Psalms 27:8-14

8 (26-8) My heart hath said to thee: My face hath sought thee: thy face, O Lord, will I still seek.

9 (26-9) Turn not away thy face from me; decline not in thy wrath from thy servant. Be thou my helper, forsake me not; do not thou despise me, O God my Saviour.

10 (26-10) For my father and my mother have left me: but the Lord hath taken me up.

11 (26-11) Set me, O Lord, a law in thy way, and guide me in the right path, because of my enemies.

12 (26-12) Deliver me not over to the will of them that trouble me; for unjust witnesses have risen up against me; and iniquity hath lied to itself.

13 (26-13) I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

14 (26-14) Expect the Lord, do manfully, and let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.

Psalms 27:8-14 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.