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Psalm 63 Bible study: My soul thirsts for you
The soul that thirsts "in a dry and weary land" (63:1) is the soul that "shall be satisfied as with the richest food" (63:5): nafshi both times. And "better than life" (63:3) and "while I live" (63:4) are one Hebrew word: God's loving kindness is better than life, and the psalmist says he will bless him all through it.
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“Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.”
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“Psalm 63 says the psalmist's soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food.”
Is that in Psalm 63, or not? Make your call.
What's really going on
A thirst, in a dry and weary land
The title reads, "A Psalm by David, when he was in the desert of Judah" (63:1). Then the psalm speaks to God: "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" (63:1). Three verbs, one after another. Earnestly seek is one Hebrew word, ashacharekka, from a verb Brown-Driver-Briggs gives as "look early, diligently for" (tap seek). Thirsts is the verb Psalm 42 has in "My soul thirsts for God" (Psalm 42:2); in the Psalms it comes in those two verses only, both times with my soul (tap thirsts). And longs is a verb the Hebrew Bible uses once, here (tap longs). The soul thirsts and the flesh longs, and both are "for you" (63:1): the psalm doesn't say it thirsts for water.
Honest questions
Questions people ask about Psalm 63
That was a taste
The rest of Psalm 63 is waiting in Favor
- Better than life, praised all through it
- The same soul: thirsty, satisfied, close
- Psalm 143, beside Psalm 63
- The shadow of your wings, in four psalms
- The same thirst as Psalm 42, and Jesus' words
- 6 questions as you read
- 14 more Hebrew words
- A short check at the end
- Your notes, saved as you go
Favor reads the Bible in order, so you'll reach Psalm 63 with everything before it in view. First week free, then $10 a month per person.
The Hebrew word behind it
כָּמַהּkamahsay ka-MAH
Brown-Driver-Briggs: "faint, only fig.". Strong's: "to pine after". "My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water" (63:1). The Hebrew Bible has this verb once, here. It stands beside the verb for thirsts in the line before, "My soul thirsts for you" (63:1): the soul thirsts, the flesh longs. Psalm 84's "My soul longs" (Psalm 84:2) is another verb.
For your group
Psalm 63 Bible study questions
- 1"God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you" (63:1). What does seeking God look like in an ordinary week for you, and when is it hardest?
- 2"Your loving kindness is better than life" (63:3). What would it look like for you to say that and mean it?
- 3The psalmist remembers God "on my bed" and thinks about him "in the night watches" (63:6). What fills your mind when you can't sleep, and what would help you turn it toward God?
Leading a group? In Favor, everyone reads Psalm 63 during the week and answers these questions privately. Answers stay sealed until you meet, then appear together, and you can print the week's sheet.
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Questions
What is Favor?
Favor is a Bible study app that explains every chapter as you read: the Hebrew and Greek behind the words, the details most readers miss, and how each part of the Bible leads to Jesus. Read on your own, or start a Bible study with friends, family or your church.
How much does it cost?
Your first week is free. After that it's $10 a month per person, the same for everyone, including groups and churches. There are no tiers and nothing extra to unlock.
Can I read Psalm 63 straight away?
Favor takes the Bible as one story, in order, so you'll reach Psalm 63 with everything that leads up to it in view. Start from Genesis, or meet Jesus first in the Gospels. You can read the text of any chapter in Favor's Look up whenever you like.
Do I need a group?
No. Many people read on their own. If you'd like to read with others, start a Bible study and share one link. Everyone's answers stay private until you meet.
I've never really read the Bible. Is this for me?
Yes. Favor starts where you are and explains as it goes. The questions along the way aren't marked right or wrong: you answer, then see what the text shows.
Which Bible does Favor use?
The World English Bible, a modern, readable translation in the public domain. God's name appears as "the LORD", as in most English Bibles.
Is Favor tied to a church?
No. Favor is non-denominational. Where Christians read a passage differently, it shows the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Hebrew and Greek words are checked against the original-language texts and public-domain lexicons. What we believe · Favor home