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Psalms 63:11

in Psalms 63

But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by Him will exult, for the mouths of liars will be shut.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

But the king shall rejoice in God: Every one that sweareth by him shall glory; For the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

KJV

But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by him shall glory: but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

This verse in Psalms 63

Commentary

9 notes on this verse

A commentator

Charles Spurgeon

1834–1892

The Treasury of David, Vol. 3 (1872)

But the king shall rejoice in God. Usurpers shall fade, but he shall flourish; and his prosperity shall be publicly acknowledged as the gift of God. The Lord's anointed shall not fail to offer his joyful thanksgiving: his well established throne shall own the superior lordship of the King of kings; his rejoicing shall be alone in God. When his subjects sing, "Io triumphe, " he will bid them chant, "Te Deum." Every one that sweareth by him shall glory. His faithful followers shall have occasion for triumph; they shall never need to blush for the oath of their allegiance.

This site's exposition

the king will rejoice in God

The psalm ends on the king rejoicing in God. Everyone who swears by Him will exult, and the mouths of liars will be shut. Delitzsch reads those who swear by Him as the people who confess Him as God.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

The king - I who am already anointed king. Everyone - That sweareth by the name of God, in truth, and judgment, and righteousness. Every sincere servant and worshipper of God.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

13 ), and then it means all good people, that make a sincere and open profession of God's name; they shall glory in God; they shall glory in David's advancement. Those that fear thee will be glad when they see me. Those that heartily espouse the cause of Christ shall glory in its victory at last.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens

But the king shall rejoice in God,.... Not Saul, as R.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

the king--that is, David himself, and all who reverence God, "shall share a glorious part," while treacherous foes shall be for ever silenced (Ps 62:4).

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

A commentator

Charles Spurgeon

1834–1892

The Treasury of David, Vol. 3 (1872)

proposed

But the king shall rejoice in God. Usurpers shall fade, but he shall flourish; and his prosperity shall be publicly acknowledged as the gift of God. The Lord's anointed shall not fail to offer his joyful thanksgiving: his well established throne shall own the superior lordship of the King of kings; his rejoicing shall be alone in God. When his subjects sing, "Io triumphe, " he will bid them chant, "Te Deum." Every one that sweareth by him shall glory. His faithful followers shall have occasion for triumph; they shall never need to blush for the oath of their allegiance. Or, "swearing by him, " may signify adherence to God, and worship paid to him. The heathen swore by their gods, and the Israelite called Jehovah to witness to his asseveration; those, therefore, who owned the Lord as their God should have reason to glory when he proved himself the defender of the king's righteous cause, and the destroyer of traitors. But the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped. And the sooner the better. If shame will not do it, nor fear, nor reason, then let them be stopped with the sexton's shovelful of earth; for a liar is a human devil, he is the curse of men, and accursed of God, who has comprehensively said, "all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone." See the difference between the mouth that praises God, and the mouth that forges lies: the first shall never be stopped, but shall sing on for ever; the second shall be made speechless at the bar of God. O Lord, we seek thee and thy truth; deliver us from all malice and slander, and reveal to us thine own self, for Jesus' sake. Amen.
2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

But the king shall rejoice - David shall come to the kingdom according to the promise of God. Or, if it refer to the captivity, the blood royal shall be preserved in and by Zerubbabel till the Messiah come, who shall be David’s spiritual successor in the kingdom for ever. That sweareth by him - It was customary to swear by the life of the king. The Egyptians swore by the life of Pharaoh; and Joseph conforms to this custom, as may be seen in the book of Genesis, Gen 42:15, Gen 42:16. See also 1Sa 1:26: 1Sa 17:55, and Judith 11:7. But here it may refer to God. He is The King, and swearing by his name signifies binding themselves by his authority, acknowledging his supremacy, and devoting themselves to his glory and service alone. The Chaldee has: “And the King shall rejoice במימר אלהא bemeymar Eloha, in the Word of God;” or, in the Word God; Meymar, Word, being taken here substantially, as in many other places, by the Targumist. The mouth of them that speak lies - The mouth of those who acknowledge lying vanities, that worship false gods, shall be stopped. All false religions shall be destroyed by the prevalence of the truth. For he, Christ, shall reign till all his enemies are put under his feet. “Thy kingdom come, and hell’s o’erpower: and to thy scepter all subdue.” Amen and Amen.
But the king shall rejoice in God - This passage, as was remarked in the Introduction to the psalm, shows that this psalm could not have been composed in the time of Saul, since the title king was not then given to David. The use of the term here in the third person does not prove that the psalm could not have been written by David himself, for he may have spoken of himself simply as “the king,” and all the more forcibly and properly as he was driven unjustly from his throne, and was now an exile, yet was still a king - the king. The title was his; the throne belonged to him, and not to Absalom who had driven him from it. It was not improper to allude to this fact in the manner in which it is referred to here, and to say that “the king” - the true, the real king - himself - should and would rejoice in God. He would find God to be his helper; and by God he would yet be restored to his throne. Every one that sweareth by him shall glory - Everyone that sweareth to him, or maintains his oath of allegiance to him, shall be honored. But the mouth of them that speak lies - All who have sworn falsely; all who have professed allegiance and have proved unfaithful; all those who, contrary to their oaths and their obligations, have been found in the rebellion. They shall not be permitted to exult or rejoice, but they shall be confounded and silenced. This expresses, therefore, the fullest confidence in God; the absolute belief of David that he would be again placed on his throne, and again permitted “to see the power and glory of God as” he had “seen it in the sanctuary” Psa 63:2; the belief that he would be restored to prosperity, and that his enemies would be humbled and destroyed - So it will be with all who put their trust in God. There is certain joy and triumph for them, if not in this world, at least in the world to come.

How the passage was read

What the Jewish commentators add

May he be dragged by the sword May enemies come upon my pursuers and drag each one of them with a sword, killing him. This is an elliptical verse, since it does not explain who will drag him.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Psalms 63:11:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And may the king rejoice He says this about himself because he had already been anointed.
Rashi: France, 1040–1105 · Rashi on Psalms 63:12:1, via Sefaria, The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg

This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.

Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.

The words behind it

12 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וְהַמֶּלֶךְ֮and the king

    vehamelekhH4428 →2525 times

  • יִשְׂמַ֪חhe will rejoice

    yismachH8055 →155 times

  • בֵּאלֹ֫הִ֥יםin God

    belohimH430 →2601 times

  • יִ֭תְהַלֵּלhe will boast

    yithalelH1984 →165 times

  • כָּל־every

    kol-H3605 →5413 times

  • הַנִּשְׁבָּ֣ע<the> [one who] swears an oath

    hanishba'H7650 →186 times

  • בּ֑וֹby him

    bo

  • כִּ֥יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • יִ֝סָּכֵ֗רit will be shut up

    yisakherH5534 →

  • פִּ֣י[the] mouth of

    piH6310 →498 times

  • דֽוֹבְרֵי־[those who] speak

    dovrei-H1696 →1141 times

  • שָֽׁקֶר׃<of> falsehood

    shakerH8267 →113 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Isaiah 45:23

    By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.

    it leads to

    • Philippians 2:10

      that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

    • Romans 14:10–12

      Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

    • Isaiah 55:11

      so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.

  • Through

    Romans 3:19

    Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

    it leads to

    • Galatians 3:10

      All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

    • Galatians 3:22–23

      But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.

  • Through

    Psalms 21:1

    O LORD, the king rejoices in Your strength. How greatly he exults in Your salvation!

    it leads to

    • Psalms 28:7

      The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I give thanks to Him with my song.

    • Matthew 2:2

      asking, “Where is the One who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

    • Psalms 62:7

      My salvation and my honor rest on God, my strong rock; my refuge is in God.

Where this verse is studied

About Psalms

Sower with Setting Sun. Vincent van Gogh, mid July 1888. Sotheby's, New York, 18 November 2025, lot 4. Public domain.
Sower with Setting Sun. Vincent van Gogh, mid July 1888. Sotheby's, New York, 18 November 2025, lot 4. Public domain.
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.