Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Psalms Chapter 27 mean?

This psalm begins with David’s expression of confidence in God as his source of joy and life, his deliverer, and protector. The first verse incorporates the concept of light. This was the Hebrew people’s ideal for truth and goodness. David also depicts God as a fortress, or stronghold, meaning a place of safety and security. The question asked is rhetorical: there is no one who “should” frighten a person who trusts in God (Psalm 27:1).

David lays out his reasons for confidence in God using several images. He believes God will protect him even if an army of malicious adversaries surround him. He longs to spend his life in worship in the tabernacle, where he can gaze on the Lord’s beauty. He is certain the Lord will preserve him when trouble strikes. He will keep him safe on a high rock. The rock will serve as a fortress. He will once again offer sacrifices in the tabernacle, where he will sing joyfully to the Lord (Psalm 27:2–6).

At this point in the psalm, David’s tone seems to change. After describing God’s security so eloquently, he now fervently prays for rescue and deliverance. This is a very human, very normal experience. David “knows” he can trust God, but that knowledge does not make a person perfectly immune to fear. Rather than panicking or despairing, David reminds himself of God’s goodness and trusts the Lord to provide. David remembers the Lord’s command to seek His face, therefore he will seek the Lord (Psalm 27:7–8).

In his anxiety, David calls on the Lord not to forsake him. Still, he is confident that even if his own family were to desert him, God would not. David’s writing often requests that God lead him into spiritual truth (Psalm 4:3; 25:5; 86:11). In this case, the language of those prayers also implies a request for physical safety. David’s enemies—either Saul or David’s rebellious son, Absalom—were lying in wait for him. He asks the Lord not to let his enemies have their way with him, and he says false witnesses have risen up against him (Psalm 27:9–12).

David concludes this psalm on a high note. He believes he will survive, so he encourages himself to wait on the Lord and to be strong and courageous. This last note of assurance might have been directed also at David’s soldiers, or the people of Israel (Psalm 27:13–14).

Chapter Context
Most Bible scholars believe David wrote Psalm 27 when he was in exile, with King Saul in hot pursuit. If so, the psalm aligns with other writings David composed during this time. Psalms 21, 26, and 28 are good examples. Others think this might have been written when David was fleeing from his violently rebellious son, Absalom. For the most part, Psalm 27 expresses David’s confidence in the Lord as his guide and deliverer, but he also demonstrates his human fears by pleading with God for the exact thing he has been so confident of.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. The Lord is my light and my salvation;whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life;of whom shall I be afraid?

The Lord is David’s light, salvation, and stronghold. Each of these terms has significance in Hebrew thinking.

Light is a common metaphor in the Bible for knowledge, truth, and goodness. This was the ultimate ideal of the people of Israel, much as ancient Greeks valued knowledge, or Romans valued glory, and modern Americans speak of freedom. As his light, the Lord was the source of David’s joy, understanding, and life.

As his salvation, the Lord was David’s deliverer from his enemies. To be “saved” is to be rescued from something. Though David was a warrior, even in his own successes he never forgot that it was ultimately God who gave him victory.

The word “stronghold” implies a place of security and safety. The Hebrew term is mā’oz, which can also be translated as a “refuge,” or even as a “harbor.” The Lord was like a fortress that kept David safe.

As David thinks about the Lord filling these roles, he recognizes he has no reason to fear anyone. Like David, we have no reason to fear, because the Lord keeps us safe. The apostle Paul affirmed that “God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7). It has been observed that there are enough exhortations in the Bible to “fear not” that we can assign a unique one to every day of the year.

As David shows later in the psalm, “knowing” that one ought not be afraid does not mean one will never actually experience fear. His pleas beginning in verse 7 are those of someone who trusts God to assuage the very human fear he is feeling.

Context Summary
Psalm 27:1–6 demonstrates David’s confidence in the Lord. He trusts God will protect him from his enemies and restore him to Jerusalem, where he will offer sacrifices. Psalm 22:8–26 is a parallel passage. It’s possible David wrote this psalm when he was in the Negev, as a fugitive from King Saul, or during the violent rebellion of his son, Absalom. In the second half of this psalm, David pleads with God for the very deliverance he seems assured of in the first half—demonstrating that “knowing” not to be afraid does not make a person immune to the emotion of fear.

Verse 2. When evildoers assail meto eat up my flesh,my adversaries and foes,it is they who stumble and fall.

David expresses confidence that his enemies will not succeed. If they try to attack and destroy him, David is sure they will fail. In fact, he is certain they will fail. By identifying his foes as “evildoers,” David indicates they are not just his enemies but God’s enemies as well. It is certain, therefore, that they will stumble and fall.

David lived out that level of assurance when he engaged Goliath in combat. Goliath thought he would give David’s flesh to the birds and wild animals, but David told Goliath that the Lord would deliver him into his hand, and David would give the Philistines’ dead bodies to the birds and wild animals (1 Samuel 17:44–46). The apostle John realized our enemies—Satan and his followers—want to destroy believers, but he encouraged us to rely on the Lord for victory. He wrote, “Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in [the evil world system]” (1 John 4:4).

Verse 3. Though an army encamp against me,my heart shall not fear;though war arise against me,yet I will be confident.

This creates an interesting contrast with a later statement in this psalm, where David pleads with God not to forsake him (Psalm 27:9). The first verses of this psalm present the idea that David has no reason to fear, thanks to what he knows of God. Questions such as “of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) are more statements than inquiries. David is expressing the fact that he has no reason to fear—but that does not mean he is literally immune to anxiety.

Faith, as expressed in the Bible, is trust in the face of uncertainty. David’s faith in the Lord as his light, salvation, and stronghold would not lag even if an army laid siege around him. His confidence remained firm even if an enemy should declare war against him. In moments of emotion, he would cry out to God (Psalm 22:1; 27:12), but not from a place of despair.

An incident from the life of Elisha shows how capable the Lord is to protect His followers. Elisha warned the king of Israel about where the Syrian army planned to be, so the king of Syria plotted to destroy Elisha. He sent a great army by night to surround the city of Dothan, where Elisha and his servant were staying. In the morning, Elisha asked the Lord to open his servant’s eyes that he might see how the Lord would protect them. When the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, the servant saw horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha (see 2 Kings 6:8–17). Sometimes, we may feel surrounded by threatening circumstances, but the Lord surrounds us with His grace that is sufficient for every crisis (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Verse 4. One thing have I asked of the Lord,that will I seek after:that I may dwell in the house of the Lordall the days of my life,to gaze upon the beauty of the Lordand to inquire in his temple.

David’s top priority in life was his relationship with the Lord. Although he was in the wilderness seeking refuge from his enemies, David’s heart was in the tabernacle seeking the beauty of God. He longed to return to the tabernacle and spend the rest of his life in worship. Sometimes trouble drives us closer to the Lord and makes us more desirous of worshiping Him in the fellowship of other believers.

The prophet Jonah realized that when he was in the belly of the great fish his life was fainting away. And yet, he remembered the Lord and prayed to Him (Jonah 2:7). The Lord answered Jonah’s prayer and delivered him from the great fish, depositing him safely on shore (Jonah 2:10). The believers to whom the book of Hebrews was addressed were tempted to faint under persecution. So the writer exhorted them to cling to faith “without wavering” and to “stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another” (Hebrews 10:23–25).

Verse 5. For he will hide me in his shelterin the day of trouble;he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;he will lift me high upon a rock.

The center of worship in Israel, during the time of David, was still a movable tabernacle: God’s house was still a tent. Even so, this location was sometimes called a “temple” (1 Samuel 1:9). David’s son Solomon built the first permanent sanctuary which was a true “temple” of God, but David rightly considered the tabernacle the equivalent of God’s protection. He would feel safe in the tabernacle. His enemies would not be able to reach him there.

In David’s time a host who welcomed a visitor into his tent accepted the responsibility to keep the visitor safe. His tent served as a stronghold (Psalm 27:1) for the visitor. David thought of the Lord as his protector under the cover of the Lord’s tent, the tabernacle. Believers today are safe in Christ, who “tabernacled” among men (John 1:14). He said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28). Our chief enemy, the Devil, would love to pry us from our Savior’s hand and destroy us, but he faces an impossible task!

Verse 6. And now my head shall be lifted upabove my enemies all around me,and I will offer in his tentsacrifices with shouts of joy;I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Confidence that he will triumph over all his enemies does not inspire David to take credit for victory. Instead, he would joyfully offer sacrifices to the Lord in the tabernacle and sing to the Lord. Likely, the sacrifices would be thank offerings.

Such joyful celebration had marked the occasion when David retrieved the ark of the covenant from the Philistines. He brought it to Jerusalem “with rejoicing” (2 Samuel 6:12). He “danced before the LORD with all his might” (2 Samuel 6:14). “David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the horn” (2 Samuel 6:15).

The Lord Jesus promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20). The apostle Paul reminded the Philippians that “the Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:5). Hebrews 13:5 gives us a promise from the Lord: “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Knowing the Lord is present with every believer always and everywhere should cause us to rejoice greatly with thanksgiving. It also gives us truth to cling to when circumstances cause us anxiety (Psalm 27:7–9).

Verse 7. Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;be gracious to me and answer me!

After expressing reasons to be fully confident in God’s protection, David desperately pleads with the Lord to answer his prayer. Perhaps at this time he saw the enemy bearing down on him. David’s eyes may have been focused more on his enemy than on the Lord. He knew that he did not deserve an answer from the Lord. After all, he was a sinner like all other human beings. He simply appealed to the Lord to be gracious to him and answer him.

Rather than contradicting the first six verses of this psalm, David’s prayer here is a natural reaction. He “knows” he has no reason to fear—but that knowledge will not make us immune to anxiety. Psalm 27, then, becomes a mixture of prayer and self-reassurance. David is expressing his need to God, stating both his trust and his weakness all at once. We see a father do something similar in Mark 9:24.

Similarly, we do not deserve an answer to our prayers, but the Lord is gracious, He provides what we do not deserve. The writer to the Hebrews implores us to draw near to the throne of grace so that “we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). In the midst of a sudden violent storm on the Sea of Galilee, Peter stepped out of a boat at the command of Jesus. He began to walk on the waves toward Christ. But soon Peter took his eyes off Jesus and looked at the stormy wind. That’s when he began to sink. But like David who prayed desperately for the Lord to be gracious to him, Peter desperately cried out to the Lord, “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30). The Lord is gracious, and He answers desperate prayers!

Context Summary
Psalm 27:7–14 reveals that David, while he commits his faith to God, is not immune from fear. In the prior section of this psalm, David stated his reasons to be confident in the Lord. Here, however, David seems to be pleading for those exact protections. Like anyone else, David experienced anxiety. Rather than succumbing to fear, however, David chose to trust God, remind himself of God’s protection, and come to the Lord in prayer. This is concluded with another expression of trust in God.

Verse 8. You have said, “Seek my face.”My heart says to you,”Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

David knew the Lord wanted him to seek His face. In fact, this is God’s desire for all people: the word translated “seek” from the original Hebrew of this verse is addressed to a group of people, not just one person.

To “seek God’s face” is to strongly desire His presence and blessing. David responded to the Lord’s invitation wholeheartedly. Perhaps, as David wrote Psalm 27, he recalled the Lord’s words in Deuteronomy 4:29, 31: “You will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul…For the LORD your God is a merciful God, He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.”

In Jeremiah 29:13 the Lord promises: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Our prayers for an awareness of the Lord’s presence and blessings must never be halfhearted or complacent. We must pray fervently with the whole heart and in faith (James 1:5–8; 5:16).

Verse 9. Hide not your face from me.Turn not your servant away in anger,O you who have been my help.Cast me not off; forsake me not,O God of my salvation!

When God “hides His face” from us, it means He is displeased. The imagery is of a parent turning to look somewhere else when a child is disrespectful or rude. David did not want the Lord to be displeased with him. He knew he was a sinner who did not deserve the Lord’s presence and blessings. Because of his sinful condition, he knew he deserved for the Lord to reject him in anger. Although the Lord had anointed David to be king over all Israel, David humbly referred to himself as the Lord’s servant.

Psalm 51:17 assures us that the sacrifices the Lord accepts are a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart. Faced with overwhelming opposition, David’s spirit was broken before the Lord and his heart was broken and contrite. He recalled that God had helped in the past and urged Him not to abandon him now. He addressed his prayer to the God of his salvation. He recognized that only God could deliver him in his time of crisis.

This verse shows both sides of David’s faith when compared to Psalm 27:3. David “knows” that God is with him, and yet he still experiences human fears and anxieties. His response to those emotions is not panic, or despair, but a trusting appeal to the Lord.

Verse 10. For my father and my mother have forsaken me,but the Lord will take me in.

David does not suggest in this verse that his parents had actually abandoned him. According to 1 Samuel 22:3–4, when David was fleeing from Saul, his parents were with him. Out of concern for them, David placed them in the care of the king of Moab. His request to the king was, “Please let my father and my mother stay with you, till I know what God will do for me.”

Here, David uses poetic expression to show how sure he is of God’s deliverance. His prayer simply notes that the Lord’s care of him exceeded that of his parents. The tone of this sentence, in context, is something like saying “even if…”

Truly, the Lord loves and cares for His children. The apostle Peter instructs us to take all of our worries to God, knowing He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Further, Hebrews 13:5–6 assures us we can count on the Lord as our helper because He has promised He will never leave us or forsake us.

Verse 11. Teach me your way, O Lord,and lead me on a level pathbecause of my enemies.

Here, David prays for guidance from the Lord. Scripture often compares obtaining godly knowledge to smoothing out a path (Proverbs 3:6; 11:5; Isaiah 26:7). The Bible warns that what sometimes seems like the right way can lead to disaster (Proverbs 14:12). That’s true in both spiritual and earthly situations. In this case, David’s prayer seems to cover both aspects. While he routinely prayed for guidance and wisdom (Psalm 25:4), here David is praying for a future free from literal traps and ambushes.

If David had relied on his own military skill and cunning, he would have risked destruction because his enemies were waiting to pounce on him. However, he chose to rely on the Lord to lead him along the correct path. Believers live in a world hostile to God and His followers (John 16:33), so we need to follow David’s example and acknowledge God as our guide through life.

Proverbs 3:5–6 counsels us specifically not to lean on our own understanding but in all our ways we ought to acknowledge God, and He will give us straight paths. He will not always provide a luxurious, comfortable path, but He always leads us in the right way (Psalm 23:4; 107:7; John 16:33).

Verse 12. Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;for false witnesses have risen against me,and they breathe out violence.

Although David enjoyed victories, he did not become complacent. He knew he needed the Lord’s help to stay safe. The early verses of this psalm described David’s confidence in God and God’s provision (Psalm 27:1–3). And yet, in these later verses, David is asking God for deliverance. This is the right response to our human fears and anxieties: to remember the promises of God and choose to trust in Him despite our worries.

In this passage, David describes his foes as false witnesses. They had been spreading lies about him, and they had sworn to kill him. This might refer to Saul, earlier in David’s life, or to David’s own son, Absalom, who led a violent rebellion (2 Samuel 15:12–14).

The scribes and Pharisees were sworn foes of the Lord Jesus. Luke 11:54 reports that they were “lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.” Matthew 26:3–4 informs us that that the chief priests and elders conspired in the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest, “to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.” Further, the chief priests and members of the Jewish council searched for “false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death” (Matthew 26:59). Finally, two false witnesses came forward to malign Jesus (Matthew 26:60–61). We should never underestimate the length to which enemies of God will go to oppose Him and His people.

Verse 13. I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lordin the land of the living!

This psalm began with David expressing deep confidence in God. Later, however, David also opened his heart by pleading with God for rescue—the very thing he was so sure of. This is a normal part of human experience: what we know, in our minds, often has a difficult time resonating in our fears and emotions. Faith, in Scripture, is trust based on what we know of God, in the face of uncertainty (Hebrews 11:1). In the midst of danger, therefore, David took his worries to God, and trusted that the Lord would be victorious.

The conclusion of David’s prayer is a celebration of the Lord’s goodness. In addition to seeing rescue first-hand, David later was given promises from God to have rest and a lasting heritage (1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 7:11), therefore David anticipated a bright future.

God’s promises to believers are described in 2 Peter 1:4 as “precious and very great.” Hebrews 10:23 admonishes: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” The Lord will never break even one promise; therefore, like David, we can rely on God to keep His promises no matter how bleak our circumstances may be. Also, like David, we can anticipate a bright future, because Jesus promised to return and take us home to be with Him (John 14:1–3).

Verse 14. Wait for the Lord;be strong, and let your heart take courage;wait for the Lord!

David concludes this psalm with an admonition to wait on the Lord. He gives the admonition at the beginning of the verse and repeats it at the end of the verse. Perhaps, David was addressing himself. The structure of this psalm begins with statements of confidence, followed by pleas for rescue, as if David was reminding himself of God’s protection. It’s also possible that in this part of the psalm, David is addressing his soldiers, or the assembly of Israel.

Regardless of the exact aim of this phrase, the admonition is good for everyone who wants to do the Lord’s will. God’s timetable may differ from ours. We tend to want an immediate answer to our prayers, but the Lord is never in a rush. He may not answer us immediately, but He has promised to answer, “in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Waiting on the Lord draws us close to Him and teaches us to be patient.

David also provides another admonition in this closing verse of Psalm 27. He counsels in favor of strength and bravery, grounded in one’s trust of God. Moses imparted this admonition to Joshua when he commissioned him to lead the people of Israel (Deuteronomy 31:7–8). Also, the Lord gave Joshua this advice (Deuteronomy 31:23; Joshua 1:6–7, 9), and Joshua gave it to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh (Joshua 1:12–18).

The Christian life is not easy. There are many adversaries, trials, and temptations. We need to be strong and courageous in the power of the Lord (John 16:33).

End of Psalm 27

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