Psalms 63:1–3

In its context

Its words in the original

• מִזְמוֹרmizmor· psalm

  Psalm: a song sung with instruments. It is the title of many of the poems in the book of Psalms.

• דָוִדdavid· David

  David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."

• הְיוֹתheot· be, become, happen

  Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".

• מִדְבַּרmidbar· wilderness

  Wilderness: in the Bible it is not only sand; it is dry, untilled land, where flocks can be led but people cannot live by sowing.

• יְהוּדָהyehuda· Judah

  Judah, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah; also the tribe that came from him and its land, and later the southern kingdom; King David came from it. The name sounds like "give thanks". Borne also by other Israelites.

• אֱלֹהִיםelohim· Elohim, God, gods

  The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.

• אֵלִeli· El, God, god

  "El", an ancient Hebrew word for "God". Alone or with another title it is a name of the God of Israel: El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty). Neighboring peoples used the same word for their gods; then this translation writes "god" in lower case. It also means "mighty".

• אֲשַׁחֲרֶashachare· seek early, seek diligently

  To seek earnestly, from early on. It comes from the word "dawn": to rise early to look for something.

• צָמְאָהtsama· be thirsty

  Be thirsty.

• נַפְשִׁnafshi· soul, living being, life

  A breathing being, a living being. It is translated "living being" (people and animals), "life" (when living or dying is at stake), "person" (in counts and laws), "soul" (the person at the innermost: desires, joy, anguish) or "myself". In the Old Testament it names the whole living being, not only a part of it.

• כָּמַהּkamah· long, faint with longing

  To yearn, to faint with longing for something. It appears only once in the Bible.

• בְשָׂרִvesari· flesh

  Flesh: the body, and the person as weak and mortal. "One flesh" is the union of husband and wife; "my flesh" can mean "my family". "All flesh" is every living being. In the Old Testament it does not mean something bad in itself.

• אֶרֶץerets· earth, land

  The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").

• צִיָּהtsiya· drought, dry land

  Dryness; dry land, desert.

• עָיֵףayef· weary, exhausted

  Weary, exhausted, faint; also thirsty, dry.

• בְּלִיbeli· without; not

  Without; not; nothing.

• מָיִםmayim· water

  Water. In Hebrew it is always plural ("waters").

• קֹּדֶשׁkodesh· holiness, holy place

  Holiness: what is set apart for God. Also a holy place or a holy thing; "the holy of holies" is the most holy place.

• חֲזִיתִיchaziti· see, look

  See, look closely; used above all for what a prophet sees in a vision. Also look for and choose (Exodus 18:21).

• רְאוֹתreot· see

  See. Also look, observe, notice, consider; in some forms, "appear" or "show".

• עֻזְּuz· strength, might

  Strength, power.

• כְבוֹדֶchevode· glory, honor

  Weight, importance; from there glory, honor, splendor. Sometimes wealth: what makes someone "weigh".

• טוֹבtov· good

  Good in the widest sense: pleasant, beautiful, useful, right, of good quality. As a noun, "good", "good things", "well-being".

• חַסְדְּchasd· loyal love

  "Chesed": love that stays faithful to a commitment. It is kindness that does not remain a feeling: it acts in favor of the other and does not abandon him. The Bible says it above all of God's love for his people.

• חַיִּיםchayim· living, animal, life

  Living, alive; also fresh (of water). As a noun, "living thing" or "animal" (above all wild animals); in the plural, "life".

• שְׂפָתַsefata· lip, language, edge

  Lip. From there, the way of speaking: speech or language. Also the shore or edge of something.

• יְשַׁבְּחוּyeshabchu· praise, still

  To praise, to celebrate: to speak with praise of someone or something; in other passages, to calm, to quiet.