Chapter 84

84:1 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm for the sons of Korah. How amiable [are] thy tabernacles, O ^a LORD of hosts!

(a) David complains that he cannot have access to the Church of God to make profession of his faith, and to profit in religion.

84:2 My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the ^b courts of the LORD: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

(b) For only the priests could enter the sanctuary and the rest of the people into the courts.

84:3 Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, [even] thine ^c altars, O LORD of hosts, my King, and my God.

(c) So that the poor birds have more freedom than I.

84:5 Blessed [is] the man whose ^d strength [is] in thee; in whose heart [are] the ways [of them].

(d) Who trusts nothing in himself but in you only, and learns from you to rule his life.

84:6 [Who] passing through the valley of ^c Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

(c) So that the poor birds have more freedom than I.

84:7 They go from ^f strength to strength, [every one of them] in Zion appeareth before God.

(f) They are never weary but increase in strength and courage till they come to Gods house.

84:9 Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine ^g anointed.

(g) That is, for Christs sake, whose figure I represent.

84:10 For ^h a day in thy courts [is] better than a thousand. I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

(h) He would rather live one day in Gods Church than a thousand in the world.

84:11 For the LORD God [is] a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no ⁱ good [thing] will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

(i) But will from time to time increase his blessings toward his more and more.