Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? He is affected in a double manner:
(1) by dejection (Hebrew, 'bowed down');
(2) by tumultuous, noisy restlessness ( tehemiy (H1993)) - literally, disquiet like that of the roaring sea (Psalms 46:3; Jeremiah 5:22). His spiritual self debates with his flesh in its unbelieving despondency.
Hope thou in God the remedy against the weakness of the flesh Hope thou in God - the remedy against the weakness of the flesh.
For I shall yet praise him (for) the help of his countenance. Faith assures him that God will "help" him with "His countenance," and so will give him cause for "praise." There is no "for" in the Hebrew: the relation in which David will praise "Him" is in respect to "the help of (or rather, as the same Hebrew is translated in Psalms 42:11, the health-literally, plural, healths; saving healths; the manifold salvation emanating from) His countenance." Salvation is ascribed to 'the countenance of God,' as in the Mosaic blessing, "The Lord make His face shine upon thee ... the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace" (Numbers 6:25-26). The countenance of God is turned toward His servants, to bless them (Psalms 31:16; Psalms 44:3). The Septuagint, Vulgate, and Syriac read, 'The health of my countenance, and my God,' substituting 'my' for His, adding 'and,' and joining to this verse the words, "my God," of Psalms 42:6. Thus they make this verse exactly the same as Psalms 42:11, and Psalms 43:5. But the Hebrew poets introduce variations in repeating similar sentiments (Psalms 24:7; Psalms 24:9; Psalms 49:12; Psalms 49:20; Psalms 56:4; Psalms 56:11; Psalms 59:9; Psalms 59:17; cf. Psalms 42:2, "the living God," with Psalms 42:8, "the God of my life;" Psalms 42:9 with Psalms 43:2).
Moreover, the address, "O my God" (Psalms 42:6), is needed to escape the abruptness which would ensue by joining it to Psalms 42:5, end. Above all, there is a beautiful correspondence between "His countenance" here and "my countenance," Psalms 42:11. The health, or salvation, goes forth from God's loving countenance upon the afflicted countenance of the Psalmist. The light of God's countenance illuminates the darkness of his countenance (Hengstenberg). Compare 1 Samuel 30:6, as beautifully in undesigned coincidence with the character of David as it appears in this psalm - "David was greatly distressed ... but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."
The sixth verse is a prefatory summary to the following strophe of five verses (Psalms 42:7-11). Psalms 42:7 is an expansion of the thought, "my soul is cast down;" Psalms 42:8-10 expands 'I will remember thee.'