“I believe
That I shall see the goodness of Yahweh
In the land of the living!
Wait for Yahweh!
Be strong!
Let your heart take courage!
Wait for Yahweh!”
David would see the goodness of Yahweh during his lifetime in the land of the living. He only had to wait for Yahweh. He had to be strong and take courage. He needed the patience to wait for the coming of Yahweh.
“Teach me your way!
Yahweh!
Lead me on a level path,
Because of my enemies!
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries!
False witnesses have risen against me.
They are breathing out violence.”
Yahweh was to be his teacher. Yahweh would lead him through a level path because of his enemies. He did not want to be given up to his adversaries. These false witnesses had risen up in violence against him. He wanted Yahweh to teach him the ways of the straight level path.
“Hear!
Yahweh!
When I cry aloud,
Be gracious to me!
Answer me!
Come!
My heart says.
‘Seek his face!
I seek your face!
Yahweh!’
Do not hide your face from me!
Do not turn your servant away in anger!
You have been my help!
Do not cast me off!
Do not forsake me!
O God of my salvation!
If my father and my mother have forsaken me,
Yahweh will take me up.”
This seems to be the song or chant that David sang in the Temple. He wanted Yahweh to listen to his cry or plea. He wanted Yahweh to be gracious to him. He wanted to seek the face of Yahweh. He did not want Yahweh to turn his face away in anger. Yahweh had been helpful. He did not want him to cast him off or forsake him. Yahweh was his God of salvation. Even if his parents abandoned him, Yahweh would always be there for him.
“Now my head is lifted up above.
My enemies are all around me.
I will offer in his tent
Sacrifices with shouts of joy.
I will sing.
I will make melody to Yahweh.”
David’s head was lifted above all his enemies who were all around him. He was going to offer sacrifices in the tent or Temple of Yahweh. He was going to sing and make melody to Yahweh. However, the problem was that only the Levites and priests could make the sacrifices in the Temple. David was not a Levite.
“He will hide me in his shelter.
In the day of trouble,
He will conceal me
Under the cover of his tent.
He will set me high on a rock.”
Yahweh will protect David. He will hide him in his shelter. If ever there was any trouble, Yahweh would hide him under his tent. On the other hand he might protect him by putting him high on a rock. The tent and the high rock might be reference to the Temple on Mount Zion.
“One thing
I asked of Yahweh.
That will I seek after.
I want to live in the house of Yahweh.
All the days of my life,
I want to behold the beauty of Yahweh.
I want to search in his temple.”
David had one request of Yahweh. He wanted to live in the house of Yahweh, in the Temple. He wanted to live his whole life in the Temple, searching around it. He wanted to admire the beauty of Yahweh all the days of his life. The one problem was that he was not a Levite.
“Although an army encamps against me,
My heart shall not fear.
Although war arise up against me,
Yet I will be confident.”
Nothing can sway David. Even if an army came against him, his heart would not fear anything. Even if the war was imminent, he would have confidence in Yahweh. His confidence was sky high.
“When evildoers assail me,
When they try to devour my flesh,
My adversaries and foes,
They shall stumble and fall.”
Straightforward, if the evildoers tried to attack David, they would stumble and fall. Even when his adversaries and foes tried to devour his flesh, they would fail. They had no chance of success.
“A psalm of David
Yahweh is my light.
Yahweh is my salvation.
Whom shall I fear?
Yahweh is the stronghold of my life.
Whom shall I be afraid of?”
Once again, Psalm 27 is a psalm of David about deliverance. Who should he fear? Yahweh was his light, his salvation, and his stronghold. He had no one to fear because Yahweh was on his side. Yahweh was the light and salvation of David. Those in the light are saved. Who should he fear if Yahweh was on his side? There was no one else to fear. Yahweh was his stronghold or fortress, against all attacks.
Eugene Finnegan Bible Project 