Psalms 63:7

7 for thou hast been mine helper. And in the covering of thy wings I shall make full out joy, (for thou hast been my helper. And under the covering of thy wings I shall make great joy,)

Psalms 63:7 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 63:7

Because thou hast been my help
Or, "that thou hast been my help" ^F19; and so the words may be considered as the subject of his meditation in the night watches, at least as a part of it; and as what gave him a great deal of pleasure to reflect upon, how the Lord had been in times past a present help to him in time of trouble;

therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice;
meaning under the protecting power of God, where he knew he was safe, and therefore had reason to rejoice. The allusion is to the chirping of chickens under the wing of the hen; see ( Psalms 57:1 ) ( 61:4 ) . The Targum is,

``in the shadow of thy Shechinah will I rejoice;''

referring it may be to the Shechinah, or presence of God, between the cherubim, whose wings overshadowed the mercy seat.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (yk) "quod", Musculus, Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth.

Psalms 63:7 In-Context

5 My soul be [ful]filled as with inner fatness and uttermore fatness; and my mouth shall praise with lips of full out joying (and my mouth shall praise thee with lips of rejoicing).

6 So I had mind on thee on my bed, in the morrowtides I shall think of thee; (And I remember thee as I lie on my bed, and in the morning, I think of thee;)

7 for thou hast been mine helper. And in the covering of thy wings I shall make full out joy, (for thou hast been my helper. And under the covering of thy wings I shall make great joy,)

8 my soul cleaved after thee; thy right hand took me up. (for my soul cleaveth to thee/for my soul followeth after thee; thy right hand lifteth me up.)

9 Forsooth they sought in vain my life, they shall enter into the lower things of earth; (And they, who seek to take my life, shall enter into the lower things of the earth, that is, into Sheol;)