Psalms 27:3 (ASV)

Passage

Though a host should encamp against me, My heart shall not fear: Though war should rise against me, Even then will I be confident.

Nearby Context

Psalms 27:1 Jehovah is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? Jehovah is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalms 27:2 When evil-doers came upon me to eat up my flesh, [Even] mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell.

Psalms 27:3 Though a host should encamp against me, My heart shall not fear: Though war should rise against me, Even then will I be confident.

Psalms 27:4 One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after; That I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of Jehovah, And to inquire in his temple.

Psalms 27:5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me secretly in his pavilion: In the covert of his tabernacle will he hide me; He will lift me up upon a rock.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "though", "host", "should", "encamp", "against", "heart", "shall", and "fear". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "though" and "host", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "When evil-doers came upon me to eat..." into verse 4's "One thing have I asked of Jehovah...", so "though" and "host" belong inside that flow. In Psalms context, the local focus is worship, trust, the LORD's kingship, and covenant mercy.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "though" and "host" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.