Psalms 42 and 43 belonged together in many ancient Hebrew manuscripts because of their similarities.
The Psalmist compared his yearning for the living God to the longing of a deer for water. The animal’s need for water to sustain its life forms a fitting simile for a soul’s need of the living God, the Source of spiritual life.
The Psalmist pleads for justification, defense and deliverance from his enemies. His prayer is an expression of hope that God would soon help him; the God of strength. Why would he go mourning yet he was full of hope and strength?
