In this psalm the psalmist was panting and thirsting (v. 2) for God at a time when he and his people had been stripped and defeated by the neighboring nations and were in captivity (see note Psa. 42:6¹). Panting and thirsting for God are different from worshipping God in a formal, religious way. God is our living water for us to drink (John 4:10, 14; 7:37-39a; 1 Cor. 12:13). We need to pant and thirst for Him and to drink Him.

The psalms in Book One were written mainly by David. Eight psalms in Book Two (Psalms 42—49), as well as Psalms 84, 85, 87, and 88 in Book Three, were composed by the sons of Korah, who was the leader of a rebellion against Moses and God (Num. 16:1-3). About 470 years after Korah’s rebellion, Samuel the prophet, Heman the singer, and some other psalmists came forth as Korah the rebel’s descendants at the time of David (1 Chron. 6:31-37). The descendants of Korah continued to serve during the time of the captivity. Even the descendants of a leading rebel could become the godly writers of psalms, praising God in their holy writings as a record that has existed for generations. What a grace this was!

See note on the superscription of Psa. 32.

Here the psalmist remembered God from a place quite far from Zion and Jerusalem, indicating that he was in captivity in a far away country.

Although the psalmist was in captivity (v. 6 and note Psa. 42:6¹) and was under his adversaries’ reproaching and oppression (vv. 3, 9-10), he enjoyed God’s countenance, God’s presence.

Or, thank. So also in v. 11; 43:4, 5; 44:8.

Or, thanksgiving.

On the one hand, the psalmist was panting after God (v. 1). On the other hand, he was recalling the glorious and pleasant past in his leading of the festal multitude to enjoy God in His house with His people. Actually, this recalling was a departure from his panting after God. He should have remained in the state of panting after God. We should not allow our considerations and our remembering of our past to distract us from our present enjoyment of God (cf. Phil. 3:13-14 and note Phil. 3:13²).

Psalm 1, the opening word of Book One, begins with the law, but Book Two begins with God. Surely there is no comparison between God and the law. This shows us that Book Two of the Psalms is higher than Book One. Among the five books of the Psalms, the revelation is progressive. The Psalms are like a stairway of five steps that takes us higher in its revelation in a progressive way.

In Book One the psalmists were turned from the law to Christ, and Christ brought them to the enjoyment of God in His house and in His city. Book Two begins with the direct enjoyment of God and unveils the psalmists’ intensified enjoyment of God in His house, and even more in His city, through the suffering, exalted, and reigning Christ. Such a Christ is the way for sinners to enter into God (John 14:6, 20). God’s house is both Christ as God’s tabernacle and God’s temple (John 1:14; 2:19-21) and the church as the enlargement of Christ, the enlarged temple (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:21). Jerusalem, the city of God that surrounded the temple, signifies God’s kingdom. Both Christ and the church are the temple of God and the kingdom of God (Luke 17:21 and note Luke 17:21¹; Matt. 16:18-19 and note Matt. 16:19²; Rom. 14:17 and note Rom. 14:17^1a). The New Jerusalem will be the consummation of God’s temple and God’s kingdom (Rev. 21:22 and note Rev. 21:22¹; Rev. 22:1, 3).