Psalm 27:11

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

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(11) Enemies.—Comp. Psalm 56:2; Psalm 54:7; Psalm 59:10-11. Ewald, “malignant liers in wait”; so Aquila.

Benson Commentary

Psalm 27:11-12. Teach me thy way — What course I shall take to please thee, and to discharge my duty, and to save myself from ruin; and lead me in a plain path — Of which see the note on Psalm 26:12; where the Hebrew words are the same; because of mine enemies — That I may neither give them cause to open their mouths against me or religion, by my misconduct, nor fall into their hands by my folly, nor afford them any occasion of triumphing over me. Deliver me not over unto the will — Hebrew, בנפשׁ, benephesh, to the soul, that is, the lust, or desire, as the word here means; of mine enemies — Who watch for my halting, and seek my ruin; such as breathe out cruelty — Against me. He presses his request from the consideration of the quality of his enemies, who were both false and cruel, and in both respects hateful to God and men.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

27:7-14 Wherever the believer is, he can find a way to the throne of grace by prayer. God calls us by his Spirit, by his word, by his worship, and by special providences, merciful and afflicting. When we are foolishly making court to lying vanities, God is, in love to us, calling us to seek our own mercies in him. The call is general, Seek ye my face; but we must apply it to ourselves, I will seek it. The word does us no good, when we do not ourselves accept the exhortation: a gracious heart readily answers to the call of a gracious God, being made willing in the day of his power. The psalmist requests the favour of the Lord; the continuance of his presence with him; the benefit of Divine guidance, and the benefit of Divine protection. God's time to help those that trust in him, is, when all other helpers fail. He is a surer and better Friend than earthly parents are, or can be. What was the belief which supported the psalmist? That he should see the goodness of the Lord. There is nothing like the believing hope of eternal life, the foresights of that glory, and foretastes of those pleasures, to keep us from fainting under all calamities. In the mean time he should be strengthened to bear up under his burdens. Let us look unto the suffering Saviour, and pray in faith, not to be delivered into the hands of our enemies. Let us encourage each other to wait on the Lord, with patient expectation, and fervent prayer.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Teach me thy way, O Lord - See the notes at Psalm 25:4-5.

And lead me in a plain path - Margin, "a way of plainness." That is, a straight or smooth path. In other words, he prayed that he might be enabled to act wisely and right; he desired that God would teach him what he should do.

Because of mine enemies - Margin, "those which observe me." The translation in the text expresses the true sense. The word which is used is derived from a verb that signifies "to twist; to twist together;" and then, to oppress; to treat as an enemy. Here it refers to those who would treat him harshly or cruelly; and he prays that God would show him how to act in view of the fact that he was surrounded by such foes. They were harsh and cruel; they sought to overcome him; they laid snares for him. He knew not how to act so as to escape from them, and he, therefore, pleads that God would instruct and guide him.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

11. thy way—of providence.

a plain path—(Ps 26:12).

enemies—literally, "watchers for my fall" (Ps 5:8).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Thy way, i.e. what course I shall take to please thee, and to discharge my duty, and to save myself from ruin.

A plain path; of which See Poole "Psalm 26:12", where the Hebrew words are the same.

Because of mine enemies; that I may neither open their mouths against me or religion by my miscarriages, nor fall into their hands by my folly, nor give them any occasion of triumphing over me.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Teach me thy way, O Lord,.... Of providence, grace, and duty; See Gill on Psalm 25:4;

and lead me in a plain path: as the path of truth is to those that understand and find knowledge; and as the way of holiness is, even to such who in other things are fools, but shall not err therein, Proverbs 8:9, Isaiah 35:8; or the path of righteousness, in which Christ, the wisdom of God, and shepherd of his people, leads them, Psalm 23:3;

because of mine enemies, or "those that observe me"; who eyed him as Saul did, 1 Samuel 18:9; and waited for his halting, as Jeremiah's familiars did for him; and lay in wait to deceive him, and lead him out of the way, as false teachers do; and come upon him at an unawares, and take every advantage against him, as Satan does.

Geneva Study Bible

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

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. Cp. Psalm 5:8; Psalm 25:12. In the course of life designed for him by God he will be safe. He prays that it may be like a path along a level open plain, free from pitfalls and places where enemies may lurk in ambush. Plain is the same word as even in Psalm 26:12; and mine enemies means literally, those that lie in wail for me, as in Psalm 5:8. Cp. Mark 12:13 for illustration.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 11. - Teach me thy way, O Lord (comp. Psalm 25:3, and the comment ad loc.). And lead me in a plain path; literally, a level path - a path traversing a fiat and smooth country, not one where the ground is rugged and beset with rocks and precipices. Because of mine enemies. David's enemies are ever at hand, to swallow him up (Psalm 56:2). If his way be not plain and smooth, it will be to their advantage and to his detriment. Psalm 27:11

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

He is now wandering about like a hunted deer; but God is able to guide him so that he may escape all dangers. And this is what he prays for. As in Psalm 143:10, מישׁור is used in an ethical sense; and differs in this respect from its use in Psalm 26:12. On שׁררים, see the primary passage Psalm 5:9, of which this is an echo. Wily spies dodge his every step and would gladly see what they have invented against him and wished for him, realised. Should he enter the way of sin leading to destruction, it would tend to the dishonour of God, just as on the contrary it is a matter of honour with God not to let His servant fall. Hence he prays to be led in the way of God, for a oneness of his own will with the divine renders a man inaccessible to evil. נפשׁ, Psalm 27:12, is used, as in Psalm 17:9, and in the similar passage, which is genuinely Davidic, Psalm 41:3, in the signification passion or strong desire; because the soul, in its natural state, is selfishness and inordinate desire. יפח is a collateral form of יפיח; they are both adjectives formed from the future of the verb פּוּח (like ירב, יריב): accustomed to breathe out (exhale), i.e., either to express, or to snort, breathe forth (cf. πνεῖν, or ἐμπνεῖν φόνον and θόνοῦ, θυμον, and the like, Acts 9:1). In both Hitzig sees participles of יפח (Jeremiah 4:31); but Psalm 10:5 and Habakkuk 2:3 lead back to פּוּח (פּיח); and Hupfeld rightly recognises such nouns formed from futures to be, according to their original source, circumlocutions of the participle after the manner of an elliptical relative clause (the ṣifat of the Arabic syntax), and explains יפיח כּזבים, together with יפח חמס, from the verbal construction which still continues in force.