Psalms 41-50

These ten psalms, which include the final psalm from the first book, eight Korahite psalms and the first psalm of Asaph, collectively emphasize God’s divine kingship. He rules from Mount Zion, and we please him not through transactional means but through thanksgiving and faithfulness.

Psalm 41: Consider the Poor

David opens by saying, “Blessed is he that considereth the poor,” before revealing that he is the poor who needs consideration. He has sinned, and his enemies are speaking evil against him. Even “mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted” has turned against him. He pleads for God to be merciful and to uphold him in his integrity.

Psalms 42 and 43: Why Art Thou Cast Down?

These two psalms are most likely intended as a single psalm with a repeated refrain: “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” appears three times: 42:5, 11; 43:5. Psalm 43 is the only psalm in books 2 & 3 without a superscription, which suggests that it might go with the prior one.

The psalmist expresses a deep desire to know God. Like a panting deer seeking water, he thirsts after God. He asks God to lead him out of an “ungodly nation” to His holy hill. All the while, he asks himself why he is cast down and urges himself to hope in God.

Book of Mormon connections:

• After preaching and performing miracles, Nephi walks alone toward his house, “being much cast down because of the wickedness of the people of the Nephites” (Helaman 10:3).
• The psalmist says, “I pour out my soul in me.” Enos describes his prayer for his people in the same way: “I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them” (Enos 1:9; see also Mosiah 24:12; 26:14; Alma 19:14; 34:26; 46:17; 58:10; Helaman 7:11, 14; Mormon 3:12). Note that in the Old Testament, Hannah also pours out her soul when she prays for a child (1 Samuel 1:15), and Isaiah prophesies that the Messiah will “[pour] out his soul unto death” (Isaiah 53:12; Mosiah 14:12).
• The psalmist calls God “my exceeding joy.” Ammon, Alma, and Helaman are all filled with “exceeding joy” as they experience the blessings of God (Alma 27:18; 36:24; 57:36).

Psalm 44: Why Sleepest Thou?

The psalmist remembers that God helped Israel conquer the promised land and expresses bewilderment that He is no longer protecting them. He pleads with God to wake up and defend them again, saying, “yet have we not forgotten thee.”

Psalm 45: Thy Throne, O God

This psalm reads as an ode to an earthly king, but continually tilts back toward God, blurring the lines between king and God. It is possible that the entire psalm is about God, with earthly kings as a metaphor for His glory. The author of Hebrews read it as a description of Jesus, with the Father as the speaker: “But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom” (Hebrews 1:8).

Psalm 46: Be Still

The psalmist assures us that God is with us even in the midst of trouble, and not from a distance. He is “a very present help.” God teaches us how to find Him: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Psalm 47: O Clap Your Hands

A psalm of rejoicing: the people clap and “shout unto God with the voice of triumph.”

Book of Mormon connection:

• After Alma challenges his people to be baptized at the waters of Mormon, “they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts” (Mosiah 18:11).

Psalm 48: The City of Our God

Worshippers rejoice in the beauty of Mount Zion, “the city of our God.” They say, “Let mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad.”

Psalm 49: The Power of the Grave

The psalmist observes that rich people die and leave their wealth behind. In contrast, he testifies, “God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave.”

Book of Mormon connection:

• In Nephi’s psalm, he pleads, “O Lord, wilt thou redeem my soul?” (2 Nephi 4:31).

Psalm 50: If I Were Hungry

God speaks to two groups of people. To the saints, He protests that He doesn’t need animal sacrifice. “If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof.” Instead, He wants thanksgiving and prayers for deliverance. He also reproves the wicked for hating instruction, supporting criminals, and slandering good people.

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Today I will find joy in the assurance that God is there. I will remember that He is present with me, and I will be still so that I can hear Him.