Psalm 27:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Of David. 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?

NIV: Of David. 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?

NASB: The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom should I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; Whom should I dread?

CSB: The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life -- whom should I dread?

NLT: The Lord is my light and my salvation — so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble?

KJV: {A Psalm of David.} The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

NKJV: {A Psalm of David.} The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

The Lord is David's light, salvation, and stronghold. Each of these terms has significance in Hebrew thinking.

Light is a common metaphor in the Bible for knowledge, truth, and goodness. This was the ultimate ideal of the people of Israel, much as ancient Greeks valued knowledge, or Romans valued glory, and modern Americans speak of freedom. As his light, the Lord was the source of David's joy, understanding, and life.

As his salvation, the Lord was David's deliverer from his enemies. To be "saved" is to be rescued from something. Though David was a warrior, even in his own successes he never forgot that it was ultimately God who gave him victory.

The word "stronghold" implies a place of security and safety. The Hebrew term is mā'oz, which can also be translated as a "refuge," or even as a "harbor." The Lord was like a fortress that kept David safe.

As David thinks about the Lord filling these roles, he recognizes he has no reason to fear anyone. Like David, we have no reason to fear, because the Lord keeps us safe. The apostle Paul affirmed that "God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1:7). It has been observed that there are enough exhortations in the Bible to "fear not" that we can assign a unique one to every day of the year.

As David shows later in the psalm, "knowing" that one ought not be afraid does not mean one will never actually experience fear. His pleas beginning in verse 7 are those of someone who trusts God to assuage the very human fear he is feeling.

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.