The title of this psalm is, "To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah." On the phrase "To the chief Musician," see the notes at the title to Psalm 4:1-8. On the term "Maschil," see the notes at the title to Psalm 32:1-11. This title is prefixed to eleven psalms. It properly means, as in the margin, giving instruction. But why such a title was prefixed to these psalms rather than to others is unknown. So far as appears, the title, in that sense, would be applicable to many other psalms as well as to these, whether understood in the signification of "giving instruction" in general, or of "giving instruction" on any particular subject. It is not easy to give an account of the origin of such titles long after the occasion for affixing them has passed away. The phrase "for the sons of Korah" is rendered in the margin "of the sons," etc. The Hebrew may mean for the sons of Korah; of the sons of Korah; or to the sons of Korah, as it is here rendered by Prof. Alexander. The Septuagint renders the title "For the end - εἰς τὸ τέλος eis to telos: for understanding, εἰς σύνεσιν eis sunesin: to the sons of Kore, τοῖς υἱοῦς Κορέ tois huiois Kore."
So the Latin Vulgate. DeWette renders it, "A poem of the sons of Korah." The psalms to which this title is prefixed are the Psalm 42:1-11; 44; 45; Psalm 46:1-11; Psalm 47:1-9; Psalm 48:1-14; 49; Psalm 84:1-12; Psalm 85:1-13; Psalm 87:1-7; 88. So far as the title is concerned, it may mean either that the psalms were dedicated to them, or that they were submitted to them for arranging the music; or that they were designed to be employed by them as leaders of the music; or that they were the authors of these psalms, that is, that the psalms thus indicated emanated from their body, or were composed by one of their number. Which of these is the true idea must be determined, if determined at all, from some other source than the mere title. The sons of Korah were a family of Levitical singers. Korah was a great-grandson of Levi, Numbers 16:1. He was united with Dathan and Abiram in opposition to Moses, and was the leader of the conspiracy, Numbers 16:2; Jde 1:11.
Korah had three sons, Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph Exodus 6:24; and of their descendants David selected a number to preside over the music of the sanctuary, 1-Chronicles 6:22-23, 1-Chronicles 6:31; and they continued in this service until the time of Jehoshaphat, 2-Chronicles 20:19. One of the most eminent of the descendants of Korah, who was employed especially in the musical service of the sanctuary, was Heman: 1-Chronicles 6:33, "Of the sons of the Kohathites; Heman, a singer." The sons of Heman were appointed by David, in connection with the sons of Asaph, and of Jeduthun, to preside over the music: 1-Chronicles 25:1, 1-Chronicles 25:4,1-Chronicles 25:6; 2-Chronicles 5:12; 2-Chronicles 29:14; 2-Chronicles 35:1 :5. See the notes at the title to Psalm 39:1-13. The general appellation, the "sons of Korah," seems to have been given to this company or class of singers. Their office was to preside over the music of the sanctuary; to arrange tunes for the music; to distribute the parts; and possibly to furnish compositions for that service. Whether, however, they actually composed any of the psalms is uncertain. It would seem that the usual custom was for the author of a psalm or hymn designed for public service to deliver it, when composed, into the hands of these leaders of the music, to be employed by them in the public devotions of the people. Thus, in 1-Chronicles 16:7, it is said, "Then on that day David delivered first this psalm, to thank the Lord, into the hand of Asaph and his brethren." Compare 2-Chronicles 29:30. See also the notes at the title of Psalm 1:1-6.
It is not absolutely certain, therefore, who composed this psalm. If it was written by David, as seems most probable, it was with some reference to the "sons of Korah;" that is, to those who presided over the music of the sanctuary. In other words, it was prepared especially to be used by them in the sanctuary, in contradistinction from psalms which had a more general reference, or which were composed for no such specific design. If it was written by the sons of Korah, that is, by any one of their number, it was intended by the author, undoubtedly, to illustrate the feelings of a man of God in deep trials; and the language and the allusions were probably drawn from the history of David, as furnishing the best historical instance for such an illustration of feeling. In this case, the language would be that of one placing himself in imagination in such circumstances, and giving in poetic form a description of the emotions which would pass through his mind, as if they were his own - unless it be supposed that one of the sons of Korah, the author of the psalm, had actually experienced such trials himself. I regard the former as the most probable supposition, and consider that the psalm was composed by David specifically for the use of the leaders of the music in the sanctuary. The name of the author may have been omitted because it was so well understood who he was that there was no need to designate him.
There is a very marked resemblance between this psalm and Psalm 43:1-5. They were composed on a similar, if not on the same occasion; and the two might be united so as to constitute one connected psalm. In fact, they are thus united in thirty-seven codices of Kennicott, and in nine of De Rossi. The structure of both is the same, though they are separated in most of the Hebrew manuscripts, in the Septuagint and Latin Vulgate, in the Chaldee Paraphrase, and in the Syriac and Arabic versions.
Psalm 42:1-11 consists of two parts, marked by the "burden" or "refrain" in Psalm 42:5, Psalm 42:11; and if Psalm 43:1-5 were regarded as a part of the same composition, the two would be divided into three parts, marked by the same burden or refrain, in Psalm 42:5, Psalm 42:11; Psalm 43:5. Of these parts the general structure is similar, containing
(a) an expression of trouble, sorrow, despondency; and then
(b) a solemn appeal of the author to his own soul, asking why he should be cast down, and exhorting himself to put his trust in God.
The occasion on which the psalm was composed by David, if he wrote it - or the occasion which was supposed by the author, if that author was one of the sons of Korah - is not certainly known. The psalm agrees best with the supposition that it was in the time of the rebellion of Absalom, when David was driven from his throne, and from the place which he had appointed for the worship of God after he had removed the ark to Mount Zion, and when he was an exile and a wanderer beyond the Jordan, 2 Sam. 15-18.
The psalm records the feelings of one who had been driven away from the place where he had been accustomed to worship God, and his recollections of those sad days when he endeavored to comfort himself in his despondency by looking to God, and by dwelling on his promises.
I. In the first part Psalm 42:1-5 there is
(1) An expression of his desire to hold communion with God - the panting of his soul after God, Psalm 42:1-2.
(2) his tears under the reproaches of his enemies, while they said, "Where is thy God?" Psalm 42:3.
(3) his remembrance of the former days when he had gone with the multitude to the house of God; and the expression of a firm belief, implied in the language used, that he would go again to the house of God, and with them would keep "holyday," Psalm 42:4. See the notes at that verse.
(4) Self-remonstrance for his despondency, and an exhortation to himself to arouse and to trust in God, with the confident assurance that he would yet be permitted to praise Him, Psalm 42:5.
II. The second part contains a series of similar reflections, Psalm 42:6-11.
(1) a description of his desponding feelings under these circumstances; under the troubles which had rolled over him like waters, Psalm 42:6-7.
(2) an assurance that God would yet manifest His loving-kindness to him; and, on the ground of that, an earnest appeal to God as his God, Psalm 42:8-9.
(3) a further statement of his troubles, as derived from the reproaches of his enemies, as if a sword penetrated even to his bones, Psalm 42:10.
(4) Self-remonstrance again for his despondency, and an exhortation to himself to trust in God (in the same language with which the former part of the psalm closes), Psalm 42:11.
The idea of the whole is, that we should not be overwhelmed or cast down in trouble; that we should confide in God; that we should be cheerful, not desponding; that we should go to God, whatever may happen; and that we should feel that all will yet be well, that all will be overruled for good, and that brighter and happier days will come. How often have the people of God occasion to use the language of this psalm! In a world of trouble and sorrow such as ours is; in a world where the friends of God have often been, and may again be, persecuted; in the anguish which is felt from the ingratitude of children, kindred, and friends; in the distress which springs up in the heart when, from sickness or from any other cause, we are long deprived of the privileges of public worship - in exile as it were from the sanctuary - how imperfect would be a book professing to be a revelation from God, if it did not contain some such psalm as this, so accurately describing the feelings of those who are in such circumstances; so adapted to their needs; so well suited to direct to the true source of consolation! It is this adaptedness of the Bible to the actual requirements of mankind - this accurate description of the feelings which pass through our own mind and heart - this constant direction to God as the true source of support and consolation - which so much endears the Bible to the hearts of the people of God, and which serves, more than any arguments from miracle and prophecy - valuable as those arguments are - to keep up in their minds the conviction that the Bible is a Divine revelation. Psalm like this make the Bible a complete book, and show that He who gave it "knew what is in man," and what man needs in this vale of tears.

The psalmist earnestly longs for the ordinances of the Lord's house, Psalm 42:1-4; describes his deep distress, Psalm 42:5-7; endeavors to take comfort from the consideration that the Lord would appear in his behalf, Psalm 42:8, Psalm 42:9; speaks of the insults of his enemies, Psalm 42:10; and again takes encouragement, Psalm 42:11.
The title, To the chief Musician giving instruction to the sons of Korah. This is the first of the Psalm that has this title prefixed, and it is probable that such Psalm were composed by the descendants of Korah during the Babylonish captivity, or by some eminent person among those descendants, and that they were used by the Israelites during their long captivity, as means of consolation: and, indeed, most of the Psalm which bear this inscription are of the consoling kind and the sentiments appear to belong to that period of the Jewish history, and to none other. The word משכיל maskil, from שכל sakal, signifies to make wise, to direct wisely, to give instruction; and here is so understood by our translators, who have left this signification in the margin; and so the Versions in general.
The Syriac says, "It is a Psalm which David sung when he was an exile, and desired to return to Jerusalem." The Arabic says: "A Psalm for the backsliding Jews."

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 42
To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. Of the word "Maschil", See Gill on Psalm 32:1, title. Korah was he who was at the head of a conspiracy against Moses and Aaron, for which sin the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed alive him and his company, and fire devoured two hundred and fifty more; the history of which is recorded in Numbers 16:1; yet all his posterity were not cut off, Numbers 26:11; some were in David's time porters, or keepers of the gates of the tabernacle, and some were singers; see 1-Chronicles 6:33; and to the chief musician was this psalm directed for them to sing, for they were not the authors of it, as some (b) have thought; but most probably David himself composed it; and it seems to have been written by him, not as representing the captives in Babylon, as Theodoret, but on his own account, when he was persecuted by Saul, and driven out by men from abiding in the Lord's inheritance, and was in a strange land among the Heathen, where he was reproached by them; and everything in this psalm agrees with his state and condition; or rather when he fled from his son Absalom, and was in those parts beyond Jordan, mentioned in this psalm; see 2-Samuel 17:24; so the Syriac inscription, the song which David sung in the time of his persecution, desiring to return to Jerusalem.
(b) So R. Moses in Muis, Gussetius, Ebr. Comment. p. 918, & others.

The conflict in the soul of a believer.

Longing for Zion in a Hostile Country
The Second Book of Psalm consists entirely of Elohimic Psalm (vid., Introduction, p. 12); for whilst in the First Book יהוה occurred 272 times and אלהים only 15 times, the relation is here reversed: אלהים occurs 164 times, and יהוה only 30 times, and in almost every instance by a departure from the customary mode of expression for reasons that lie close at hand.
At the head of these Psalm written in the Elohimic style there stand seven inscribed לבני־קרח. That here as in לאסף the ל is Lamed acutoris, is made clear by the fact that none of these Psalm, as might be expected, have לדוד in addition to the name of the author. The lxx renders it τοῖς υἱοῖς Κορέ, just as it does τῷ Δαυίδ, without distinguishing the one ל from the other indicating the authorship, and even in the Talmud is similar meaning to the Lamed of לדוד is assumed. It is certainly remarkable that instead of an author it is always the family that is named, a rule from which Ps 88 (which see) is only a seeming departure. The designation "Bohmische Br׬der" in the hymnology of the German church is very similar. Probably the Korahitic songs originally formed a book of themselves, which bore the title שׁירי בני קרה or something similar; and then the בני קרה of this title passed over to the inscription of each separate song of those incorporated in two groups in the Psalm-collection, just as appears also to be the case with the inscription שׁיר המעלות, which is repeated fifteen times. Or we must suppose that it had become a family custom in the circle of the singers among the Korahites to allow the individual to retreat behind the joint responsibility of family unity, and, vying together, to expiate the name of their unfortunate ancestor by the best liturgical productions.
For Korah, the great-grandson of Levi, and grandson of Kehaath, is the same as he who perished by a divine judgment on account of his rebellion against Moses and Aaron (Numbers. 16), whose sons, however, were not involved with him in this judgment (Numbers 26:11). In David's time the בני קרה were one of the most renowned families of the Levite race of the Kehathites. The kingship of the promise very soon found valiant adherents and defenders in this family. Korahites gathered together to David to Ziklag, in order to aid in defending him and his title to the throne with the sword (1-Chronicles 12:6); for הקּרחים in this passage can hardly (as Bertheau is of opinion) be descendants of the קרה of the family of Judah mentioned in 1-Chronicles 2:43, but otherwise unrenowned, since that name is elsewhere, viz., in 1-Chronicles 9:19, 1-Chronicles 9:31, a Levitic family name. In Jerusalem, after the Exile, Korahites were keepers of the temple gates (1-Chronicles 9:17; Nehemiah 11:19), and the chronicler there informs us that even in David's time they were keepers of the threshold of the אהל (erected over the Ark on Zion); and still earlier, in the time of Moses, in the camp of Jahve they were appointed as watchers of the entrance. They retained this ancient calling, to which allusion is made in Psalm 84:11, in connection with the new arrangements instituted by David. The post of door-keeper in the temple was assigned to two branches of the Korahite families together with one Merarite (1 Chron 26:1-19). But they also even then served as musicians in the sanctuary. Heman, one of the three precentors (to be distinguished from Heman the wise man mentioned in 1-Kings 4:31), was a Korahite (1-Chronicles 6:18-23); his fourteen sons belonged, together with the four sons of Asaph and the six sons of Ethan, to the twenty-four heads of the twenty-four divisions of the musicians (1 Chr. 25). The Korahites were also renowned even in the days of Jehoshaphat as singers and musicians; see 2-Chronicles 20:19, where a plural בּני הקּרחים (cf. Ges. 108, 3) is formed from בני־קרה, which has as it were become smelted together as one word. Whereas in the period after the Exile there is no longer any mention of them in this character. We may therefore look for Korahitic Psalm belonging to the post-Davidic time of the kings; whereas we ought at the outset to be less inclined to find any post-exilic Psalm among them. The common feature of this circle of songs consists herein, - they delight in the praise of Elohim as the King who sits enthroned in Jerusalem, and join in the services in His temple with the tenderest and most genuine emotion. And this impress of unity which they bear speaks strongly in favour of taking לבני־קרח in the sense of denoting authorship.
The composer of the משׂיל, Psalm 42:1-11, finds himself, against his will, at a great distance from the sanctuary on Zion, the resting-place of the divine presence and manifestation, surrounded by an ungodly people, who mock at him as one forsaken of God, and he comforts his sorrowful soul, looking longingly back upon that which it has lost, with the prospect of God's help which will soon appear. All the complaints and hopes that he expresses sound very much like those of David during the time of Absalom. David's yearning after the house of God in Psalm 23:1-6; Psalm 26:1-12; 55; Psalm 63:1-11, finds its echo here: the conduct and outlines of the enemies are also just the same; even the sojourn in the country east of Jordan agrees with David's settlement at that time at Mahanaim in the mountains of Gilead. The Korahite, however, as is to be assumed in connection with a lyric poem, speaks out of the depth of his own soul, and not, as Hengstenberg and Tholuck maintain, "as from the soul of David." He merely shares David's vexation, just as he then in Psalm 84:10 prays for the anointed one. This Psalm 84:1-12 breathes forth the same feelings, and even in other respects bears traces of the same author; cf. אל חי, Psalm 84:3; Psalm 42:3; משׁכּנותיך, Psalm 84:2; Psalm 43:3; מזבּחותיך, Psalm 84:4; Psalm 43:4; and the similar use of עוד, Psalm 84:5; Psalm 42:6, cf. Isaiah 49:20; Jeremiah 32:15. The distinguishing features of the Korahitic type of Psalm meet us in both Psalm in the most strong and vivid manner, viz., the being joyous and weeping with God's anointed, the praise of God the King, and the yearning after the services in the holy place. And there are, it is true, thoughts that have been coined by David which we here and there distinctly hear in them (cf. Psalm 42:2., Psalm 84:3, with Psalm 63:2); but they are reproduced with a characteristic beauty peculiar to the author himself. We do not, therefore, in the least doubt that Psalm 42:1-11 is the poem of a Korahitic Levite, who found himself in exile beyond the Jordan among the attendants of David, his exiled king.
Concerning Psalm 43:1-5 Eusebius has said: ὅτι μέρος ἔοικεν εἶναι τοῦ πρὸ αὐτοῦ δεδήλωται ἔκ τε τῶν ὁμοίων ἐν ἀμφοτέροις λόγων καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἐμφεροῦς διανοίας, and an old Midrash reckons 147 Psalm, taking Psalm 42:1 together as one, just as with Psalm 9:1, Psalm 32:1. The similarity of the situation, of the general impress, of the structure, and of the refrain, is decisive in favour of these Psalm, which are commonly reckoned as two, being one. The one Psalm consists of three parts: thrice his pain breaks forth into complaint, and is each time again overcome by the admonitory voice of his higher consciousness. In the depicting of the past and the future there is unmistakeable progress. And it is not until the third part (Psalm 43:1-5) that complaint, resignation, and hope are perfected by the language of confident prayer which supervenes. The unity of the Psalm is not affected by the repetition of Psalm 42:10 in Psalm 43:2, since Psalm 42:11 is also a repetition of Psalm 42:4. Beside an edging in by means of the refrain, the poet is also fond of such internal links of connection. The third part has thereby come to consist of thirteen lines, whereas the other two parts consist of twelve lines each.
What a variegated pattern card of hypotheses modern criticism opens out before us in connection with this Psalm (Psalm 42:1)! Vaihinger regards it as a song composed by one of the Levites who was banished by Athaliah. Ewald thinks that King Jeconiah, who was carried away to Babylon, may have composed the Psalm; and in fact, when (and this is inferred from the Psalm itself) on the journey to Babylon, he may have been detained just a night in the vicinity of Hermon. Reuss (in the Nouvelle Revue de Thologie, 1858) prefers to suppose it is one of those who were carried off with Jeconiah (among whom there were also priests, as Ezekiel). Hitzig, however, is no less decisive in his view that the author is a priest who was carried off in the direction of Syria at the time of the wars of the Seleucidae and Ptolemies; probably Onias III, high priest from 199 b.c., the collector of the Second Book of the Psalm, whom the Egyptians under the general Skopas carried away to the citadel of Paneas. Olshausen even here, as usual, makes Antiochus Epiphanes his watchword. In opposition to this positive criticism, Maurer adheres to the negative; he says: quaerendo elegantissimi carminis scriptore frustra se fatigant interpretes.