Psalm 27:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.

NASB: And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer sacrifices in His tent with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.

CSB: Then my head will be high above my enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy. I will sing and make music to the Lord.

NLT: Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At his sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.

KJV: And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.

NKJV: And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises 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).

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.