Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 27

The Lord is my light - He is to me the source of light. That is, He guides and leads me. Darkness is the emblem of distress, trouble, perplexity, and sorrow; light is the emblem of the opposite of these. God provided him such light that these troubles disappeared, and his way was bright and happy.

And my salvation - That is, He saves or delivers me.

Whom shall I fear? - Compare Romans 8:31. If God is on our side, or is for us, we can have no apprehension of danger. He is abundantly able to protect us, and we may confidently trust in Him. No one needs any better security against the objects of fear or dread than the conviction that God is his friend.

The Lord is the strength of my life - The support of my life. Or, in other words, He keeps me alive. In itself life is feeble, and is easily crushed out by trouble and sorrow; but as long as God is its strength, there is nothing to fear.

Of whom shall I be afraid? - No one has power to take life away while He defends me. God is to those who put their trust in Him a stronghold or fortress, and they are safe.

When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me - This refers, undoubtedly, to some particular period of his past life when he was in very great danger, and when God intervened to save him.

The margin here is, “approached against me.” The literal rendering would be, “in the drawing near against me of the wicked to eat up my flesh.”

The reference is to some period when they intended an attack upon him, and when he was in imminent danger from such a threatened attack.

To eat up my flesh - As if they would eat me up. That is, they came upon me like ravenous wolves or hungry lions. We should not suppose that they literally intended to eat his flesh, or that they were cannibals; but the comparison is drawn from the fierceness of wild beasts rushing on their prey. .

They stumbled and fell - They were overthrown. They failed in their purpose. Either they were thrown into a panic by a false fear, or they were overthrown in battle.

The language would be more applicable to the former, as if some alarm threw them into consternation. Either they differed among themselves and became confused, or God threw obstacles in their way and they were driven back. The general idea is that God had intervened in some way to prevent the execution of their plans.

Though an host - Though an “army;” that is, any army, or any number of men in battle array. The past intervention of God in similar times of trouble and danger was to him a sufficient security that he had nothing to fear.

Should encamp against me - In battle array, or prepared for battle.

My heart shall not fear - He would not tremble; he would not feel that there was anything to be afraid of. God had shown Himself superior to the power of hostile armies, and the psalmist felt assured that he might confide in Him.

Though war should rise against me - Though it should be proclaimed, and though all preparation should be made for it, I will not be afraid.

In this will I be confident - In such a case, in such an extremity or emergency, I would calmly trust in God. He would apprehend no danger, for he had seen that the Lord could deliver him.

One thing I have desired of the Lord - One main object; one thing that I have especially desired; one thing which has been the object of my constant wish. The psalmist has more than once referred to this ruling desire of his heart in the previous psalms (Psalms 26:8); and he frequently refers to it in the subsequent psalms.

That will I seek after - As the leading object of my life; as the thing which I most earnestly desire.

That I may dwell in the house of the Lord - See the notes at Psalms 23:6.

All the days of my life - Constantly; to the end. Though engaged in other things, and though there were other objects of interest in the world, yet he felt that it would be supreme felicity on earth to dwell always in the temple of God, and to be employed in its sacred services, preparatory to an eternal residence in the temple above. To him the service of God on earth was not burdensome, nor did he anticipate that he would ever become weary of praising his Maker. How can a man be prepared for an eternal heaven who finds the worship of God on earth irksome and tedious?

To behold the beauty of the Lord - Margin, “the delight.” The word translated “beauty” here—נעם (nô‛am)—means properly “pleasantness;” then, “beauty, splendor;” then, “grace, favor.”

The reference here is to the beauty or loveliness of the divine character as it was particularly manifested in the public worship of God, or by those symbols which in the ancient worship were designed to make that character known.

In the tabernacle and in the temple there was a manifestation of the character of God not seen elsewhere. The whole worship was adapted to set forth his greatness, his glory, and his grace.

Great truths were brought before the mind, fitted to elevate, to comfort, and to sanctify the soul; and it was in the contemplation of those truths that the psalmist sought to elevate and purify his own mind, and to sustain himself in the troubles and perplexities of life. Compare to Psalms 73:15-17.

And to inquire in his temple - Or tabernacle. The word used here would be applicable to either, considered as the “palace” or the residence of Yahweh.

As the temple was not, however, built at this time, the word must here be understood to refer to the tabernacle. See the notes at Psalms 5:7.

The meaning of the passage is that he would wish to seek instruction, or to obtain light on the great questions pertaining to God, and that he looked for this light in the place where God was worshipped, and by means of the views which that worship was adapted to convey to the mind.

In a manner still more direct and full may we now hope to obtain just views of God by attendance on his worship. The Christian sanctuary—the place of public worship—is the place where, if anywhere on earth, we may hope to have our minds enlightened; our perplexities removed; our hearts comforted and sanctified, by right views of God.

For in the time of trouble - When I am surrounded by dangers, or when affliction comes upon me.

He shall hide me - The word used here means to hide; to conceal; and then, to defend or protect. It would properly be applied to one who had fled from oppression, or from any impending evil, and who would be concealed in a house or cavern, and thus rendered safe from pursuers, or from the threatening evil.

In his pavilion - The word “pavilion” means “tent” or “tabernacle.” The Hebrew word - סכה sukâh - properly means a booth, hut, or cot formed of green branches interwoven (Jonah 4:5; Job 27:18; see the notes at Isaiah 4:6). Then it is applied to tents made of skins (Leviticus 23:43; 2 Samuel 11:11). It thus is used to denote the tabernacle, considered as the dwelling place of God on earth, and the meaning here is, that God would hide him as it were in His own dwelling; He would admit him near to Himself; He would take care that he should be protected as if he were one of His own family, as a man protects those whom he admits to his own abode.

In the secret of his tabernacle - In the most retired and private part of His dwelling. He would not merely admit him to His premises; not only to the vestibule of His house; not only to the open court, or to the parts of His house frequented by the rest of His family; but He would admit him to the private apartments—the place to which He Himself withdrew to be alone, and where no stranger, and not even one of the family, would venture to intrude.

Nothing could more certainly denote friendship, and nothing could more certainly ensure protection, than thus to be taken into the private apartment where the master of a family was accustomed to withdraw to be alone; and therefore, nothing can more beautifully describe the protection God will give His friends than the idea of thus admitting them to the secret apartments of His own dwelling place.

He shall set me up upon a rock - A place where I shall be secure; a place inaccessible to my enemies (Psalms 19:14, margin; Psalms 61:2; Psalms 71:3). The meaning is, that he would be safe from all his enemies.