David's thirst for God, 1-3. His manner of blessing God, 4-8. His confidence of his enemies' destruction and of his own safety, 9-11.
1 [A Psalm of David: when he was in the wilderness of Judah.]
O God, you are my God./
Early I will seek you./
My soul thirsts for you./
My flesh longs for you/
in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
2 Thus I have seen you in the sanctuary,/
seeing your power and your glory.
3 Because your loving-kindness is better than life,/
my lips shall praise you.
4 Thus I will bless you while I live./
I will lift up my hands in your name.
5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness,/
and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,
6 When I remember you upon my bed/
and meditate on you in the night watches.
7 Because you have been my help,/
therefore in the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
8 My soul follows hard after you./
Your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek my soul to destroy it/
shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
10 They shall fall by the sword./
They shall be a portion for foxes.
11 But the king shall rejoice in God./
Everyone who swears by him shall glory./
But the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
Matthew Henry Commentary - Psalms, Chapter 63[➚]
John Calvin's Chapter Summary:
The following psalm cannot so properly be said to consist of prayers as of a variety of pious meditations, which comforted the mind of David under dangers, anxieties, and troubles of a severe description. It contains the vows too which he made to God in the distress occasioned by the alarming circumstances in which he was placed.