Psalm 71:3

Psalm 71:3

Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

a. ASV: Be thou to me a rock of habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: Thou hast given commandment to save me; For thou art my rock and my fortress.

b. YLT: Be to me for a rock -- a habitation, To go in continually, Thou hast given command to save me, For my rock and my bulwark art Thou.

c. Amplified Bible Classic: Be to me a rock of refuge in which to dwell, and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually resort, which You have appointed to save me, for You are my Rock and my Fortress.

d. Septuagint [Psalm 71:3 in our Bible is Psalm 70:3 in the Septuagint]: Be to me a protecting God, and a strong hold to save me: for thou art my fortress and my refuge.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Be for me a sheltering rock to which to come always; [In the past] You commanded my salvation, for my Rock and my Fortress are You. 

1. “Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort…”

a. Be [thou my] [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

b. strong [Strong: 6697 tsûwr, tsoor; or צֻר tsur; from H6696; properly, a cliff (or sharp rock, as compressed); generally, a rock or boulder; figuratively, a refuge; also an edge (as precipitous):—edge, × (mighty) God (one), rock, × sharp, stone, × strength, ×strong.] 

c. habitation [Strong: 4583 mâʻôwn, maw-ohn'; or מָעִין mâʻîyn; (1 Chronicles 4:41), from the same as H5772; an abode, of God (the Tabernacle or the Temple), men (their home) or animals (their lair); hence, a retreat (asylum):—den, dwelling((-) place), habitation.]

1). After our loving God has made the offer for Him to be our habitation, it is up to us whether we are or not. We choose to make Him our habitation, to whome we can continually seek His boundless protection and blessing. See notes on Psalm 91.

a). Psalm 91:1-16 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

91:2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

91:3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

91:5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

91:6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

91:7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

91:8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

91:9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

91:10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

91:13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

91:14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

91:15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

91:16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

d. [whereunto I may] continually [Strong: 8548  tâmîyd, taw-meed'; from an unused root meaning to stretch; properly, continuance (as indefinite extension); but used only (attributively as adjective) constant (or adverbially, constantly); elliptically the regular (daily) sacrifice:—alway(-s), continual (employment, -ly), daily, (n-)ever(-more), perpetual.]

e. resort [Strong: 935 bôwʼ, bo; a primitive root; to go or come (in a wide variety of applications):—abide, apply, attain, × be, befall, besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, ×certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, ×doubtless again, eat, employ, (cause to) enter (in, into, -tering, -trance, -try), be fallen, fetch, follow, get, give, go (down, in, to war), grant, have, × indeed, (in-) vade, lead, lift (up), mention, pull in, put, resort, run (down), send, set, × (well) stricken (in age), × surely, take (in), way.]

2. “...thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.”

a. [thou hast given] commandment [Strong: 6680 tsâvâh, tsaw-vaw'; a primitive root; (intensively) to constitute, enjoin:—appoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.]

b. [to] save [me] [Strong: 3467  yâshaʻ, yaw-shah'; a primitive root; properly, to be open, wide or free, i.e. (by implication) to be safe; causatively, to free or succor:—× at all, avenging, defend, deliver(-er), help, preserve, rescue, be safe, bring (having) salvation, save(-iour), get victory.]

c. for [Strong: 3588 kiy kee a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:--and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-)as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al- )though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]

d. thou [art] [Strong: 859 'attah at-taw' or (shortened); aatta {at-taw'}; or wath {ath}; feminine (irregular) sometimes nattiy {at-tee'}; plural masculine attem {at- tem'}; feminine atten {at-ten'}; or oattenah {at-tay'naw}; or fattennah {at-tane'-naw}; a primitive pronoun of the second person; thou and thee, or (plural) ye and you:--thee, thou, ye, you.]

e. [my] rock [Strong: 5553 çelaʻ, seh'-lah; from an unused root meaning to be lofty; a craggy rock, literally or figuratively (a fortress):—(ragged) rock, stone(-ny), strong hold.]

f. [and my] fortress [Strong: 4686 mâtsûwd, maw-tsood'; or (feminine) מְצוּדָה mᵉtsûwdâh; or מְצֻדָה mᵉtsudâh; for H4685; a net, or (abstractly) capture; also a fastness:—castle, defense, fort(-ress), (strong) hold, be hunted, net, snare, strong place.]

1). This flows beautifully with Psalm 91, particularly the passage about God commanding His angels to watch over us.

a). Psalm 91:10-12 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

91:11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

91:12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

2). Under the New Covenant angels.

a). Ephesians 1:15-23