Psalm 63:1
New International Version
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.

New Living Translation
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.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.

King James Bible
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;

New King James Version
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.

New American Standard Bible
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. 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.

NASB 1995
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

NASB 1977
O God, Thou art my God; I shall seek Thee earnestly; My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Legacy Standard Bible
A Psalm of David. When he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land without water.

Amplified Bible
A Psalm of David; when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God; with deepest longing I will seek You; My soul [my life, my very self] thirsts for You, my flesh longs and sighs for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Christian Standard Bible
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.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
A Davidic psalm. 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.

American Standard Version
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, thou art my God; earnestly will I seek thee: My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, In a dry and weary land, where no water is.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
My God, you are my God, and I shall wait for you; my soul is thirsty for you, and my flesh looks for you like thirsty and troubled land that seeks water

Brenton Septuagint Translation
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Idumea. O God, my God, I cry to thee early; my soul has thirsted for thee: how often has my flesh longed after thee, in a barren and trackless and dry land!

Contemporary English Version
You are my God. I worship you. In my heart, I long for you, as I would long for a stream in a scorching desert.

Douay-Rheims Bible
A psalm of David when he was in the desert of Edom. O God, my God, to thee do I watch at break of day. For thee my soul hath thirsted; for thee my flesh, O how many ways!

English Revised Version
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 weary land, where no water is.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[A psalm by David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.] O God, you are my God. At dawn I search for you. My soul thirsts for you. My body longs for you in a dry, parched land where there is no water.

Good News Translation
O God, you are my God, and I long for you. My whole being desires you; like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for you.

International Standard Version
God, you are my God! I will fervently seek you. My soul thirsts for you; my flesh longs for you in a dry, weary, and parched land.

JPS Tanakh 1917
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, Thou art my God, earnestly will I seek Thee; My soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee, In a dry and weary land, where no water is.

Literal Standard Version
A PSALM OF DAVID, IN HIS BEING IN THE WILDERNESS OF JUDAH. O God, You [are] my God, earnestly I seek You, | My soul has thirsted for You, | My flesh has longed for You, | In a dry and weary land, without waters.

Majority Standard Bible
A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water.

New American Bible
A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. [2] O God, you are my God— it is you I seek! For you my body yearns; for you my soul thirsts, In a land parched, lifeless, and without water.

NET Bible
A psalm of David, written when he was in the Judean wilderness. O God, you are my God! I long for you! My soul thirsts for you, my flesh yearns for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.

New Revised Standard Version
O God, you are my God, 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.

New Heart English Bible
[A Psalm by David, when he was in the desert of Judah.] God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.

Webster's Bible Translation
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;

World English Bible
A Psalm by David, when he was in the desert of Judah. God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water.

Young's Literal Translation
A Psalm of David, in his being in the wilderness of Judah. O God, Thou art my God, earnestly do I seek Thee, Thirsted for Thee hath my soul, Longed for Thee hath my flesh, In a land dry and weary, without waters.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Thirsting for God
1A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah. O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You. My body yearns for You in a dry and weary land without water. 2So I have seen You in the sanctuary and beheld Your power and glory.…

Cross References
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

1 Samuel 22:5
Then the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah." So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

Psalm 31:9
Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes fail from sorrow, my soul and body as well.

Psalm 42:2
My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear in God's presence?

Psalm 78:34
When He slew them, they would seek Him; they repented and searched for God.

Psalm 84:2
My soul longs, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.

Psalm 118:28
You are my God, and I will give You thanks. You are my God, and I will exalt You.


Treasury of Scripture

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 no water is;

A.

1 Samuel 22:5
And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.

1 Samuel 23:14-16,23-25
And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand…

1 Samuel 26:1-3
And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? …

thou

Psalm 31:14
But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.

Psalm 42:11
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 91:2
I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

early

Psalm 5:3
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

Psalm 78:34
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and inquired early after God.

Job 8:5
If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;

soul

Psalm 42:1,2
To the chief Musician, Maschil, for the sons of Korah. As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God…

Psalm 84:2
My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

Psalm 119:81
CAPH. My soul fainteth for thy salvation: but I hope in thy word.

flesh

Psalm 102:3-5
For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth…

Song of Solomon 5:8
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

Exodus 17:3
And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?

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Burning David Desert Desire Dry Early Earnestly Faints Flesh Judah Longs Need Psalm Seek Soul Thirsted Thirsteth Thirsts Thirsty Waste Wasted Water Weary Wilderness Yearns
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Burning David Desert Desire Dry Early Earnestly Faints Flesh Judah Longs Need Psalm Seek Soul Thirsted Thirsteth Thirsts Thirsty Waste Wasted Water Weary Wilderness Yearns
Psalm 63
1. David's thirst for God
4. His manner of blessing God
9. His confidence of his enemies' destruction, and his own safety














(1) Early will I seek thee.--LXX. and Vulgate, "to thee I wake early," i.e., my waking thoughts are toward thee, and this was certainly in the Hebrew, since the verb here used has for its cognate noun the dawn. The expectancy which even in inanimate nature seems to await the first streak of morning is itself enough to show the connection of thought. (Comp. the use of the same verb in Song of Solomon 7:12; and comp. Luke 21:28, New Testament Commentary.)

Soul . . . flesh.--Or, as we say, body and soul. (Comp. Psalm 84:2, "my heart and my flesh.")

Longeth.--Heb., khamah, a word only occurring here, but explained as cognate with an Arabic root meaning to be black as with hunger and faintness.

In.--Rather, as. (Comp. Psalm 143:6.) This is the rendering of one of the Greek versions quoted by Origen, and Symmachus has "as in," &c . . .

Verse 1. - O God, thou art my God; or, my strong God (Eli) - my Tower of strength. Early will I seek thee. The song was, perhaps, composed in the night watches, and poured forth at early dawn, when the king woke "refreshed" (comp. vers. 5, 6; and 2 Samuel 16:14). My soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee; or, pineth for thee (the verb occurs only in this place). Soul and body equally long for God, and especially desire to worship him in the sanctuary (ver. 2). In a dry and thirsty (or, weary) land, where no water is. This is figurative, no doubt; but it may also contain an allusion to the literal fact (2 Samuel 16:2; 2 Samuel 17:29).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
A Psalm
מִזְמ֥וֹר (miz·mō·wr)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4210: Instrumental music, a poem set to notes

of David,
לְדָוִ֑ד (lə·ḏā·wiḏ)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

when he was
בִּ֝הְיוֹת֗וֹ (bih·yō·w·ṯōw)
Preposition-b | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

in the Wilderness
בְּמִדְבַּ֥ר (bə·miḏ·bar)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4057: A pasture, a desert, speech

of Judah.
יְהוּדָֽה׃ (yə·hū·ḏāh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3063: Judah -- 'praised', a son of Jacob, also the southern kingdom, also four Israelites

O God,
אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

You are my God,
אֵלִ֥י (’ê·lî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 410: Strength -- as adjective, mighty, the Almighty

earnestly I seek
אֲ‍ֽשַׁחֲ֫רֶ֥ךָּ (’ăša·ḥă·re·kā)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7836: To dawn, be, early at any task, to search for

You;
אַתָּ֗ה (’at·tāh)
Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

my
לְךָ֨ ׀ (lə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

soul
נַפְשִׁ֗י (nap̄·šî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

thirsts for You;
צָמְאָ֬ה (ṣā·mə·’āh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 6770: To be thirsty

my
לְךָ֣ (lə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

body
בְשָׂרִ֑י (ḇə·śā·rî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1320: Flesh, body, person, the pudenda of a, man

yearns for You
כָּמַ֣הּ (kā·mah)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3642: To pine after

in a dry
צִיָּ֖ה (ṣî·yāh)
Adjective - feminine singular
Strong's 6723: Aridity, a desert

and weary
וְעָיֵ֣ף (wə·‘ā·yêp̄)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 5889: Faint, weary

land
בְּאֶֽרֶץ־ (bə·’e·reṣ-)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

without
בְּלִי־ (bə·lî-)
Adverb
Strong's 1097: Failure, nothing, destruction, without, not yet, because not, as long as

water.
מָֽיִם׃ (mā·yim)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen


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OT Poetry: Psalm 63:1 A Psalm by David when he was (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 62:12
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