Psalm 84:2

2 My soul longs and even fails for the courtyards of Yahweh. My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

Psalm 84:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 84:2

My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord,
&c.] The courts of the tabernacle now at Gibeon, though the ark was in Zion, ( 2 Chronicles 1:3-6 ) as the court of the priests, and the court of the Israelites, in which latter the people in common stood: after these David longed; he longed to enter into them, and stand in them, and worship God there; which soul longings and hearty desires were the fruits and evidences of true grace, of being born again; so newly born souls desire the sincere milk of the word, and the breasts of Gospel ordinances, as a newly born babe desires its mother's milk and breast; and he even "fainted", through disappointment, or length of time, being impatient of the returning season and opportunity of treading in them; see ( Psalms 42:1 ) ( 63:1 ) ,

my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God;
he only inwardly desired, and secretly fainted, but audibly cried out in his distress, and verbally expressed, great vehemence, his desire to enjoy the living God: it was not merely the courts, but God in them, that he wanted; even that God which has life in himself, with whom is the fountain of life; who gives life to others, natural, spiritual, and eternal, and in whose favour is life; yea, whose lovingkindness is better than life, and which was the thing longed and thirsted after: and these desires were the desires of the whole man, soul and body; not only he cried with his mouth and lips, signified by his flesh, but with his heart also, sincerely and heartily; his heart went along with his mouth.

Psalm 84:2 In-Context

1 How lovely [are] your dwelling places, O Yahweh of hosts!

2 My soul longs and even fails for the courtyards of Yahweh. My heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.

3 Even a bird finds a home, and a swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, near your altars, O Yahweh [of] hosts, my king and my God.

4 Blessed [are] those who dwell in your house; they can ever praise you. Selah

5 Blessed [is the] man whose strength [is] in you; in their heart [are the] highways [to Zion].