Psalms 63:8
in Psalms 63My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
My soul followeth hard after thee: Thy right hand upholdeth me.
KJV
My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.
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This verse in Psalms 63
Commentary
10 notes on this verseFor the Lord rejoices in the right. "The delights at your right hand forever." At the left are passing riches, glories and consolations. We must indeed adhere to the right. As the Psalm says, "Your right hand upholds me," Lord. Hence the rewards dispose towards …
This site's exposition
remember You on my bed
on Psalms 63:6-8
Verse 6 puts the remembering in the watches of the night, the hours the psalm's dry land leaves empty. Verse 7 gives the ground of the singing, You are my help. Verse 8 sets two grips together, a soul that clings and a right hand that upholds.
This site's exposition
My soul clings to You
Albert Barnes explains the verb for cling as to be glued, the soul holding to God as two pieces of wood hold together. God's right hand upholds him in turn.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Pure prayer such as is worthy of God, O disciple of God, is not uttered by means of compound words. Prayer that is worthy of God consists in this: that one gather in one's mind from the entire world and not let it be secretly …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
My soul followeth hard after thee,.... In a way of duty, and in the use of means; as prayer, meditation, &c. though at a distance from the house of God, and worship of it; that he might not lose sight of him; that he might know more of him, and have more communion with him; being drawn after him with the cords of love, and strongly affected to him.
To press hard after God is to follow him closely, as those that are afraid of losing the sight of him, and to follow him swiftly, as those that long to be with him. This David did, and he owns, to the glory of God, Thy right hand upholds me. God upheld him, (1.) Under his afflictions, that he might not sink under them.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
My soul followeth hard after thee, or is glued to thee. We follow close at the Lord's heels, because we are one with him. Who shall divide us from his love? If we cannot walk with him with equal footsteps, we will at least follow after with all the strength he lends us, earnestly panting to reach him and abide in his fellowship. When professors follow hard after the world, they will fall into the ditch; but none are ever too eager after communion with the Lord. Thy right hand upholdeth me.
My soul followeth hard after thee, or is glued to thee. We follow close at the Lord's heels, because we are one with him. Who shall divide us from his love? If we cannot walk with him with equal footsteps, we will at least follow after with all the strength he lends us, earnestly panting to reach him and abide in his fellowship. When professors follow hard after the world, they will fall into the ditch; but none are ever too eager after communion with the Lord. Thy right hand upholdeth me. Else he would not have followed the Lord with constancy, or even have longed after him. The divine power, which has so often been dwelt upon in this and the preceding Psalms, is here mentioned as the source of man's attachment to God. How strong are we when the Lord works in us by his own right hand, and how utterly helpless if he withhold his aid!
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
My soul followeth hard after thee - דבקה נפשי אחריך dabekah naphshi achareycha, “My soul cleaves (or) is glued after thee.” This phrase not only shows the diligence of the pursuit, and the nearness of the attainment, but also the fast hold he had got of the mercy of his God.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
My soul followeth hard after thee - The word used here - דבק dâbaq - means properly to cleave to; to adhere; to be glued to; to stick fast. Then it means to attach oneself to anything; and then, to pursue or follow after. The idea here is that of adhering to, or cleaving to; and the meaning is, that the psalmist adhered firmly to God, as pieces of wood glued together adhere to each other; that he, as it were, stuck fast to him; that he would not leave him or be separated from him. The language represents the feelings of true piety in adhering firmly and constantly to God, whatever there may be that tends to separate us from him. The adhesion of bodies by glue is a striking but not an adequate representation of the firmness with which the soul adheres to God. Portions of matter held together by glue may be separated; the soul of the true believer never can be separated from God. Thy right hand upholdeth me - The right hand is that by which we accomplish anything; and, by constant use, is stronger than the left hand. Hence, the expression is equivalent to saying that God upheld him with all his strength. The meaning is, that God sustained him in life; defended him in danger; kept him from the power of his enemies.
The words behind it
6 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| דָּבְקָ֣ה | davekah | it clings | H1692 → | 54 times |
| נַפְשִׁ֣י | nafshi | self my | H5315 → | 754 times |
| אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ | ʾachareikha | after you | H310 → | 715 times |
| בִּ֝֗י | bi | <in> <the> me | ||
| תָּמְכָ֥ה | tamekhah | it supports | H8551 → | 21 times |
| יְמִינֶֽךָ׃ | yeminekha | right [hand] your | H3225 → | 140 times |
דָּבְקָ֣הit clings
davekahH1692 →54 times
נַפְשִׁ֣יself my
nafshiH5315 →754 times
אַחֲרֶ֑יךָafter you
ʾachareikhaH310 →715 times
בִּ֝֗י<in> <the> me
bi
תָּמְכָ֥הit supports
tamekhahH8551 →21 times
יְמִינֶֽךָ׃right [hand] your
yeminekhaH3225 →140 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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 41:10Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand…
it leads to
- Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
- Isaiah 43:1–2
Now this is what the LORD says— He who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your…
- Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- Deuteronomy 31:6–8
Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or terrified of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
- Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
- Joshua 1:9
Through
Psalms 37:24Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.
it leads to
- Proverbs 24:16
For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
- Psalms 145:14
The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.
- Proverbs 24:16
Through
Psalms 73:23Yet I am always with You; You hold my right hand.
it leads to
- Isaiah 41:13
For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you: Do not fear, I will help you.
- Isaiah 41:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms
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); Bonaventure, Collations on the Hexaemeron, Collation 18; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 3; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Philoxenus of Mabbug, EXCERPT ON PRAYER.