Psalms 63:3-5

63:3 Because ¹  experiencing ²  your loyal love is better than life itself,

my lips will praise you.

63:4 For this reason ³  I will praise you while I live;

in your name I will lift up my hands. ⁴ 

63:5 As if with choice meat ⁵  you satisfy my soul. ⁶ 

My mouth joyfully praises you, ⁷ 

Psalms 119:13

119:13 With my lips I proclaim

all the regulations you have revealed. ⁸ 

Hebrews 13:15

13:15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, acknowledging his name.

[63:3]  ¹ tn This line is understood as giving the basis for the praise promised in the following line. Another option is to take the Hebrew particle כִּי (ki) as asseverative/emphasizing, “Indeed, your loyal love is better” (cf. NEB, which leaves the particle untranslated).

[63:3]  ² tn The word “experiencing” is supplied in the translation for clarification. The psalmist does not speak here of divine loyal love in some abstract sense, but of loyal love revealed and experienced.

[63:4]  ³ tn Or perhaps “then.”

[63:4]  ⁴ sn I will lift up my hands. Lifting up one’s hands toward God was a gesture of prayer (see Ps 28:2; Lam 2:19) or respect (Ps 119:48).

[63:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “like fat and fatness.”

[63:5]  ⁶ tn Or “me.”

[63:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “and [with] lips of joy my mouth praises.”

[119:13]  ⁸ tn Heb “of your mouth.”