Psalms 43

General context

The speaker asks God to judge him and plead his cause against an ungodly nation and to deliver him from the deceitful and unjust man. He says God is the God of his strength and asks why God casts him off and why he goes mourning because of the enemy's oppression. He asks God to send out his light and his truth so that they may lead him and bring him to God's holy hill and tabernacles. Then he will go to the altar of God, to God his exceeding joy, and praise God upon the harp. The psalm closes with the question to his soul, why it is cast down and disquieted, and the answer, hope in God, for he will yet praise him who is the health of his countenance and his God.

Cited passages: Psalms 43:1, Psalms 43:2, Psalms 43:3, Psalms 43:4, Psalms 43:5

Psalms 43 (KJV)

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Historical context

The text as printed here carries no heading; verse 1 opens with "Judge me, O God", so this source names no author, occasion or musical direction. The speaker is a single "I" addressing God and, in the last verse, his own soul. The opponents are "an ungodly nation" and "the deceitful and unjust man", neither named; the text does not say whether the man belongs to the nation. "Thy holy hill" and "thy tabernacles" and "the altar of God" are named as the goal of the journey without any further location. The psalm's last verse repeats, with one word changed, the refrain that closes Psalm 42, "hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God", and verse 2 repeats that psalm's "why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?". The text as printed gives no statement joining or separating the two chapters beyond these shared lines.

Cited passages: Psalms 43:1, Psalms 43:3, Psalms 43:4, Psalms 42:11, Psalms 43:5, Psalms 42:9

Literary context

Five verses carry a complete movement: appeal for judgment, the question of being cast off, a petition for guidance, a vow of praise, and the refrain to the soul. The two questions of verse 2 answer the two requests of verse 1. The petition personifies light and truth as guides, "let them lead me; let them bring me", and the vow of verse 4 follows as the result, "Then will I go". Joy is stated in the superlative, "God my exceeding joy", and the praise is given an instrument, the harp. The refrain shared with Psalm 42 now stands after a promise rather than after waves and reproach, so the same words close the sequence on a resolved note. Where Psalm 42 asked "when shall I come and appear before God?", this psalm answers with the altar as its destination.

Cited passages: Psalms 43:2, Psalms 43:3, Psalms 43:4, Psalms 43:5, Psalms 42:2

Key moments

1. Plead my cause (Psalms 43:1). The speaker asks God to judge him and deliver him from an ungodly nation and an unjust man.
2. Why dost thou cast me off? (Psalms 43:2). He calls God the God of his strength and asks why he goes mourning.
3. Send out thy light and thy truth (Psalms 43:3). He asks God's light and truth to lead him to the holy hill and tabernacles.
4. To the altar with the harp (Psalms 43:4). He vows to go to the altar and praise God his exceeding joy upon the harp.
5. Hope in God (Psalms 43:5). He asks his soul why it is cast down and tells it to hope in God.

For reflection

The speaker asks for light and truth to lead him to the altar before he can praise; what does the poem suggest he lacks that only guidance, and not strength, can supply?