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Selected Verse: Psalms 63:3 - King James
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| Ps 63:3 |
King James |
Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
| Experiencing God's mercy, which exceeds all the blessings of life, his lips will be opened for his praise (Psa 51:15). |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Because thy loving-kindness is better than life - Thy favor; thy mercy. This is of more value than life; more to be desired than life. Life is the most valued and valuable thing pertaining to this world which we can possess. See the notes at Job 2:4. But, above this, David valued the favor and friendship of God. If one or the other was to be sacrificed, he preferred that it should be his life; he would be willing to exchange that for the favor of God. Life was not desirable, life furnished no comforts - no joys - without the divine favor.
"My life itself, without Thy love,
No taste of pleasure could afford;
'Twould but a tiresome burden prove,
If I were banished from the Lord."
My lips shall praise thee - That is either
(a) because of this loving-kindness; because I have this trust in thy character; or
(b) because thou wilt restore me to the place of public worship, and I shall be permitted again to praise thee.
Probably the latter is the true idea. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Thy loving-kindness is better than life - This is the language of every regenerate soul. But O how few prefer the approbation of God to the blessings of life, or even to life itself in any circumstances! But the psalmist says, Thy loving-kindness, חסדך chasdecha, thy effusive mercy, is better מחיים mechaiyim, than Lives: it is better than, or good beyond, countless ages of human existence.
My lips shall praise thee - Men praise, or speak well, of power, glory, honor, riches, worldly prospects and pleasures; but the truly religious speak well of God, in whom they find infinitely more satisfaction and happiness than worldly men can find in the possession of all earthly good. |
15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.