Worthy.Bible » Parallel » Psalms » Chapter 63 » Verse 1-11

Psalms 63:1-11 King James Version (KJV)

1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

2 To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

3 Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

4 Thus 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 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

10 They shall fall by 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: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.


Psalms 63:1-11 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 [[A Psalm H4210 of David, H1732 when he was in the wilderness H4057 of Judah.]] H3063 O God, H430 thou art my God; H410 early will I seek H7836 thee: my soul H5315 thirsteth H6770 for thee, my flesh H1320 longeth H3642 for thee in a dry H6723 and thirsty H5889 land, H776 where no H1097 water H4325 is;

2 To see H7200 thy power H5797 and thy glory, H3519 so as I have seen H2372 thee in the sanctuary. H6944

3 Because thy lovingkindness H2617 is better H2896 than life, H2416 my lips H8193 shall praise H7623 thee.

4 Thus will I bless H1288 thee while I live: H2416 I will lift up H5375 my hands H3709 in thy name. H8034

5 My soul H5315 shall be satisfied H7646 as with marrow H2459 and fatness; H1880 and my mouth H6310 shall praise H1984 thee with joyful H7445 lips: H8193

6 When I remember H2142 thee upon my bed, H3326 and meditate H1897 on thee in the night watches. H821

7 Because thou hast been my help, H5833 therefore in the shadow H6738 of thy wings H3671 will I rejoice. H7442

8 My soul H5315 followeth hard H1692 after H310 thee: thy right hand H3225 upholdeth H8551 me.

9 But those that seek H1245 my soul, H5315 to destroy H7722 it, shall go H935 into the lower parts H8482 of the earth. H776

10 They shall fall H5064 by the sword: H3027 H2719 they shall be a portion H4521 for foxes. H7776

11 But the king H4428 shall rejoice H8055 in God; H430 every one that sweareth H7650 by him shall glory: H1984 but the mouth H6310 of them that speak H1696 lies H8267 shall be stopped. H5534


Psalms 63:1-11 American Standard (ASV)

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.

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.

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. Psalm 64 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.


Psalms 63:1-11 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 A Psalm of David, in his being in the wilderness of Judah. O God, Thou `art' my God, earnestly do I seek Thee, Thirsted for Thee hath my soul, Longed for Thee hath my flesh, In a land dry and weary, without waters.

2 So in the sanctuary I have seen Thee, To behold Thy strength and Thine honour.

3 Because better `is' Thy kindness than life, My lips do praise Thee.

4 So I bless Thee in my life, in Thy name I lift up my hands.

5 As `with' milk and fatness is my soul satisfied, And `with' singing lips doth my mouth praise.

6 If I have remembered Thee on my couch, In the watches -- I meditate on Thee.

7 For Thou hast been a help to me, And in the shadow of Thy wings I sing.

8 Cleaved hath my soul after Thee, On me hath Thy right hand taken hold.

9 And they who for desolation seek my soul, Go in to the lower parts of the earth.

10 They cause him to run on the edge of the sword, A portion for foxes they are.

11 And the king doth rejoice in God, Boast himself doth every one swearing by Him, But stopped is the mouth of those speaking lies!


Psalms 63:1-11 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 {A Psalm of David; when he was in the wilderness of Judah.} O God, thou art my ùGod; early will I seek thee. My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh languisheth for thee, in a dry and weary land without water:

2 To see thy power and thy glory, as I have beheld thee in the sanctuary;

3 For thy loving-kindness 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 is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise [thee] with joyful lips.

6 When I remember thee upon my bed, I meditate on thee in the night-watches:

7 For thou hast been my help, and in the shadow of thy wings will I sing for joy.

8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

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 the portion of 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.


Psalms 63:1-11 World English Bible (WEB)

1 > God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you, My flesh longs for you, In a dry and weary land, where there is no water.

2 So I have seen you in the sanctuary, Watching your power and your glory.

3 Because your loving kindness is better than life, My lips shall praise you.

4 So I will bless you while I live. I will lift up my hands in your name.

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food. My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,

6 When I remember you on my bed, And think about you in the night watches.

7 For you have been my help. I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.

8 My soul stays close to you. Your right hand holds me up.

9 But those who 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 jackal food.

11 But the king shall rejoice in God. Everyone who swears by him will praise him, For the mouth of those who speak lies shall be silenced.


Psalms 63:1-11 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

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;

2 To see your power and your glory, as I have seen you in the holy place.

3 Because your mercy is better than life, my lips will give you praise.

4 So will I go on blessing you all my life, lifting up my hands in your name.

5 My soul will be comforted, as with good food; and my mouth will give you praise with songs of joy;

6 When the memory of you comes to me on my bed, and when I give thought to you in the night-time.

7 Because you have been my help, I will have joy in the shade of your wings.

8 My soul keeps ever near you: your right hand is my support.

9 But those whose desire is my soul's destruction will go down to the lower parts of the earth.

10 They will be cut off by the sword; they will be food for foxes.

11 But the king will have joy in God; everyone who takes an oath by him will have cause for pride; but the false mouth will be stopped.

Commentary on Psalms 63 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible


Introduction

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 63

A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. This psalm was composed by David, either when he was persecuted by Saul, and obliged to hide himself in desert places, as in the forest of Hareth, the wildernesses of Ziph, Maon, and Engedi, 1 Samuel 22:5; all which were in the tribe of Judah, Joshua 15:55; or when his son Absalom rebelled against him, which obliged him to flee from Jerusalem, and go the way of the wilderness, where Ziba and Barzillai sent him food, lest his young men that were with him should faint there, 2 Samuel 15:23. The Septuagint version, and those that follow that, call it the wilderness of Idumea, or Edom, as the Arabic version; and so the Chaldee paraphrase,

"in the wilderness which was on the border of the tribe of Judah;'

as Edom was, Joshua 15:21; so the Messiah, David's son, was in a wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil, and where he was hungry and thirsty in a literal sense, as David was here in a spiritual sense, as the psalm shows, Matthew 4:1; and the church of God, whom David sometimes represents, is said to be in a wilderness, where she is fed for a time, and times, and half a time, even during the whole reign of the antichristian beast, Revelation 12:14; and, indeed, all the saints are, at one time or another, in a desert condition, and while they are here are in the wilderness of the people, Hosea 2:14.


Verse 1

O God, thou art my God,.... Not by nature only, or by birth; not merely as an Israelite and son of Abraham; but by grace through Christ, and in virtue of an everlasting covenant, the blessings and promises of which were applied unto him; and he, by faith, could now claim his interest in them, and in his God as his covenant God; who is a God at hand and afar off, was his God in the wilderness of Judea, as in his palace at Jerusalem. The Targum is,

"thou art my strength;'

early will I seek thee; or "I will morning thee"F15אשחרך "sub auroram quaero te", Piscator. ; I will seek thee as soon as the morning appears; and so the Targum,

"I will arise in the morning before thee;'

it has respect to prayer in the morning, and to seeking God early, and in the first place; see Psalm 5:3; or "diligently"F16"Studiosissime", Gejerus, Michaelis. ; as a merchant seeks for goodly pearls, or other commodities suitable for him; so Aben Ezra suggests, as if the word was to be derived, not from שחר, "the morning", but from סחר, "merchandise"; and those who seek the Lord both early and diligently shall find him, and not lose their labour, Proverbs 2:4;

my soul thirsteth for thee; after his word, worship, and ordinances; after greater knowledge of him, communion with him, and more grace from him; particularly after pardoning grace and justifying righteousness; see Psalm 42:1; My flesh longeth for thee; which is expressive of the same thing in different words; and denotes, that he most earnestly desired, with his whole self, his heart, soul, and strength, that he might enjoy the presence of God;

in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; such was the wilderness of Judea, where he now was, and where he was destitute of the means of grace, of the ordinances of God's house, and wanted comfort and refreshment for his soul, which he thirsted and longed after, as a thirsty man after water in a desert place.


Verse 2

To see thy power and thy glory,.... Either the ark, as the Jewish writers generally interpret it; the symbol of God's presence and glory, and which is called his strength and his glory; see Psalm 78:61; or rather the Lord Christ, who is the power of God, as well as the wisdom of God; by whom he made the world, and upholds it; by whom he has redeemed his people, and keeps and preserves them; and whose power is seen in the efficacy of the word and ordinances: and who is also the glory of God; he is the brightness of his Father's glory; his glory is the glory as of the only begotten of the Father; he has the same glorious nature, perfections, names, homage, and worship; and the glory of all the divine attributes is displayed in the work of salvation and redemption he has wrought out; and this glory is to be seen, through the glass of the word and ordinances, in the house of God. Hence it follows;

so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary; where he comes and blesses his people, and manifests himself unto them, as he does not unto the world; where his goings are seen, and his footsteps traced, Psalm 68:24. The psalmist calls to mind former experiences in the sanctuary; and these stimulate him to an eager desire of fresh tastes of the grace of God, and clearer views of his power and glory. Or, as in a dry and thirsty land my soul longed and thirsted for time, so have I desired to see thee in the sanctuary; or so I see thee there as if in the sanctuary.


Verse 3

Because thy lovingkindness is better than life,.... For life without the love of God is nothing else than death: a man that has no share in the love of God is dead while he lives; all the enjoyments of life, health, riches, honour, friends, &c. are nothing without the love of God; the meanest temporal blessings with it are preferable to the greatest without it, Proverbs 15:17; it lasts longer than life, and therefore must be better than that; death cannot separate from it; it continues to all eternity. And that the saints prefer it to this natural life appears by their readiness to lay it down for the sake of Christ and his Gospel, in which the lovingkindness of God is so richly manifested unto them; to which may be added, that it is the love of God which gives to his people spiritual life, and which issues in eternal life, and therefore must be better than a temporal one. The Targum is,

"for better is thy kindness, which thou wilt do for the righteous in the world to come, than the life which thou givest the wicked in this world;'

my lips shall praise thee; that is, for thy lovingkindness, and because it is better than life, and any enjoyment of it.


Verse 4

Thus will I bless thee while I live,.... With his whole heart and soul, as he had sought after him, and as under a sense of his lovingkindness; and as he now praised him with his lips, so he determined to do as long as he had life and being; by proclaiming his blessedness, by ascribing blessing and honour to him, and by giving him the glory of all mercies temporal and spiritual;

I will lift up my hands in thy name; not against his enemies, against those that fought against him, as Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it, but unto God in heaven; and that not as a gesture used in swearing, but either in blessing, as Aben Ezra observes; so the high priest lifted up his hands when he blessed the people; or in prayer, or in both, so Jarchi's note is, to pray and to praise; See Gill on Psalm 28:2. The Targum is,

"in the name of thy Word I will spread out my hands in prayer for the world to come;'

that is, in the name of the Messiah, the essential Word, in whose name prayer is to be made, and whereby it becomes prevalent and successful; see John 14:13. This is a prayer gesture; See Gill on Psalm 28:2.


Verse 5

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,.... When he should return to the house of the Lord, and partake of the provisions of it, called the fatness of his house; see Gill on Psalm 36:8. The phrase denotes the abundance of spiritual refreshment and delight in the word and ordinances, and the great satisfaction had in them; and may have some regard to benefits arising from prayer, as well as other ordinances. Fat was not to be eaten under the legal dispensation, and therefore not to be literally taken; but in the typical and spiritual sense which David understood, and therefore respects that, or otherwise he would speak contrary to the law of God: he refers to those spiritual good things which they typified, and give spiritual pleasure and satisfaction;

and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips; such a full meal, such a rich entertainment, calls for abundant thankfulness; which is here signified by the mouth praising the Lord, and doing this with lips of shouting, expressions of joy, songs of praise, jubilee songs. The allusion is to the use of music and singing at festivals; see Isaiah 5:12.


Verse 6

When I remember thee upon my bed,.... Or "beds"F17יצועי "stratis meis", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Cocceius; so Junius & Tremellius, Ainsworth. ; seeing he lay in many, as Kimchi observes, being obliged to flee from place to place. The sense is, that when he was on his bed in the night season, when alone, and free from worldly cares and fatigues, and called to mind the love of God to him, the past experience of his kindness, his promises to hits, and the fulfilment of them: that he should then be delightfully entertained, abundantly satisfied, slid his mouth be filled with songs of praise;

and meditate on thee in the night watches; which the Jewish writers on the text say were three, as they were with the Jews, but with the Romans four; See Gill on Matthew 14:25; and the night, in the times of HomerF18Iliad. 10. v. 252, 253. , was divided into three parts: the night season is a very proper one for meditation on the perfections, providences, promises, word and works of God; and which is very delightful and profitable, when attended with the presence, Spirit, and grace of God. The Targum is,

"in the watches I will meditate on thy word.'


Verse 7

Because thou hast been my help,.... Or, "that thou hast been my help"F19כי "quod", Musculus, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth. ; and so the words may be considered as the subject of his meditation in the night watches, at least as a part of it; and as what gave him a great deal of pleasure to reflect upon, how the Lord had been in times past a present help to him in time of trouble;

therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice; meaning under the protecting power of God, where he knew he was safe, and therefore had reason to rejoice. The allusion is to the chirping of chickens under the wing of the hen; see Psalm 57:1. The Targum is,

"in the shadow of thy Shechinah will I rejoice;'

referring it may be to the Shechinah, or presence of God, between the cherubim, whose wings overshadowed the mercy seat.


Verse 8

My soul followeth hard after thee,.... In a way of duty, and in the use of means; as prayer, meditation, &c. though at a distance from the house of God, and worship of it; that he might not lose sight of him; that he might know more of him, and have more communion with him; being drawn after him with the cords of love, and strongly affected to him. Or, "my soul cleaveth after thee", or "to thee"F20דבקה אחריך "adhaesit post te", Montanus, Gejerus; "tibi adhaesit", Tigurine version; so Piscator, Michaelis. ; not to the world, and the things of it; not to that which is evil, but to that which is good, even the "summum bonum"; not to the creature, but to the Lord; which is expressive of union to him, even such an one as is between man and wife, who cleave to each other, and are one flesh, Genesis 2:24; and as is between head and members, vine and branches; see 1 Corinthians 6:17; and of communion in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty. To cleave to the Lord into hold to him, the head; to exercise the graces of faith, hope, and love upon him; and to follow him in his ways and worship; to abide by his truths; to attend his ordinances; to keep close to his people, and to adhere firmly to his cause and interest; see Acts 11:23. The Targum is,

"my soul cleaveth after thy law;'

thy right hand upholdeth me; that he fell not through the snares laid for him, and the stumbling blocks thrown in his way; that he stood and bore up under all his afflictions, temptations, and difficulties; that he was enabled to follow hard after the Lord, and cleave unto him; this supported, supplied, and protected him, even the mighty power and grace of God. In what a happy, comfortable, and safe condition must the psalmist be! his soul following hard after the Lord; and the Lord holding and sustaining him with his right hand! and how vain must be the attempts of his enemies against him! whose destruction is next predicted.


Verse 9

But those that seek my soul to destroy it,.... Meaning his life; for as for his soul, that was immaterial and immortal, and could never be destroyed by man: but as for his natural life, his enemies laid snares for that, and sought to take it away, and nothing less would satisfy them;

shall go into the lower parts of the earth; not the grave, whither the righteous go as well as the wicked; besides, by their being the portion of foxes, as follows, it seems that they should have no burial; but hell is meant, the bottomless pit. Some take it to be a prayer, as Kimchi and Ben Melech; "may they go", or "let them go", &c. see Psalm 55:15. The allusion may be thought to be to the death of Korah and his company.


Verse 10

They shall fall by the sword,.... As Saul, his sons, and mighty men, did, 1 Samuel 31:4; or, "they shall make him pour out"F21יגירהו "fundere facient eum", Montanus; so Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Schmidt. ; that is, his blood, "by the hands" or "means of the sword"; meaning either some principal enemy, as Saul in particular, or everyone of his enemies; who should be thrust with the sword, their blood let out, and they slain: so antichrist, the enemy of David's son, will be put to death in this manner, Revelation 13:10;

they shall be a portion for foxes; falling in desolate places where foxes run, and so become the food of them, and have no other burial. The foxes hunt after dead carcasses, and will find them out where they are, in holes and ditches; as appears from the case of Aristomenes, related by PausaniasF23Messenica, sive l. 4. p. 251. : so the followers of antichrist, their flesh will be eaten by the fowls of heaven, Revelation 19:17.


Verse 11

But the king shall rejoice in God,.... Not Saul, as R. Obadiah; as if David wished him well, and that he might have reason to rejoice in God, though he sought his hurt; which sense is rejected by Abea Ezra: but either David, who speaks of himself as king, being anointed by Samuel, and who, upon the death of Saul, was so in fact; and who rejoiced, not merely at the destruction of his enemies, for he lamented the death of Saul, 2 Samuel 1:17; but in God, in his grace and goodness to him, and in his power and justice shown in the vengeance taken on them. Or rather, the King Messiah, who rejoiced in God because of the good of his people, their conversion and salvation, and their deliverance from their enemies, Psalm 21:1;

everyone that sweareth by him shall glory; not by David, though such a form of swearing was used; see 2 Samuel 15:21; or, "to him": and so describes his faithful subjects swearing allegiance to him: but rather by the Lord, in whom the king should rejoice; and designs the worshippers of him; swearing by him being sometimes put for the whole worship and service of God, Deuteronomy 6:13. The Heathens used to swear by their deities, and their chief was called Jupiter Horcius, because he presided over oathsF24Euripidis Medea, v. 170. Vid. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 5. c. 10. . Or else that the King Christ should rejoice in God; and intends such as believe in him and confess him; see Isaiah 45:23, compared with Romans 14:11. And every such an one will glory, not in themselves, nor in anything of theirs, but in Christ, in his grace and righteousness, and in what he is unto them;

but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped; such as Saul's courtiers, who invented and spread lies of David; but now upon the death of Saul, and David's advancement to the throne, would be silent; their mouths being stopped either by death, or through fear: and so all the followers of antichrist, that make and believe a lie, will have their mouths stopped, when cast into the lake of fire, Revelation 21:8.