The Bible — World English Bible

Psalm 43

In brief

Psalm 43 is a short prayer whose text does not name its author. Many readers connect it to Psalm 42: the same refrain appears, addressed to the downcast soul. The psalmist asks God to defend his cause against deceitful people, asks why he walks about in sorrow, and prays that God's light and truth would lead him to God's altar. It ends with an order he gives himself: hope in God, for I will still praise him.

The chapter in 3 parts

  1. v. 1-2Defend my cause: why have you rejected me?
  2. v. 3-4Send out your light and truth: I will go to the altar of God, my joy
  3. v. 5Why are you downcast, my soul? Hope in God

1Vindicate me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Oh, deliver me from deceitful and wicked men.

2For you are the God of my strength. Why have you rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

3Oh, send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy hill, to your tents.

4Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you on the harp, God, my God.

5Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him: my Savior, my helper, and my God.

Key verses

Verse 1
Vindicate me, God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation. Oh, deliver me from deceitful and wicked men.

The psalmist entrusts his cause to God rather than taking justice into his own hands. Placing injustice in God's hands is the first act of the psalm.

Verse 3
Oh, send out your light and your truth. Let them lead me. Let them bring me to your holy hill, to your tents.

Light and truth are almost presented as guides sent by God. The psalmist does not ask to see the whole road, only to be led into God's presence.

Verse 4
Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my exceeding joy. I will praise you on the harp, God, my God.

God is called my joy and my delight. The psalmist is not seeking only what God gives, but God himself, and this joy is expressed in praise with the harp.

Verse 5
Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him: my Savior, my helper, and my God.

The psalmist talks to himself: to the soul that groans, he answers with hope in God. This refrain, repeated from Psalm 42, teaches us not to let emotions have the last word.

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What the sermons say

Eternal Joy: Your Name Is Written in HeavenMatt Marvane quotes verse 4: David discovered that God himself could become his joy, not only what God does but who he is. He adds that groaning has never changed anything, while believing changes everything.Read the summary →When God Himself Becomes Your JoyThis sermon by Matt Marvane dwells on verse 4: the turning point of the message is moving from a joy that depends on God's blessings to a joy whose source is God himself.Read the summary →A Joy That Prepares Your Heart Before the Storm HitsThis message cites verse 4, God my joy and my delight, in a call to prepare your heart before the trial comes: the joy that comes from God himself is the strength that lets you hold on.Read the summary →

Frequently asked questions about Psalm 43

What does Psalm 43 mean?

It is the prayer of a believer who feels far from God and pressed by unjust people. He asks God to defend his cause and bring him back to his altar, then speaks to his downcast soul and tells it to hope. The psalm teaches us to keep praise in view even in sadness.

Is Psalm 43 connected to Psalm 42?

Many readers think so: Psalm 43 has no title and repeats the refrain of Psalm 42, why are you downcast, my soul. In some Hebrew manuscripts the two psalms form a single poem. The Bible does not settle the question, and you can read them separately or together, the meaning stays the same.

How can I pray with Psalm 43?

Read it when you feel downcast. In verse 1, hand over to God what seems unjust to you. In verses 3 and 4, ask him to guide you into his presence and to become your joy again. In verse 5, tell your soul once more to hope in God, then finish with praise, even a brief one.

Articles quoting Psalm 43

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World English Bible translation — public domain.