šµ My heart and my hands are lifted to You šµ
David wrote Psalm 63 during his time in the wilderness. He wanted to worship in the sanctuary of God, just as a thirsty man would seek water.
In this psalm, David recalls the beauty of the sanctuary and its glory. He believes that God will deal with his enemies, and he will return safely to Jerusalem. And he looks forward to a life of praise.
The Hebrew text of this psalm contains several problems. Most commentators believe that this psalm belongs to David’s years in the wilderness. Nevertheless, the word was, which means lifting, is used throughout the psalm to describe the action of lifting up hands.
The expression also refers to the act of raising and spreading the hands in prayer. These movements can be interpreted as supplication, blessing, or simply offering a gift to God.
A similar expression in Isaiah 25:10-11 refers to the movement of the hands. However, it is unclear whether or not this is a figurative gesture.
Other passages describing this action include Jeremiah 4:31, Lamentations 2:19, and Habakkuk 3:10. Some of these texts suggest that this is a gesture of supplication. Others state that this is an expression of thanksgiving.
Psalm 134:1-3 also describes lifting up the hands. The Hebrew text of this psalm includes a reference to lifting up the rod of Moses. It is not clear how the act of raising the rod of Moses can be included as an expression of supplication.
