Original Word: כָּמַהּ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: kamahh
Pronunciation: kah-MAH
Phonetic Spelling: (kaw-mah)
KJV: long
NASB: yearns
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. to pine after

long

A primitive root; to pine after -- long.

Word Origin
a prim. root
Definition
to faint
NASB Translation
yearns (1).

כָּמַהּ verb faint (Arabic is be pale of face, gray (of daylight), weak-eyed, blind from birth; Syriac be blind), only figurative —

Qal Perfect3masculine singular לְךָ בְשָׂרִי ׳כ Psalm 63:2 faint (with longing) for thee ("" צָֽמְאָה לְךָ נַפְשִׁי).

Definition and Semantic Range

Although occurring only once in the Old Testament, כָּמַהּ conveys an intense, almost visceral yearning. It expresses a physical and emotional ache that transcends mere desire, suggesting that the whole person—body, mind, and spirit—is engaged in seeking the presence of God.

Biblical Occurrence

Psalm 63:1 is the single witness:

“O God, You are my God. Earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You, in a dry and weary land without water.” (Berean Standard Bible)

Here David voices an experience of exile in the Judean wilderness. The verb captures the exhaustion of a body deprived of water yet animated by a deeper craving for communion with the living God.

Theological Significance

1. Whole-Person Devotion

The juxtaposition of “soul thirsts” and “flesh faints” unites the inner life and outward existence. True spirituality is not disembodied; it engages every faculty.

2. God as Ultimate Satisfaction

Desert imagery highlights that all earthly resources fail to quench the longing represented by כָּמַהּ. Only God answers the cry of the human heart (Psalm 36:8; John 4:14).

3. Worship in Absence

David is far from the sanctuary, yet the vocabulary of longing converts physical distance into spiritual pursuit. Worship is thus redefined as a matter of desire before it is a matter of location.

Historical and Cultural Background

Ancient Near Eastern peoples associated wilderness travel with life-threatening peril. For an Israelite king fleeing enemies, the scarcity of water made survival uncertain. David’s choice of כָּמַהּ reflects that context: an urgent, bodily vocabulary easily understood by his contemporaries. It also mirrors Israel’s own wilderness journey where dependence upon divine provision was foundational (Exodus 16–17).

Practical Implications for Personal Devotion and Worship

• Cultivate Longing: Practices such as fasting, silence, and solitary prayer place believers in settings where bodily need reminds them of spiritual dependence (Matthew 4:1-4).
• Integrate Body and Spirit: Singing, kneeling, or lifting hands can externalize the inward yearning depicted by כָּמַהּ (Psalm 95:6).
• Pray the Psalms: Re-voicing Psalm 63 enables worshipers in every age to align personal desire with scriptural language.

Applications in Ministry and Preaching

• Sermons on Spiritual Thirst: Connect Psalm 63:1 with passages like Isaiah 55:1 and Revelation 22:17 to present a cohesive biblical theology of divine satisfaction.
• Counseling Seasons of Dryness: Direct those experiencing spiritual barrenness to meditate on David’s expression of longing, reassuring them that desire itself is evidence of God’s sustaining grace (Philippians 2:13).
• Corporate Worship Planning: Use songs and readings that echo the motifs of thirst and yearning, reminding congregations that earnest seeking is normal Christian experience.

Related Biblical Themes and Cross-References

Psalm 42:1–2; Psalm 84:2; Psalm 143:6 – parallel images of longing

Isaiah 26:9 – desire for God in the night

Matthew 5:6 – blessing on those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

Philippians 3:8–10 – apostolic echo of supreme desire for Christ

In all these texts, the heartbeat of כָּמַהּ resounds: an all-consuming passion for God that refuses to be silenced until it is satisfied in Him alone.

כָּמַ֣הּ כמה kā·mah kaMah kāmahInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts