God & Savior

Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— whom shall I dread?
Psalm 27:1
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Study notes

Because the Lord is his light, salvation and stronghold, the psalmist asks whom he could possibly fear.

Explanation

Light, salvation and stronghold: each describes what God is to the one who trusts Him. The two questions are not real doubts. They are bold statements that no one is greater than the God who protects him.

Original language
  • אוֹרִ֣י ('o.Ri): light
    Hebrew · Noun, both genders, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, feminine, singular · Strong's H0216 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Light.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Psalm 27:1, word 2

  • וְ֭יִשְׁעִי (Ve.yish.'i): salvation
    Hebrew · Conjunction + Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · Strong's H3468 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Salvation: rescue.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Psalm 27:1, word 3

  • אִירָ֑א ('i.Ra'): awesome(god)
    Hebrew · Verb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular · Strong's H3372H · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Will I be afraid.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Psalm 27:1, word 5

  • מָֽעוֹז־ (ma.'oz-): security
    Hebrew · Noun, masculine, singular, construct · Strong's H4581 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Refuge or stronghold.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Psalm 27:1, word 7

Cross-references
  • Romans 8:31 · Same theme

    If God is for us, who can be against us?

  • John 8:12 · Same theme

    I am the light of the world.

  • Isaiah 12:2 · Same theme

    God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Original language (Hebrew)

יְהוָ֤ה׀ אוֹרִ֣י וְ֭יִשְׁעִי מִמִּ֣י אִירָ֑א יְהוָ֥ה מָֽעוֹז־חַ֝יַּ֗י מִמִּ֥י אֶפְחָֽד׃

  1. יְהוָ֤ה׀Yah.weh“Yahweh”
    Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  2. אוֹרִ֣י'o.Ri“[is] light my”
    Noun, both genders, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, feminine, singular · from אוֹר · “light” · Strong's H0216
  3. וְ֭יִשְׁעִיVe.yish.'i“and salvation my”
    Conjunction + Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from יֵ֫שַׁע · “salvation” · Strong's H3468
  4. מִמִּ֣יmi.Mi“from whom?”
    Preposition + Pronoun, interrogative · from מִי · “who?” · Strong's H4310
  5. אִירָ֑א'i.Ra'“will I be afraid”
    Verb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular · from יָרֵא · “awesome(god)” · Strong's H3372H
  6. יְהוָ֥הYah.weh“Yahweh”
    Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  7. מָֽעוֹז־ma.'oz-“[is] [the] refuge of”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from מָעוֹז · “security” · Strong's H4581
  8. חַ֝יַּ֗יchai.Yai“life my”
    Noun, masculine, plural, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, singular · from חַיִּים · “life” · Strong's H2416E
  9. מִמִּ֥יmi.Mi“from whom?”
    Preposition + Pronoun, interrogative · from מִי · “who?” · Strong's H4310
  10. אֶפְחָֽד׃'ef.Chad“will I be in dread”
    Verb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular · from פָּחַד · “to dread” · Strong's H6342
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)