Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 63

O God, you are my God - The words here rendered "God" are not the same in the original. The first one—אלהים 'Elohiym—is in the plural number and is the word usually employed to designate God (Genesis 1:1). The second—אל 'Êl—is a word very often applied to God with the idea of strength: a strong, a mighty One. And this underlying idea is probably present here: that God was the source of his strength, or that in speaking of God as his God, he was conscious of referring to him as Almighty.

It was the divine attribute of power on which his mind mainly rested when he spoke of him as his God. He did not appeal to him merely as God, with no reference to a particular attribute; but he particularly had in mind his power or his ability to deliver and save him. In Psalm 22:1, where, in our version, we have the same expression, My God, my God, the two words in the original are identical and are the same as the one used here—אל 'Êl—as expressive of strength or power. The idea suggested here is that in appealing to God, while we address him as our God and refer to his general character as God, it is not improper to have in our minds some particular attribute of his character—power, mercy, love, truth, faithfulness, etc.—as the special ground of our appeal.

Early will I seek you - The word used here refers to the early dawn or the morning, and the noun derived from the verb means the aurora, the dawn, the morning. The proper idea, therefore, would be that of seeking God in the morning or the early dawn—that is, as the first thing in the day. Compare the notes at Isaiah 26:9. The meaning here is that he would seek God as the first thing in the day: first in his plans and purposes, first in all things. He would seek God before other things came to distract and divert his attention; he would seek God when he formed his plans for the day and before other influences came to control and direct him.

The favor of God was the supreme desire of his heart, and that desire would be indicated by his making God the earliest—the first—object of his search. His first thoughts—his best thoughts—therefore, he resolved should be given to God. A desire to seek God as the first object in life—in youth, in each returning day, at the beginning of each year, season, month, week, in all our plans and enterprises—is one of the most certain evidences of true piety; and religion flourishes most in the soul, and flourishes only in the soul, when we make God the first object of our affections and desires.

My soul thirsts for you - See the notes at Psalm 42:2.

My flesh longs for you - All my passions and desires—my whole nature. The two words—“soul” and “flesh”—are designed to embrace the entire man and to express the idea that he longed supremely for God; that all his desires, whether springing directly from the soul or from the needs of the body, rose to God as the only source from which they could be gratified.

In a dry and thirsty land - That is, as one longs for water in a parched desert, so my soul longs for God. The word “thirsty” is in the margin, as in Hebrew, “weary.” The idea is that of a land where, from its parched nature—its barrenness, its rocks, its heat, its desolation—one would be faint and weary on a journey.

Where no water is - No running streams; no gushing fountains; nothing to allay the thirst.

To see thy power and thy glory — The reference here is to what was manifested of the presence and the power of God in the services of public worship; the praises, the prayers, the rejoicings, the evidences of the divine presence.

So as I have seen thee in the sanctuary — At the tabernacle, amidst the solemn services of divine worship. There seems to be no reason for supposing that he here refers to the mere external pomp and splendor of public worship, but he doubtless includes the power of the divine presence which he had felt in such services on his own soul. As applied now to a place of Christian worship, it may be observed that there are nowhere more striking exhibitions of the power of God on earth than those which occur in such a place, especially in a revival of religion. The scene on the day of Pentecost was as striking an exhibition of the power of God as that which goes forth in the fury of the storm, in the raging of the ocean, or in the guidance of the heavenly bodies.

Nothing can so well express what occurs in such a scene as the words power and glory. Nothing shows more certainly the power of God than that influence which bows down haughty sinners and makes them humble; which produces a deep stillness and awe in the assembled multitudes; which extorts the cry, Men and brethren, what must we do to be saved?; which makes hardened men weep, and men long addicted to habits of sin willing to abandon their iniquities and turn to God.

And nothing shows more clearly the glory of God than that power, that grace, that mercy, which thus turns multitudes from the ways of sin and death and directs their feet into the path of peace and salvation. Those who have ever witnessed the power of God in a revival of religion will ever afterward long to see again the power and glory of God, as they have seen it in the sanctuary.

Because thy loving-kindness is better than life - Your favor; your mercy. This is of more value than life; more to be desired than life.

Life is the most valued and valuable thing pertaining to this world which we can possess (see the notes at Job 2:4).

But, above this, David valued the favor and friendship of God. If one or the other was to be sacrificed, he preferred that it should be his life; he would be willing to exchange that for the favor of God.

Life was not desirable; life furnished no comforts—no joys—without the divine favor.

“My life itself, without Your love,
No taste of pleasure could afford;
It would but a tiresome burden prove,
If I were banished from the Lord.”

My lips shall praise thee - That is either:

1. Because of this loving-kindness; because I have this trust in your character; or
2. Because you will restore me to the place of public worship, and I shall be permitted again to praise you.

Probably the latter is the true idea.

Thus will I bless thee while I live - In my life; or, as long as life lasts, I will praise you. The word “thus” refers to the sentiment in the previous verse, meaning that as a result of his deep sense of the value of the loving kindness of God, he would praise him through all the rest of his life, or would never cease to praise him. A true purpose of serving God embraces the whole of this life, and the whole of eternity. He who loves God, and who has any proper sense of his mercy, does not anticipate a time when he will stop praising and blessing him, or when he will have any desire or wish not to be engaged in his service.

I will lift up my hands in thy name - In solemn prayer and praise. See the notes at Psalms 28:2.

My soul shall be satisfied - See the notes at Psalm 36:8. The idea is that his soul now longed for the service of God as one who is hungry longs for food, or as one who is thirsty longs for drink; and that the time would come when this longing desire would be satisfied. He would engage in the service of God as he desired to do; he would be permitted to enjoy that service without interruption.

As with marrow and fatness - See the notes at Psalm 36:8. The words here employed denote rich food; and the comparison is between the pleasure of serving God, and the satisfaction derived from food when one is hungry. It is not uncommon to compare the pleasures of religion with a feast or banquet. Compare Isaiah 25:6.

And my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips - Lips full of joy; or, which give utterance to the joy of the heart.