Psalm 84

1. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
2. My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.
3. Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine altars, O Lord of hosts, my King, and my God.
4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee. Selah.
5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
6. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
7. They go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.
8. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah.
9. Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.
10. For 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.
11. For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
12. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

Psalm 84 expresses a deep longing for the presence of God, portraying the tabernacles of the Lord as a place of profound beauty and desire. The psalmist’s soul yearns and even faints for the courts of the Lord, demonstrating an intense spiritual thirst for communion with God. This longing is not just spiritual but physical, as the psalmist’s heart and flesh cry out for the living God.

In verse 3, the psalmist envies even the sparrows and swallows that find their homes near God’s altars, symbolizing a desire to be perpetually close to the divine presence. The blessedness of those who dwell in God’s house is highlighted, as they continuously praise Him.

The psalm transitions to the blessings of those who find their strength in God, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage to Zion. Passing through the valley of Baca, which signifies a place of weeping, they transform it into a place of springs, showing that God’s presence brings life and joy even in desolate places. These pilgrims grow stronger as they journey, ultimately appearing before God in Zion.

The prayer for God to hear and look upon His anointed reflects a plea for divine attention and favor. The psalmist declares the incomparable value of being in God’s courts, preferring a humble position at God’s threshold over residing in places of wickedness.

Verse 11 describes the Lord as both sun and shield, bestowing grace and glory, and withholding no good thing from those who walk uprightly. This assurance of God’s provision and protection underscores the blessed state of those who trust in Him. The psalm concludes by affirming that trust in the Lord of hosts brings true blessedness.