God’s Word Translation
Psalms 27:8
8⌞When you said,⌟ “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “O Lord, I will seek your face.”
Psalms 27:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek.
- New International Version (NIV)My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, Lord, I will seek.
- English Standard Version (ESV)You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, Lord, do I seek."
- New King James Version (NKJV)When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek.”
Context of Psalms 27:8
6Now my head will be raised above my enemies who surround me. I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy in his tent. I will sing and make music to praise the Lord. 7Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud. Have pity on me, and answer me. ⌞When you said,⌟ “Seek my face,” my heart said to you, “O Lord, I will seek your face.” 9Do not hide your face from me. Do not angrily turn me away. You have been my help. Do not leave me! Do not abandon me, O God, my savior! 10Even if my father and mother abandon me, the Lord will take care of me.
Read all of Psalms 27Psalms 27:8 word by word
לְךָ֤׀ אָמַ֣ר לִ֭בִּי בַּקְּשׁ֣וּ פָנָ֑י אֶת־פָּנֶ֖יךָ יְהוָ֣ה אֲבַקֵּֽשׁ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 27:8
- Psalms 24:6This is the person who seeks him, who searches for the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
- Psalms 105:4Search for the Lord and his strength. Always seek his presence.
- Isaiah 45:19I haven’t spoken privately or in some dark corner of the world. I didn’t say to Jacob’s descendants, “Search for me in vain!” I, the Lord, speak what is fair and say what is right.
- Isaiah 55:6Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call on him while he is near.
- Hosea 5:15I will go back to my place until they admit that they are guilty. Then they will search for me. In their distress they will eagerly look for me.”
- Psalms 63:1O God, you are my God. At dawn I search for you. My soul thirsts for you. My body longs for you in a dry, parched land where there is no water.
- Psalms 119:58With all my heart I want to win your favor. Be kind to me as you promised.
- Jeremiah 29:12Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
Commentaries on Psalms 27:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8When thou saidst, Seek ye my face - How much labor and skill have been employed to make sense of this verse as it stands in our translation! The original words are the following, from which our Version has been forcibly extracted: - אבקש יהוה פניך את פני בקשו לבי אמר לך lecha amar libbi bakkeshu panai ; eth paneycha, Yehovah, abakkesh ; of which I believe the true rendering to be as follows: "Unto thee, my heart, he hath said, Seek ye my face. Thy face, O…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8When thou saidst, Seek ye my face - Margin, “My heart said unto thee, Let my face seek thy face.” The literal translation would be: “To Thee hath said my heart, Seek ye my face; thy face, O Lord, will I seek.” DeWette thus expresses the idea, “Of thee my heart thinks (in regard to the command to seek thy face), thy face, Lord, I will seek.” Our translators have given the correct meaning, though the original is quite obscure. The passage is designed to…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-14Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-8Unlike the wicked (Psalm 10:4), who only want a temporary advantage (78:34–36), the godly search for the Lord like a thirsty person seeks water in the desert (63:1; 105:4; 119:2, 10; Matthew 6:33). They act wisely (Psalm 34:10, 14) while waiting for the Lord to resolve their crisis (34:4; 69:6; 77:2; 119:58).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. The meaning is clear, though the construction in a literal translation is obscure. The English Version supplies the implied clause. To seek God's face is to seek His favor (Psa 105:4).Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 27:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 27
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries