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.
He who is dwelling In the secret place of the Most High, In the shade of the Mighty lodgeth habitually,
And He doth cause me to come up From a pit of desolation -- from mire of mud, And He raiseth up on a rock my feet, He is establishing my steps.
If I walk in the midst of distress Thou quickenest me, Against the anger of mine enemies Thou sendest forth Thy hand, And Thy right hand doth save me.
And each hath been as a hiding-place `from' wind, And as a secret hiding-place `from' inundation, As rivulets of waters in a dry place, As a shadow of a heavy rock in a weary land.
Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending, And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired. I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh, When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress. Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.
My hiding place and my shield `art' Thou, For Thy word I have hoped.
To the Overseer. -- `Destroy not.' -- A secret treasure of David, in his fleeing from the face of Saul into a cave. Favour me, O God, favour me, For in Thee is my soul trusting, And in the shadow of Thy wings I trust, Until the calamities pass over.
And call Me in a day of adversity, I deliver thee, and thou honourest Me.
Against Thy people they take crafty counsel, And consult against Thy hidden ones.
for ye did die, and your life hath been hid with the Christ in God;
`Therefore, every one who doth hear of me these words, and doth do them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain did descend, and the streams came, and the winds blew, and they beat on that house, and it fell not, for it had been founded on the rock.
In a day of my distress the Lord I sought, My hand by night hath been spread out, And it doth not cease, My soul hath refused to be comforted.
From the end of the land unto Thee I call, In the feebleness of my heart, Into a rock higher than I Thou dost lead me.
For this doth every saintly one pray to Thee, As the time to find. Surely at an overflowing of many waters, Unto him they come not. Thou `art' a hiding-place for me, From distress Thou dost keep me, `With' songs of deliverance dost compass me. Selah.
Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand.
And I have entered the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabeel -- and he is restrained -- and he saith, `Let us meet at the house of God, at the inside of the temple, and we shut the doors of the temple, for they are coming in to slay thee -- yea, by night they are coming in to slay thee.' And I say, `A man such as I -- doth he flee? and who as I, that doth go in unto the temple, and live? -- I do not go in.'
And he is with them in the house of God hiding himself six years, and Athaliah is reigning over the land.
Come, My people, enter into thy inner chambers, And shut thy doors behind thee, Hide thyself shortly a moment till the indignation pass over.
O Jehovah, in distress they missed Thee, They have poured out a whisper, Thy chastisement `is' on them.
Then hath Jehovah prepared Over every fixed place of Mount Zion, And over her convocations, A cloud by day, and smoke, And the shining of a flaming fire by night, That, over all honour a safe-guard, And a covering may be, For a shadow by day from drought, And for a refuge, and for a hiding place, From inundation and from rain!
Saying to wood, `My father `art' thou!' And to a stone, `Thou hast brought me forth,' For they turned unto me the back and not the face, And in the time of their vexation, They say, `Arise Thou, and save us.' And where `are' thy gods, that thou hast made to thyself? Let them arise, if they may save thee, In the time of thy vexation, For -- the number of thy cities have been thy gods, O Judah,
and Simon Peter answering said, `Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' And Jesus answering said to him, `Happy art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal `it' to thee, but my Father who is in the heavens. `And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;
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.