The Meaning of Psalms 63:2 Explained

Psalms 63:2

KJV: To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

YLT: So in the sanctuary I have seen Thee, To behold Thy strength and Thine honour.

Darby: To see thy power and thy glory, as I have beheld thee in the sanctuary;

ASV: So have I looked upon thee in the sanctuary, To see thy power and thy glory.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

To see  thy power  and thy glory,  so [as] I have seen  thee in the sanctuary. 

What does Psalms 63:2 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The king had come to realize his need for God earlier as a result of what he had learned about God in the tabernacle. There he had become sure of God"s great power and glory.
"What life does to us depends on what life finds in us . . ." [1]

Context Summary

Psalms 63:1-11 - The Longing Soul Abundantly Satisfied
Ever since the third century this has been the morning song of the Church. The superscription tells us that it was written in the wilderness of Judah, probably during the events recorded in 2 Samuel 15:23-28; 2 Samuel 16:2; 2 Samuel 17:16. Notice the many references to the life of the soul. These are the many considerations of our mortal pilgrimage! My soul thirsteth; my soul longeth; my soul shall be satisfied; my soul followeth hard after thee.
The soul thirsting, Psalms 63:1-4
Let us be on the alert to see God's power and glory, not only in the sanctuary, but in dry and thirsty lands. How sad and weary, r.v., is life without God!
The soul satisfied, Psalms 63:5-7
To desire God is to have Him. To long for Him is to be at the well-head. To remember Him on the bed rests us. To meditate on Him in the night is to have the dawn. The shadow of His wings is absolute safety.
The soul in hot pursuit, Psalms 63:8-11
God is always in front of us. The Savior went before; we must follow in His steps, but there ought to be as little space as possible between us. Another turn of the road, and you will see Him! [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 63

1  David's thirst for God
4  His manner of blessing God
9  His confidence of his enemies' destruction, and his own safety

What do the individual words in Psalms 63:2 mean?

So in the sanctuary I have looked for You to see Your power and Your glory
כֵּ֭ן בַּקֹּ֣דֶשׁ חֲזִיתִ֑יךָ לִרְא֥וֹת עֻ֝זְּךָ֗ וּכְבוֹדֶֽךָ

כֵּ֭ן  So 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
בַּקֹּ֣דֶשׁ  in  the  sanctuary 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
חֲזִיתִ֑יךָ  I  have  looked  for  You 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular, second person masculine singular
Root: חָזָה  
Sense: to see, perceive, look, behold, prophesy, provide.
לִרְא֥וֹת  to  see 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
עֻ֝זְּךָ֗  Your  power 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹז  
Sense: might, strength.
וּכְבוֹדֶֽךָ  and  Your  glory 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּבֹוד  
Sense: glory, honour, glorious, abundance.