Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
Parallel translations
- WEB Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.
- BSB Because Your loving devotion is better than life, my lips will glorify You.
- NKJV Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You.
- NASB Because Your favor is better than life, My lips will praise You.
- NLT Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!
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 declares God's steadfast love better than life itself, so his lips will praise him. It values God's love above mere existence.
Overview
David makes a striking confession: God's covenant love surpasses life itself in worth. Because of this, praise flows naturally from his lips. To treasure God's love above life is the heart of true devotion, fulfilled in those who count knowing Christ as gain even above all else.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 15
- Phil 1:23For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
- Ps 69:16Hear me, O LORD; for thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.
- Ps 51:15O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
- Heb 13:15By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
- Ps 30:5For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
- 1 Cor 6:20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
- Rom 12:1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
- Ps 30:12To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
- 1 Jn 3:2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
- Jas 3:5–10Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
- Rom 6:19I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
- Hos 14:2Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
- Ps 66:17I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.
- Ps 21:6For thou hast made him most blessed for ever: thou hast made him exceeding glad with thy countenance.
- Ps 4:6There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 63:3 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.