Psalm 27

1 The Lord is my light and my Saviour; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When evil-doers drew nigh against me to eat up my flesh, my persecutors and mine enemies, they fainted and fell.

3 Though an army should set itself in array against me, my heart shall not be afraid: though war should rise up against me, in this am I confident.

4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, this will I earnestly seek: that I should dwell in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, that I should behold the fair beauty of the Lord, and survey his temple.

5 For in the day of mine afflictions he hid me in his tabernacle: he sheltered me in the secret of his tabernacle; he set me up on a rock.

6 And now, behold, he has lifted up mine head over mine enemies: I went round and offered in his tabernacle the sacrifice of joy; I will sing even sing psalms to the Lord.

7 Hear, O Lord, my voice which I have uttered aloud: pity me, and hearken to me.

8 My heart said to thee, I have diligently sought thy face: thy face, O Lord, I will seek.

9 Turn not thy face away from me, turn not thou away from thy servant in anger: be thou my helper, forsake me not; and, O God my Saviour, overlook me not.

10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the Lord has taken me to himself.

11 Teach me, O Lord, in thy way, and guide me in a right path, because of mine enemies.

12 Deliver me not over to the desire of them that afflict me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me, and injustice has lied within herself.

13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and let thy heart be strengthened: yea wait on the Lord.

Psalm 27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 27

\\<<[A Psalm] of David>>\\. The Septuagint interpreters add to this title, "before he was anointed". David was anointed three times, first when a youth in his father's house; but this psalm could not be written before that time, because he had not had then any experience of war, nor could be in any immediate apprehension of it, as here suggested; he was anointed a second time, after the death of Saul at Hebron, by the men of Judah; before that time indeed he had been harassed by Saul, and distressed by the Amalekites, and was driven from the public worship of God, to which he has a respect, Ps 27:4; and he was a third time anointed, by the elders of Israel, king over all Israel; and between the death of Saul and this unction there was a war between the house of David and the house of Saul; but what is referred to is not certain, nor is it of moment, since these words are neither in the Hebrew text, nor in the Chaldee paraphrase. Theodoret is of opinion this psalm was written by David when he fled from Saul, and came to Ahimelech the priest.