Psalm 43
Psalm 43, From Depression to a Procession of Praise
This section covers Psalm 43 in full, including its close connection to Psalm 42, the psalmist’s cry for vindication, his prayer for deliverance from deceitful and unjust men, his honest question before God, his request for God’s light and truth, his desire to return to the holy hill and tabernacle, his movement toward the altar of God, his praise to God as exceeding joy, and his final command to his own soul to hope in God. The material below is based on the provided notes and expanded into paragraph and note format without leaving out the substance.
Title and Setting
Psalm 43 has no separate title in the Hebrew text, which is one reason many students of Scripture have recognized its close relationship to Psalm 42. G. Campbell Morgan stated that this psalm is either part of the previous psalm or closely connected with it. In fact, several ancient Hebrew manuscripts join Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 together as one psalm. Whether they originally formed one composition or stand as two closely linked psalms, they clearly share the same spiritual burden, the struggle of a discouraged believer who feels distant from God, oppressed by enemies, and yet refuses to surrender his hope.
Charles Spurgeon suggested that the writer may have loved the poetic form of Psalm 42 and later wrote Psalm 43 as a supplemental hymn in the same manner. Because it functioned like an appendix, it needed no title. This is very plausible because Psalm 43 continues the same refrain found in Psalm 42, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” The same spiritual conflict remains, faith wrestling against discouragement, hope speaking against despair, and the soul being commanded to trust God even before circumstances visibly change.
Psalm 43 may be described as a movement from depression to praise. The psalmist begins with a plea for vindication against ungodly and deceitful men, then asks why God seems to have cast him off, then pleads for God’s light and truth to lead him, then anticipates coming again to the holy hill, the tabernacle, the altar, and finally the praise of God. The psalm closes not because all his circumstances have changed, but because his soul has been redirected toward God. This is not shallow optimism. It is biblical faith fighting its way through darkness by prayer, truth, worship, and hope.
Psalm 43:1, God, Where Are You When the Wicked Surround Me?
Psalm 43:1, “Judge me, O God, And plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.”
The psalm opens with the cry, “Judge me, O God.” In context, this does not mean the psalmist is asking God to condemn him. He is asking God to vindicate him. He has been wronged, misrepresented, opposed, and pressed by wicked men. He does not take vengeance into his own hands. He brings his cause before the throne of God.
This is a familiar theme in the Psalms. The righteous man often suffers under false accusation and unjust treatment. His proper response is to take the case to God. The psalmist understands that God is the righteous Judge, and therefore God alone can truly vindicate him. He does not merely want public approval. He wants divine judgment, divine clarity, and divine defense.
Psalm 26:1, “Judge me, O LORD; For I have walked in mine integrity: I have trusted also in the LORD; Therefore I shall not slide.”
Psalm 35:24, “Judge me, O LORD my God, According to thy righteousness; And let them not rejoice over me.”
The phrase “plead my cause” gives the picture of God acting as the psalmist’s advocate. The psalmist has a cause, a case, a grievance, and an injustice that needs to be answered. Rather than relying on his own ability to defend himself, he asks God to plead for him. This is the posture of faith. A believer may explain himself when appropriate, but he must ultimately entrust his name, reputation, and defense to God.
He asks God to plead his cause “against an ungodly nation.” The phrase may refer to a foreign nation, an unfaithful people, or a mass of hostile men who do not fear God. The psalmist feels surrounded by a culture or community that is not governed by righteousness. This adds weight to his pain. He is not merely dealing with one difficult person. He feels opposed by a whole ungodly atmosphere.
Then he prays, “O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.” The problem is not only that his enemy is unjust, but that he is also deceitful. This is a dangerous combination. An unjust man does evil. A deceitful man knows how to cover evil, excuse evil, disguise evil, and manipulate others into believing evil is good. Poole describes this kind of man as one who covers wicked designs with fair and false pretenses. Such men are hateful to God and to all good men.
This is why the psalmist needs God’s deliverance. When a man is both deceitful and unjust, ordinary human defense may not be enough. Deceit clouds facts. Unjust men twist truth. They do not merely attack openly, they hide their motives behind smooth speech, false concern, and carefully shaped appearances. The psalmist understands that he needs a higher court than human opinion. He needs God.
Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: But they that deal truly are his delight.”
Proverbs 21:15, “It is joy to the just to do judgment: But destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.”
The believer should learn from this. When surrounded by deceitful and unjust people, the first instinct should not be panic, vengeance, or despair. The first instinct should be prayer. God sees motives. God knows facts. God is not fooled by religious language, polished appearances, or public manipulation. The psalmist brings his case to God because God is the only Judge who cannot be deceived.
Psalm 43:2, God, Why Do You Seem So Distant From Me?
Psalm 43:2, “For thou art the God of my strength: Why dost thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
The psalmist now gives the reason for his appeal, “For thou art the God of my strength.” This is a confession of faith. He does not say, “I am strong enough.” He does not say, “My resources are sufficient.” He says God is the God of his strength. His confidence is not in himself but in the LORD.
This makes his question more painful, “Why dost thou cast me off?” The psalmist has a relationship with God, and because he has a relationship with God, he feels the pain of apparent distance. If he did not love God, this would not trouble him. If he were an unbeliever, he would not grieve over feeling cast off. The sorrow itself reveals that he belongs to God and longs for God.
There is a real tension here. He calls God his strength, yet he feels cast off. He believes God is his refuge, yet he goes mourning. He knows God is able, yet the enemy still oppresses him. This is the same kind of honest faith seen in Psalm 42.
Psalm 42:9, “I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
The repeated “why” is familiar to the tested people of God. Faith does not always understand God’s timing. The psalmist wonders why God has not acted in the way that seems obvious to him. From his perspective, the case is clear. He is oppressed. His enemies are deceitful and unjust. He belongs to God. God is his strength. Therefore, why does deliverance not come immediately?
This is where mature faith must be careful. The psalmist asks honestly, but he does not abandon God. He does not say God is no longer his strength. He does not deny God’s character. He brings his confusion into prayer. That is the difference between unbelieving complaint and faithful lament. Unbelief accuses God and walks away. Faith questions God while clinging to Him.
He asks, “Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” The oppression of the enemy has affected his whole manner of life. He goes mourning. This is not a momentary frustration. It is a continued condition. The pressure of the enemy has weighed him down emotionally and spiritually.
This teaches that faithful believers may experience seasons of prolonged sorrow. The Bible does not present godliness as emotional invulnerability. The psalmist is truly discouraged, but he is not faithless. He mourns, but he prays. He questions, but he still calls God the God of his strength.
Psalm 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in him, And I am helped: Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; And with my song will I praise him.”
Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.”
The psalmist’s problem is not that God lacks strength. His problem is that God’s strength does not yet seem visible in his circumstances. This is where faith must wait, pray, and continue to seek God’s face.
Psalm 43:3a, God, I Need to Be Led by Your Light and Truth
Psalm 43:3, “O send out thy light and thy truth: Let them lead me; Let them bring me unto thy holy hill, And to thy tabernacles.”
The turning point of the psalm begins with this prayer, “O send out thy light and thy truth.” The psalmist knows that his own light and his own truth are not enough. He does not trust his own perception as final. He does not assume that because he feels abandoned, he has correctly interpreted reality. He needs God to send light. He needs God to send truth.
This is essential in depression, discouragement, and spiritual confusion. A cast down soul does not always see clearly. Pain can distort perspective. Fear can exaggerate danger. Enemy oppression can make God seem distant. Memories of better days can make the present feel hopeless. Therefore, the psalmist does not ask merely for changed circumstances. He asks for God’s light and truth.
Poole explains that “thy light and thy truth” refers to God’s favor, the light of His countenance, and the truth of His promises. The psalmist needs God’s face and God’s Word. He needs the shining of divine favor and the reliability of divine promise. That is what steadies the soul.
Psalm 27:1, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 119:105, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.”
Psalm 119:130, “The entrance of thy words giveth light; It giveth understanding unto the simple.”
The psalmist then prays, “Let them lead me.” This is not a request for information only. It is a prayer of submission. He does not want God’s light and truth merely so he can admire them, discuss them, or use them to win arguments. He wants them to lead him. He is saying, in effect, “Lord, I need a leader. My feelings cannot lead me. My enemies cannot lead me. My memories cannot lead me. My own understanding cannot lead me. Let Your light and Your truth lead me.”
This is the beginning of the procession of praise. The psalmist starts in depression, but he is going to end in worship. The path begins with God’s light and truth. A discouraged believer does not find his way back to praise by following emotion alone. He finds his way back by being led by what God reveals.
Spurgeon wisely stated that we do not seek light to sin by, nor truth to be exalted by it, but that they may become practical guides to the nearest communion with God. That is the right use of truth. Truth is not given so that a man may become proud. Truth is given so that he may walk with God.
John 17:17, “Sanctify them through thy truth: Thy word is truth.”
John 8:31, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, Then are ye my disciples indeed;”
John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, And the truth shall make you free.”
The psalmist understands that the cure for spiritual darkness is not self invented light. It is God’s light. The cure for confusion is not personal opinion. It is God’s truth. A man cannot safely lead himself through spiritual darkness. He must be led by the light and truth of God.
Psalm 43:3b, When You Answer My Prayer, I Will Come to Your House
Psalm 43:3, “O send out thy light and thy truth: Let them lead me; Let them bring me unto thy holy hill, And to thy tabernacles.”
The psalmist prays that God’s light and truth would bring him “unto thy holy hill, And to thy tabernacles.” The “them” refers to God’s light and truth. He wants divine light and divine truth to lead him to a specific destination, the holy hill and the tabernacle.
This is the second step in the procession of praise. First, he asks for light and truth to lead him. Second, he wants to be led back to the place of worship. In the Old Testament setting, the holy hill refers to Zion, the place associated with the worship of the LORD. The tabernacle refers to the tent of meeting, the place where God met with His people according to His appointed order.
The psalmist wants to go there for several reasons. He knows the LORD is there in a special way. He knows God’s people are there. He knows it is a place where he can focus upon God. This does not mean God is absent everywhere else. Psalm 42 already shows that the psalmist can pray to God from a distant place. But it does mean that gathered worship has a unique importance in the life of God’s people.
This is a needed reminder. Private devotion matters, but God’s people were never meant to live detached from corporate worship. The psalmist’s longing for the holy hill and tabernacle is not mere nostalgia. It is a godly hunger for the gathered worship of God.
Psalm 84:1, “How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!”
Psalm 84:2, “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.”
Psalm 84:10, “For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, Than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.”
Any place where God’s people gather to worship Him according to truth may become, in a practical sense, a place of meeting with God. Under the New Covenant, believers do not worship at the tabernacle or temple in Jerusalem. Christ has fulfilled the sacrificial system, and His people worship God in spirit and in truth. Yet the principle remains, the believer needs the gathered worship of God’s people.
John 4:23, “But the hour cometh, and now is, When the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: For the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
John 4:24, “God is a Spirit: And they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:”
Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, As the manner of some is; But exhorting one another: And so much the more, As ye see the day approaching.”
The psalmist’s depression is not treated as a purely private matter. He needs God, and he also longs to return to worship among God’s people. The isolated believer is often more vulnerable to discouragement. Public worship reminds the soul that it is not alone, that God is still being praised, that truth still stands, and that the covenant people of God continue before Him.
Psalm 43:4, When You Answer My Prayer, I Will Praise You
Psalm 43:4, “Then will I go unto the altar of God, Unto God my exceeding joy: Yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.”
The psalmist now moves further in the procession of praise. He says, “Then will I go unto the altar of God.” He anticipates God’s answer before he sees it fully. He believes that God’s light and truth will lead him to the holy hill, to the tabernacle, and then to the altar.
The altar was the place of sacrifice. In Israel’s worship, the altar was central because sinful man could not approach God apart from sacrifice. The psalmist is not likely thinking here of a sacrifice of atonement for sin in this immediate context, but rather a sacrifice of thanksgiving, gratitude, and renewed fellowship with God. He expects to come before God not merely to receive relief, but to worship.
Morgan stated, “The way to God is ever the way of the altar. The way to the altar is opened by the sending out of light and truth from God.” This is profound. God’s light and truth do not lead men away from sacrifice. They lead men to the altar. They lead men to the place where God provides the means of approach.
For the Christian, the altar ultimately points to the cross of Jesus Christ. Under the New Covenant, we do not bring animal sacrifices for atonement. Christ has offered Himself once for all. The cross is the final and sufficient altar where the Son of God gave Himself for sinners.
Hebrews 10:10, “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Hebrews 10:11, “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, Which can never take away sins:”
Hebrews 10:12, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, Sat down on the right hand of God;”
Hebrews 10:13, “From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.”
Hebrews 10:14, “For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”
The writer of Hebrews says:
Hebrews 13:10, “We have an altar, Whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.”
This likely refers to God’s provision in Christ at the cross, the ultimate offering on the ultimate altar. We go to the altar of God by going in faith to the finished work of Jesus Christ. The discouraged believer must be led again to the cross, because there he sees both the seriousness of sin and the greatness of divine love.
The psalmist then says he will go “Unto God my exceeding joy.” This is one of the highest phrases in the psalm. God is not merely the giver of joy. God Himself is the psalmist’s exceeding joy. The Hebrew expression carries the sense of the joy of my joy, or the gladness that surpasses all other gladness. The psalmist wants more than relief from enemies. He wants God as his joy.
This is the mark of mature worship. A man may rejoice in blessings, but the godly man rejoices supremely in God. Gifts are good, but the Giver is better. Deliverance is good, but the Deliverer is better. The altar is good, but the God of the altar is better.
Habakkuk 3:17, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, Neither shall fruit be in the vines; The labour of the olive shall fail, And the fields shall yield no meat; The flock shall be cut off from the fold, And there shall be no herd in the stalls:”
Habakkuk 3:18, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”
The psalmist also says, “Yea, upon the harp will I praise thee.” His praise will not remain only inward. It will be expressed outwardly in music and song. The harp was an instrument used in Israel’s worship. The psalmist anticipates worship that involves the whole person, heart, voice, and instrument. His depression will not have the final word. Praise will.
Under the New Covenant, believers still offer sacrifices, not animal sacrifices, but the sacrifice of praise.
Hebrews 13:15, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, That is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”
The sacrifice of praise is the fruit of the lips. Words matter. Songs matter. Thanksgiving matters. The discouraged soul may not immediately feel joyful, but by faith it can still bring praise to God. Praise is not merely a reaction to favorable circumstances. It is a sacrifice offered because God is worthy.
The psalmist ends the verse, “O God my God.” This is personal faith. He does not merely confess that God exists. He says, “my God.” This is covenant language, relational language, and worship language. The mockers in Psalm 42 asked, “Where is thy God?” The psalmist answers by worshiping Him as “my God.”
Psalm 43:5, When You Answer My Prayer, I Will Challenge My Feelings
Psalm 43:5, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God: For I shall yet praise him, Who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”
The psalm closes with the familiar refrain from Psalm 42. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me?” The psalmist has prayed for vindication. He has confessed God as his strength. He has asked for light and truth. He has anticipated returning to the holy hill, the tabernacle, the altar, and praise. Yet his circumstances have not necessarily changed. Therefore, he again speaks to his own soul.
This is one of the main lessons of Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 together. The believer must not surrender uncritically to his feelings. Feelings are real, but they are not sovereign. Emotions must be examined, questioned, and brought under the truth of God. The psalmist does not deny that his soul is cast down. He asks why it is cast down. He does not deny that he is disquieted. He challenges that disquietude and commands his soul to hope.
Morgan observed that at the end of the psalm, the answer has not yet come. The darkness and mystery are still around him, but the shining way is seen. Again the soul is forbidden to despair, and hope is encouraged in God. That is crucial. The psalmist’s outward circumstances remain unresolved, but his inward direction has changed. He now sees the path, light and truth leading to worship.
VanGemeren notes that the refrain returns to the conflict between faith and doubt, the contrast between present and future, and the hope that “I will yet praise him.” This is exactly the struggle of the psalm. The present says mourning. Faith says praise is coming. The present says oppression. Faith says God is my strength. The present says darkness. Faith says send out Thy light and Thy truth. The present says cast down. Faith says hope in God.
The command is direct, “Hope in God.” This is the central answer. The psalmist does not say, “Hope in yourself.” He does not say, “Hope in perfect circumstances.” He does not say, “Hope in public vindication.” He says, “Hope in God.” God Himself is the anchor of the soul.
Psalm 62:5, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; For my expectation is from him.”
Psalm 62:6, “He only is my rock and my salvation: He is my defence; I shall not be moved.”
Psalm 62:7, “In God is my salvation and my glory: The rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.”
The psalmist says, “For I shall yet praise him.” This is faith speaking from the future into the present. He does not feel final praise yet, but he knows praise will come. He has not yet seen all things restored, but he knows God will not fail. The word “yet” is powerful. It means the present condition is not permanent. It means the current sorrow is not the final chapter. It means God’s people can speak hope even while still under pressure.
He calls God “the health of my countenance.” The word translated “health” carries the idea of salvation, deliverance, and restoration. Kidner notes that “help” may be too weak a word. God is not merely an assistant to the psalmist’s countenance. God is the salvation of it. God saves the face of His people from despair. He lifts what sin, sorrow, oppression, and fear have cast down.
Boice stated that the cure for depression is not in us, it is in God. The cure is to seek God’s face so that ours will not remain downcast. That is what the psalmist does. His countenance needs help, and God is the One who brings it.
Maclaren rightly concludes that faith may have a long struggle with fear, but it will have the last word, and that word will be “the health of my countenance, and my God.” This is where the psalm ends. Fear has spoken. Depression has spoken. Enemies have spoken. But faith speaks last.
The final phrase is again personal, “and my God.” The psalmist’s circumstances may still be hard, but his covenant claim remains. God is still his God. He may feel cast off, but he still says “my God.” He may be mourning, but he still says “my God.” He may be surrounded by deceitful and unjust men, but he still says “my God.” He may not yet have visible deliverance, but he has not lost the deepest reality of all, he belongs to God.
Theological Summary
Psalm 43 teaches that the believer should bring injustice to God. The psalmist does not deny the reality of deceitful and unjust men. He does not pretend oppression is harmless. He asks God to judge, vindicate, plead his cause, and deliver him. Biblical faith is not passive indifference toward evil. It is confidence that God is the righteous Judge.
Psalm 43 also teaches that the believer may honestly question God while still trusting Him. The psalmist asks, “Why dost thou cast me off?” but in the same breath calls God “the God of my strength.” This is faithful lament. He does not abandon God because he is confused. He brings his confusion to God because God is his strength.
Psalm 43 teaches that spiritual darkness requires divine light and truth. The psalmist knows that his own perception is not enough. He needs God’s light, God’s truth, God’s favor, and God’s promises to lead him. He does not want truth merely for knowledge. He wants truth for obedience, direction, and renewed communion with God.
Psalm 43 teaches that God’s light and truth lead the soul toward worship. The procession moves from light and truth, to the holy hill, to the tabernacle, to the altar, to God as exceeding joy, to praise with the harp. The answer to spiritual depression is not merely internal emotional adjustment. The soul must be led back to God, back to worship, back to sacrifice, back to praise, and for the Christian, back to the cross of Christ.
Psalm 43 teaches that God Himself is the believer’s exceeding joy. The psalmist wants deliverance, but his highest desire is God. He goes to the altar of God, unto God his exceeding joy. This is the heart of true worship. God is not merely useful. God is glorious, satisfying, and worthy.
Psalm 43 also teaches that the believer must continue speaking truth to his own soul. The refrain, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” shows that discouragement does not always vanish instantly. Faith must keep answering fear. Hope must keep answering despair. Truth must keep answering emotional instability. The soul must be commanded to hope in God.
