Psalms 42:5, “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.”
This meaning of this passage seems pretty clear, David is talking to his soul and demanding to know why it is feeling cast down. The word for cast down in Hebrew is shachach which means to be depressed. It is in a Hithpael form which makes it reflexive so it is like he has no control over his soul, it is getting itself depressed and David finds it frustrating that he cannot control this depression. He also asked why his soul is disquieted. That word in the Hebrew for disquiet is hamah which really means to coo as a mourning dove is cooing. The mourning dove is called mourning because of its distinctive cooing sound which sounds like it is mourning or in sadness. David is asking his soul why it is feeling so depressed and sad.
Do you ever have an experience like this when it seems like you are feeling sad and depressed for no reason at all? In fact things may be going quite well for you and you have every reason to be happy and joyful, yet you are feeling sad and depressed.
This is the experience David was having so he grabs hold of his soul and he commands it to hope in God. That word hope in Hebrew is yakal which is in a Hithpael imperative form which makes it reflexive. As an imperative he is demanding his soul to do something to cause itself to yakal. Yakal has the idea of waiting with an expectation.
What does he tell his soul to wait expectantly for? It is to praise him for the help of his countenance. The word countenance is pani which means the presence of God. This presence of God when it comes will be his yashoth (help). That is where we get the word yashuah which means salvation or deliverance. It might also be a little play on words for the coming of the Messiah Jesus or Yashuah. But that might be stretching it. Basically David is saying that the deliverance of his soul’s sadness and depression will come when God brings his presence. So David is commanding his soul to praise God.
But soft the word for praise here is yadah which means to give thanks. It is in an imperfect form. He is beginning to praise or thank him for an event that is yet to come. Have you ever been that confident in God that you begin to thank him for answer to prayer even before you get that answer? There are many words in Hebrew for praise. This word is often rendered as a praise of thanksgiving which is true. Yet when I trace this word back to its Semitic roots I find it is a word that has its origins in the Akkadian language and this word was used for shooting an arrow. The Akkadians were a powerful warlike people. Their most skilled warriors were archers. The development of archery changed the whole picture of warfare during the bronze age. Prior to that the only way to kill your opponent was in hand to hand combat with a sword. An arrow could kill from a distance, like a flying sword. You did not have to engage your enemy person to person with a bow and arrow.
I talked with a woman who had studied archery. She described how it takes strength to shoot an arrow. You have to draw back on your bow and hold it. When you first attempt to do this your arm will begin to shake trying to hold back the arrow and you often prematurely shoot the arrow. The arrow will not find its target when this happens. However, the more you practice and the more you doggedly stay with it, the more your arm will strengthen and your aim will be more steady to hit the target. To shoot an arrow requires your full attention mentally, emotionally and physically. It requires tremendous concentration. It is not as easy as it looks.
I remember my uncle used to love to go hunting with a bow and arrow. In fact he would brag how he would one day shoot a bear with an arrow. Well, one morning my father and uncle were on a hunting trip and an old bear came wandering into their camp. My uncle picked up his bow and arrow and woke my father up telling him this was his chance to get a bear with his bow and arrow. My father grabbed his rifle to back my uncle up because you only get one shot with an arrow. It you do not drop the old bear on your first shot, you will make him pretty angry and you had better start running for your life because he is going to come after you to wreak his vengeance. My father and uncle followed the bear to the road and when the bear stopped my uncle raised his bow, took his aim and then said to my father, “You shoot him.” At least with an automatic rifle my father could get off a number of shots where my uncle only had one shot. At the last minute my uncle realized he was not the crack archer he thought he was. I am not sure if he was uncertain of his aim, the power behind the arrow or just plain unsure about his strength. One thing is certain, he did not shoot that arrow because he did not have the confidence to do it. Above all else, an archer needs to have confidence in his strength and ability to properly shoot an arrow.
I believe this is why David used this particular word yadah for praise. He was praising God for an event that had not happened yet, that is experiencing the presence of God to subdue his sadness and depression. David spent his life walking with God, sort of like shooting arrows or yadah of praise and thanksgiving all his life. He had the confidence, strength and assurance that when the chips were down and he need the presence of God to deliver him, that it would come. So he commanded his soul to stop feeling sorry for itself, get with the program and start praising God because in God’s perfect timing He would fill him with His sweet presence and deliver him out of this pit of despair.
When not in battle an Akkadian warrior would spend all his time training, exercising, building his strength and practicing with his bow and arrow so when the time comes, he is in battle and he has to make that first shot count, he is ready to yadah (shoot an arrow) and hit his target. Just as we must use our good times, our times when we are joyful and happy to exercise our praise and thanksgiving, to practice praising and thanking God yadah so when the chips are down and we fall into depression we are ready for this spiritual warfare and will be able to praise and thank God with complete confidence that His deliverance will come.
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