Old Testament · Poetry

Psalm 27

One Thing I Ask

One request above all others: to dwell in the house of the Lord and gaze upon His beauty. Everything else is secondary.

King James Version BSB KJV

Tap any verse number for what that verse means.

1The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

2When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

3Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

4One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; 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 enquire in his temple.

5For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

6And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

7Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

9Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

10When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

11Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

12Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

13I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

14Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Understand This

Psalm 27, explained

What Psalm 27 is saying

Psalm 27 is a composite psalm of trust and lament. The first section (vv. 1–6) declares extraordinary confidence—'The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?'—culminating in the 'one thing' (achat) petition: to dwell in God's house and gaze upon His beauty (no'am). The second section (vv. 7–14) shifts to urgent petition, revealing vulnerability beneath the bravado. The final verse's self-exhortation to 'wait for the LORD' (qavveh el-YHWH) becomes a bridge between confidence and patience.

The background behind it

The tonal shift between the two halves has led some scholars to propose two originally separate compositions, but the tension between confidence and vulnerability may be intentionally preserved as a realistic portrait of faith. The phrase 'Your face, LORD, I will seek' reflects the theology of divine presence central to Israelite worship.

Themes running underneath

The 'one thing' theology—reducing all desire to a single, all-encompassing pursuit of God's presence—represents the psalm's most significant contribution. The parental abandonment imagery ('When my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me') addresses the deepest human fear of being utterly alone.

Why it still matters

Psalm 27 models a faith that is simultaneously bold and honest about fear. Its 'one thing' desire challenges the fragmentation of modern spiritual life into competing priorities, inviting a radical simplification of purpose.

This is one chapter. BibleKey does all 1,189.

Tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and follow every cross-reference without losing your place.

Get BibleKey

All 150 chapters of Psalms · Every book of the Bible · Browse by topic

Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.