Psalm 42:9
ESV
I say to God, my rock: "Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"
NIV
I say to God my Rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?"
NASB
I will say to God my rock, 'Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?'
CSB
I will say to God, my rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about in sorrow because of the enemy’s oppression?"
NLT
'O God my rock,' I cry, 'Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?'
KJV
I will say unto God my rock, Why hast thou forgotten me? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?
NKJV
I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”
What does Psalm 42:9 mean?
The psalmist's continued prayer mentions how enemy attacks tempt him to doubt God's faithfulness. Of course, God had not forgotten him. Yet his enemies dominated him so severely that he wondered if God had turned away and left him alone. His heart was full of sadness; he mourned. However, he recognized that the Lord was still his God and his foundation (Psalm 42:8). These verses express the psalmist's emotions, but also come back to the idea that God is perfectly faithful (Psalm 42:10¬–11).The psalmist's question, "Why have you forgotten me?" is like Jesus' cry from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). Many scholars note that Jesus was likely quoting Psalm 22 when He spoke those words—connecting His suffering to the prophecies of the Old Testament. Jesus took on that sense of loneliness and abandonment, temporarily, to bear our sins on the cross. God allows this to happen, briefly, so He would not have to forsake eternally those who believe on Jesus as their Savior. Romans 8:1 affirms: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Psalm 42:6–11 describes the psalmist's intense dejection, but he acknowledges the Lord's power to control the storms of life. He views God as the God of his life and his Rock, and he tells his troubled soul again to hope in God and be assured that he will praise God again as his deliverer and his God.
The psalmist begins and ends with hope and dependence on God. His desire for God is like thirst: a vital need, not simply a minor emotion. Enemy attacks, mocking, or grief over being far from home should not override trust in God's goodness. Hardship naturally tempts us to become bitter and defeatist; instead, we should look forward to praising God as our Savior.
