Psa 26 | CPDV | STEP | A Psalm of David, before he was sealed. The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalms 26

Dominus illuminatio.

David’s faith and hope in God.

1 A Psalm of David, before he was sealed. ^{▼▼26:1 Before he was sealed: Or, ‘before he was anointed.’ David is similar in many respects to the great monarch, who will receive the visible seal of God on his forehead, prior to beginning his reign as king of that vast territory formerly occupied by the Arab nations (led by Iraq and Iran).(Conte)}

The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the protector of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?
2 Meanwhile, the guilty draw near to me, so as to eat my flesh.
Those who trouble me, my enemies, have themselves been weakened and have fallen.
3 If entrenched armies were to stand together against me, my heart would not fear.
If a battle were to rise up against me, I would have hope in this.
4 One thing I have asked of the Lord, this I will seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
so that I may behold the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple.
5 For he has hidden me in his tabernacle.
In the day of evils, he has protected me in the hidden place of his tabernacle. ^{▼▼26:5During the latter half of the Antichrist’s reign (3.5 years), a part of the Church will be hidden from the world in a secret place.(Conte)}
6 He has exalted me upon the rock, and now he has exalted my head above my enemies.
I have circled around and offered a sacrifice of loud exclamation in his tabernacle.
I will sing, and I will compose a psalm, to the Lord. ^{▼▼26:6The word ‘vociferationis’ does not refer specifically to jubilation, but to a loud, even disruptive outcry, either of protest or of gladness. The Rock upon which he is exalted is the Church. This psalm is about David, who composed psalms to the Lord; therefore, the translation ‘compose a psalm’ is more fitting than merely ‘recite a psalm.’ Also, the word psalm is singular here. If the meaning were merely to recite rather than to compose, then the word psalm would likely be plural.(Conte)}
7 Hear my voice, O Lord, with which I have cried out to you.
Have mercy on me, and hear me.
8 My heart has spoken to you; my face has sought you.
I yearn for your face, O Lord.
9 Do not turn your face away from me.
In your wrath, do not turn aside from your servant. Be my helper.
Do not abandon me, and do not despise me, O God, my Savior.
10 For my father and my mother have left me behind, but the Lord has taken me up.
11 O Lord, establish a law for me in your way,
and direct me in the right path, because of my enemies.
12 Do not surrender me to the souls of those who trouble me.
For unjust witnesses have risen up against me, and iniquity has lied to itself.
13 I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord, act manfully; and let your heart be strengthened, and remain with the Lord. ^{▼▼26:14Most translations obscure this male reference (‘viriliter’), or drop the phrase entirely. “... and if anyone takes away from the words in this prophetic book, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city described in this book.” (Rev 22:19). This translation does not omit or deliberately obscure gender-specific references in the words of Sacred Scripture.(Conte)}