Psalms 27
Confidence in God, Light and Salvation 1–3
The Central Desire: Dwelling in God's Presence 4–6
Earnest Prayer for Help and Guidance 7–14
Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain
Study Notes for Psalm 27
Verse 1
The LORD is my light and my salvation — Yesha is deliverance, the word of ‘God of my salvation’ in v.9. Micah says ‘the LORD shall be a light unto me’ (Mic 7:8), and Christ says ‘I am the light of the world’ (John 8:12). ‘Strength’ is maoz, a stronghold, and fear is named by two verbs, yare and pachad, to be startled.
Verse 2
to eat up my flesh — The enemies come near (qarab) to devour (akal), and the verse is told as already done: they ‘stumbled’ (kashal) and ‘fell’ (naphal), as in Ps 20:8, ‘They are brought down and fallen’. The wicked are named three ways: the wicked, the enemies, the foes.
Verse 3
my heart shall not fear — ‘Host’ is machaneh, an encampment, and ‘fear’ is yare, the verb of v.1. ‘In this’ points back to the LORD as light, salvation and strength. ‘Confident’ is batach, to trust. Ps 3:6 says the same of armies: ‘I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people’.
Verse 4
One thing have I desired — Echad, one: the asking narrows to a single request. ‘Desired’ is shaal, to ask, the verb of Ps 21:4. To ‘dwell’ (yashab) in the house of the LORD is the close of Ps 23:6. ‘Beauty’ (noam) is delight or grace (Ps 90:17), and ‘enquire’ is baqar, to examine with care.
Verse 5
he shall hide me in his pavilion — ‘Pavilion’ is sok, a covered shelter, and the second line adds ‘the secret of his tabernacle’ (ohel, tent). The hiding words are those of Ps 31:20, ‘Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence’. ‘Set me up upon a rock’ (tsur) uses rum, to lift high, out of reach.
Verse 6
mine head be lifted up — Rum is the verb of v.5, ‘set me up’, and Ps 3:3 calls the LORD ‘the lifter up of mine head’. ‘Sacrifices of joy’ are offerings with teruah, a shout of acclamation. ‘Sing praises’ is zamar, as in Ps 21:13; Heb 13:15 calls praise ‘the sacrifice of praise to God continually’.
Verse 7
Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice — ‘Have mercy’ is chanan, to show favour (Ps 26:11), and ‘answer’ is anah, the verb Ps 22:2 uses of the cry that went unanswered and Ps 22:21 of the answer given. The prayer is spoken aloud, ‘with my voice’ (qol).
Verse 8
Seek ye my face — Baqash, to seek, serves both speakers: God says ‘Seek ye my face’ and the heart gives the words back, ‘Thy face, LORD, will I seek’. The same seeking marks ‘the generation of them that seek him’ in Ps 24:6, ‘that seek thy face, O Jacob’. ‘Face’ (panim) is the presence.
Verse 10
When my father and my mother forsake me — ‘Forsake’ is azab, the verb of Ps 22:1, ‘why hast thou forsaken me’, and of ‘neither forsake me’ in v.9. ‘Take me up’ is asaph, to gather in or receive. Isa 49:15 sets the LORD’s care beside a mother’s: ‘yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee’.
Verse 11
Teach me thy way — Yarah, to teach, is to point out, as with a finger, and is the root of torah. ‘Plain’ is mishor, level ground (Ps 26:12), and ‘path’ is orach, a well-trodden road, as in Ps 16:11. ‘Enemies’ is shurar, those who lie in watch against him.
Verse 12
false witnesses — Sheqer is falsehood, in the commandment ‘Thou shalt not bear false witness’ (Ex 20:16). Matthew records false witness sought against Christ (Matt 26:59). ‘Will’ is nephesh, the appetite, as in Ps 41:2, ‘deliver him unto the will of his enemies’; ‘cruelty’ is chamas, violence (Gen 6:11).
Verse 13
I had fainted — These words have no Hebrew of their own: the line begins ‘Unless I had believed’ (lulei) and leaves the thought unfinished. ‘Believed’ is aman, and ‘the land of the living’ is the phrase of Ps 142:5. Paul writes ‘we faint not’ of the same hope (2 Cor 4:16).
Verse 14
Wait on the LORD — Qavah, to wait, is said twice, and chazaq, ‘be of good courage’, and amats, ‘strengthen’, are strong-grip verbs. Ps 31:24 repeats the line, ‘Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart’, and Isa 40:31 adds ‘they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength’.