Psalms Chapter 63

“O God, thou [art] my God, etc.] Not by nature only, or by birth; not merely as an Israelite and son of Abraham; but by grace through Christ, and in virtue of an everlasting covenant, the blessings and promises of which were applied unto him; and he, by faith, could now claim his interest in them, and in his God as his covenant God; who is a God at hand and afar off, was his God in the wilderness of Judea, as in his palace at Jerusalem. The Targum is, “thou art my strength;” early will I seek thee; or “I will morning thee” f834; I will seek thee as soon as the morning appears; and so the Targum, “I will arise in…”

“The historical occasion referred to by the title was probably during Absalom's rebellion (compare Sa2 15:23, Sa2 15:28; Sa2 16:2). David expresses an earnest desire for God's favor, and a confident expectation of realizing it in his deliverance and the ruin of his enemies. (Psa 63:1-11) early . . . seek thee--earnestly (Isa 26:9). The figurative terms-- dry and thirsty--literally, "weary," denoting moral destitution, suited his outward circumstances. soul--and--flesh--the whole man (Psa 16:9-10).”

“O God, thou art 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 which is usually employed to designate God Genesis 1:1; the second - אל 'Êl - is a word which is very often applied to God with the idea of strength - a strong, a mighty One; and there is probably this underlying idea 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…”

“Early - Heb. in the morning, Which implies the doing it with diligence and speed. Thirsteth - For the enjoyment of thee in thy house and ordinances. Flesh - The desire of my soul, is so vehement, that my very body feels the effects of it. No water - In a land where I want the refreshing waters of the sanctuary. Psalms 63:2”

“Ps 63 The king longs for God’s presence so vividly that he eats, drinks, and sees God’s goodness. Though worn out and harassed by the wicked, the king sees God, and this animates him with praise. God becomes his life (63:3), while the wicked perish (63:9). 63:1 Together, soul and whole body refer to a person’s entire being. • parched and weary land: When David was living in the desert, he also found himself in a spiritual wasteland, separated from God’s people and the sanctuary.”

“thou: Psa 31:14, Psa 42:11, Psa 91:2, Psa 118:28, Psa 143:10; Exo 15:2; Jer 31:1, Jer 31:33; Zac 13:9; Joh 20:17 early: Psa 5:3, Psa 78:34; Job 8:5; Pro 1:27, Pro 1:28, Pro 8:17; Sol 3:1-3; Hos 5:15; Mat 6:33 soul: Psa 42:1, Psa 42:2, Psa 84:2, Psa 119:81, Psa 143:6; Joh 7:37; Rev 7:16, Rev 7:17 flesh: Psa 102:3-5; Sol 5:8 dry and thirsty land, where no water is: Heb. weary land without water, Exo 17:3; Isa 32:2, Isa 35:7, Isa 41:18; Mat 12:43 Psalms 63:2”

“If the words in Psa 63:2 were אלהים אתּה אשׁחרך, then we would render it, with Bצttcher, after Gen 49:8 : Elohim, Thee do I seek, even Thee! But אלי forbids this construction; and the assertion that otherwise it ought to be, "Jahve, my God art Thou" ( Psa 140:7), rests upon a non-recognition of the Elohimic style. Elohim alone by itself is a vocative, and accordingly has Mehupach legarme. The verb שׁחר signifies earnest, importunate seeking and inquiring (e.g., Psa 78:34), and in itself has nothing to do with שׁחר, the dawn; but since Psa 63:7 looks back upon the night, it appears to be chosen with reference to…”