"The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?"
— Psalm 27:1 (NIV)
Psalm 27:1 is the "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" verse. This page gives the verse, where it sits in Psalm 27, and a plain reading. For more verses on the theme, see Bible verses about fear, Bible verses about light, and Bible verses about the strength of my life.
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The verse
The King James says, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"
"Light" is owr (H216), light that drives out darkness. "Salvation" is yesha (H3468), rescue or safety. "Stronghold" (KJV "strength") is maoz (H4581), a fortress or place of refuge. "Fear" is yare (H3372), and "be afraid" is pachad (H6342), to tremble or dread.
Where it sits in Psalm 27
Psalm 27 is a psalm of David written under threat. Verse 3 says, "Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident."
The center of the psalm is a single desire: "One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD" (Psalm 27:4). It ends, "I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD" (Psalm 27:13-14).
What the verse is saying
David answers fear with two questions, and both answers are the same: the LORD. He is light when things are dark, rescue when there is danger, and a fortress to run into. If God is all three, the list of things to be afraid of gets much shorter.
The psalm does not pretend the danger is gone. Armies and false witnesses are still there in verses 3 and 12. The confidence comes from who God is, and the psalm closes by telling the reader to wait for him. For more, see Psalm 23, Psalm 46:10, and Psalm 91.
Questions people ask
What does Psalm 27:1 say?
In the NIV it says, "The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?" The KJV says, "the LORD is the strength of my life."
What does "the LORD is my light" mean?
"Light" is the Hebrew owr. It pictures God as the one who shows the way and drives back darkness, so the person trusting him does not have to stumble or be afraid.
Who wrote Psalm 27?
The psalm is titled "Of David." It was written by David during a time of danger, with enemies and armies around him (Psalm 27:2-3).
What does "stronghold of my life" mean?
"Stronghold" is the Hebrew maoz, a fortress or place of refuge. The KJV translates it "strength." It means God is the safe place David runs to when he is attacked.
What verse goes well with Psalm 27:1?
Psalm 27:14 closes the same psalm: "Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart." Isaiah 41:10 says, "So do not fear, for I am with you."
