Psalm 63 promotes a special intimacy with God. It consists primarily of confessions of trust and vows of praise (vv. 3–4, 11) and so is most akin to the prayer psalms, but it has no formal petition (though conceivably some of the Hb. imperfects could be rendered as wishes). Its primary function apparently is confessing to God the worshiper’s intentions of “seeking” and “staying close to” God, and affirming that God will in turn sustain and protect him. The psalm confesses what has drawn the worshiper to the sanctuary (vv. 1–2), the value and benefits of being there (vv. 3–8), and the consequences for fellow-worshipers and their opponents (vv. 9–11).

The psalm is not explicit about for what recurring occasion it was recited. The speaker could be the king, referring to himself in the third p…