Psalms 27 - Introduction

This Psalm to some extent follows the pattern of Psalms 25. There also a prayer of confidence and certainty (Psalms 25:3), was followed by an urgent plea for help (Psalms 25:16). It is often thus with the people of God in the place of prayer. As their eyes are turned upwards towards God and His ways, confidence overflows, and nothing can distress them. They can move mountains. All is serene. And then the eyes turn on the problems around and at that point entreaty becomes urgent, and even desperate, as the pressing needs are considered and ‘earthly reality' takes over. It was thus with the Psalmist. The change of emphasis is underlined, not only by the words, but also by the change in poetic structure. The smooth rendition in the first half (Psalms 27:1) suddenly becomes rough in the second half. For while he is confident in God, he is deeply aware of the parlousness of his position as one cast off even by his family, and it is tearing his heart apart..

The explanation for why the compiler positioned this Psalm after Psalms 26 can be found if we compare Psalms 27:7 with Psalms 26:11, and Psalms 27:11 with Psalms 26:12. There are similarities of thought.

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‘A Psalm of David.'