Psalm 63:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.

NIV: Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

NASB: Because Your favor is better than life, My lips will praise You.

CSB: My lips will glorify you because your faithful love is better than life.

NLT: Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!

KJV: Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

NKJV: Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.

This verse uses an important Hebrew root word: chesed. This is sometimes translated as "loving-kindness," "steadfast love" or "unfailing love." The term implies certainty, mercy, and a sense of promise. David recognizes the Lord's love as stable and faithful. Rather than being afraid for his life, David chooses to rely on his faith in God (Psalm 63:1–2). These words were written while David fled from a rebellion (2 Samuel 15:13–14) yet David still prioritized worshipping the Lord.

Life without God's love is empty. It may overflow with material possessions, but they cannot bring joy to the soul. God made a visible example of His love to sinners by giving His Son as the perfect sacrifice for sin. Paul writes: "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). The apostle John writes: "See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are" (1 John 3:1). He also says, "By this we know love, that [Jesus] laid down his life for us" (1 John 3:16). Soon after, he offers proof of God's great love by declaring that "God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him" (1 John 4:9).

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.