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;
I stretch forth H6566 my hands H3027 unto thee: my soul H5315 thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty H5889 land. H776 Selah. H5542
My soul H5315 longeth, H3700 yea, even fainteth H3615 for the courts H2691 of the LORD: H3068 my heart H3820 and my flesh H1320 crieth out H7442 for the living H2416 God. H410
[[To the chief Musician, H5329 Maschil, H4905 for the sons H1121 of Korah.]] H7141 As the hart H354 panteth H6165 after the water H4325 brooks, H650 so panteth H6165 my soul H5315 after thee, O God. H430 My soul H5315 thirsteth H6770 for God, H430 for the living H2416 God: H410 when shall I come H935 and appear H7200 before H6440 God? H430
At the same time, H6256 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 will I be the God H430 of all the families H4940 of Israel, H3478 and they shall be my people. H5971
But I trusted H982 in thee, O LORD: H3068 I said, H559 Thou art my God. H430
And I will bring H935 the third part H7992 through the fire, H784 and will refine H6884 them as silver H3701 is refined, H6884 and will try H974 them as gold H2091 is tried: H974 they shall call H7121 on my name, H8034 and I will hear H6030 them: I will say, H559 It is my people: H5971 and they shall say, H559 The LORD H3068 is my God. H430
I will go H3212 and return H7725 to my place, H4725 till they acknowledge their offence, H816 and seek H1245 my face: H6440 in their affliction H6862 they will seek me early. H7836
But this shall be the covenant H1285 that I will make H3772 with the house H1004 of Israel; H3478 After H310 those days, H3117 saith H5002 the LORD, H3068 I will put H5414 my law H8451 in their inward parts, H7130 and write H3789 it in their hearts; H3820 and will be their God, H430 and they shall be my people. H5971
And the parched ground H8273 shall become a pool, H98 and the thirsty land H6774 springs H4002 of water: H4325 in the habitation H5116 of dragons, H8577 where each lay, H7258 shall be grass H2682 with reeds H7070 and rushes. H1573
And a man H376 shall be as an hiding place H4224 from the wind, H7307 and a covert H5643 from the tempest; H2230 as rivers H6388 of water H4325 in a dry place, H6724 as the shadow H6738 of a great H3515 rock H5553 in a weary H5889 land. H776
By night H3915 on my bed H4904 I sought H1245 him whom my soul H5315 loveth: H157 I sought H1245 him, but I found H4672 him not. I will rise H6965 now, and go about H5437 the city H5892 in the streets, H7784 and in the broad ways H7339 I will seek H1245 him whom my soul H5315 loveth: H157 I sought H1245 him, but I found H4672 him not. The watchmen H8104 that go about H5437 the city H5892 found H4672 me: to whom I said, Saw H7200 ye him whom my soul H5315 loveth? H157
I love H157 them that love H157 me; and those that seek me early H7836 shall find H4672 me.
When your fear H6343 cometh H935 as desolation, H7722 H7584 and your destruction H343 cometh H857 as a whirlwind; H5492 when distress H6869 and anguish H6695 cometh H935 upon you. Then shall they call H7121 upon me, but I will not answer; H6030 they shall seek me early, H7836 but they shall not find H4672 me:
CAPH. My soul H5315 fainteth H3615 for thy salvation: H8668 but I hope H3176 in thy word. H1697
For my days H3117 are consumed H3615 like smoke, H6227 and my bones H6106 are burned H2787 as an hearth. H4168 My heart H3820 is smitten, H5221 and withered H3001 like grass; H6212 so that I forget H7911 to eat H398 my bread. H3899 By reason of the voice H6963 of my groaning H585 my bones H6106 cleave H1692 to my skin. H1320
When he slew H2026 them, then they sought H1875 him: and they returned H7725 and enquired early H7836 after God. H410
If thou wouldest seek H7836 unto God H410 betimes, H7836 and make thy supplication H2603 to the Almighty; H7706
And the Ziphites H2130 came H935 unto Saul H7586 to Gibeah, H1390 saying, H559 Doth not David H1732 hide H5641 himself in the hill H1389 of Hachilah, H2444 which is before H6440 Jeshimon? H3452 Then Saul H7586 arose, H6965 and went down H3381 to the wilderness H4057 of Ziph, H2128 having three H7969 thousand H505 chosen H977 men H376 of Israel H3478 with him, to seek H1245 David H1732 in the wilderness H4057 of Ziph. H2128 And Saul H7586 pitched H2583 in the hill H1389 of Hachilah, H2444 which is before H6440 Jeshimon, H3452 by the way. H1870 But David H1732 abode H3427 in the wilderness, H4057 and he saw H7200 that Saul H7586 came H935 after H310 him into the wilderness. H4057
G1161 When G3752 the unclean G169 spirit G4151 is gone G1831 out of G575 a man, G444 he walketh G1330 through G1223 dry G504 places, G5117 seeking G2212 rest, G372 and G2532 findeth G2147 none. G3756
And the people H5971 thirsted H6770 there for water; H4325 and the people H5971 murmured H3885 against Moses, H4872 and said, H559 Wherefore is this that thou hast brought H5927 us up out of Egypt, H4714 to kill H4191 us and our children H1121 and our cattle H4735 with thirst? H6772
They shall hunger G3983 no G3756 more, G2089 neither G3761 thirst G1372 any more; G2089 neither G3761 G3361 shall G4098 the sun G2246 light G4098 on G1909 them, G846 nor G3761 any G3956 heat. G2738 For G3754 the Lamb G721 which G3588 is in the midst G303 G3319 of the throne G2362 shall feed G4165 them, G846 and G2532 shall lead G3594 them G846 unto G1909 living G2198 fountains G4077 of waters: G5204 and G2532 God G2316 shall wipe away G1813 all G3956 tears G1144 from G575 their G846 eyes. G3788
Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto her, G846 Touch G680 me G3450 not; G3361 for G1063 I am G305 not yet G3768 ascended G305 to G4314 my G3450 Father: G3962 but G1161 go G4198 to G4314 my G3450 brethren, G80 and G2532 say G2036 unto them, G846 I ascend G305 unto G4314 my G3450 Father, G3962 and G2532 your G5216 Father; G3962 and G2532 to my G3450 God, G2316 and G2532 your G5216 God. G2316
G1161 In G1722 the last G2078 day, G2250 that great G3173 day of the feast, G1859 Jesus G2424 stood G2476 and G2532 cried, G2896 saying, G3004 If G1437 any man G5100 thirst, G1372 let him come G2064 unto G4314 me, G3165 and G2532 drink. G4095
See H7200 therefore, and take knowledge H3045 of all the lurking places H4224 where he hideth H2244 himself, and come ye again H7725 to me with the certainty, H3559 and I will go H1980 with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be H3426 in the land, H776 that I will search H2664 him out throughout all the thousands H505 of Judah. H3063 And they arose, H6965 and went H3212 to Ziph H2128 before H6440 Saul: H7586 but David H1732 and his men H582 were in the wilderness H4057 of Maon, H4584 in the plain H6160 on the south H3225 of Jeshimon. H3452 Saul H7586 also and his men H582 went H3212 to seek H1245 him. And they told H5046 David: H1732 wherefore he came down H3381 into a rock, H5553 and abode H3427 in the wilderness H4057 of Maon. H4584 And when Saul H7586 heard H8085 that, he pursued H7291 after H310 David H1732 in the wilderness H4057 of Maon. H4584
And David H1732 abode H3427 in the wilderness H4057 in strong holds, H4679 and remained H3427 in a mountain H2022 in the wilderness H4057 of Ziph. H2128 And Saul H7586 sought H1245 him every day, H3117 but God H430 delivered H5414 him not into his hand. H3027 And David H1732 saw H7200 that Saul H7586 was come out H3318 to seek H1245 his life: H5315 and David H1732 was in the wilderness H4057 of Ziph H2128 in a wood. H2793 And Jonathan H3083 Saul's H7586 son H1121 arose, H6965 and went H3212 to David H1732 into the wood, H2793 and strengthened H2388 his hand H3027 in God. H430
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 63
Commentary on Psalms 63 Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalm 63
This psalm has in it as much of warmth and lively devotion as any of David's psalms in so little a compass. As the sweetest of Paul's epistles were those that bore date out of a prison, so some of the sweetest of David's psalms were those that were penned, as this was, in a wilderness. That which grieved him most in his banishment was the want of public ordinances; these he here longs to be restored to the enjoyment of; and the present want did but whet his appetite. Yet it is not the ordinances, but the God of the ordinances, that his heart is upon. And here we have,
A devout and pious soul has little need of direction how to sing this psalm, so naturally does it speak its own genuine language; and an unsanctified soul, that is unacquainted and unaffected with divine things, is scarcely capable of singing it with understanding.
A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
Psa 63:1-2
The title tells us when the psalm was penned, when David was in the wilderness of Judah; that is, in the forest of Hareth (1 Sa. 22:5) or in the wilderness of Ziph, 1 Sa. 23:15.
David, in these verses, stirs up himself to take hold on God,
Psa 63:3-6
How soon are David's complaints and prayers turned into praises and thanksgivings! After two verses that express his desire in seeking God, here are some that express his joy and satisfaction in having found him. Faithful prayers may quickly be turned into joyful praises, if it be not our own fault. Let the hearts of those rejoice that seek the Lord (Ps. 105:3), and let them praise him for working those desires in them, and giving them assurance that he will satisfy them. David was now in a wilderness, and yet had his heart much enlarged in blessing God. Even in affliction we need not want matter for praise, if we have but a heart to it. Observe,
Psa 63:7-11
David, having expressed his desires towards God and his praises of him, here expresses his confidence in him and his joyful expectations from him (v. 7): In the shadow of thy wings I will rejoice, alluding either to the wings of the cherubim stretched out over the ark of the covenant, between which God is said to dwell ("I will rejoice in thy oracles, and in covenant and communion with thee'), or to the wings of a fowl, under which the helpless young ones have shelter, as the eagle's young ones (Ex. 19:4, Deu. 32:11), which speaks the divine power, and the young ones of the common hen (Mt. 23:37), which speaks more of divine tenderness. It is a phrase often used in the psalms (Ps. 17:8; 36:7; 57:1; 61:4; 91:4), and no where else in this sense, except Ruth 2:12, where Ruth, when she became a proselyte, is said to trust under the wings of the God of Israel. It is our duty to rejoice in the shadow of God's wings, which denotes our recourse to him by faith and prayer, as naturally as the chickens, when they are cold or frightened, run by instinct under the wings of the hen. It intimates also our reliance upon him as able and ready to help us and our refreshment and satisfaction in his care and protection. Having committed ourselves to God, we must be easy and pleased, and quiet from the fear of evil. Now let us see further,