Just as the psalmist’s cry originated from profound sorrow, Psalm 42:7 affirms the abiding truth that our deepest need is met by the One who hears even the deepest cry.
Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me (v.7).
Here in Psalm 42:7, the psalmist—identified among the sons of Korah—describes an overwhelming sense of anguish in vivid terms. By declaring that “Deep calls to deep,” he paints a picture of sorrow stacked upon sorrow, as though the very depths of trouble echo and intensify one another. The mention of waterfalls, breakers, and waves further emphasizes that he feels submerged beneath life’s chaos and emotional floods. In ancient Israel, powerful rushing waters were often associated with turmoil. Like other psalmists who used “deep waters” to depict severe distress (Psalm 69:2), this language underscores the sense that unrelenting waves of despair inundate him, leaving him longing for God’s steady ground.
This verse can also be read with a hopeful undertone. Even as the psalmist pictures the torrent of hardships, he acknowledges that God reigns over the waters. The “Your waterfalls” phrase suggests the psalmist recognizes that the Lord, not chaos, is ultimately in control. Struggles in life, however fierce, are not without purpose or meaning. God’s sovereignty remains a shelter, though it may feel hidden in any given moment of turmoil. This psalm, written in the shadow of the Jordan region, where the sons of Korah ministered, conveys that every crashing wave can call believers to draw nearer to the One who rules even over the depths.
Set to dark mode
Psalms 42:7 meaning
Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;
All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me (v.7).
Here in Psalm 42:7, the psalmist—identified among the sons of Korah—describes an overwhelming sense of anguish in vivid terms. By declaring that “Deep calls to deep,” he paints a picture of sorrow stacked upon sorrow, as though the very depths of trouble echo and intensify one another. The mention of waterfalls, breakers, and waves further emphasizes that he feels submerged beneath life’s chaos and emotional floods. In ancient Israel, powerful rushing waters were often associated with turmoil. Like other psalmists who used “deep waters” to depict severe distress (Psalm 69:2), this language underscores the sense that unrelenting waves of despair inundate him, leaving him longing for God’s steady ground.
This verse can also be read with a hopeful undertone. Even as the psalmist pictures the torrent of hardships, he acknowledges that God reigns over the waters. The “Your waterfalls” phrase suggests the psalmist recognizes that the Lord, not chaos, is ultimately in control. Struggles in life, however fierce, are not without purpose or meaning. God’s sovereignty remains a shelter, though it may feel hidden in any given moment of turmoil. This psalm, written in the shadow of the Jordan region, where the sons of Korah ministered, conveys that every crashing wave can call believers to draw nearer to the One who rules even over the depths.