Psalm 27 2

Psalm 27:2 kjv

When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Psalm 27:2 nkjv

When the wicked came against me To eat up my flesh, My enemies and foes, They stumbled and fell.

Psalm 27:2 niv

When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.

Psalm 27:2 esv

When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.

Psalm 27:2 nlt

When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall.

Psalm 27 verses

Psalm 27 2 Meaning

Psalm 27:2 powerfully articulates David's past experience of divine deliverance. It recalls a time when his enemies, filled with malicious intent, sought his complete destruction, metaphorically desiring to devour his very being. However, by God's intervention, these aggressive adversaries were miraculously defeated, losing their footing and collapsing, thus ensuring David's safety and reaffirming his trust in the Lord as his deliverer and strong defense. This verse establishes the foundation for his fearless confidence expressed in the surrounding psalm.

Psalm 27 2 Context

Psalm 27 is a powerful declaration of David's unwavering confidence in God amidst dire circumstances and threats from his enemies. Verse 2 is critical because it grounds David's present trust (expressed in verse 1) in past experience. He begins by proclaiming the Lord as his light, salvation, and the strength of his life, making rhetorical questions about who he should fear. Verse 2 provides the "because" or "when" behind that confidence. It recalls specific instances (or general pattern) where despite the formidable, malevolent advances of his adversaries, God intervened and caused them to fail spectacularly. This verse therefore does not speak of a future expectation, but of a past reality, setting a precedent for God's protective faithfulness that fuels David's future hope and bold request for continued presence with the Lord in subsequent verses. Historically, David faced relentless persecution from Saul, repeated betrayals, and even rebellion from his son Absalom, providing ample context for enemies "coming against" him with intent to destroy.

Psalm 27 2 Word analysis

• When the wicked (בִּקְרֹב עָלַי רָעִים biqrov 'alay ra'im):

  • "When": Sets a temporal stage, referring to a past or recurrent situation.
  • "the wicked" (ra'im): Plural, from ra, meaning evil, bad, harmful. Denotes individuals driven by malevolent intentions, not just 'unlucky' but morally depraved. They embody active hostility against God's chosen.

• came against me (biqrov 'alay):

  • qarab: To come near, approach, draw close. Implies not merely existing but actively moving towards for confrontation or attack, often with aggressive intent. It signifies a direct, personal assault.

• to eat up my flesh (לֶאֱכֹל אֶת־בְּשָׂרִי lĕ'ekhol 'et-bĕśari):

  • "to eat up" (lĕ'ekhol): Infinitve construct, emphasizing the purpose of their advance. Akal (to eat) used here metaphorically.
  • "my flesh" ('et-bĕśari): Refers to David's whole being, his life, vitality, substance, or reputation. This is a vivid, brutal metaphor for utter destruction, devouring life, vitality, and even leaving nothing behind. It evokes images of predatory animals ripping apart prey, symbolizing the most extreme malice and a desire for total annihilation and dehumanization. It is not literal cannibalism, but a figure of speech indicating utter ruination, the obliteration of one's very existence.

• My adversaries (צָרַי tsaray):

  • From tsarar: To bind, confine, distress, be narrow. Thus, tsaray are those who besiege, oppress, put one in a tight spot, causing anguish and confinement. They represent pressure and restriction.

• and my enemies (וְאֹיְבַי v'oyĕbay):

  • From ayab: To be hostile, hate. Oyeב are personal foes, those filled with enmity and hatred towards him. The conjunction "and" links adversaries and enemies to describe the totality and diverse forms of opposition, highlighting both external pressure and internal malice.

• They stumbled (כָּשְׁלוּ kashlu):

  • From kashal: To totter, stumble, fail, stagger, fall down. It implies a loss of balance or footing, a sudden, unexpected impediment. Often used in scripture to describe divine intervention that causes foes to fail in their designs. It suggests disarray and loss of momentum.

• and fell (וְנָפָלוּ venafalu):

  • From naphal: To fall, collapse, be overthrown, be vanquished. This signifies complete and utter defeat, utter collapse. It's the decisive end to their pursuit, marking the failure of their wicked intent. The sequential "stumbled and fell" denotes the swift and irreversible nature of their downfall.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh": This entire phrase paints a terrifying picture of overwhelming, aggressive, and utterly malevolent forces bent on total destruction. It speaks to the severity of the threat and the profound danger David faced, making his subsequent deliverance all the more miraculous and foundational to his faith. The vivid imagery of consuming flesh conveys an animalistic savagery and intent for utter annihilation.

• "My adversaries and my enemies": This provides an appositive restatement, reinforcing the nature and number of those opposing David. The two terms together encapsulate all forms of hostile opposition—those who cause distress, blockade, hate, and are fundamentally opposed to one's well-being and existence. It suggests the broad spectrum of David's foes.

• "They stumbled and fell": This concluding phrase details the abrupt and complete defeat of these formidable and malicious adversaries. The imagery implies a divine intervention; their plans were thwarted, their momentum broken, and they were utterly overthrown, without David necessarily having to fight them in a conventional sense. This outcome is presented as a past, undeniable reality, giving solid ground to David's confident declaration in the subsequent verses.

Psalm 27 2 Bonus section

The metaphor "to eat up my flesh" or "eat my people like bread" appears elsewhere in the Psalms (e.g., Psa 14:4), indicating a common biblical idiom for the complete ruin and oppression intended by one's enemies, devoid of mercy or sustenance. This is a hyperbolic expression underlining the wicked's intent to consume all life, vitality, and even dignity from their victim. The "stumbling and falling" is a divine judgment against them, aligning with the prophetic declarations where God makes His adversaries stumble and causes their ruin (Isa 8:15). It’s not simply David's physical victory but God’s judgment against unrighteous aggression.

Psalm 27 2 Commentary

Psalm 27:2 serves as a pivotal anchor for the psalmist's resounding confidence in the preceding verse. It does not just speak of an abstract trust in God, but rather a trust validated by concrete, personal experiences of divine deliverance. The enemies, portrayed with vivid, brutal imagery as ravenous beasts "eating flesh," signify a desire for David's utter destruction, not merely defeat but annihilation. This heightened sense of danger amplifies the miraculous nature of their "stumbling and falling," implying a direct, sudden, and complete defeat orchestrated by God Himself. This historical precedent assures David, and by extension the reader, that the Lord is actively engaged in protecting His faithful. It demonstrates that God's power does not merely hold back the wicked but actively causes their plans to unravel and their strength to collapse, turning their malicious pursuit into their own downfall. This past victory empowers David to seek and trust in God's presence and protection in his current trials.