1 <A Psalm. Of David. When he was in the waste land of Judah.> O God, you are my God; early will I make my search for you: my soul is dry for need of you, my flesh is wasted with desire for you, as a dry and burning land where no water is;
My hands are stretched out to you: my soul is turned to you, like a land in need of water. (Selah.)
The passion of my soul's desire is for the house of the Lord; my heart and my flesh are crying out for the living God.
At that time, says the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they will be my people.
I will make rivers on the dry mountain-tops, and fountains in the valleys: I will make the waste land a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
But I had faith in you, O Lord; I said, You are my God.
The Lord is my strength and my strong helper, he has become my salvation: he is my God and I will give him praise; my father's God and I will give him glory.
And I will make the third part go through the fire, cleaning them as silver is made clean, and testing them as gold is tested: and they will make their prayer to me and I will give them an answer: I will say, It is my people; and they will say, The Lord is my God.
I will go back to my place till they are made waste; in their trouble they will go after me early and will make search for me.
And the burning sand will become a pool, and the dry earth springs of waters: the fields where the sheep take their food will become wet land, and water-plants will take the place of grass.
And a man will be as a safe place from the wind, and a cover from the storm; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shade of a great rock in a waste land.
By night on my bed I was looking for him who is the love of my soul: I was looking for him, but I did not see him. I will get up now and go about the town, in the streets and in the wide ways I will go after him who is the love of my soul: I went after him, but I did not see him. The watchmen who go about the town came by me; to them I said, Have you seen him who is my heart's desire?
Those who have given me their love are loved by me, and those who make search for me with care will get me.
When your fear comes on you like a storm, and your trouble like a rushing wind; when pain and sorrow come on you. Then I will give no answer to their cries; searching for me early, they will not see me:
<CAPH> My soul is wasted with desire for your salvation: but I have hope in your word.
My days are wasted like smoke, and my bones are burned up as in a fire. My heart is broken; it has become dry and dead like grass, so that I give no thought to food. Because of the voice of my sorrow, my flesh is wasted to the bone.
When he sent death on them, then they made search for him; turning to him and looking for him with care;
Why are you crushed down, O my soul? and why are you troubled in me? put your hope in God; for I will again give him praise who is my help and my God.
If you will make search for God with care, and put your request before the Ruler of all;
And the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, and said, Is not David waiting secretly near us in the hill of Hachilah, before the waste land? Then Saul went down to the waste land of Ziph, taking with him three thousand of the best men of Israel, to make search for David in the waste land of Ziph. And Saul put up his tents on the hill of Hachilah, which is in front of the waste land on the road. But David was in the waste land, and he saw that Saul was coming after him.
But the unclean spirit, when he is gone out of a man, goes through dry places looking for rest, and getting it not.
And the people were in great need of water; and they made an outcry against Moses, and said, Why have you taken us out of Egypt to send death on us and our children and our cattle through need of water?
They will never be in need of food or drink: and they will never again be troubled by the burning heat of the sun: For the Lamb who is on the high seat will be their keeper and their guide to fountains of living water: and God will make glad their eyes for ever.
Jesus said to her, Do not put your hand on me, for I have not gone up to the Father: but go to my brothers and say to them, I go up to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.
On the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus got up and said in a loud voice, If any man is in need of drink let him come to me and I will give it to him.
So take care to get knowledge of all the secret places where he is taking cover, and be certain to come back to me, and I will go with you: and without doubt, if he is anywhere in the land, I will get him, among all the families of Judah. And they went back and came to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the waste land of Maon, in the dry land south of the waste land. And Saul and his men went in search of him. And David had word of it, so he came down to the rock in the waste land of Maon. And Saul, hearing of this, went after David into the waste land of Maon.
And David kept in the waste land, in safe places, waiting in the hill-country in the waste land of Ziph. And Saul was searching for him every day, but God did not give him up into his hands. And David was full of fear, in the knowledge that Saul had come out to take his life; and David was in the waste land of Ziph, in Horesh. And Saul's son Jonathan went to David in Horesh, and made his hands strong in God;
I say to you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if you see my loved one, what will you say to him? That I am overcome with love.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 63
Commentary on Psalms 63 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 63
Ps 63:1-11. The historical occasion referred to by the title was probably during Absalom's rebellion (compare 2Sa 15:23, 28; 16:2). David expresses an earnest desire for God's favor, and a confident expectation of realizing it in his deliverance and the ruin of his enemies.
1. early … seek thee—earnestly (Isa 26:9). The figurative terms—
dry and thirsty—literally, "weary," denoting moral destitution, suited his outward circumstances.
soul—and—flesh—the whole man (Ps 16:9, 10).
2. The special object of desire was God's perfections as displayed in his worship (Ps 27:4).
3. Experiencing God's mercy, which exceeds all the blessings of life, his lips will be opened for his praise (Ps 51:15).
4. Thus—literally, "Truly."
will I bless—praise Thee (Ps 34:1).
lift up my hands—in worship (compare Ps 28:2).
in thy name—in praise of Thy perfections.
5-8. Full spiritual blessings satisfy his desires, and acts of praise fill his thoughts and time.
6. night—as well as day. Past favors assure him of future, and hence he presses earnestly near to God, whose power sustains him (Ps 17:8; 60:5).
9, 10. those … to destroy it—or literally, "to ruin," or, "for ruin"; that is, such as seek to injure me (are) for ruin, appointed to it (compare Ps 35:8).
shall go … earth—into the grave, or, to death; as their bodies are represented as a portion for—
10. foxes—literally, "jackals."
11. the king—that is, David himself, and all who reverence God, "shall share a glorious part," while treacherous foes shall be for ever silenced (Ps 62:4).