Albert Barnes Commentary Psalms 27:2

"When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh, [Even] mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell." — Psalms 27:2 (ASV)

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.