Commentary - Psalm 43:5

Bird's-eye view

Psalm 43 is the final part of a three-psalm lament that begins in Psalm 42. The refrain we find here in verse 5 has already appeared twice (Ps. 42:5, 11), making this the third and final time the psalmist takes himself in hand. He is surrounded by an ungodly nation and oppressed by deceitful and unjust men (v. 1), and he feels as though God has cast him off (v. 2). His response to this external pressure and internal turmoil is not to let his soul run the show. Instead, he addresses his soul directly, commanding it to stop its caterwauling and to place its hope squarely in God. This is a classic example of biblical self-talk, a spiritual discipline of the highest order. The psalmist preaches to himself, reminding his own soul of who God is and what He has promised to do. The resolution is found not in a change of circumstances, but in a resolute turn of the will toward praise and trust in God, who is the psalmist’s ultimate salvation and very own God.

This verse provides a masterful template for how believers are to handle discouragement and spiritual depression. We are not to be passive observers of our emotional state; we are to be active participants. We must learn to catechize our own hearts, confronting our despair with the truth of God's character and the certainty of His deliverance. The movement is from introspection that leads to despair, to a God-ward gaze that leads to hope and eventual praise.

Outline

Context In Psalms

Psalm 43 is structurally and thematically joined to Psalm 42. Many scholars believe they were originally a single psalm. The recurring refrain in 42:5, 42:11, and 43:5 ties them together inextricably. The situation is one of exile and oppression. The psalmist is away from the house of God, the place of corporate worship, and he is taunted by enemies who ask, "Where is your God?" (Ps. 42:3). This external pressure creates a profound internal crisis, a "downcast" soul. Psalm 43 continues the plea for vindication and deliverance, asking God to send out His light and truth to lead him back to God's holy hill (Ps. 43:3). Verse 5 is therefore the climax of this entire lament. It is the point where the psalmist, having poured out his complaint, turns the corner. He stops addressing God for a moment and turns to address the most unruly member of his congregation, his own soul.

Verse by Verse Commentary

v. 5 Why are you in despair, O my soul?

The first thing to notice is who is talking to whom. The psalmist is talking to himself. This is not navel-gazing; it is spiritual warfare. He has taken stock of his internal condition, and he identifies it as despair, or being "cast down." He doesn't just let the feeling wash over him. He confronts it. He puts it in the dock and cross-examines it. "Why?" This is a crucial question. He is demanding that his soul give an account of itself. Why this despair? Is there a good reason for it? When you are in the grip of such feelings, they can seem all-encompassing and entirely reasonable. But the psalmist steps outside of the feeling and interrogates it. He is treating his soul as a separate entity that needs to be managed, disciplined, and preached to. This is the opposite of the modern therapeutic approach, which would tell him to "validate his feelings." The Bible tells him to challenge his feelings with truth.

And why are you disturbed within me?

He asks the question again, using a different word. The Hebrew for "disturbed" has the sense of a tumultuous roaring, like the sea in a storm. There is an internal uproar, a chaotic agitation. His insides are churning. And again, he demands a reason: "Why?" Why this turmoil? By asking the question, he is asserting his authority, under God, over his own inner man. He is refusing to be mastered by his emotions. He is reminding himself that there is a "me" that is distinct from the "soul" that is in such a state. This "me" is the man of faith, the one who knows God, and he is calling his frantic, despairing soul to order. This is a fundamental aspect of Christian discipleship, learning to rule your own spirit (Prov. 25:28).

Wait for God,

Here is the command. After the cross-examination comes the exhortation. He has diagnosed the problem, a soul in a state of mutiny. Now he issues the order that will quell the rebellion. "Wait for God." The word is often translated as "hope in God," and that is certainly the sense. Hope is not a flimsy wish; it is a confident expectation. It is waiting for God to act because you know He will act. This command redirects the soul's focus. The soul had been looking inward at its own misery and outward at the oppressive circumstances. The psalmist commands it to look upward, to God. Despair is a failure of vision. Hope is the corrective lens. He is telling his soul to stop listening to its fears and to start listening to God's promises.

for I shall still praise Him,

This is the ground of his hope. It is a declaration of future certainty. It is not "I might praise Him if things get better." It is "I shall still praise Him." The praise is not contingent on the circumstances changing; it is contingent on God remaining who He is. This is a promise the psalmist makes to himself and to God. The word "still" or "yet" is crucial. It acknowledges the present difficulty while simultaneously defying it. "Yes, right now I am in the depths. But this is not the final chapter. A day is coming when I will praise Him again." This is faith speaking about the future in the present tense. It is a refusal to allow the present darkness to blot out the coming dawn. This praise is a sacrifice, offered by faith before the feeling of joy has returned (Heb. 13:15).

The salvation of my presence and my God.

He concludes by stating precisely who this God is, and why He is worthy of such hope. He is "the salvation of my presence," or as some translations have it, "the help of my countenance." This means that God's salvation transforms the believer's very appearance. Despair makes your face fall. God's deliverance lifts your head and puts a light in your eyes. God's salvation is not an abstract concept; it is a visible, face-altering reality. And finally, He is "my God." This is the anchor of everything. The covenant relationship is personal. He is not just God in the abstract, the unmoved mover of the philosophers. He is my God. He has bound Himself to me in covenant love. Because He is my God, and because He is the God of salvation, my present despair does not have the last word. He does.

Application

Every Christian will at some point find himself in the slough of despond. The application of this verse is therefore not a matter of if, but when. When your soul is cast down, you must learn from the psalmist to take yourself in hand. Do not coddle your despair. Do not endlessly analyze your feelings as though they were the supreme reality. Speak to your soul. Ask it hard questions. "Why are you cast down? On what basis? Does God's Word give you leave to be in such a state?"

Then, having questioned your soul, you must command it. Preach the gospel to yourself. Command your soul to hope in God. This is an act of the will, not a surge of emotion. Hope is a duty. Remind yourself of the future grace that is certainly coming. Resolve, right in the middle of the trial, that you will praise God. Your praise may be raspy at first, but it is a declaration of war against the darkness. Finally, ground your hope in the character and promises of God. He is your salvation. He is your God. This is the bedrock truth that no amount of emotional turmoil or circumstantial distress can ever shake.