Psalms 63:1
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;
Study Note
Study Note
David's opening cry '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' makes the desert geography of the superscription a symbol of spiritual longing rather than mere circumstantial complaint. The possessive 'my God' ('eli attah') is the fundamental covenantal declaration — the appropriation of the divine relationship as personal — while 'early will I seek' (shahar) connotes dawn-seeking, the devotion that begins before the day makes its demands. Augustine's 'our heart is restless until it repose in Thee' is the Western theological tradition's most famous commentary on this psalm's thirst metaphor. John 4:14 ('the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life') and Revelation 21:6 ('I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely') provide the christological resolution to this Davidic thirst.
Other Translations
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.
A Psalm of David, in his being in the wilderness of Judah. O God, Thou <FI>art<Fi> 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.
O God, you are my God; early will I make my search for you: my soul is dry for need of you, my flesh is wasted with desire for you, as a dry and burning land where no water is;
Cross References
And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou …
The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will …
And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the …
And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which …
Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, …
See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me …
And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And …
And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of …
If thou wouldest seek unto God betimes, and make thy supplication to the Almighty;