Articles and Notes
Psalm 63
Joy in the fellowship of God
[Psa 63:1-11 NASB95] 1 A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory.
3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You.
4 So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches,
7 For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek my life to destroy it, Will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They will be delivered over to the power of the sword; They will be a prey for foxes.
11 But the king will rejoice in God; Everyone who swears by Him will glory, For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.
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In the original Hebrew, the concept of seeking in Psalm 63:1 refers to diligent, wholehearted searching that involves a strong desire focused on developing a relationship with the desired object.
The phrase translated “early will I seek You” in the King James Version is rendered differently in most modern translations. For example: “Earnestly I seek you” (NIV, ESV), “I eagerly seek you” (CSB), and “I earnestly search for you” (NLT).