Psalms 42:7
Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
What's easy to miss is the relational aspect of suffering here. The psalmist isn't just describing waves of personal trouble; he's describing how one overwhelming situation calls to another, like powerful natural forces in an endless cycle, suggesting a deep, almost personal, connection between these escalating crises. This isn't random chaos, but a cascading deluge he experiences as coming from God.
The psalmist is pouring out his heart in distress, lamenting his exile and separation from God's presence in the temple. He feels utterly overwhelmed and forgotten, comparing his suffering to being battered by a relentless storm. This verse captures that sense of escalating catastrophe, where one wave of trouble immediately follows another, dragging him further into despair.
Ever felt like troubles just keep coming, one after another, with no end in sight? This verse paints a vivid picture of that overwhelming experience.
The psalmist uses powerful imagery to describe the relentless nature of his suffering.
A Cascade of Calamities
"Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls" isn't just about one big problem. Think of it like this: one wave of trouble crashes down, and as it recedes, another, even bigger one is already forming. The "deep" refers to the vast, overwhelming nature of the sorrow, and "calls to deep" signifies that each new crisis seems to beckon another. It's a relentless cycle.
The Source of the Storm
While the imagery is natural – storms, waves, waterfalls – the psalmist attributes it to God. "Your waterfalls," "your breakers and your waves." This doesn't mean God causes evil, but rather that in his sovereignty, even these overwhelming circumstances are within His control and allowed to happen. It’s a stark admission that his entire world feels capsized by God's allowance.
What does it feel like to be completely swamped by life's problems? This verse uses intense language to capture that feeling of being submerged.
The latter part of the verse, "all your breakers and your waves have gone over me," moves from the sound and fury of the storm to the personal experience of being hit by it.
Beyond Just Getting Wet
This isn't a light splash; it's being completely submerged. The psalmist isn't just observing the storm; he's in it, and it's threatening to drown him. The waves don't just hit him; they pass over him, suggesting a complete engulfment.
Clinging to God in the Chaos
Even in this desperate state, the psalmist acknowledges these forces are "your" waves—God's. This implies that even when feeling lost at sea, God is the ultimate reality. The situation is dire, but the ultimate power rests with God. The implication is a plea for rescue from the One who commands the seas, even as they rage.
While Psalm 42 is often attributed to the period of exile, its powerful imagery of overwhelming waves and cascading troubles could also vividly describe the intense personal struggles and enemy pursuits David faced during his own lifetime. The geographical context of the Transjordan, with its dramatic waterfalls and sudden floods, provides a powerful natural backdrop for this profound expression of distress.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David's Reign as King
During his reign, David experienced numerous conflicts and periods of intense personal suffering, including flight from enemies and profound grief. This period likely shaped many of the Psalms.
c. 970 BC
Solomon's Accession and Temple Construction
Following David's reign, Solomon built the First Temple, a central place of worship and national identity. This marked a period of relative peace and prosperity, though David's earlier struggles still resonated.
c. 931 BC
Division of the Kingdom
After Solomon's death, the united kingdom split into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. This political division led to ongoing conflict and spiritual compromise.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Assyrian Exile
This passage echoes the imagery of being submerged and overwhelmed by the deep, as Jonah describes being cast into the depths where the sea closed over him.
Job 38:11This verse speaks of God's sovereign power over the seas, setting limits to the waves, which contrasts with the psalmist's feeling of being completely overcome by God's powerful forces.
Lamentations 3:2Here, Jeremiah describes being plunged into darkness and despair, much like the psalmist's experience of being overwhelmed by waves, illustrating a similar profound sense of affliction.
Matthew 14:30This New Testament account shows Peter beginning to sink when he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the powerful waves, mirroring the psalmist's feeling of being overcome by overwhelming forces.
pulpitPsalms 42:7: "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me."
Verse 7. - Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts. Blow follows blow. Misfortunes "come not in single file, but in battalions." The imagery may be taken from the local storms that visit the Trans-Jordanic territory (see Lynch, 'Expedition to the Jordan and the Dead Sea;' and Wilson, 'Negeb,' pp. 26, 27). All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me (comp. Psal…
poolePsalms 42:7: "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me."
Deep calleth unto deep, i.e. one affliction comes immediately after another, as if it were called for and invited by the former; which he expresseth by a metaphor taken either, 1. From the old flood, when the upper deep , or abyss of waters , (in the clouds,) called the lower deep , or abyss of waters in the sea and rivers , that both might unite their forces together to drown…
What's easy to miss is the relational aspect of suffering here. The psalmist isn't just describing waves of personal trouble; he's describing how one overwhelming situation calls to another, like powerful natural forces in an endless cycle, suggesting a deep, almost personal, connection between these escalating crises. This isn't random chaos, but a cascading deluge he experiences as coming from God.
The psalmist is pouring out his heart in distress, lamenting his exile and separation from God's presence in the temple. He feels utterly overwhelmed and forgotten, comparing his suffering to being battered by a relentless storm. This verse captures that sense of escalating catastrophe, where one wave of trouble immediately follows another, dragging him further into despair.
The psalmist is pouring out his heart in distress, lamenting his exile and separation from God's presence in the temple. He feels utterly overwhelmed and forgotten, comparing his suffering to being battered by a relentless storm. This verse captures that sense of escalating catastrophe, where one wave of trouble immediately follows another, dragging him further into despair.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Psalms 42:7 is available in the Sola app.
The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrian Empire, and many of its people were exiled. This event served as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of unfaithfulness.
c. 597 BC
First Babylonian Deportation
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered Jerusalem and deported a significant portion of its population, including many elites, to Babylon. This marked the beginning of the Babylonian Exile.
c. 586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple
Babylonian forces destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple. The remaining population was largely exiled to Babylon, leading to profound national and spiritual crisis.
"Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me." — What's easy to miss is the relational aspect of suffering here. The psalmist isn't just describing waves of personal trouble; he's describing how one overwhelming situation calls to another, like p…
