Psalms 27:13
I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
Original Language Analysis
הֶ֭אֱמַנְתִּי
I had believed
H539
הֶ֭אֱמַנְתִּי
I had believed
Strong's:
H539
Word #:
2 of 7
properly, to build up or support; to foster as a parent or nurse; figuratively to render (or be) firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanen
לִרְא֥וֹת
to see
H7200
לִרְא֥וֹת
to see
Strong's:
H7200
Word #:
3 of 7
to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative)
בְּֽטוּב
the goodness
H2898
בְּֽטוּב
the goodness
Strong's:
H2898
Word #:
4 of 7
good (as a noun), in the widest sense, especially goodness (superlative concretely, the best), beauty, gladness, welfare
יְהוָ֗ה
of the LORD
H3068
יְהוָ֗ה
of the LORD
Strong's:
H3068
Word #:
5 of 7
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
Cross References
Psalms 142:5I cried unto thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.2 Corinthians 4:16For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.Psalms 56:3What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.Psalms 31:19Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!Psalms 56:13For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?Psalms 42:5Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.Job 28:13Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.2 Corinthians 4:1Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not;Jeremiah 11:19But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.Ephesians 2:8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Historical Context
David wrote this during severe persecution when circumstances contradicted God's promises. Faith in God's character and covenant, not present circumstances, preserved him from fainting. This models perseverance of the saints through trials.
Questions for Reflection
- How does expecting to see God's goodness in this life sustain you through present trials?
- What would cause you to 'faint' spiritually if you stopped believing God's promises?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
The incomplete sentence 'I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living' expresses that faith prevented despair. Believing God's goodness would be experienced 'in the land of the living' (this life, not just heaven) sustained David through trials. Reformed theology emphasizes that faith in God's promises preserves believers from spiritual collapse. The expectation of experiencing God's goodness temporally (not just eternally) provides hope for present suffering.