This purports to be "A Psalm of David," and there is no reason to think that the inscription is not correct. But the occasion on which it was composed is wholly unknown. There is no intimation of this in the title, and there are no historical marks in the psalm which would enable us to determine this. There were not a few occasions in the life of David when all that is expressed in the psalm might have been said by him - as there are many occasions, in the lives of all, to which the sentiments of the psalm would be appropriate. The Septuagint version has the title, "A Psalm of David before his anointing,"...πρὀ τοῦ χρισθῆναι pro tou christhēnai. Grotius supposes the occasion to have been the anointing in Hebron, when he was first inaugurated as king, 2-Samuel 2:4. Rosenmuller refers it to the last anointing, 2-Samuel 5:3. Many of the Jewish expositors refer the psalm to the last days of David, when he was delivered from death by the intervention of Abishai, 2-Samuel 21:16-17. But there is no internal evidence that the psalm was composed on either of these occasions, and it is now impossible to ascertain the time or the circumstances of its composition.
The general object of the psalm is to excite in others confidence in God from the experience which the psalmist had of His merciful interposition in times of trouble and danger, Psalm 27:14. The author of the psalm had had some marked evidence of the divine favor and protection in seasons of peril and sorrow Psalm 27:1; and he makes use of this as an argument running through the psalm to lead others to repose on God in similar circumstances. It may have been that at the time of composing the psalm he was still surrounded by enemies, and exposed to danger; but if so, he expresses the utmost confidence in God, and gratefully refers to His past interposition in similar circumstances as full proof that all his interests would be secure.
The contents of the psalm are:
I. An expression of confidence in God as derived from his own experience of His merciful interposition in times of danger, Psalm 27:1-3. He had been in peril at some time which is not specified, and had been rescued; and from this gracious interposition he argues that it would be safe always to trust in God.
II. The expression of a desire to dwell always where God is; to see his beauty there; to inquire further after him; to offer sacrifices; and to praise him, Psalm 27:4-6. The psalmist had seen so much of God that he desired to see yet more; he had had such experience of his favor that he wished always to be with Him; he had found so much happiness in God that he believed that all his happiness was to be found in His presence, and in His service.
III. An earnest prayer that God would hear him; that he would grant his requests; that he would save him from all his enemies; that he would lead him in a plain path, Psalm 27:7-12. This is founded partly on his own past experience, that when God had commanded him to seek His face he had obeyed Psalm 27:8, and it is connected with the fullest assurance that God would protect him, even if he would be forsaken by his father and mother Psalm 27:10.
IV. The conclusion - the exhortation to wait on the Lord, Psalm 27:13-14. This exhortation is derived from his own experience. He says that he himself would have fainted if he had not confided in God and hoped in His mercy, when there was no other hope Psalm 27:13; and, in view of that experience, he encourages all others to put their trust in Him Psalm 27:14.

The righteous man's confidence in God, Psalm 27:1-3; his ardent desire to have the spiritual privilege of worshipping God in his temple, because of the spiritual blessings which he expects to enjoy there, Psalm 27:4-6; his prayer to God for continual light and salvation, Psalm 27:7-9; has confidence that, though even has ohm parents might forsake him, yet God would not, Psalm 27:10. Therefore he begs to be taught the right way to be delivered from all his enemies, and to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, Psalm 27:11-13; he exhorts others to trust in God; to be of good courage; and to expect strength for their hearts, Psalm 27:14.
In the Hebrew and Chaldee this Psalm has no other title than simply לדוד ledavid: To or For David. In the Syriac: "For David; on account of an infirmity which fell upon him." In the Vulgate, Septuagint, Arabic, and Ethiopic, it has this title: "A Psalm of David, before he was anointed." The Anglo-Saxon omits all the titles. For this title there is no authority in fact. However, it may be just necessary to state that David appears to have received the royal unction three times:
1. In Bethlehem from the hand of Samuel, in the house of his father Jesse; 1-Samuel 16:13.
2. At Hebron after the death of Saul, by the men of Judah, 2-Samuel 2:4.
3. By the elders of Israel, at Hebron, after the death of Ishbosheth, when he was acknowledged king over all the tribes; 2-Samuel 5:3.
At which of these anointings the Psalm was written, or whether before any of them, we know not; nor is the question to be decided. Some commentators say that it is a Psalm belonging to the captivity, and upon that system it may be well interpreted. And lastly, it has been contended that it was written by David after he had been in danger of losing his life by the hand of a gigantic Philistine, and must have perished had he not been succoured by Abishai; see the account 2-Samuel 21:17 (note); and was counselled by his subjects not to go out to battle any more, lest he should extinguish the light of Israel. To these advisers he is supposed to make the following reply: -

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 27
A Psalm of David. The Septuagint interpreters add to this title, "before he was anointed". David was anointed three times, first when a youth in his father's house; but this psalm could not be written before that time, because he had not had then any experience of war, nor could be in any immediate apprehension of it, as here suggested; he was anointed a second time, after the death of Saul at Hebron, by the men of Judah; before that time indeed he had been harassed by Saul, and distressed by the Amalekites, and was driven from the public worship of God, to which he has a respect, Psalm 27:4; and he was a third time anointed, by the elders of Israel, king over all Israel; and between the death of Saul and this unction there was a war between the house of David and the house of Saul; but what is referred to is not certain, nor is it of moment, since these words are neither in the Hebrew text, nor in the Chaldee paraphrase. Theodoret is of opinion this psalm was written by David when he fled from Saul, and came to Ahimelech the priest.

(Psalm 27:1-6) The psalmist's faith.
(Psalm 27:7-14) His desire toward God, and expectation from him.

Taking Heart in God, the All-Recompensing One
The same longing after Zion meets us sounding forth from this as from the preceding Psalm. To remain his whole life long in the vicinity of the house of God, is here his only prayer; and that, rescued from his enemies, he shall there offer sacrifices of thanksgiving, is his confident expectation. The היכל of God, the King, is at present only a אהל which, however, on account of Him who sits enthroned therein, may just as much be called היכל as the היכל which Ezekiel beheld in remembrance of the Mosaic tabernacle, אהל, Ezekiel 41:1. Cut off from the sanctuary, the poet is himself threatened on all sides by the dangers of war; but he is just as courageous in God as in Psalm 3:7, where the battle is already going on: "I do not fear the myriads of people, who are encamped against me." The situation, therefore, resembles that of David during the time of Absolom. But this holds good only of the first half, Psalm 27:1. In the second half, Psalm 27:10 is not in favour of its being composed by David. In fact the two halves are very unlike one another. They form a hysteron-proteron, inasmuch as the fides triumphans of the first part changes into fides supplex in the second, and with the beginning of the δέησις in Psalm 27:7, the style becomes heavy and awkward, the strophic arrangement obscure, and even the boundaries of the lines of the verses uncertain; so that one is tempted to regard Psalm 27:7 as the appendage of another writer. The compiler, however, must have had the Psalm before him exactly as we now have it; for the grounds for his placing it to follow Psalm 26:1-12 are to be found in both portions, cf. Psalm 27:7 with Psalm 26:11; Psalm 27:11 with Psalm 26:12.