Psalms 27:13

_I HAD FAINTED, UNLESS I HAD BELIEVED TO SEE THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING._ Conclusion-summing up the psalm. The goodness of the Lord is the antidote to fear amidst troubles; only let us wait on the Lord, and He will strengthen us. Verse 13. (I HAD FAINTED), UNLESS ... LAND OF THE LIVING - i:e., in this life (Ezekiel 26:20). His heart is too full of confidence in God actually to utter the language of despair, "I had fainted:" he therefore leaves it to be understood. On "see (experience) the goodness of the Lord" cf. Psalms 25:7; Psalms 31:19; Zechariah 9:17: cf....

13._Unless I had believed to see the goodness of Jehovah. _It is generally agreed among interpreters, that this sentence is incomplete. Some, however, are of opinion, that the Hebrew particle לולא _lulë, _is used for the purpose of affirmation, as if it were a species of oath; the Hebrews being accustomed to swear elliptically; for breaking off in the middle of the discourse and leaving it imperfect, they supplied an imprecation, namely, that God would punish them in case they perjured themselves. But the greater number give a different interpretation, namely, that David intimates that he was supported solely by faith, otherwise he had perished a hundred times. The meaning which they elicit, accordingly, is, Had I not relied on the promise of God, and been assuredly persuaded that he would safely preserve me, and had I not continued firm in this persuasion, I had utterly perished: There...

7-14 Wherever the believer is, he can find a way to the throne of grace by prayer. God calls us by his Spirit, by his word, by his worship, and by special providences, merciful and afflicting. When we are foolishly making court to lying vanities, God is, in love to us, calling us to seek our own mercies in him. The call is general, "Seek ye my face;" but we must apply it to ourselves, "I will seek it." The word does us no good, when we do not ourselves accept the exhortation: a gracious heart readily answers to the call of a gracious God, being made willing in the day of his power. The psalmist requests the favour of the Lord; the continuance of his presence with him; the benefit of Divine guidance, and the benefit of Divine protection. God's time to help those that trust in him, is, when all other helpers fail. He is a surer and better Friend than earthly parents are, or can be. What w...

Verse Psalms 27:13. I HAD FAINTED, _UNLESS I HAD BELIEVED_] The words in italics are supplied by our translators; but, far from being necessary, they injure the sense. Throw out the words _I had_ _fainted_, and leave a _break_ after the verse, and the elegant figure of the psalmist will be preserved: "Unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" ----What! what, alas! should have become of me! Dr. _Hammond_ has observed that there is a remarkable elegance in the original, which, by the use of the beautiful figure _aposiopesis_, makes an abrupt breaking off in the midst of a speech. He compares it to the speech of _Neptune_ to the winds that had raised the tempest to drown the fleet of AEneas.-_AEneid_. lib. i., ver. 131. Eurum ad se zephyrumque vocat

I HAD FAINTED, UNLESS I HAD BELIEVED - The words “I had fainted” are supplied by the translators, but they undoubtedly express the true sense of the passage. The psalmist refers to the state of mind produced by the efforts of his enemies to destroy him, as mentioned in Psalms 27:12. So numerous, mighty, and formidable were they, that he says his only support was his faith in God; his belief that he would yet be permitted to see the goodness of God upon the earth. In this time of perplexity and trial he had confidence in God, and believed that He would uphold him, and would permit him to see the evidences of His goodness and mercy while yet on the earth. What was the ground of this confidence he does not say, but he had the fullest belief that this would be so. He may have had some special assurance of it, or he may have had a deep internal conviction of it, suff

EXPOSITION THIS psalm is one of those which have been called "composite"; and certainly it falls into two parts which offer the strongest possible contrast the one to the other. Part 1. (Psalms 27:1) is altogether joyous and jubilant. It records, as has been said, "the triumph of a warrior's faith." Part 2. (Psalms 27:7) is sad and plaintive. It pleads for mercy and forgiveness (Psalms 27:8). It complains of desertion (Psalms 27:10), calumny (Psalms 27:12), and imminent danger ...

[I HAD FAINTED],.... When false witnesses rose up against him, and threatened to take away his life, and the life of his friends, in the most barbarous and cruel manner: the people of God are subject to faintings, in the present state of things; by reason of afflictions; because of the nature, number, and continuance of them; and especially when they apprehend them to be in wrath and sore displeasure: and on account of their sins, and the corruptions of their hearts; fearing lest there should be no pardon for them; or that the true work of grace is not in them; or that they shall fall, to the dishonour of the name of God, and to the reproach of his, cause and interest; or that they shall perish eternally: likewise, by reason of Satan's temptations, which are sometimes so grievous, that if Christ did not pray for them, their faith would fail; and also on account of the hidings of God's fa...

Psalms 27:1. _The Lord is my light and my salvation;_ First comes light, and then salvation. We are not saved in ignorance; the knowledge of our sinfulness is revealed to us, we discover our true condition in the sight of God, and then we perceive the mercy and the love of God. We see first the light and then the fullness of salvation, for this is not a matter of the past only, but of the present. At this very hour, each believer can say, «The Lord is my light and my salvation.» Can you say that, dear friend? If so, there is more real eloquence in that little sentence than in all the orations of Cicero. Psalms 27:1. _Whom shall I fear?_ «There is nobody that I have any need to fear. I need not fear the powers of darkness, for ‘the Lord is my light.' I need not fear damnat

Psalms 27 Holy Longings and Anticipations _ 1. Confidence in the Lord (Psalms 27:1)_ 2. Longings and anticipations (Psalms 27:4) 3. Earnest prayer in trial and trust in the Lord (Psalms 27:7) Psalms 27:1. This Psalm leads us deeper. We repeat that primarily it is a rehearsal of David's experience, perhaps at the time of Absalom's rebellion. Here faith breaks through in triumph, with deep longings for the house of the Lord and for His presence, which is followed by a description of the trials through which the godly Israelites wi

XXVII. Many scholars hold that we have here two Pss., and not without reason. Psalms 27:1 is the expression of childlike trust under favourable circumstances: in Psalms 27:7 the poet is in grievous affliction and implores Yahweh's help. PSALMS 27:10. Read _mg._...