Psalms 27:6
in Psalms 27Then my head will be held high above my enemies around me. At His tabernacle I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And now shall my head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me; And I will offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto Jehovah.
KJV
And 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.
⋯
This verse in Psalms 27
Commentary
16 notes on this verseAnd now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. He is quite sure of it. Godly men of old prayed in faith, nothing wavering, and spoke of their answer to their prayers as a certainty. David was by faith so sure of a glorious victory over all those who beset him, that he arranged in his own heart what he would do when his foes lay all prostrate before him; that arrangement was such as gratitude suggested. Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy.
This site's exposition
hide me in His shelter
on Psalms 27:5-6
The shelter and the tent are the house David asked to live in at verse 4, now a hiding place in the day of trouble. The rock lifts his head above his enemies. Sheltered, he offers sacrifices at the tabernacle with shouts of joy and sings to the LORD.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
God takes more satisfaction in the praise in these sacrifices than in the slaughter of animals.
"On a rock has He exalted me." And that what I believed might be made manifest for salvation, He has made my confession to be conspicuous in His own strength. "And now, lo! He has exalted mine head above mine enemies" [Psalm 27:6]. What does He reserve for me at the last, when even now the body is dead because of sin, lo! I feel that my mind serves the law of God, and is not led captive under the rebellious law of sin? "I have gone about, and have sacrificed in His tabernacle the sacrifice of rejoicing." I have considered the circuit of the world, believing on Christ; and in that for us God was humbled in time, I have praised Him with rejoicing: for with such sacrifice He is well pleased. "I will sing and give praises to the Lord." In heart and in deed I will be glad in the Lord.
God takes more satisfaction in the praise in these sacrifices than in the slaughter of animals.
The Medieval Church2 voices
The Lord Christ is the head of all the saints, in himself always remaining equal and indivisible, to be sure, but distributing the grace of his Spirit to each one of those who are elect, according to their capacity for receiving. For this reason, not …
"On a rock." Here he proposes another benefit of promotion to good, and it is twofold. One of exaltation with regard to himself. The second with regard to enemies, at "Now he has exalted my head." He says therefore, "On a rock you have exalted …
9 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
"I went around." Here the recompense for the benefit is presented; and he sets forth two things. First, sacrifice, and "he offered." Second, a canticle. According to Jerome, it is connected with the preceding: "above my enemies, and they are round about us." "I went …
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
There he would sing, yea, he would sing praises to the Lord. Note, Whatever is the matter of our joy ought to be the matter of our praise; and, when we attend upon God in holy ordinances, we ought to be much in joy and praise. It is for the glory of our God that we should sing in his ways; and, whenever God lifts us up above our enemies, we ought to exalt him in our praises.
): " Now shall my head be lifted up above my enemies, not only so as that they cannot reach it with their darts, but so as that I shall be exalted to bear rule over them." David here, by faith in the promise of God, triumphs before the victory, and is as sure, not only of the laurel, but of the crown, as if it were already upon his head.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And now shall mine head be lifted up,....
There he would sing, yea, he would sing praises to the Lord. Note, Whatever is the matter of our joy ought to be the matter of our praise; and, when we attend upon God in holy ordinances, we ought to be much in joy and praise. It is for the glory of our God that we should sing in his ways; and, whenever God lifts us up above our enemies, we ought to exalt him in our praises.
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. He is quite sure of it. Godly men of old prayed in faith, nothing wavering, and spoke of their answer to their prayers as a certainty. David was by faith so sure of a glorious victory over all those who beset him, that he arranged in his own heart what he would do when his foes lay all prostrate before him; that arrangement was such as gratitude suggested. Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy. That place for which he longed in his conflict, should see his thankful joy in his triumphant return. He does not speak of jubilations to be offered in his palace, and feastings in his banqueting halls, but holy mirth he selects as most fitting for so divine a deliverance. I will sing. This is the most natural mode of expressing thankfulness. Yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord. The vow is confirmed by repetition, and explained by addition, which addition vows all the praise unto Jehovah. Let who will be silent, the believer when his prayer is heard, must and will make his praise to be heard also; and let who will sing unto the vanities of the world, the believer reserves his music for the Lord alone.
And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me. He is quite sure of it. Godly men of old prayed in faith, nothing wavering, and spoke of their answer to their prayers as a certainty. David was by faith so sure of a glorious victory over all those who beset him, that he arranged in his own heart what he would do when his foes lay all prostrate before him; that arrangement was such as gratitude suggested. Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy.
Now shall mine head be lifted up - We shall most assuredly be redeemed from this captivity, and restored to our own land, and to the worship of our God in his own temple. There shall we offer sacrifices of joy; we will sing praises unto the Lord, and acknowledge that it is by his might and mercy alone that we have been delivered.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And now shall mine head - Now shall I be exalted. So we say that in affliction a person bows down his head; in prosperity he lifts it up. This verse expresses the confident expectation that he would be enabled to triumph over all his foes, and a firm purpose on his part, as the result of this, to offer sacrifices of praise to his great Deliverer. Above mine enemies round about me - All my enemies, though they seem even to encompass me on every side. Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle - In His tent, His dwelling-place: referring here, undoubtedly, to “the tabernacle” as a place where God was worshipped. Sacrifices of joy - Margin, as in the Hebrew, of “shouting.” That is, he would offer sacrifices accompanied with loud sounds of praise and thanksgiving. There is nothing wrong in shouting for joy when a person is delivered from imminent danger, nothing wrong in doing so when he feels that he is rescued from the peril of eternal ruin. I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord - This language is that which comes from a full heart. He is not contented with saying merely that he would “sing.” He repeats the idea; he dwells upon it. With a heart overflowing with gratitude he would go and give utterance to his joy. He would repeat, and dwell upon, the language of thanksgiving.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּ֨ה | veatah | and now | H6258 → | 433 times |
| יָר֪וּם | yarum | it will rise | H7311 → | 190 times |
| רֹאשִׁ֡י | roshi | head my | H7218 → | 599 times |
| עַ֤ל | ʾal | above | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אֹֽיְבַ֬י | ʾoyevai | enemies my | H341 → | 282 times |
| סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗י | sevivotai | around me | H5439 → | 336 times |
| וְאֶזְבְּחָ֣ה | veezbechah | and I will sacrifice | H2076 → | 134 times |
| בְ֭אָהֳלוֹ | veoholo | in tent his | H168 → | 345 times |
| זִבְחֵ֣י | zivchei | sacrifices of | H2077 → | 162 times |
| תְרוּעָ֑ה | teruah | a shout of joy | H8643 → | 36 times |
| אָשִׁ֥ירָה | ʾashirah | I will sing | H7891 → | 86 times |
| וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗ה | vaazamerah | and I will sing praises | H2167 → | 45 times |
| לַיהוָֽה׃ | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְעַתָּ֨הand now
veatahH6258 →433 times
יָר֪וּםit will rise
yarumH7311 →190 times
רֹאשִׁ֡יhead my
roshiH7218 →599 times
עַ֤לabove
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
אֹֽיְבַ֬יenemies my
ʾoyevaiH341 →282 times
סְֽבִיבוֹתַ֗יaround me
sevivotaiH5439 →336 times
וְאֶזְבְּחָ֣הand I will sacrifice
veezbechahH2076 →134 times
בְ֭אָהֳלוֹin tent his
veoholoH168 →345 times
זִבְחֵ֣יsacrifices of
zivcheiH2077 →162 times
תְרוּעָ֑הa shout of joy
teruahH8643 →36 times
אָשִׁ֥ירָהI will sing
ʾashirahH7891 →86 times
וַ֝אֲזַמְּרָ֗הand I will sing praises
vaazamerahH2167 →45 times
לַיהוָֽה׃to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 3:3But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.
it leads to
- Psalms 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart rejoices, and I give thanks to Him with my song.
- Genesis 15:1
After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
- Psalms 119:114
You are my hiding place and my shield; I put my hope in Your word.
- Isaiah 60:19
No longer will the sun be your light by day, nor the brightness of the moon shine on your night; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your…
- Psalms 62:7
My salvation and my honor rest on God, my strong rock; my refuge is in God.
- Psalms 28:7
Through
Hebrews 13:15Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.
it leads to
- Psalms 50:14
Sacrifice a thank offering to God, and fulfill your vows to the Most High.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 107:21–22
Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.
- Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
- Psalms 50:14
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Psalms

This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 27; Bede, On the Tabernacle 2:9; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 2; Diodorus of Tarsus, COMMENTARY ON PSALM 27; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Thomas Aquinas, Exposition on the Psalms of David.
