Psalm 27 (26):12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

May those who cause me distress not find satisfaction in my wrongdoing. For false accusers have risen to oppose me, and deceivers have come forth to mislead me, attempting to draw me away from you, as if I were pursuing honor from humanity. Deception has turned in upon itself, and thus it has taken pleasure in its own falsehood. Yet, I remain unaffected by it, for a substantial reward awaits me in heaven because of it.

And those who are unjust deceived themselves; specifically, the injustice we suffered has been exhausted.

"Do not hand me over to the souls of those who dread me." Such expressions reveal a spirit of humility. They convey the sentiment that although I am unworthy of redemption, I have been unjustly rejected, having done no significant harm to my adversaries. Therefore, do not surrender me, the wronged one, into the hands of those who have wronged me. "But the witnesses of iniquity have risen against me, and I have deceived myself in an unrighteous manner." Aquila articulates it more clearly: "False witnesses have stood against me, and iniquity has been revealed." He indicates that they wielded slander against me, yet with Your assistance, I encountered no damage; rather, this injury fell back upon the offenders, and the arrows they launched at me returned to them.

You will not hand me over to the spirits of my adversaries, for their sake. He states, You will not deliver me, O Lord, to the souls who deride me, nor to the men of valor in their derision, so that when they seize me and triumph over me, my enemies would find joy. This refers to Saul. Concerning the false witnesses that rise against me, David here refers to Saul, who provided deceitful and false testimony claiming that David intended to take his life. Moreover, he deceived himself with his own lies. Saul's previous assertion, he points out, was self-deceptive, meaning it did not hold true. For I have not wronged Saul in any respect. Alternatively, one could interpret that Saul's false testimony, in his attempts to ensnare me, backfired on him—failing to achieve his wicked purpose. It is commonly said among us that those who intend harm but cannot cause it instead bring ruin upon themselves. Similarly, the blessed David remarked that she has lied deceitfully to herself.

It is stated, “Thou shalt not deliver me into the souls of them that fear me” (Psalm 26:12), as the unclean desires, for which one should seek deliverance through prayer, are the ‘souls’ of evil spirits.

He persists in the same supplication, asking that he not be abandoned to the schemes of his wicked oppressors, who consistently sought to bring him distress and anguish. In Scripture, the term soul frequently represents will or desire, as is evident in this context. Therefore, it is clear that the adversaries of David harbored a fierce longing to annihilate him. Furthermore, it is noted that they assailed him not only through covert slurs and deceitful accusations but also through open aggression. In the original Hebrew, rather than merely deceiving themselves, the text conveys the idea of exerting violent attacks. Those who engage in such assaults are fixated solely on weapons and murder.

The evil spirits are those that conspire against individuals, seeking to lead them to destruction in every possible manner. The witnesses of iniquity—ungodly Jews—falsely accused Christ, claiming, "This man forbids to give tribute to Caesar, and stirs up the people,” among other charges (Lk. 23). They represent unrighteousness itself, remaining together with those who bear false witness. The deceitful thoughts, influenced by demons, echo a tragic ambition: "I will ascend above the clouds," while ultimately they are plunged into the depths of despair (Is. 14:13-14). These malevolent spirits incite thoughts of waywardness, hopelessness, and many other perverse ideas. Therefore, it is advised not to converse with these demons. Instead, one should call out, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me," and follow further counsel: refrain from seeing, hearing, or speaking of them.

The unjust witnesses did not stand firm; they were misled, ultimately to their own harm rather than to mine.