Because Your loving devotion is better than life
This phrase emphasizes the supreme value of God's steadfast love, often translated as "lovingkindness" or "chesed" in Hebrew. This concept is central to the covenant relationship between God and His people, reflecting His unwavering commitment and mercy. In the biblical context, life is the most precious gift, yet the psalmist declares God's love surpasses even this. This echoes sentiments found in other scriptures, such as Psalm 36:7 and Lamentations 3:22-23, where God's love is portrayed as unfailing and life-sustaining. The psalmist, traditionally identified as David, likely wrote this during a time of distress, possibly while fleeing from Absalom, highlighting the depth of his reliance on God's love over his own life.

my lips will glorify You
In response to experiencing God's loving devotion, the psalmist commits to glorifying God with his speech. This reflects a common biblical theme where acknowledgment of God's attributes leads to praise and worship, as seen in Psalm 34:1 and Hebrews 13:15. The act of glorifying God with one's lips signifies a public declaration of His greatness, aligning with the cultural practice of oral tradition and communal worship in ancient Israel. This phrase also points to the transformative power of God's love, compelling believers to express gratitude and reverence, which is a type of Christ's own glorification of the Father, as seen in John 17:1.

1. David
The author of Psalm 63, traditionally believed to be King David, who wrote this psalm while in the wilderness of Judah. This context reflects a time of personal trial and reliance on God.

2. Wilderness of Judah
A barren and desolate region where David sought refuge, symbolizing a place of both physical and spiritual testing.

3. God's Loving Devotion (Chesed)
The Hebrew word "chesed" is often translated as "loving devotion" or "steadfast love," emphasizing God's covenantal faithfulness and mercy.The Supremacy of God's Love
God's loving devotion is described as "better than life," indicating its supreme value and importance over all earthly experiences and possessions.

Response of Praise
Recognizing the greatness of God's love should naturally lead to a response of praise and glorification, as David's lips glorify God.

Endurance in Trials
In times of wilderness or trial, focusing on God's steadfast love provides strength and hope, reminding believers of His unchanging nature.

Covenantal Relationship
Understanding "chesed" as covenantal love encourages believers to trust in God's promises and faithfulness, even when circumstances are challenging.(3) Because.--Such a sense of the blessedness of Divine favour--here in its peculiar sense of covenant favour--that it is better than life itself, calls for gratitude displayed all through life. "Love is the ever-springing fountain" from which all goodness proceeds, and a sense of it is even more than the happy sense of being alive. The following lines convey in a modern dress the feeling of this part of the psalm:--

"So gazing up in my youth at love,

As seen through power, ever above

All modes which make it manifest,

My soul brought all to a single test--

That He, the Eternal, First and Last,

Who in His power had so surpassed

All man conceives of what is might,

Whose wisdom too showed infinite--

Would prove as infinitely good."

R. BROWNING: Christmas Eve.

Thus--i.e., in the spirit in which he now speaks. For the attitude of the uplifted hands, see Note, Psalm 28:2. . . .

Verse 3. - Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. The complete resignation of the psalmist, his sense of God's "loving kindness," and his desire to "praise," not to complain, are, under the circumstances, most wonderful, most admirable, and furnish a pattern to the Church in all ages.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Because
כִּי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

Your loving devotion
חַ֭סְדְּךָ (ḥas·də·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 2617: Kindness, piety, reproof, beauty

is better
ט֣וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

than life,
מֵֽחַיִּ֗ים (mê·ḥay·yîm)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

my lips
שְׂפָתַ֥י (śə·p̄ā·ṯay)
Noun - fdc | first person common singular
Strong's 8193: The lip, language, a margin

will glorify You.
יְשַׁבְּחֽוּנְךָ׃ (yə·šab·bə·ḥū·nə·ḵā)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | second person masculine singular, Paragogic nun
Strong's 7623: To address in a, loud tone, loud, to pacify


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OT Poetry: Psalm 63:3 Because your loving kindness is better than (Psalm Ps Psa.)