Like Book I, Book II of Psalms is primarily a collection of Davidic prayers (compare Psalm 72:20). However, the book begins with psalms possibly composed by others—Psalms 42-49 by the sons of Korah (i.e., descendants of the Levite leader Korah who rebelled against Moses in Numbers 16) and Psalm 50 by Asaph (one of the musical leaders David appointed). However, it could be that the Hebrew le- before these names means "for" and not "of"—so that perhaps David wrote them for these others to perform (or perhaps David composed the music and these others wrote the lyrics or vice versa).

"'Sons of Korah' refers to the Levitical choir made up of the descendants of Korah appointed by David to serve in the temple liturgy [i.e., rites of public worship]. The Korahites represented the Levitical family of Kohath son of Levi. Their leader in the days of David was Heman...just as Asaph led the choir of the Gershonites and Jeduthun (Ethan) the choir of the Merarites (see 1 Chronicles 6:31-47...). This is the first of a collection of seven psalms ascribed to the 'Sons of Korah' (Psalms 42-49); four more occur in Book III (Psalms 84-85; 87-88)" (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, note on Psalm 42 title).

It is interesting to observe that "Book II of the Psalter begins with three prayers [Psalms 42-44]...and an attached royal psalm [45] in perfect balance with the ending of Book II [Psalms 69-71 and 72]" (note on Psalms 42-45). In composition, however, it should be observed, as is widely acknowledged, that Psalms 42 and 43 seem to have originally constituted a single psalm. Note the same basic lengthy refrain throughout (see Psalm 42:5, Psalm 42:11; Psalm 43:5) at the end of three stanzas of comparable length (five, six and five verses), the repetition of "Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?" (Psalm 42:9; Psalm 43:2), the running theme of longing to appear before God at His tabernacle (Psalm 42:2-4; Psalm 43:3-4) and, given all this, the absence of a superscription at the beginning of 43. The full psalm was likely divided to fit a particular worship schedule at the tabernacle or temple—and perhaps to achieve the parallel book arrangement mentioned above.

The superscriptions of Psalm 42 (with 43), 44 and 45 all contain the obscure Hebrew designation maskil. As noted on Psalm 32, this term may be derived from a word meaning "wisdom" or "instruction," yet in all psalm title occurrences the NKJV translates this word as "Contemplation." Psalm 42 (with 43) is written from the perspective of a single composer—though "sons of Korah" may denote a group effort in either writing or performing (though it could just mean the psalm came from among them as one out of a collection of their psalms, with different psalms in the collection having been composed by different individuals). For the purposes of commentary, we will assume a single author for each psalm.

The psalmist here, then, who is also a harpist (Psalm 43:4), is unhappy and troubled. With constant tears (Psalm 42:3), he expresses an intense yearning for God: "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (verse 2). Just as a deer in times of drought searches desperately for water, the psalmist longs to be in the presence of God (verse 1).

It appears that he is prevented from going to God's tabernacle for festival worship as he used to (Psalm 42:2-4; Psalm 43:3-4). This may be because of enemy oppression, perhaps even capture in war (Psalm 42:9; Psalm 43:2), which would parallel the experience of those in the related psalm that follows, Psalm 44. It could be in 42-43, however, that enemies are not the reason the psalmist can't go to the tabernacle—that they are merely taunting him for whatever it is that is preventing him, such as sickness or disability. He could even have been on the run from someone who wanted to kill him over something he didn't do (compare Psalm 43:1). Perhaps he was a fugitive at one of the far northern cities of refuge.

Verses 6-7 of Psalm 42 may indicate that the psalmist is located in northern Israel near the cascading waters of the upper Jordan, where they rush down from Mount Hermon. "Some have suggested that 'Mount Mizar' [otherwise unknown] is an additional reference to 'the heights of Hermon,' calling that high peak the 'little mountain' (literal translation) in comparison with Mount Zion [the spiritual height where the psalmist wishes to be]" (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, note on verse 6). Others, however, believe that "the land of the Jordan" in context here means the whole land of Israel and that the psalmist is writing "from" or "far away from" it.

It seems likely that the "ungodly nation" in Psalm 43:1 refers to a people hostile to Israel among whom the psalmist is exiled—perhaps the Syrians to the north before David subdued them. (The later Assyrian and Babylonian captivities would seem to be too late for placement in Book II though that is not impossible—especially as there could have been later rearrangement. In any case, this was probably a popular song during the Babylonian Exile.) Again, foreign captivity would parallel the situation of Psalm 44. On the other hand, "ungodly nation" could at times refer to Israel itself (compare Isaiah 10:6; Amos 9:8), which, if so, in this case would mean the psalmist's own people were persecuting him, as so often happened to God's faithful servants.

Whoever the psalmists enemies are, they taunt him incessantly about his faith, asking, "Where is your God?" (Psalm 42:3, Psalm 42:10). He feels depressed, saying to himself, "My soul is downcast within me" (verse 6), over God's apparent silence and delay in helping him—praying to God, "Why do you cast me off?" (Psalm 43:2) and "Why have you forgotten me?" (verse 9).

"The psalms have always proved to be a great source of solace and encouragement to God's people throughout the centuries [as] we are able to watch noble souls struggling with themselves. They talk to themselves and to their souls, baring their hearts, analyzing their problems, chiding and encouraging themselves. Sometimes they are elated, at other times depressed, but they are always honest with themselves" (David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Cure, 1965, p. 9).

In verse 7, deep calling to deep at the noise of God's waterfalls could refer to the cascading Jordan. Yet it might refer to a thunderstorm of rain pouring down from the deep of the heavens above to flow to the deep of the oceans below, the latter hinted at in the waves at the end of the verse. The imagery of a torrent of water from above, with God's waves crashing over the psalmist, is meant figuratively to signify being overwhelmed by circumstances God has brought or allowed.

Yet the psalmist continues to talk himself through each wave of discouragement: "The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me—a prayer to the God of my life" (verse 8).

Rather than giving in to his fears, the psalmist asks himself in the psalm's refrain why he is so downcast when God is his God, strength and help (compare verses 5, 11; Psalm 43:5). He stirs himself to continue to trust in and wait on God: "Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance" (Psalm 42:5)—that is, he knows God will smile on him and encourage him. In the final clause in the other two occurrences of the refrain, the psalmist refers to God as "the help of my countenance and my God" (verse 11; Psalm 43:5). A worried, depressed person has a hard time hiding his feelings. When he is unduly introverted, negative emotions show on his face. When he turns away from himself and focuses on God, his face begins to look better. He loses "that drawn, haggard, vexed, troubled, perplexed, introspective appearance, and [he begins] to look composed and calm, balanced and bright" (Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression, p. 13).

In the final stanza, Psalm 43, the psalmist addresses God as both Attorney and Judge. To God as Attorney, he says, "Plead my cause against an ungodly nation" (verse 1). To the Judge he says, "Vindicate me, O God" (same verse)—which could here mean either to declare him innocent of false accusations or to prove him right for trusting in God to save him. He prays that God will intervene to enable him to return to Jerusalem and is confident that God will—considering God to be his "exceeding joy" (verses 3-4).

This song can be of great encouragement when difficult circumstances prevent us from attending worship services in fellowship with other believers. We can of course still come before God in the spirit. We should also remember that even if circumstances such as health were to bar us from Sabbath and festival services for the rest of our physical lives, all who remain faithful to God will one day join together in worshiping Him at Jerusalem for all eternity.