The Hart and the Water-Brooks: a practical exposition of the forty-second Psalm. — Inside the Classic

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Authors: Macduff, John R. (John Ross), 1818-1895 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2013 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Bible. Psalms, XLII -- Commentaries Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 48,108

Reading time 210 min

Text sections 7

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A verse-by-verse exposition of Psalm 42, examining the psalmist's oscillation between despair and hope through the metaphor of a panting hart. Macduff draws on the psalm's structure, imagery of water and exile, and the repeated self-address 'Why art thou cast down?' to explore spiritual desolation and trust in God.

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lm was committed as a precious treasure to be preserved by them;--as we know that out of the number of the singers some were chosen and appointed to be keepers of the Psalms. That there is no mention made of David's name, does not in itself involve any difficulty, since we see the same omission in other Psalms, of which there is, notwithstanding, the strongest grounds for concluding that he was author."

According to an arbitrary division by the Jews of their Psalter into five parts, supposed to have been made by Ezra after the return from Babylon, the Forty-second Psalm forms the commencement of the second book. Regarding its structure, we may remark, that it is divided into two portions or _strophes_, each of these closing with a refrain in verses 5 and 11.

The following is an excellent poetical paraphrase of the Psalm, by Bishop Lowth:--

"As pants the wearied hart for cooling springs, That sinks exhausted in the summer's chase; So pants my longing soul, great King of kings! So thirsts to reach Thy sacred dwelling-place.

"On briny tears my famish'd soul hath fed, While taunting foes deride my deep despair; 'Say, where is now thy Great Deliverer fled, Thy mighty God, deserted wanderer, where?'

"Oft dwell my thoughts on those thrice happy days, When to Thy fane I led the willing throng; Our mirth was worship, all our pleasure praise, And festal joys still closed with sacred song.

"Why throb, my heart? why sink, my saddening soul, Why droop to earth, with various foes oppress'd? My years shall yet in blissful circles roll, And peace be yet an inmate of this breast.

"By Jordan's banks with devious steps I stray, O'er Hermon's rugged rocks and deserts dear: E'en there Thy hand shall guide my lonely way, There Thy remembrance shall my spirit cheer.

"In rapid floods the vernal torrents roll, Harsh sounding cataracts responsive roar; Thine angry billows overwhelm my soul, And dash my shatter'd bark from shore to shore.

"Yet Thy sure mercies ever in my sight, My heart shall gladden through the tedious day; And 'midst the dark and gloomy shades of night, To Thee I'll fondly tune the grateful lay.

"Rock of my hope! great Solace of my heart! Why, why desert the offspring of Thy care, While taunting foes thus point th' invidious dart, 'Where is thy God, abandon'd wanderer, where?'

"Why faint, my soul? why doubt Jehovah's aid? Thy God the God of mercy still shall prove; Within His courts thy thanks shall yet be paid, Unquestion'd be His pity and His love."

I. THE SCENE OF THE PSALM, 2

II. THE GENERAL SCOPE OF THE PSALM, 10

III. A PECULIAR EXPERIENCE, 24

CONTENTS OF THE PSALM.

I. THE HART PANTING, 36

II. THE HART WOUNDED, 46

III. THE LIVING GOD, 60

VI. SABBATH MEMORIES, 102

VIII. THE HILL MIZAR, 141

XI. FAITH AND PRAYER, 192

XII. THE QUIET HAVEN, 212

The Scene of the Psalm.

"Where is thy favour'd haunt, Eternal Voice, The region of Thy choice, Where, undisturb'd by sin and earth, the soul Owns Thine entire control? 'Tis on the mountain's summit dark and high, Where storms are hurrying by: 'Tis 'mid the strong foundations of the earth, Where torrents have their birth. No sounds of worldly toil ascending there Mar the full burst of prayer; Lone nature feels that she may freely breathe, And round us and beneath Are heard her sacred tones: the fitful sweep Of winds across the steep, The dashing waters where the air is still, From many a torrent rill--. Such sounds as make deep silence in the heart For thought to do her part."

"The spot was so attractive to me, as well as the view of the surrounding country so charming, that I had great difficulty in tearing myself away from it. In the foreground, at my feet, was the Jordan flowing through its woods of tamarisks. On the other side rose gently the plain of Beisan surmounted by the high _tell_ of that name. In the distance were the mountains of Gilboa--the whole stretch of which is seen, even as far as ancient Jezreel."--_Van de Velde's Travels in Syria and Palestine_, vol. ii. p. 355.

THE SCENE OF THE PSALM.

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John R. Macduff's exposition of Psalm 42 proceeds verse by verse, treating the psalmist's cry as a model for the believer's experience of spiritual drought and recovery. The title metaphor—a hart panting for water-brooks—is sustained throughout, with Macduff drawing on the psalm's own imagery of tears, exile, and the refrain 'Why art thou cast down, O my soul?' He reads the psalm as a dramatic dialogue between the soul's despondency and faith's resolve, a pattern he applies to a range of afflictions: bereavement, betrayal, sickness, and financial ruin.

The work is structured as a series of meditations, each anchored to a specific verse or phrase. Macduff frequently cites other biblical passages and occasionally quotes hymn paraphrases, such as Bishop Lowth's rendering of the psalm. His tone is pastoral and hortatory, urging readers to 'hold a similar consistory' with their own hearts in times of trouble.

The Hart and the Water-Brooks: A Sustained Metaphor

Macduff opens with the psalm's central image: the panting hart, which he interprets as a figure of intense spiritual longing. He notes that the Hebrew word for 'pant' suggests a desperate, physical thirst, and he applies this to the soul's craving for God. The water-brooks, he argues, represent not merely refreshment but the presence of God in worship—the 'house of God' mentioned in verse 4. Throughout the exposition, Macduff returns to this metaphor, contrasting the 'dry land' of affliction with the 'springs in the valleys' that God provides. He even extends the image to the 'wounded Hart' finding relief when faith 'takes down her harp' and sings of hope.

The Structure of Despair and Self-Rebuke

Macduff pays close attention to the psalm's internal dialogue. He highlights the repeated self-address 'Why art thou cast down, O my soul?' as a 'solemn inquisition' that the believer must conduct in seasons of trouble. The exposition traces the psalmist's movement from complaint to resolution, noting how each stanza ends with a turn toward hope. Macduff identifies a pattern: the psalmist pours out his grief, then rebukes his own despondency, and finally anchors himself in God. This threefold rhythm—lament, self-examination, trust—structures Macduff's own commentary, as he applies each verse to specific trials: 'the treachery of thy trusted friend,' 'bereavement that has made gaps in thy loved circle.'

Hope as the Child of Tribulation

One of Macduff's recurring themes is the necessity of suffering for the development of hope. He quotes Romans 5:3-4 to trace hope's pedigree: 'Tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, Hope.' He compares tribulation to the mother eagle putting a thorn in the nest to urge her young to fly—a striking image that underscores his view of affliction as a divine discipline. Macduff also emphasizes the paradox of God's hidden love: 'in the apparently rough voice of thy God, there is, as in the case of Joseph to his brethren, tones of dissembled love.' This conviction that God's purposes are ultimately benevolent, even when inscrutable, underpins his pastoral counsel throughout the work.

Readers approaching Macduff's exposition will benefit from having the text of Psalm 42 at hand, as his commentary follows its verses closely. The work is best read as a series of devotional meditations rather than a systematic theology; Macduff's aim is comfort and exhortation, not critical analysis. Those familiar with nineteenth-century evangelical piety will recognize the homiletic style, with its frequent direct addresses to the reader and its reliance on typological interpretation. The book rewards slow, reflective reading, especially for those interested in how Victorian preachers applied Old Testament poetry to personal spiritual experience.

Reading Macduff’s account of the psalmist’s thirst, I remembered sitting by a cold window years ago, feeling my own heart dry as dust. Another book once held that same ache for me — The wonders of prayer — Text and Context — and I lingered there, too, less for answers than for the quiet company of someone who'd also stood at the edge of silence. That kinship felt sacred.