Psalm 27:3 - Printer Friendly

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

NIV: Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.

NASB: If an army encamps against me, My heart will not fear; If war arises against me, In spite of this I am confident.

CSB: Though an army deploys against me, my heart will not be afraid; though a war breaks out against me, I will still be confident.

NLT: Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident.

KJV: Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

NKJV: Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear; Though war may rise against me, In this 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).

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.

David lays out the reasons he should be confident in God's protection. David then transitions, almost abruptly, into heartfelt pleas for God to rescue him from his enemies. The impression is that David is experiencing natural human anxiety and responding by reminding himself of God's goodness. The psalm ends with the same assurance expressed when it began.

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.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.