# Psalms 42.1

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-05-06 | updated: 2026-05-06 -->

**Book:** [Psalms](/codex/psalms/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> **1. <sup>For the Chief Musician. Maschil of the sons of Korah.</sup> As the hart panteth after the water brooks, So panteth my soul after thee, O God.**
>
> 2. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: When shall I come and appear before God? 3. My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? (Psalms 42:1-3, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> **1. <b>For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by the sons of Korah. </b> As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants after you, God.**
>
> 2. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3. My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?” (Psalms 42:1-3, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> **1. To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. <sup>Maschil: or, A Psalm giving instruction of the sons, etc</sup> <sup>panteth: Heb. brayeth</sup>**
>
> 2. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? 3. My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God? (Psalms 42:1-3, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> **1. To the Overseer., An Instruction. By sons of Korah. As a hart doth pant for streams of water, So my soul panteth toward Thee, O God.**
>
> 2. My soul thirsted for God, for the living God, When do I enter and see the face of God? 3. My tear hath been to me bread day and night, In their saying unto me all the day, 'Where [is] thy God?' (Psalms 42:1-3, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** various (David majority; Asaph, Korah, Moses, Solomon, anonymous)
- **Audience:** worshipping Israel (corporate + individual devotion)
- **Location:** Israel, various periods
- **Time period:** composition spans c. 1400 BC (Moses, Ps 90), c. 400 BC; principal Davidic composition c. 1000 BC

## Theological reading

## Key words

- [H0430 - elohim](/codex/h0430-elohim/), *elohim* (Strong's H430). Also appears in: [Genesis 1.1](/codex/genesis-1-1/), [Genesis 1.2](/codex/genesis-1-2/), [Genesis 1.14-19](/codex/genesis-1-14-19/).
- [H1121 - ben](/codex/h1121-ben/), *ben* (Strong's H1121). Also appears in: [Genesis 3](/codex/genesis-3/), [Genesis 4.26](/codex/genesis-4-26/), [Genesis 6.2](/codex/genesis-6-2/).
- [H5315 - nephesh](/codex/h5315-nephesh/), *nephesh* (Strong's H5315). Also appears in: [Genesis 1.21](/codex/genesis-1-21/), [Genesis 1.24-28](/codex/genesis-1-24-28/), [Genesis 2.7](/codex/genesis-2-7/).

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Argument from Desire](/codex/argument-from-desire/), via [Psalms 42.1-2](/codex/psalms-42-1-2/)
- [Argument from Restlessness](/codex/argument-from-restlessness/), via [Psalms 42.1-2](/codex/psalms-42-1-2/)

**Concepts:**

- [Divine Hiddenness](/codex/divine-hiddenness/)
- [Soul](/codex/h5315-nephesh/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G5590 - psyche](/codex/g5590-psyche/), via [Psalms 42.1-2](/codex/psalms-42-1-2/)
- [H5315 - nephesh](/codex/h5315-nephesh/), via [Psalms 42.1-2](/codex/psalms-42-1-2/)

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