Singing and Playing under God’s Wings

Singing and Playing under God’s Wings

            Psalm 63:7 states, “Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice (ranan 7442).”  In twenty eight other times in the OT AV ranan was translated as some form of singing.  Furthermore, the word ranan connotes not only singing but also creaking or emitting stridulous sound.  The English word stridulous is an instrumental term for the sound that is produced when a string is played by a pick or a finger.  So, it seems reasonable to believe that it is referring to singing and playing a stringed musical instrument in this verse.

            The sweet psalmist of Israel declared that he was able to sing and play when he was under great stress. “It is most probable that the Psalm was written when David took refuge in the forest of Hareth, in the wilderness of Ziph, when he fled from the court of Achish.”  Adam Clarke’s Commentary NOTES ON PSALM LXIII.  This verse tells us that he was able to do so because, in his words, he was under the wings of elohim the supreme God.  The mental imagery that David used here is that God’s wings were sufficient to give him solace, comfort and protection in the time of great trouble.  God’s wings proved to be big enough to give David shade and protection so that he could sing and play this wonderful psalm.  If God’s wings were big enough to protect David, they are big enough to take care of you and me when we are under great stress.