either present or future, so he says, deliver me from the unjust and deceitful man. The devil is called an “unjust man.” An enemy has done this (Matt 13:28). Or this could mean another devious human being, or anyone unjust. And he is called evil who openly intends injustice, but deceitful on account of hidden crime. Deceit is in the heart of those who think evil things (Prov 12:20).

A person is delivered from these in two ways.

In one way, such that he is not seduced by hidden deceitfulness.

Another way is that he is not crushed by troubles: for you are my God.

Here he gives the reason for his deliverance, and it is twofold,

first, on the part of God, who has the power to deliver: you are God my strength. The Lord is my strength, and my praise (Isa 12:2). And he is called our strength causatively, since it comes from him. It is he who gives strength to the weary, and increases fortitude and might to those who are not (Isa 40:29).

The second reason for his deliverance is on his own part, namely, the evils which he is undergoing. We suffer certain evils in our own mind, since when we are in the midst of troubles, we seem to have been cast off by God, so he says, why have you cast me off? But the Lord will not cast off his people (Ps 93:14). And so it is only an evil in our minds.

Another is real, so he says, why do I go sorrowful? He goes sorrowful, or with the sadness of the world which causes death, and so this is the meaning: why do I go sorrowful, that is, for a time, while the enemy, an evil man, afflicts me for a time.

Or, he goes sorrowful with a good sadness, which causes penitence for salvation. And the sense is: why do I go only sorrowful, since joy should also be connected to penitence.

439. Send forth your light and your truth. Here he describes furtherance in the good.

First he asks for the divine goods by which he is furthered in good;

second, he asks for furtherance through them.

He asks for two goods: light and truth.

One comes to God through steps of the mind, and through understanding. It was promised to those who believe that they would enter (Heb 4:3). Two things are necessary for understanding: light and the thing understood. All that is made manifest is light (Eph 5:13). And so he asks for two things: light and truth, to which I cannot come by myself. And so he says, send forth your light and your truth.

Light and the truth are the same thing here, because they are received through Christ: send forth your light, that is, Christ. That [namely, Christ] was the true light (John 1:9). I am the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6), as if to say, “God the Father, send Christ.”

Or light here means the law, because the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light, (Prov 6:23). And your truth, that is, the New Testament.

Afterwards, he describes furtherance in the good.

And he first describes guidance in approaching: they have conducted me, namely, your light and your truth have led me to you.

Or they have conducted me means that they have brought me away from evils and brought me unto your holy hill, and into your tabernacles.

This prayer corresponds to the desire of the preceding psalm: I shall go over into the place of the wonderful tabernacle (Ps 41:5). And since this is not enough, I ask to be led by God to the holy hill.

Jerusalem was at the foot of the hill on the north side. And so those going there would come first to the hill;

second, to the dwelling;

third, to the place of sacrifice, namely the altar.

And my spirit does not rest even there but ascends to God, and so he says, they have brought me unto your holy hill, and into your tabernacles, that is, to your dwelling.

And again it does not rest there but goes to the house of God, that is, to the altar. So he says, I will go to the altar of God; and he does not rest there, lest he should seem idolatrous, but he continues on to God, who gives joy to my youth.

Now, mystically, the hill and the tabernacle signify the present Church or the heavenly Church, as if to say, “They have led me to your Church.” The mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared on the top of mountains (Isa 2:2).

And your tabernacles, that is, the differences of the saints, which are in a sense journeys upon the earth, as in Hebrews 11.

And this Church is called the gate of heaven. This is no other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven (Gen 28:17). And so is called the altar of God, that is, God himself. God is the temple (Rev 21:22), since all spiritual sacrifices should be offered in God, not to something earthly.

And there will be joy there. You shall see and your heart shall rejoice (Isa 66:14). Enter into the joy of your Lord (Matt 25:21). And so he says, who gives joy to my youth, that is, there will be renewal and youth there, since, as is said, we shall all appear in the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13). And so he says, youth. Your youth shall be renewed like the eagle’s (Ps 102:5).

And the priests say this psalm when they go up to the altar, since these two things, joy and renewal, are necessary for those who desire to go up to the heavenly altar*. How could I eat it, or please the Lord in the ceremonies, having a sorrowful heart?* (Lev 10:19).

Again, there is none of sin’s old age there. I write to you, young men (1 John 2:14).

Or everything which is said refers to the heavenly fatherland, in which we ought to dwell by desire, and journey towards with great desire.

And he signifies this when he says, unto your holy hill. You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance (Exod 15:17), since stability of state exists there.

The society of the saints is also there, so he says, and into your tabernacles. How beautiful are your tabernacles, O Jacob, and your tents, O Israel! (Num 24:5). How lovely are your tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! (Ps 83:2). And they are called tabernacles because although men are citizens by grace, nevertheless, they are guests there by the condition of human nature.

Third, the altar signifies the humanity of Christ. His eyes shall see the king in his beauty (Isa 33:17). And Christ is called the altar of God. We have an altar whereof they have no power to eat who serve the tabernacle (Heb 13:10) because, just as all carnal sacrifices are offered on the altar, so all prayers are offered through Christ. So every prayer ends, “Through Christ our Lord.”

But because one is not to rest in his humanity, he continues on to the divinity, saying, to God. Then you shall abound in delights in the Almighty, and shall lift up your face to God (Job 22:26).

The effect of prayer is the confession of praise, so he says, I will give praise upon the harp, and he says this because of his emotion: joy and gladness shall be found therein (Isa 51:3).

And he says, upon the harp to differentiate it from the psaltery, since the psaltery sounds from above, but the harp from below, so, I will give praise upon the harp because we are freed from the evils of the world. And upon the psaltery, since we have achieved those joys above.

Why are you sad, O my soul? Everything which follows has been explained above in the preceding psalm.