Psalm 27
Psalm 27 is a psalm of David about courage that comes from God. It opens "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?", moves to David's one desire to dwell in the house of the LORD, turns into an urgent prayer when enemies rise against him, and ends: "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart."
Psalm 27 (KJV)
Whom shall I fear? v. 1-3
1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
One thing have I desired v. 4-6
4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
5For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
Hear me, O LORD, and leave me not v. 7-12
7Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
9Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
11Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
12Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
Wait on the LORD v. 13-14
13I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
What Psalm 27 means
Verse 1 asks two questions and expects the answer nobody. If the LORD is light, salvation and the strength of life, there is no one left to be afraid of. Verses 2-3 test that with real danger: enemies who came to eat up his flesh stumbled and fell, and even if an army camped against him, his heart would not fear.
Verses 4-6 explain where that confidence comes from. David has one thing he desires above all: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of his life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. In the time of trouble, God hides him in his pavilion and sets him on a rock, and David answers with sacrifices of joy and song.
In verse 7 the tone changes from confidence to prayer. David asks to be heard and answered. God has said, Seek ye my face, and David's heart replies, "Thy face, LORD, will I seek." He asks God not to hide his face or forsake him, and says that even if his father and mother forsake him, the LORD will take him up. False witnesses have risen against him, and he asks to be led in a plain path.
The last two verses hold both moods together. David says he would have fainted unless he had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living, in this life and not only after it. Then he turns to the reader and says the same thing twice: wait on the LORD.
Background and context
The KJV title is A Psalm of David. The psalm itself mentions enemies, an army and false witnesses, but does not say which crisis in David's life it comes from.
Many readers note that the psalm seems to have two halves, a song of confidence (verses 1-6) and a cry for help (verses 7-14). Read together, they show that faith and need can sit in the same prayer.
Key verses
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1 · KJV
One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
Psalm 27:4 · KJV
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Psalm 27:14 · KJV
Cross references
- John 8:12 Jesus: "I am the light of the world."Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
- Romans 8:31 "If God be for us, who can be against us?"What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
- Hebrews 13:5-6 The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
- Isaiah 49:15 Even if a mother forgets her child, God will not forget, like verse 10.Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.
- Psalm 31:24 Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, nearly verse 14.Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.
- Psalm 23:6 David's hope to dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
How well do you know Psalm 27?
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Common questions
What is the main message of Psalm 27?
That trusting the LORD drives out fear. David is confident because God is his light and salvation, prays honestly when enemies close in, and ends by telling the reader to wait on the LORD.
Who wrote Psalm 27?
Its title in the KJV is A Psalm of David.
What is the one thing David desired in Psalm 27?
Verse 4: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of his life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.
What does 'the land of the living' mean in Psalm 27:13?
It means this present life. David trusted that he would see the goodness of the LORD while still alive, not only after death.
Morning, Not Monday
Build good habits, break bad ones, and start again without shame
Psalm 27 ends with wait on the LORD, said twice, and Morning, Not Monday is about the daily habits that keep a person seeking God's face when courage runs low.
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