Psalms 27:10-14

27:10 Even if my father and mother abandoned me,

the Lord would take me in.

27:11 Teach me how you want me to live;

lead me along a level path because of those who wait to ambush me!

27:12 Do not turn me over to my enemies,

for false witnesses who want to destroy me testify against me.

27:13 Where would I be if I did not believe I would experience

the Lord’s favor in the land of the living?

27:14 Rely on the Lord!

Be strong and confident! 10 

Rely on the Lord!


tn Or “though my father and mother have abandoned me.”

tn Heb “gather me in”; or “receive me.”

tn Heb “teach me your way.” The Lord’s “way” refers here to the moral principles which he expects the psalmist to follow. See Ps 25:4.

sn The level path refers to God’s moral principles (see the parallel line), which, if followed, will keep the psalmist blameless before his accusers (see v. 12).

tn Heb “because of those who watch me [with evil intent].” See also Pss 5:8; 54:5; 56:2.

tn Heb “do not give me over to the desire of my enemies.”

tn Heb “for they have risen up against me, lying witnesses and a testifier of violence.” The form יָפֵחַ (yafeakh) is traditionally understood as a verb meaning “snort, breathe out”: “for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty” (KJV; cf. BDB 422 s.v.). A better option is to take the form as a noun meaning “a witness” (or “testifier”). See Prov 6:19; 12:17; 14:5, 25; 19:5, 9, and Hab 2:3.

tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is incomplete: “If I had not believed [I would] see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” The words “Where would I be” are supplied in the translation to clarify the intent of the statement.

tn Or “wait.”

10 tn Heb “be strong and let your heart be confident.”