Psalm 27:14
“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Verse 14 concludes Psalm 27, where David has moved between bold confidence and earnest pleading. He ends by exhorting himself and the reader to patient, courageous trust.
What Does Psalm 27:14 Mean?
This closing verse of Psalm 27 commands a courageous, expectant waiting on God, with the promise that God himself will strengthen the heart that waits. After pleading for deliverance, David turns and counsels his own soul -- and every reader -- to hold steady. The doubled command "wait, I say, on the LORD" presses the point home with urgency.
Waiting here is not passive resignation but active, hopeful endurance. The same Hebrew root behind "wait" carries the idea of a taut cord, expectation drawn tight toward what God will do. Sandwiched between the two calls to wait is the encouragement "be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart." Courage and strengthening are linked: as the believer chooses courage, God supplies the inner fortitude to sustain it. The promise is not that the trouble vanishes, but that the waiting one is held firm through it. This verse meets people in the painful gap between prayer and answer, where the temptation is to give up or take matters into one's own hands. David's repeated charge insists that the gap is where strength is forged, and that the Lord is worth the wait.
In the Original Language
The Hebrew qavah ("wait") suggests expectant hope, like a cord stretched in anticipation, while chazaq ("be of good courage") means to be strong, firm, and resolute.
Cross References
“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.”
- Psalm 31:24
“Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”
- Psalm 37:7
“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”
- Psalm 40:1
Application
When the answer to prayer seems delayed, choose courageous, hopeful waiting rather than despair or hasty action, trusting God to strengthen your heart.