How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Parallel translations
- WEB How precious is your loving kindness, God! The children of men take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
- BSB How precious is Your loving devotion, O God, that the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings!
- NKJV How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
- NASB How precious is Your mercy, God! And the sons of mankind take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
- NLT How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David marvels at how precious God's loving kindness is, under whose protective wings people find refuge. God's love invites trustful shelter.
Overview
The 'shadow of your wings' pictures God as a protective parent bird, a tender image of refuge for 'the children of men.' David treasures this covenant love as supremely precious. Jesus took up the same image over Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37), and the gospel offers all who come to Him secure shelter in the love of God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Ps 86:5For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
- 1 Jn 3:1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
- Ruth 2:12The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
- Ps 91:4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
- 1 Jn 4:9–10In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
- Ps 139:17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
- Ps 17:8Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
- Ps 31:19Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!
- Exod 34:6And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
- Ps 86:15But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
- John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
- Ps 63:7Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.
- Ps 145:7–8They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.
- 2 Pet 1:4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
- Ps 57:1Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
- 1 Pet 2:6–7Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
- Luke 13:34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 36:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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