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Psalms 63

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Longing for God in the Wilderness 1–2

1
O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, In a dry and weary land, where no water is. ​
2
So have I looked upon thee in the sanctuary, To see thy power and thy glory. ​

God's Lovingkindness is Better than Life 3–8

3
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise thee. ​
4
So will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.
5
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; And my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; ​
6
When I remember thee upon my bed, And meditate on thee in the night-watches.
7
For thou hast been my help, And in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. ​
8
My soul followeth hard after thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me.

Confidence in God's Judgment 9–11

9
But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. ​
10
They shall be given over to the power of the sword: They shall be a portion for foxes. ​
11
But the king shall rejoice in God: Every one that sweareth by him shall glory; For the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped. ​

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Psalms 63

Verse 1

early will I seek thee — Shachar, to seek at dawn, the verb of 'those that seek me early shall find me' (Prov 8:17). 'Longeth' is kamah, found only here. The title places David 'in the wilderness of Judah', and 'a dry and thirsty land, where no water is' answers to the thirst of 'my soul' and 'my flesh'; compare Ps 143:6.

Verse 2

thy power and thy glory — 'Power' is oz (Ps 62:11) and 'glory' kabod. 'Seen' is chazah, to behold, and 'sanctuary' is qodesh, holiness, the word of 'God hath spoken in his holiness' (Ps 60:6). The sight he longs for is the one he already had in the place of worship, as in 'to behold the beauty of the LORD' (Ps 27:4).

Verse 3

thy lovingkindness is better than life — 'Lovingkindness' is chesed, covenant love, set against chayyim, life itself. Because of it 'my lips shall praise thee' (shabach, to commend). The praise of lips is later named as 'the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name' (Heb 13:15).

Verse 5

as with marrow and fatness — The thirst of v.1 is answered by a feast: 'satisfied' is saba, and 'marrow' and 'fatness' are the richest parts. Isa 25:6 pictures the same feast, 'a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow', and Ps 36:8, 'abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house'.

Verse 7

in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice — 'Shadow' is tsel, the word of Ps 17:8, 36:7 and 57:1, where the wings give shelter. 'Help' is ezrah, and 'rejoice' is ranan, to ring out, the verb of 'sing aloud' in Ps 59:16. The covering of Ps 61:4 is a different word, sether, for a hiding-place.

Verse 9

the lower parts of the earth — 'Seek' is baqash, a different verb from the 'seek' (shachar) of v.1: David seeks God, they seek his life. 'Lower parts of the earth' is the pit, like Korah's company, when 'the earth opened her mouth' and they 'went down alive into the pit' (Num 16:32–33).

Verse 10

a portion for foxes — 'Fall' is nagar, to pour out, the verb of 'pour out their blood by the force of the sword' (Jer 18:21). 'Foxes' is shual, which also walk on desolate ground: 'the foxes walk upon it' (Lam 5:18). The enemies who would take David's life become what the sword leaves.

Verse 11

the king shall rejoice in God — David is the king, and the verse closes the psalm as Ps 21:1 opens, 'The king shall joy in thy strength, O LORD'. To swear by God's name was the duty of Israel: 'shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name' (Deut 6:13). 'Glory' is halal, the verb of 'praise' in v.5.