Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 43:3

"Oh send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me: Let them bring me unto thy holy hill, And to thy tabernacles." — Psalms 43:3 (ASV)

O send out thy light and thy truth - Send them forth as from Your presence, or let them be made manifest.

The word "light" here is equivalent to favor or mercy, as when one prays for the “light of God’s countenance” (see the notes at Psalms 4:6).

The idea is that now, in this time of darkness and trouble, when the light of God’s countenance seemed to be withdrawn or hidden, he prays that God would impart light. He prays that God would restore His favor and lead him back to his former privileges.

The word "truth" here is equivalent to truthfulness or faithfulness. The prayer is that God would manifest His faithfulness to him as one of His own people by restoring him to the privileges and blessings from which he had been unjustly driven. Compare the notes at Psalms 25:5.

Let them lead me - That is, Let them lead me back to my accustomed privileges; let me go under their guidance to the enjoyment of the blessings connected with the place of public worship.

Let them bring me unto thy holy hill - Mount Zion; the place where the worship of God was then celebrated, and hence called the “holy hill” of God.

And to thy tabernacles - The tabernacle was the sacred tent erected for the worship of God (see the notes at Psalms 15:1) and was regarded as the place where Yahweh had His abode.

The tabernacle was divided, as the temple was later, into two parts or rooms: the holy place and the most holy place (see the notes at Hebrews 9:1-5). Therefore, the plural term "tabernacles" might be used when referring to it.

The language here implies, as in Psalms 42:1-11, that the author of the psalm was now exiled or banished from this.

From this, it may also be inferred that the two psalms were composed by the same author and with reference to the same occasion.

Moreover, if the reference here is to Mount Zion as the “holy hill,” it can be observed that this would date the psalm's composition to the time of David.

Before his time, Mount Zion was not the place of God's worship; it was made “holy” when David moved the ark there. After his time, the place of worship was moved to Mount Moriah, where the temple was built.

It cannot be demonstrated, however, with absolute certainty that the reference here is to Mount Zion, though that seems in every way probable. Compare Psalms 2:6, note; Psalms 3:4, note; compare 2 Samuel 5:7–9; 2 Samuel 6:17.