1 By David. Jehovah `is' my light and my salvation, Whom do I fear? Jehovah `is' the strength of my life, Of whom am I afraid?
2 When evil doers come near to me to eat my flesh, My adversaries and mine enemies to me, They have stumbled and fallen.
3 Though a host doth encamp against me, My heart doth not fear, Though war riseth up against me, In this I `am' confident.
4 One `thing' I asked of Jehovah -- it I seek. My dwelling in the house of Jehovah, All the days of my life, To look on the pleasantness of Jehovah, And to inquire in His temple.
5 For He hideth me in a tabernacle in the day of evil, He hideth me in a secret place of His tent, On a rock he raiseth me up.
6 And now, lifted up is my head, Above my enemies -- my surrounders, And I sacrifice in His tent sacrifices of shouting, I sing, yea, I sing praise to Jehovah.
7 Hear, O Jehovah, my voice -- I call, And favour me, and answer me.
8 To Thee said my heart `They sought my face, Thy face, O Jehovah, I seek.'
9 Hide not Thy face from me, Turn not aside in anger Thy servant, My help Thou hast been. Leave me not, nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10 When my father and my mother Have forsaken me, then doth Jehovah gather me.
11 Shew me, O Jehovah, Thy way, And lead me in a path of uprightness, For the sake of my beholders.
12 Give me not to the will of my adversaries, For risen against me have false witnesses, And they breathe out violence to me.
13 I had not believed to look on the goodness of Jehovah In the land of the living!
14 Look unto Jehovah -- be strong, And He doth strengthen thy heart, Yea, look unto Jehovah!
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 27
Commentary on Psalms 27 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 27
Ps 27:1-14. With a general strain of confidence, hope, and joy, especially in God's worship, in the midst of dangers, the Psalmist introduces prayer for divine help and guidance.
1. light—is a common figure for comfort.
strength—or, "stronghold"—affording security against all violence. The interrogations give greater vividness to the negation implied.
2. eat … my flesh—(Job 19:22; Ps 14:4). The allusion to wild beasts illustrates their rapacity.
they stumbled—"they" is emphatic; not I, but they were destroyed.
3. In the greatest dangers.
in this—that is, then, in such extremity.
4, 5. The secret of his confidence is his delight in communion with God (Ps 16:11; 23:6), beholding the harmony of His perfections, and seeking His favor in His temple or palace; a term applicable to the tabernacle (compare Ps 5:7). There he is safe (Ps 31:21; 61:5). The figure is changed in the last clause, but the sentiment is the same.
6. head be lifted up—I shall be placed beyond the reach of my enemies. Hence he avows his purpose of rendering joyful thank offerings.
7. Still pressing need extorts prayer for help.
cry with my voice—denotes earnestness. Other things equal, Christians in earnest pray audibly, even in secret.
8. The meaning is clear, though the construction in a literal translation is obscure. The English Version supplies the implied clause. To seek God's face is to seek His favor (Ps 105:4).
9. Hide not, &c.—(Ps 4:6; 22:24). Against rejection he pleads former mercy and love.
10. In the extremity of earthly destitution (Ps 31:11; 38:11), God provides (compare Mt 25:35).
11. thy way—of providence.
a plain path—(Ps 26:12).
enemies—literally, "watchers for my fall" (Ps 5:8).
12. will—literally, "soul," "desire" (Ps 35:25).
enemies—literally, "oppressors." Falsehood aids cruelty against him.
breathe out—as being filled with it (Ac 9:1).
13. The strong emotion is indicated by the incomplete sentence, for which the English Version supplies a proper clause; or, omitting that, and rendering, "yet I believed," &c., the contrast of his faith and his danger is expressed.
to see—is to experience (Ps 22:17).
14. Wait, &c.—in confident expectation. The last clause is, literally, "and wait," &c., as if expecting new measures of help.