Psalms 42:1

For the music director; a well-written song ²  by the Korahites. As a deer ³  longs ⁴  for streams of water, so I long ⁵  for you, O God!

For the director of music. A maskil of the Sons of Korah. As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.

<<For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.>> As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God.

<<For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.>> As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God.

A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God.

<To the chief music-maker. Maschil. Of the sons of Korah.> Like the desire of the roe for the water-streams, so is my soul’s desire for you, O God.

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.

<<To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the sons of Korah.>> As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.

For the music director; a well-written song ²  by the Korahites. As a deer ³  longs ⁴  for streams of water, so I long ⁵  for you, O God!

¹ sn Psalm 42. The psalmist recalls how he once worshiped in the Lord’s temple, but laments that he is now oppressed by enemies in a foreign land. Some medieval Hebrew mss combine Psalms 42 and 43 into a single psalm.

² tn The meaning of the Hebrew term מַשְׂכִּיל (maskil) is uncertain. The word is derived from a verb meaning “to be prudent; to be wise.” Various options are: “a contemplative song,” “a song imparting moral wisdom,” or “a skillful [i.e., well-written] song.” The term occurs in the superscriptions of Pss 32, 42, 44, 45, 52-55, 74, 78, 88, 89, and 142, as well as in Ps 47:7.

³ tn Since the accompanying verb is feminine in form, the noun אָיִּל (’ayyil, “male deer”) should be emended to אַיֶּלֶת (’ayyelet, “female deer”). Haplography of the letter tav has occurred; note that the following verb begins with tav.

⁴ tn Or “pants [with thirst].”

⁵ tn Or “my soul pants [with thirst].” The Hebrew term נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh) with a pronominal suffix is often equivalent to a pronoun, especially in poetry (see BDB 660 s.v. נֶפֶשׁ 4.a).