Psalm 27
The full text of Psalm 27 in the Trinity Bible Version — clear modern English, translated from the original Hebrew. Free to read.
Of David.
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?
2 When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes—
it is they who stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.
4 One thing have I asked 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 gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, 'Seek my face.'
My heart says to you,
'Your face, LORD, do I seek.'
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!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
but the LORD will take me in.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they breathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the LORD;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the LORD!
Translation notes (5)
- Psalm 27:2a The Hebrew le'ekhol et-besari, 'to eat up my flesh', may picture enemies as ravening beasts, but a cognate Aramaic idiom, 'to eat the pieces of' someone, means to slander or accuse maliciously, as in Daniel 3:8. The translation preserves the literal image while the sense of hostile accusation fits the adversaries named in the parallel lines.
- Psalm 27:4a The word heykhal (הֵיכָל), 'temple' or 'palace', need not presuppose Solomon's building; it is used of the sanctuary at Shiloh in 1 Samuel 1:9 and 3:3, and here denotes the LORD's dwelling place broadly. The 'beauty' the psalmist longs to gaze upon is noam, 'pleasantness' or 'delightfulness', as in Psalm 90:17.
- Psalm 27:8a The Hebrew phrase "to you my heart has said" describes a response to a divine invitation with wholehearted pursuit.
- Psalm 27:10a The Hebrew particle ki with the perfect verb is best taken concessively, 'though my father and my mother forsake me,' describing an extreme hypothesis rather than an accomplished fact. The verb ya'asfeni, from asaph, 'to gather', rendered here as 'will take me in', pictures the LORD receiving the abandoned child into his own household.
- Psalm 27:13a The Hebrew verse begins with lule', meaning "if not" or "unless." This is an aposiopesis, a broken-off sentence that expresses near-despair overcome by faith.
About this translation
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