“To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.”
The reference to beholding God's power and glory in the sanctuary establishes that the deepest hunger is satisfied through encounter with God's visible manifestation. The mention of the sanctuary indicates that within the sacred space, God's power is particularly visible and accessible. The psalmist's longing is not for abstract theological knowledge but for concrete experience of divine presence and power. This verse situates the seeking of God within the cultic and liturgical context, where God is encountered through ritual and worship.
Church Fathers on Psalms 63:2
1. This psalm has the title, “For David himself, when he was in the desert of Idumæa.” By the name of Idumæa is understood this world. For Idumæa was a certain nation of men going astray, where idols were worshipped. In no good sense is put this Idumæa. If not in a good sense it is put, it must be understood that this life, wherein we suffer so great toils, and wherein to so great necessities we are made subject, by the name of Idumæa is signified. Even here is a desert where…
Nicene & Post-Nicene / Ante-Nicene Fathers translations · public domain
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