ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

Psalms 27

Book: Psalms · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV (ASV)

"1. A Psalm of David. Jehova is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? Jehovah is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid? 2. When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh, Even mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. 3. Though a host should encamp against me, My heart shall not fear: Though war should rise against me, Even then will I be confident. 4. One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of Jehovah, And to inquire in his temple. 5. For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion: In the covert of his tabernacle will he hide me; He will lift me up upon a rock. 6. And now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. And I will offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto Jehovah. 7. Hear, O Jehovah, when I cry with my voice: Have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; My heart said unto thee, Thy face, Jehovah, will I seek. 9. Hide not thy face from me; Put not thy servant away in anger: Thou hast been my help; Cast me not off, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10. When my father and my mother forsake me, Then Jehovah will take me up. 11. Teach me thy way, O Jehovah; And lead me in a plain path, Because of mine enemies. 12. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine adversaries: For false witnesses are risen up against me, And such as breathe out cruelty. 13. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of Jehovah In the land of the living. 14. Wait for Jehovah: Be strong, And let thy heart take courage; Yea, wait thou for Jehovah." (Psalms 27:1-14, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. By David. Yahweh is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? Yahweh is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? 2. When evildoers came at me to eat up my flesh, even my adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. 3. Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear. Though war should rise against me, even then I will be confident. 4. One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in Yahweh’s house all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple. 5. For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion. In the covert of his tabernacle he will hide me. He will lift me up on a rock. 6. Now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me; I will offer sacrifices of joy in his tent. I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to Yahweh. 7. Hear, Yahweh, when I cry with my voice. Have mercy also on me, and answer me. 8. When you said, “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “I will seek your face, Yahweh.” 9. Don’t hide your face from me. Don’t put your servant away in anger. You have been my help. Don’t abandon me, neither forsake me, God of my salvation. 10. When my father and my mother forsake me, then Yahweh will take me up. 11. Teach me your way, Yahweh. Lead me in a straight path, because of my enemies. 12. Don’t deliver me over to the desire of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen up against me, such as breathe out cruelty. 13. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of Yahweh in the land of the living. 14. Wait for Yahweh. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for Yahweh." (Psalms 27:1-14, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. 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? 2. When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. came: Heb. approached against me 3. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4. One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. the beauty: or, the delight 5. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6. 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. joy: Heb. shouting 7. Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. 8. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek. When: or, My heart said unto thee, Let my face seek thy face, etc 9. Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. take: Heb. gather me 11. Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies. a plain: Heb. a way of plainness mine: Heb. those which observe me 12. Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty. 13. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Psalms 27:1-14, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. By David. Jehovah [is] my light and my salvation, Whom do I fear? Jehovah [is] the strength of my life, Of whom am I afraid? 2. When evil doers come near to me to eat my flesh, My adversaries and mine enemies to me, They have stumbled and fallen. 3. Though a host doth encamp against me, My heart doth not fear, Though war riseth up against me, In this I [am] confident. 4. One [thing] I asked of Jehovah, it I seek. My dwelling in the house of Jehovah, All the days of my life, To look on the pleasantness of Jehovah, And to inquire in His temple. 5. For He hideth me in a tabernacle in the day of evil, He hideth me in a secret place of His tent, On a rock he raiseth me up. 6. And now, lifted up is my head, Above my enemies, my surrounders, And I sacrifice in His tent sacrifices of shouting, I sing, yea, I sing praise to Jehovah. 7. Hear, O Jehovah, my voice, I call, And favour me, and answer me. 8. To Thee said my heart 'They sought my face, Thy face, O Jehovah, I seek.' 9. Hide not Thy face from me, Turn not aside in anger Thy servant, My help Thou hast been. Leave me not, nor forsake me, O God of my salvation. 10. When my father and my mother Have forsaken me, then doth Jehovah gather me. 11. Shew me, O Jehovah, Thy way, And lead me in a path of uprightness, For the sake of my beholders. 12. Give me not to the will of my adversaries, For risen against me have false witnesses, And they breathe out violence to me. 13. I had not believed to look on the goodness of Jehovah In the land of the living! 14. Look unto Jehovah, be strong, And He doth strengthen thy heart, Yea, look unto Jehovah!" (Psalms 27:1-14, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: various (David majority; Asaph, Korah, Moses, Solomon, anonymous)
  • Audience: worshipping Israel (corporate + individual devotion)
  • Location: Israel, various periods
  • Time period: composition spans c. 1400 BC (Moses, Ps 90), c. 400 BC; principal Davidic composition c. 1000 BC

Theological reading

Key words

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.