“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”
The final refrain returns David to exhortation of his own soul to hope in God, maintaining the pattern established in Psalm 42. The repetition of identical language creates a bracketing effect, suggesting that Psalms 42 and 43 constitute a single composition exploring successive dimensions of the same lament. The affirmation that he shall again praise God remains promise and resolution despite the ongoing circumstances; David commits himself to the faith posture even in continued darkness. The doubling of the refrain's intensity through repetition suggests increasing resolve to maintain hope despite increasing temptation toward despair. This concluding affirmation establishes that the psalms of lament ultimately serve the purpose of strengthening faith and realigning the soul with hope in God.
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