Psalms 63

David, in the wilderness and under threat, longs for God more than a thirsty man longs for water. He remembers the joy of worship in the sanctuary and finds that God’s love is better than life itself. He ends confident that God will bring down his enemies and that the king will rejoice.

Psalms 63:1

David cries out to God as his own God, and he seeks Him eagerly. His whole being, soul and body, thirsts for Him like someone in a parched desert. The dry land outside matches a deep longing inside, and that longing is itself a way of seeking God.

BSA: thirsts (“longs, yearns”): The thirst is a deep longing of the whole person, not a passing wish. land (“wilderness, desert”): The barren place pictures the dryness of a soul that needs God.

Hebrew: אֲשַׁחֲרֶךָּ (ashachereka, H7836) — “I seek You early, at dawn.” The Hebrew is related to the word for dawn. It suggests seeking God first thing, with eagerness and diligence.

See also: Psalm 42:1-2; Matthew 5:6.

Psalms 63:2

David remembers meeting God in the sanctuary, where he saw God’s power and glory. That past experience feeds his present longing. What God has shown him before makes him sure that God can satisfy him again, even in the desert.

BSA: beheld (“gazed upon, contemplated”): He looked on God’s glory with steady, thoughtful attention, not a passing glance.

Psalms 63:3

David judges God’s loving devotion to be better than life itself. Even life’s greatest gift is worth less than being loved by God. So his lips cannot stay silent. Praise is the natural overflow of knowing that love.

BSA: loving devotion (“steadfast, unwavering”): God’s love is faithful and does not give way when circumstances change.

Hebrew: חַסְדְּךָ (chasdeka, H2617) — “Your covenant love, loyal kindness.” This is God’s faithful love toward those He has bound Himself to. It does not fail, and David values it above life.

See also: Psalm 36:7.

Psalms 63:4

David resolves to bless God for as long as he lives. Lifting the hands was a common gesture of prayer and worship. To do it in God’s name is to worship Him for who He is, as He has made Himself known.

BSA: name (“character, reputation, authority”): God’s name stands for all that He is, and worship is offered to that.

See also: 1 Timothy 2:8.

Psalms 63:5

Worship feeds David’s soul like a rich feast. Even in the wilderness he is satisfied, because God Himself is his food. The satisfaction overflows in joyful praise from his lips.

BSA: richest (“most abundant, lavish”): God’s provision is generous and full, not bare survival.

See also: Psalm 36:8; John 6:35.

Psalms 63:6

Sleepless nights become a time to turn his thoughts to God. The night was divided into watches. David fills each one with remembering God instead of fear. Dark hours can become quiet times of prayer and trust.

BSA: remember (“think of, meditate on”): He deliberately dwells on God, turning the thought over.

See also: Psalm 119:148.

Psalms 63:7

David’s confidence rests on what God has been to him: his help. He pictures himself sheltered under God’s wings, like a chick under a mother bird. There, in safety, he can sing even while pursued.

BSA: shadow (“protection, care”): The shadow of God’s wings is a place of safe, close care.

See also: Psalm 91:4; Ruth 2:12.

Psalms 63:8

David holds on to God, and he knows God holds on to him. His clinging is real, but the deeper strength is God’s right hand. Our grip on God rests on His grip on us.

BSA: clings (“followeth hard after, clings to”): He pursues God closely and will not let go. upholds (“supports, lifts me up”): God’s hand actively keeps him from falling.

Hebrew: דָּבְקָה (davqah, H1692) — “clings, sticks fast.” The word is used for being glued or joined closely. It is the same word used of a man cleaving to his wife in Genesis 2:24.

See also: Genesis 2:24; Isaiah 41:10.

Psalms 63:9

Those who hunt David’s life will themselves be brought down. Going into the depths of the earth means the grave. The psalm moves from David’s longing to the sure end of those who oppose God’s anointed.

BSA: depths of the earth (“the grave, the place of the dead”): The enemies’ plans end in death, not in David’s destruction.

Psalms 63:10

The enemies will die by the sword and their bodies will lie unburied, eaten by wild animals. It is a grim picture of justice. What they planned for David returns on them. Christians trust God to judge rightly in His time.

BSA: foxes (“jackals, wild dogs”): The word points to scavengers that feed on the dead.

Psalms 63:11

The psalm ends in joy. The king rejoices in God, and all who are loyal to God share that gladness. Liars, who spread slander against him, will be silenced. God’s people can end in confidence because truth and justice will stand.

BSA: swear (“take an oath, make a vow”): Swearing by God’s name marks those who belong to Him and are loyal to Him. liars (“those who speak falsehood, deceivers”): Their slander and deceit will finally be stopped.

See also: Psalm 5:11.