לְדָוִד יְהוָה אוֹרִי וְיִשְׁעִי מִמִּי אִירָא יְהוָה מָעוֹז־חַיַּי מִמִּי אֶפְחָד׃   27:1

Psal. 27:1   Of David's:

                      The Lord is my Light and my salvation.

                               On whose account shall I fear?

                      The Lord is the Strength of my life.

                               Of whom shall I be afraid?

The thoughts expressed in this psalm bespeak of great courage and confidence, and that these come from believing in the Lord’s goodness to and love for David.

בִּקְרֹב עָלַי מְרֵעִים לֶאֱכֹל אֶת־בְּשָׂרִי צָרַי וְאֹיְבַי לִי הֵמָּה כָשְׁלוּ וְנָפָלוּ׃   27:2

Psal. 27:2   When evil doers came upon me to consume my flesh

                                -- enemies and adversaries of mine

                      -- they stumbled and fell.

אִם־תַּחֲנֶה עָלַי מַחֲנֶה לֹא־יִירָא לִבִּי אִם־תָּקוּם עָלַי מִלְחָמָה בְּזֹאת אֲנִי בוֹטֵחַ׃   27:3

Psal. 27:3   If a host should encamp against me,

                               my heart would not fear.

                      If war should be waged against me,

                                I would be confident in it.

אַחַת שָׁאַלְתִּי מֵאֵת־יְהוָה אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ שִׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית־יְהוָה כָּל־יְמֵי חַיַּי לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם־יְהוָה וּלְבַקֵּר   27:4   בְּהֵיכָלוֹ׃

Psal. 27:4   One thing do I desire from the Lord,

                               this would I seek:

                      Dwelling in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

                               to behold the splendor of the Lord

                      and to inquire in His Temple.

כִּי יִצְפְּנֵנִי בְּסֻכֹּה בְּיוֹם רָעָה יַסְתִּרֵנִי בְּסֵתֶר אָהֳלוֹ בְּצוּר יְרוֹמְמֵנִי׃   27:5

Psal. 27:5   For He will protect me in His pavilion in time of trouble.

                              He will hide me in the cover of His tabernacle.

                      On a rock will He set me.

וְעַתָּה יָרוּם רֹאשִׁי עַל אֹיְבַי סְבִיבוֹתַי וְאֶזְבְּחָה בְאָהֳלוֹ זִבְחֵי תְרוּעָה אָשִׁירָה וַאֲזַמְּרָה לַיהוָה׃   27:6

Psal. 27:6   And henceforth my head will be placed above my enemies surrounding me.

                              Then I shall offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy.

                      I will sing and give praise to the Lord.

שְׁמַע־יְהוָה קוֹלִי אֶקְרָא וְחָנֵּנִי וַעֲנֵנִי׃   27:7

Psal. 27:7   Hear, O Lord, my cry!

                               I will call out and You will favor me and answer me.

לְךָ אָמַר לִבִּי בַּקְּשׁוּ פָנָי אֶת־פָּנֶיךָ יְהוָה אֲבַקֵּשׁ׃   27:8

Psal. 27:8   My heart speaks for You:  "Seek My ‘face!’"

                              Your ‘face,’ O Lord, will I seek.

אַל־תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי אַל־תַּט־בְּאַף עַבְדֶּךָ עֶזְרָתִי הָיִיתָ אַל־תִּטְּשֵׁנִי וְאַל־תַּעַזְבֵנִי אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעִי׃   27:9

Psal. 27:9   May You not hide Your ‘face’ from me;

                              May you not turn Your servant away in “anger.”

                      You are my Helper;

                              You will not leave me,

                      and You will not forsake me, O God of my salvation.

כִּי־אָבִי וְאִמִּי עֲזָבוּנִי וַיהוָה יַאַסְפֵנִי׃   27:10

Psal. 27:10   Although my father and my mother forsake me,

                               yet the Lord will receive me.

הוֹרֵנִי יְהוָה דַּרְכֶּךָ וּנְחֵנִי בְּאֹרַח מִישׁוֹר לְמַעַן שׁוֹרְרָי׃   27:11

Psal. 27:11   Teach me, O Lord, Your way

                                and lead me in the right path,

                        because of my enemies.

אַל־תִּתְּנֵנִי בְּנֶפֶשׁ צָרָי כִּי קָמוּ־בִי עֵדֵי־שֶׁקֶר וִיפֵחַ חָמָס׃   27:12

Psal. 27:12   May You not deliver me into the body of my enemies,

                                 for witnesses of deceit and breathers of violence rise up against me.

לוּלֵא הֶאֱמַנְתִּי לִרְאֹות בְּטוּב־יְהוָה בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים׃   27:13

Psal. 27:13   If I had not believed to gaze on the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

This somewhat strange exclamation seems to be expressing David’s thought that he might not be saved if he had not believed in the Lord’s goodness.  Or that he might be very frightened.  The next verse (as well as earlier ones in this psalm -- see for example vss. 1 and 3) seems to confirm both these ideas.

קַוֵּה אֶל־יְהוָה חֲזַק וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ וְקַוֵּה אֶל־יְהוָה׃   27:14

Psal. 27:14   Wait on the Lord! Take courage!

                                 Then He will strengthen your heart.

                        So wait on the Lord!

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