Psalm 43
1 Vindicate me, God, and champion my cause
against an unfaithful nation;
rescue me from the deceitful and unjust person. u
2 For you are the God of my refuge.
Why have you rejected me?
Why must I go about in sorrow
because of the enemy’s oppression? v
3 Send your light and your truth; let them lead me. w
Let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling place. x
4 Then I will come to the altar of God,
to God, my greatest joy. y
I will praise you with the lyre,
God, my God. z
5 Why, my soul, are you so dejected?
Why are you in such turmoil?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,
my Savior and my God. a
Psalm 43. Psalm 43:2 parallels 42:9, and 43:5 essentially duplicates 42:5, 11; however, Ps 43 is not simply a smaller version of Ps 42. Psalm 43 explodes with greater emotional intensity than does Ps 42—there are more commands and entreaties (significantly more considering the relative sizes of the two psalms). In the parallel verses (43:2 and 42:9, respectively), “refuge” (i.e., “fortress”) evokes more forceful imagery than does “rock,” and “rejected” is more actively intentional than “forgotten.” Even the word “go,” in “Why must I go about in sorrow,” suggests a pacing back and forth, an agitation, rather than mere motion.