Psalm chapter 63
English Standard Version
1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 3Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 4So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands. 5My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, 6when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 7for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. 8My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. 9But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; 10they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals. 11But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
New International Version
1A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah. You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. 2I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. 3Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. 4I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. 6On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. 7Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.
New American Standard Bible
1 God, You are my God; I shall be watching for You; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and exhausted land where there is no water. 2So have I seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and glory. 3Because Your favor is better than life, My lips will praise You. 4So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5My soul is satisfied as with fat and fatness, And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips. 6When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches, 7For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. 8My soul clings to You; Your right hand takes hold of me. 9But those who seek my life to destroy it, Will go into the depths of the earth. 10 They will be turned over to the power of the sword; They will be a prey for foxes. 11But the king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him will boast, For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.
Christian Standard Bible
2So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory. 3My lips will glorify you because your faithful love is better than life. 4So I will bless you as long as I live; at your name, I will lift up my hands.
5You satisfy me as with rich food; my mouth will praise you with joyful lips. 6When I think of you as I lie on my bed, I meditate on you during the night watches 7because you are my helper; I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings.
8I follow close to you; your right hand holds on to me. 9But those who intend to destroy my life will go into the depths of the earth. 10They will be given over to the power of the sword; they will become a meal for jackals. 11But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by him will boast, for the mouths of liars will be shut.
New Living Translation
1O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. 2I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. 3Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! 4I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. 5You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.
King James Version
New King James Version
1{A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.} O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. 2So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. 3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. 4Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. 5My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. 6When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. 7Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. 8My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me. 9But those who seek my life, to destroy it, Shall go into the lower parts of the earth. 10They shall fall by the sword; They shall be a portion for jackals. 11But the king shall rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him shall glory; But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
What does Psalm chapter 63 mean?
Absalom, one of David's sons, used deception and propaganda to gather followers (2 Samuel 15:1–6, 10–12). When the time was right, Absalom moved on Jerusalem and David was forced to make a hasty retreat (2 Samuel 15:13–14). This led David and those still loyal over the Mount of Olives (2 Samuel 15:30) and beyond the Jordan river (2 Samuel 16:14) before they could find rest and safety (2 Samuel 17:27–29). This psalm involves themes highlighted by those events, such as physical thirst, danger, lies, and a need to depend on God.David begins by expressing his desire to know God as equal to great thirst, such as when someone travels through the desert. Despite his difficult circumstances, he is fully committed to praising the Lord. David's prior experiences had proven that God would provide him with victory and safety (1 Samuel 17:36, 51; 2 Samuel 8:6; Psalm 18:49–50). This confidence was tied to the Lord's promises about David's kingship and those who would inherit it (2 Samuel 7:11–13). Knowing this, David chooses to rely on the Lord for safety and trust in divine power (Psalm 63:1–8).
In contrast, David expects those who have lied and conspired against him to be defeated. In fact, he anticipates them suffering utter defeat. This includes imagery of men falling in battle and their corpses being consumed by scavengers. Those loyal to David, who love the Lord, can expect to celebrate victory. The dishonest ones who have opposed the king, however, will be silenced forever (Psalm 63:9–11).
