Psalms 27:1-6

A Psalm of Fearless Trust in God.

1 The LORD is my ¹light and my ²salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the ³defense of my life; ⁴Whom shall I dread?

2 When evildoers came upon me to ⁵devour my flesh, My adversaries and my enemies, they ⁶stumbled and fell.

3 Though a ⁷host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be ⁸confident.

4 ⁹One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may ¹⁰dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold ¹¹the beauty of the LORD And to ¹²meditate in His temple.

5 For in the ¹³day of trouble He will ¹⁴conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will ¹⁵hide me; He will ¹⁶lift me up on a rock.

6 And now ¹⁷my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent ¹⁸sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will ¹⁹sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD.

Psalms 27:1-6 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.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 18:28; Isaiah 60:20; Micah 7:8
• 2. Exodus 15:2; Psalms 62:7; Psalms 118:14; Isaiah 33:2; Jonah 2:9
• 3. Psalms 28:8
• 4. Psalms 118:6
• 5. Psalms 14:4
• 6. Psalms 9:3
• 7. Psalms 3:6
• 8. Job 4:6
• 9. Psalms 26:8
• 10. Psalms 23:6
• 11. Psalms 90:17
• 12. Psalms 18:6
• 13. Psalms 50:15
• 14. Psalms 31:20
• 15. Psalms 17:8
• 16. Psalms 40:2
• 17. Psalms 3:3
• 18. Psalms 107:22
• 19. Psalms 13:6

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "refuge"
• [b]. Lit "am confident"
• [c]. Lit "delightfulness"
• [d]. Lit "inquire"
• [e]. Or "shelter"
• [f]. Lit "of shouts"