Psalms 42:1. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
It is the "hart" that panteth; and, in the Hebrew, the word is in the feminine. The old naturalists say that the female has greater thirst than the male, and that it shows it more, having more feebleness of body, and less power of endurance. The hart is said to be, naturally, a thirsty creature, and when it has been long hunted, its thirst seems to be insatiable. The psalmist does not say, "thy soul hungereth," but, "My soul thirsteth." As man can bear hunger much longer than he can bear thirst; he may continue without food for days, but not without drink; so the psalmist mentions the most thirsty creature, and the most ardent of the natural passions: "As the hart panteth after the water brooks." He does not merely say, "after the brooks;" but, "after the water brooks." Why is this? I think it is because there are many brooks that are dry at certain seasons, and the hart longeth for those that have water in them. So the Christian thirsts, not only for the means of grace; they are the brooks, but he longs for God in the means. When grace is in the means of grace, then they are water brooks indeed. "So panteth my soul after thee O God." He does not say, "So I pant after my former grandeur," or "so pant I for my friend," but "so panteth my heart after thee." His soul had only one longing, one thirst, and every power and every passion had united itself to that one desire, "so panteth my soul after thee, O God."
Psalms 42:1. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
It is the "hart" that panteth; and, in the Hebrew, the word is in the feminine. The old naturalists say that the female has greater thirst than the male, and that it shows it more, having more feebleness of body, and less power of endurance. The hart is said to be, naturally, a thirsty creature, and when it has been long hunted, its thirst seems to be insatiable. The psalmist does not say, "thy soul hungereth," but, "My soul thirsteth." As man can bear hunger much longer than he can bear thirst; he may continue without food for days, but not without drink; so the psalmist mentions the most thirsty creature, and the most ardent of the natural passions: "As the hart panteth after the water brooks." He does not merely say, "after the brooks;" but, "after the water brooks." Why is this? I think it is because there are many brooks that are dry at certain seasons, and the hart longeth for those that have water in them. So the Christian thirsts, not only for the means of grace; they are the brooks, but he longs for God in the means. When grace is in the means of grace, then they are water brooks indeed. "So panteth my soul after thee O God." He does not say, "So I pant after my former grandeur," or "so pant I for my friend," but "so panteth my heart after thee." His soul had only one longing, one thirst, and every power and every passion had united itself to that one desire, "so panteth my soul after thee, O God."