Psalms 63–11
Psalm 63:1-11
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Psa.63.1 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- מזמור: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לדוד: PREP+NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- בהיותו: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- במדבר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- יהודה: NOUN,m,sg,prop
Parallels
- Psalm 42:1-2 (thematic): Uses the image of intense longing/thirst for God in a time of distress—'my soul thirsts for God' parallels the psalm's wilderness longing.
- Psalm 143:6 (verbal): Explicitly echoes the same idiom—'my soul thirsts for you like a parched land'—sharing verbal imagery of thirst and desolation.
- Psalm 84:2 (verbal): Similar language of soul fainting/longing for God ('My soul longs, indeed it faints…'), paralleling the emotional and devotional posture of Psalm 63.
- 1 Samuel 23:14 (allusion): Narrative background: David's flight and residence in the wilderness of Judah while fleeing Saul provides the historical setting alluded to in the psalm's superscription.
Alternative generated candidates
- A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
- A psalm of David. When he was in the wilderness of Judah.
Psa.63.2 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אלהים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- אלי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- אתה: PRON,2,m,sg
- א: PRT
- שחרך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2m
- צמאה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- נפשי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- כמה: ADV
- לך: PRON,2,m,sg
- בשרי: NOUN,m,sg,suff
- בארץ: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,def
- ציה: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- ועיף: CONJ+ADJ,m,sg
- בלי: PREP
- מים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 42:1-2 (verbal): Uses the same thirst imagery (״נֶפֶשׁ צְמֻאָה/My soul thirsts for God״) and the simile of desperate longing—‘as a deer pants for water’—parallel to ״נפשׁי כמה לך״ in Ps.63:2.
- Psalm 143:6 (verbal): Speaks of stretching out hands and the soul thirsting like a parched land (׳כְּאֶרֶץ צָמְאָה׳), closely echoing Ps.63:2’s language of a dry, weary land without water.
- John 4:13-14 (thematic): Jesus’ ‘living water’ discourse addresses ultimate spiritual thirst and satisfaction; thematically parallels Ps.63:2’s depiction of profound thirst for God and the barrenness of life apart from him.
- Matthew 5:6 (thematic): The beatitude ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness’ echoes the psalm’s motif of intense longing/thirst for God and right relationship with him.
Alternative generated candidates
- O God, you are my God; eagerly 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.
- God—You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for You in a dry and weary land without water.
Psa.63.3 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כן: ADV
- בקדש: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חזיתיך: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg+PRON,2,m,sg
- לראות: VERB,qal,inf
- עזך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2fs
- וכבודך: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 27:4 (verbal): Both verses express a longing to behold the LORD’s beauty/majesty in his house: “to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple” parallels “to see your might and your glory.”
- Exodus 33:18 (verbal): Moses’ request “Show me your glory” directly parallels the desire to see God’s power and glory, using similar language of seeing God’s glory.
- Isaiah 6:1-3 (thematic): Isaiah’s vision of the LORD in the temple (seeing the Lord’s majesty and holiness) echoes the theme of beholding divine glory in the sanctuary.
- Psalm 96:6 (verbal): “Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary” parallels the motifs of might/strength (עוז) and glory (כבוד) being manifest in God’s dwelling.
- Psalm 26:8 (thematic): “O LORD, I love the habitation of your house, and the place where your glory dwells” shares the motif of attachment to the sanctuary as the locus for beholding God’s glory.
Alternative generated candidates
- So in the sanctuary I behold you; to see your power and your glory.
- Indeed, in the sanctuary I have beheld You—your power and your glory.
Psa.63.4 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- טוב: ADJ,m,pl,abs
- חסדך: NOUN,m,sg,abs+2ms
- מחיים: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,abs
- שפתי: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- ישבחונך: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl,obj2ms
Parallels
- Psalm 63:3 (verbal): Immediate parallel within the same psalm—repeats the praise of God's lovingkindness (חסדך) and the motif of praising with the lips.
- Psalm 36:7-9 (thematic): Portrays God's steadfast love as life-giving and precious (’how precious is your steadfast love…with you is the fountain of life’), echoing the valuation of God's love as better than life.
- Psalm 34:1 (verbal): Shares the theme and wording of praising God with the mouth/lips (‘I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth’), paralleling ‘my lips will praise you.’
- Psalm 84:10 (thematic): Uses a comparative formula to prefer nearness to God above other goods (‘Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere’), similar in spirit to valuing God's steadfast love as superior to life.
Alternative generated candidates
- For your steadfast love is better than life; my lips will praise you.
- For your steadfast love is better than life; my lips will praise You.
Psa.63.5 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כן: ADV
- אברכך: VERB,qal,impf,1,c,sg,suff:2ms
- בחיי: PREP+NOUN,m,pl,poss
- בשמך: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON:2ms
- אשא: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- כפי: PREP
Parallels
- Psalm 34:1 (verbal): Same personal resolve to bless the LORD continually ('I will bless the LORD at all times'), echoing the commitment in Ps 63:5 to bless God while living.
- Psalm 145:2 (verbal): Expresses the same idea of daily/ongoing blessing of God's name ('Every day I will bless you'), paralleling the continuous praise in Ps 63:5.
- Psalm 134:2 (verbal): Explicitly links the gesture of lifting hands with blessing the LORD ('Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the LORD'), closely matching the action and purpose of Ps 63:5.
- Psalm 103:1 (thematic): A call from the soul to bless God's holy name ('Bless the LORD, O my soul'), sharing the central theme of blessing God's name from Ps 63:5.
- 1 Timothy 2:8 (thematic): New Testament parallel that prescribes praying with lifted hands ('lifting holy hands'), resonating with Ps 63:5's image of raising hands in God's name as an act of worship.
Alternative generated candidates
- So I will bless you while I live; I will lift up my hands in your name.
- So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
Psa.63.6 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כמו: PREP
- חלב: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ודשן: CONJ+VERB,qal,impf,3,_,pl
- תשבע: VERB,qal,impf,3,f,sg
- נפשי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- ושפתי: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,suff1cs
- רננות: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יהלל: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- פי: NOUN,m,sg,construct
Parallels
- Deut 32:14 (verbal): Song of Moses lists the land's bounty—'curds... milk... with fat' (Heb. חלב ודשן)—a close verbal parallel to Psalm 63:6's 'like milk and fatness my soul is satisfied.'
- Psalm 23:5 (thematic): God preparing a rich table and an overflowing cup evokes the same imagery of abundance and satisfaction as 'my soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness.'
- Psalm 107:9 (thematic): Declares that God 'satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things,' matching Psalm 63:6's theme of spiritual/physical satisfaction from God.
- Isaiah 55:2-3 (thematic): The call to 'eat what is good' and delight in God's provision parallels the idea of being filled and satisfied by God's nourishment and promises.
- Psalm 65:4 (thematic): Speaks of being 'satisfied with the goodness of your house,' closely echoing Psalm 63:6's motif of satisfaction found in God's presence and provision.
Alternative generated candidates
- My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips.
- My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise with joyful lips.
Psa.63.7 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אם: CONJ
- זכרתיך: VERB,qal,perf,1,_,sg
- על: PREP
- יצועי: NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,1,sg
- באשמרות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- אהגה: VERB,qal,impf,1,sg
- בך: PREP+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 17:8 (verbal): Uses the identical image and phrasing—'hide me in the shadow of your wings'—closely matching Ps 63:7's refuge-in-the-wings language.
- Psalm 57:1 (verbal): Speaks of taking refuge 'in the shadow of your wings' (or 'I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings'), directly parallel in wording and motif.
- Psalm 61:4 (verbal): Declares dwelling in God's tent and seeking 'the covert of your wings'—a near-echo of Ps 63:7's rejoicing/sheltering under God's wings.
- Psalm 91:4 (allusion): Employs the feather/wing imagery—'He will cover you with his feathers; under his wings you will find refuge'—a broader theological parallel about God's protection.
- Psalm 121:2 (thematic): Affirms the same theological conviction that God is the psalmist's help—'My help comes from the LORD'—corresponding to Ps 63:7's motive for trust and rejoicing.
Alternative generated candidates
- When I remember you on my bed, I meditate on you through the watches of the night.
- When I remember You upon my bed, I meditate on You through the watches of the night.
Psa.63.8 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כי: CONJ
- היית: VERB,qal,perf,2,m,sg
- עזרתה: NOUN,f,sg,abs+3fs
- לי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- ובצל: CONJ+PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כנפיך: NOUN,f,pl,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
- ארנן: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Psalm 57:1 (verbal): Uses almost identical wording: the psalmist asks for mercy and declares refuge 'in the shadow of your wings,' echoing the same image of divine protection and trust.
- Psalm 17:8 (verbal): Prayerful petition: 'Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me under the shadow of your wings' — closely parallels the 'shadow of your wings' motif of protection.
- Psalm 91:4 (verbal): Speaks of God covering with 'his wings' and finding refuge under them; reinforces the protective-wing metaphor tied to God's help and deliverance.
- Psalm 36:7 (verbal): Declares that people take refuge 'in the shadow of your wings,' another occurrence of the same refuge-under-wings language and theme of God’s safeguarding love.
- Matthew 23:37 (allusion): Jesus uses the image of gathering like a hen under her wings to express God's desire to protect and shelter—a New Testament echo of the biblical wing-as-refuge motif.
Alternative generated candidates
- For you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
- For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
Psa.63.9 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- דבקה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- נפשי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- אחריך: NOUN,m,sg,abs,2,m
- בי: PREP+PRON,1,sg
- תמכה: VERB,qal,perf,3,f,sg
- ימינך: NOUN,f,sg,abs+PRON,2,m,sg
Parallels
- Psalm 73:23 (verbal): Speaker expresses continual nearness to God and uses the image of God’s hand supporting him—close verbal parallel to “my soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.”
- Psalm 139:10 (verbal): “Even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me” shares the same vocabulary and the image of God’s right hand holding and guiding the psalmist.
- Isaiah 41:10 (verbal): God promises, “I will uphold you with my righteous right hand,” echoing the motif of divine support by the right hand found in the psalm.
- Deuteronomy 33:27 (thematic): The depiction of God as refuge with “everlasting arms” underneath conveys the same theme of God’s sustaining, protective support as the psalm’s image of God holding/upholding.
- John 10:28–29 (thematic): Jesus’ language that no one can snatch his sheep out of his (or the Father’s) hand resonates theologically with the psalm’s assurance of being held and upheld by God’s hand.
Alternative generated candidates
- My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
- My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.
Psa.63.10 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- והמה: PRON,3,m,pl
- לשואה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יבקשו: VERB,qal,imf,3,m,pl
- נפשי: NOUN,f,sg,abs+1cs
- יבאו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- בתחתיות: PREP+NOUN,f,pl,abs
- הארץ: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 28:26 (verbal): A covenant curse: 'your carcasses shall be food for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth'—uses the same imagery of bodies becoming prey for animals as in Ps 63:10.
- Ezekiel 39:17-20 (thematic): After the defeat of Gog the slain are explicitly given as food to birds and beasts—a prophetic parallel to enemies becoming a 'portion' for scavengers.
- Psalm 79:2 (verbal): An imprecatory psalm complaining that the bodies of God's servants have been given to the birds—verbal and thematic overlap with corpses exposed to wild animals in Ps 63:10.
- 1 Samuel 31:8-10 (thematic): Saul and his sons 'fell by the sword' and their bodies were treated contemptuously/left exposed by enemies—parallels the sudden death by the sword and dishonorable fate pictured in Ps 63:10.
Alternative generated candidates
- But those who seek my life to destroy it shall go down to the depths of the earth.
- But those who seek my life to destroy it shall go down to the depths of the earth.
Psa.63.11 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- יגירהו: VERB,qal,impf,3,pl
- על: PREP
- ידי: NOUN,f,pl,cons
- חרב: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- מנת: NOUN,f,sg,const
- שעלים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- יהיו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
Parallels
- Psalm 63:10 (MT)/63:9 (ESV) (verbal): Closest internal parallel in the same psalm: speaks of the enemies being dealt with violently—given over to the sword and becoming a spoil/portion for wild animals, echoing the imagery of defeat and dispossession.
- Psalm 109:6–20 (thematic): An imprecatory passage that prays for the downfall and destruction of an enemy; thematically parallels the wish that enemies be cut off or handed over to violent end.
- Psalm 7:15–16 (thematic): Describes the self‑destruction of the wicked when they dig a pit for others and fall into it; parallels the motif of enemies receiving their due judgment rather than success.
- Psalm 18 (2 Samuel 22):39–40 (thematic): A victory psalm that depicts God throwing enemies down and delivering them into defeat (often by the sword), similar imagery of divine vindication and the discomfiture of foes.
Alternative generated candidates
- They shall be delivered over to the sword; they shall be the portion of jackals.
- Let them be a reward for the sword; let them be a portion for jackals.
A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
O God, you are my God; I earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land without water. So I have looked toward you in the sanctuary, to behold your power and your glory.
For your steadfast love is better than life; my lips will praise you. So I will bless you while I live; in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips.
When I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night,
for you have been my help; in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. But those who seek my life to destroy it shall go down into the depths of the earth.
They shall be handed over to the sword; they shall become a portion for jackals.