Psalm 63:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: A 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.

NASB: 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.

CSB: A psalm of David. When he was in the Wilderness of Judah. God, you are my God; I eagerly seek you. I thirst for you; my body faints for you in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.

NLT: O 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.

KJV: A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;

NKJV: {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.

David was thirsty and fading into weakness in the wilderness of Judah, where he was escaping from his rebellious son Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13–14; 16:14). That journey was difficult; David's traveling group was in dire need of food and water once they crossed the Jordan river (2 Samuel 17:27–29). He uses that situation to symbolize his desire for fellowship with the Lord. David's impulse to worship the Lord was as urgent as physical thirst (Psalm 42:1). Being separated from the tabernacle and the ark (2 Samuel 15:25) made David feel, spiritually, much as he did physically while traveling through the desert.

Because human beings have a physical nature, it's easy to understand the importance of drinking and eating. However, human beings also have a soul which cannot be satisfied without trusting in Jesus as Savior. Jesus often used the analogy of water to explain the life-giving, vital nature of the gospel (John 4:13–14; 7:37–39). He said, "whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life" (John 4:14). Jesus is the bread of life; He said, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst" (John 6:35). David invites everyone to "taste and see that the LORD is good!" (Psalm 34:8). In the same verse, he exclaims: "Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"

The word translated "earnestly" or "eagerly" is a Hebrew word which literally means "to seek early" or "diligently pursue." The implication is that David turns to God as his first response, not his last resort. David's priority is the Lord.

Psalm 63:1–4 expresses David's intense desire to experience God's presence and fellowship. David wrote these words while fleeing from enemies through a parched, uninhabited area (2 Samuel 16:14; 17:27–29). He compares his yearning for fellowship with God to his intense hunger and thirst. David vows to praise God forever because of the Lord's loyal love.

David longs to know God the same way a man wishes for water and rest when wandering in the desert. Praise to God is as satisfying as eating rich foods. David trusts entirely in the Lord and His protection. The enemies who seek David's throne will be defeated; in his confidence David plans to rejoice when this occurs. This psalm was inspired by David's hasty retreat from Absalom's rebellion, through the wilderness (2 Samuel 17:27–29).

This song was inspired by David's experiences during the rebellion of his son, Absalom (2 Samuel 15:13–14). Other writings associated with this event include Psalms 3, 4, 5, 8, 41, and 62. When David evacuated Jerusalem, his traveling group made a difficult journey through dry, uninhabited wilderness areas (2 Samuel 16:14; 17:2, 27–29). The song creates a parallel between David's physical needs and his desire to reconnect with the Lord.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.