Psalms 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._ Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy - literally, 'the joy of my exultation,' or of my leaping for gladness х_ GIYLIY_ (H1524)]. Compare Psalms 42:8....

4._And I will go to the altar of God. _Here he promises to God a solemn sacrifice, in commemoration of the deliverance which he should obtain from him; for he speaks not only of the daily or ordinary service, but in making mention of the altar on which it was customary to offer the peace-offerings, he expresses the token of gratitude and thanksgiving of which I have spoken. For this reason, also, he calls God _the God of his joy, _because, being delivered from sorrow, and restored to a state of joy, he resolves to acknowledge openly so great a benefit. And he calls him the _joy of his rejoicing, _that he may the more illustriously set forth the grace of his deliverance. The second word in the genitive is added by way of an epithet, and by it he signifies that his heart had been filled with joy of no common kind, when God restored him, contrary to the expectation of all. As to the fifth v...

Verse Psalms 43:4. _THEN WILL I GO UNTO THE ALTAR_] When thy _light _- a _favourable turn on our affairs_, leads us to the land of our fathers, and thy _truth _- the _fulfillment of thy gracious promises_, has placed us again at the door of thy tabernacles, then will we go to _thy altar_, and joyfully offer those sacrifices and offerings which thy law requires, and rejoice in thee with exceeding great joy....

THEN WILL I GO UNTO THE ALTAR OF GOD - The altar on Mount Zion, where sacrifices were offered: 2 Samuel 6:17. The meaning is, that he would again unite with others in the public and customary worship of God. Compare the notes at Psalms 42:4. UNTO GOD - Into the immediate presence of God; the place where he was worshipped. MY EXCEEDING JOY - Margin, the gladness of my joy. The Septuagint renders this, “who makes my youth joyous:” or, “the joy of my youth,” (Thompson) The Hebrew is, the gladness of my joy; meaning, that God was the source of his joy, so that he found all his happiness in Him. YEA, UPON THE HARP WILL I PRAISE THEE - Compare the notes at

EXPOSITION THE close connection of this psalm with the preceding has been already noticed (see the introduction to Psalms 42:1.). We must not, however, suppose an accidental detachment. Rather Psalms 43:1, is a supplementary stanza, added subsequently by the same or a different writer. Being intended as a continuation, the psalm has naturally no title. PSALMS 43:1 JUDGE ME, O GOD (comp. Psalms 35:24). AND PLEAD MY CAUSE. (comp. Psalms 35:1). God's intervention is as

THEN WILL I GO UNTO THE ALTAR OF GOD,.... Which was in the tabernacle, either of burnt offerings, or of incense, there to offer up the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for mercies received. The altar under the Gospel dispensation is Christ, on which such sacrifices being offered, are acceptable to God, Hebrews 13:10; UNTO GOD MY EXCEEDING JOY; as over the mercy seat, upon a throne of grace, and as his covenant God; or this is exegetical of the altar, which is Christ, God over all, blessed for ever; and who is the object of the unspeakable joy of his people, in his person, righteousness, and salvation; YEA, UPON THE HARP WILL I PRAISE THEE, O GOD, MY GOD: the harp is a musical instrument, used in that part of public worship which concerned the praise of God under the former dispensation, and was typical of that spiritual melody made in the hearts

Psalms 43:1. _Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man. For thou art the God of my strength:_ In the previous Psalm, David had called the Lord the God of his life. Now he calls him the God of his strength. We generally sing ourselves up. We may begin in a very low key, as David did, but if we can praise God in the dark, we shall soon praise God in the light. Psalms 43:2. _Why dost thou cast me off? why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy:_ «My exceeding joy,»--exceeding all the other joys I have,--exceedi

Psalms 43 The Cry Against the Ungodly Nation and Antichrist _ 1. The cry to God (Psalms 43:1)_ 2. Send out Thy light and truth (Psalms 43:3) Here their enemies are mentioned, the ungodly nation, serving the beast (Revelation 13:11). The deceitful and unjust man, is that coming man of sin, the son of perdition, who then has taken his seat in the temple of God in Jerusalem (2 Thessalonians 2:1). They realize their help must come from the Lord to lead them to the holy hill and the sanctuary. They call for the co

Hopeful prayer for restoration to the Temple. It is impossible to say who are meant by the ungodly nation, the nation that is not _hasid_ (see Psalms 43*) or pious. Following this clue we might understand by the nation that is not pious, the mass of careless or apostate Jews, since nobody would expect zealous piety from heathen. But it is doubtful if _goi._ the word translated nation, could mean here a party in a nation. Besides, _hasid_ may be used in a more general sense, viz. merciful. PSALMS 43:3. The light is that of God's countenance, His favour: His truth is His faithfulness. They are here personified. The plural form tabernacles refers to the Temple with its various rooms and courts. Psalms 43:4. the gladness of my joy (_mg._) is almost as strange in Heb. as in Engl

GOD. Hebrew El. App-4....