The Meaning of Psalms 43:4 Explained

Psalms 43:4

KJV: Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.

YLT: And I go in unto the altar of God, Unto God, the joy of my rejoicing. And I thank Thee with a harp, O God, my God.

Darby: Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto the God of the gladness of my joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.

ASV: Then will I go unto the altar of God, Unto God my exceeding joy; And upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then will I go  unto the altar  of God,  unto God  my exceeding  joy:  yea, upon the harp  will I praise  thee, O God  my God. 

What does Psalms 43:4 Mean?

Verse Meaning

If God would bring him back to Jerusalem, he vowed to praise God publicly in the sanctuary.

Context Summary

Psalms 43:1-5 - "the Help Of My Countenance"
The exiled king still pours out his soul to God. Already David has addressed Him as God of my life; here God appeals to David as God of my strength, Psalms 43:2, and God, the gladness of my joy, Psalms 43:4, r.v., margin. Speak well of thy God, even though His back seems turned on thee!
Thy light and thy truth, Psalms 43:3, may refer to the Urim and Thummim. Or we may think of them as two white-vestured angels sent from God's presence-chamber to guide the exile's steps back to his home. "Send them forth, commissioned to find me in this lone land and bring me to thine altar." There seem to be four steps in the approach. Unto thy holy hill-this was Mount Zion. To thy tabernacles, the earthly Presence-chamber. Unto the altar of God. Here is a step in advance. Our altar is the Cross where Jesus died, Hebrews 13:10. But God's altar is not enough; we need Him. So we still press on unto God my exceeding joy. Then the hue of health appears on our faces! See Psalms 43:5. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 43

1  David, praying to be restored to the temple, promises to serve God joyfully
5  He encourages his soul to trust in God

What do the individual words in Psalms 43:4 mean?

And I will go to the altar of God God exceeding my joy and I will praise You on the harp God my God
וְאָב֤וֹאָה ׀ אֶל־ מִזְבַּ֬ח אֱלֹהִ֗ים אֵל֮ שִׂמְחַ֪ת גִּ֫ילִ֥י וְאוֹדְךָ֥ בְכִנּ֗וֹר אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֱלֹהָֽי

וְאָב֤וֹאָה ׀  And  I  will  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
מִזְבַּ֬ח  the  altar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
אֱלֹהִ֗ים  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֵל֮  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֵל 
Sense: god, god-like one, mighty one.
שִׂמְחַ֪ת  exceeding 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שִׂמְחָה  
Sense: joy, mirth, gladness.
גִּ֫ילִ֥י  my  joy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: גִּיל 
Sense: a rejoicing.
וְאוֹדְךָ֥  and  I  will  praise  You 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Cohortative if contextual, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: יָדָה 
Sense: to throw, shoot, cast.
בְכִנּ֗וֹר  on  the  harp 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כִּנּׄור  
Sense: lyre, harp.
אֱלֹהִ֥ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֱלֹהָֽי  my  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).