O God, You are my God;                                         

Early will I seek You;

My soul thirsts for You;

My flesh longs for You

In a dry and thirsty land

Where there is no water.

So I have looked for You in the

Sanctuary,

To see Your power and Your glory.

Because Your lovingkindness is better

than life,

My lips shall praise You.

    Psalm 63 N.K.J.V.

     Praise, shabach–Strong’s # 7623: To commend, praise; to adore; to glory in something; to still, quiet, or pacify someone. Shabach goes in two directions, “praising” and “calming.” The verb occurs 11 times in OT, 8 of these having to do with speaking words of praise. The other 3 references speak either about calming the tumultuous sea (Psalm 65:7; 89:9) or about hushing up things within one’s heart (Proverbs 29:11). There appears to be a connection between “praising with words” and “soothing with words,” as any aggrieved person offered words of honor can testify.