Psalm 27:11 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

NIV: Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.

NASB: Teach me Your way, Lord, And lead me on a level path Because of my enemies.

CSB: Because of my adversaries, show me your way, Lord, and lead me on a level path.

NLT: Teach me how to live, O Lord. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me.

KJV: Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

NKJV: Teach me Your way, O Lord, And lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.

Here, David prays for guidance from the Lord. Scripture often compares obtaining godly knowledge to smoothing out a path (Proverbs 3:6; 11:5; Isaiah 26:7). The Bible warns that what sometimes seems like the right way can lead to disaster (Proverbs 14:12). That's true in both spiritual and earthly situations. In this case, David's prayer seems to cover both aspects. While he routinely prayed for guidance and wisdom (Psalm 25:4), here David is praying for a future free from literal traps and ambushes.

If David had relied on his own military skill and cunning, he would have risked destruction because his enemies were waiting to pounce on him. However, he chose to rely on the Lord to lead him along the correct path. Believers live in a world hostile to God and His followers (John 16:33), so we need to follow David's example and acknowledge God as our guide through life.

Proverbs 3:5–6 counsels us specifically not to lean on our own understanding but in all our ways we ought to acknowledge God, and He will give us straight paths. He will not always provide a luxurious, comfortable path, but He always leads us in the right way (Psalm 23:4; 107:7; John 16:33).

Psalm 27:7–14 reveals that David, while he commits his faith to God, is not immune from fear. In the prior section of this psalm, David stated his reasons to be confident in the Lord. Here, however, David seems to be pleading for those exact protections. Like anyone else, David experienced anxiety. Rather than succumbing to fear, however, David chose to trust God, remind himself of God's protection, and come to the Lord in prayer. This is concluded with another expression of trust in God.

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.