psalm 27 chiastic structure

Read Psalm 27 at Bible Gateway.

Psa 27 Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Psa 27:1a The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? {n}
Psa 27:1b The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psa 27:2a When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, {n}
Psa 27:2b My enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell.
Psa 27:3a Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; {n}
PSa 27:3b Though war may rise against me, in this I will be confident.
Psa 27:4a One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek: {n}
Psa 27:4b That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, {n}
Psa 27:4c To behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple.
Psa 27:5a For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; {n}
Psa 27:5b In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
Psa 27:6a And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; {n}
Psa 27:6b I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
Psa 27:7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
Psa 27:8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Psa 27:9a Do not hide Your face from me; Do not turn Your servant away in anger; {n}
Psa 27:9b You have been my help; do not leave me nor forsake me, O God of my salvation.
Psa 27:10 When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me.
Psa 27:11 Teach me Your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path, because of my enemies.
Psa 27:12 Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries; for false witnesses have risen against me, and such as breathe out violence.
Psa 27:13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.
Psa 27:14 Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord! {p}

Psa 27 chiastic structure:

1a) Psa 27:1, The LORD is my light + salvation + strength; whom shall I fear;

1b) Psa 27:2-3, When my enemies + foes came against me, they stumbled and fell;

1c) Psa 27:4-6, I will seek the LORD’s dwelling place to behold His beauty / He shall hide me in His pavilion;

central axis) Psa 27:7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me, and answer me;

2c) Psa 27:8-10, I will seek the face of the LORD/ do not hide Your face from me;

2b) Psa 27:11-13, Lead me in Your way + do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries;

2a) Psa 27:14 {p} Wait on the LORD; be of good courage + He shall strengthen your heart.

One thing I have desired of the LORD, that will I seek:
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 inquire in His temple. Psa 27:4

The Hebrew word translated “beauty” literally means, delightfulness. Delightful means “that which is highly pleasing,” according to Webster’s. May I dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the delightfulness of the LORD!

All the psalms we have read recently have a similar theme running through them: the delightfulness of the LORD, the excellency of His house/ His dwelling place/ His presence, and for that reason we seek Him and keep our eyes fixed on Him:

LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house,
And the place where Your glory dwells. Psa 26:8

My eyes are ever toward the LORD,
For He shall pluck my feet out of the net. Psa 25:15

This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
Who seek Your face. Psa 24:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psa 23:6

The poor shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the LORD.
Let your heart live forever! Psa 22:26

For You have made him most blessed forever;
You have made him exceedingly glad with Your presence. Psa 21:6

The other theme running through all these psalms is enemies. David had literal enemies trying to kill him. Just because there is probably no one in our lives who is actively trying to harm us like David had in his life, let us not be lulled to sleep into thinking that we have no enemies. Our enemy prowls around us like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet 5:8). David prevailed over his enemies by seeking and remaining in the Lord’s beautiful and delightful presence with praise and thanksgiving, and that is exactly how we will prevail over our enemy also!