Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you.
Parallel translations
- KJV Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.
- 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 1:23But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
- Ps 69:16Answer me, Yahweh, for your loving kindness is good. According to the multitude of your tender mercies, turn to me.
- Ps 51:15Lord, open my lips. My mouth shall declare your praise.
- Heb 13:15Through him, then, let us offer up a sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of lips which proclaim allegiance to his name.
- Ps 30:5For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
- 1 Cor 6:20for you were bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
- Rom 12:1Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
- Ps 30:12To the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent. Yahweh my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
- 1 Jn 3:2Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.
- Jas 3:5–10So the tongue is also a little member, and boasts great things. See how a small fire can spread to a large forest!
- Rom 6:19I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh, for as you presented your members as servants to uncleanness and to wickedness upon wickedness, even so now present your members as servants to righteousness for sanctification.
- Hos 14:2Take words with you, and return to Yahweh. Tell him, “Forgive all our sins, and accept that which is good: so we offer our lips like bulls.
- Ps 66:17I cried to him with my mouth. He was extolled with my tongue.
- Ps 21:6For you make him most blessed forever. You make him glad with joy in your presence.
- Ps 4:6Many say, “Who will show us any good?” Yahweh, let the light of your face shine on 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.