When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse uses the powerful image of enemies wanting to "eat up my flesh," not just as a metaphor for literal violence, but as a depiction of their savage, consuming desire for destruction. Yet, the stunning twist is that the ones who came with such ferocity to devour are the ones who themselves "stumble and fall," highlighting how their own destructive intentions lead to their downfall, not David's strength.
When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.
English Standard Version (ESV)
David is calling out to God for help, beginning by declaring his trust in God as his light and salvation, even in the face of intense opposition. He then recalls a specific time when his enemies, intent on destroying him, were suddenly defeated, stumbling and falling before they could accomplish their wicked intentions. This past victory fuels his confidence that even a massive army attacking him wouldn't make his heart fear.
The Bible doesn't shy away from intense language. When David describes his enemies, he uses imagery that’s both visceral and terrifying. What does this
Devouring Like Beasts
David uses a striking image here: his enemies came "to eat up my flesh." This isn't just a description of violence; it's a picture of pure, unadulterated predatory intent. Imagine wild animals, ravenous and eager, tearing into their prey. This is how David perceived the hostility directed at him.
This vivid language underscores the gravity of the danger David felt. It wasn't a minor disagreement; it was a life-or-death struggle against those who wanted to devour him whole.
Despite the terrifying description of his enemies, David’s report of their encounter has a surprising twist. What turned their savage attack into their own downfall?
The Unexpected Fall
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The climax of this verse is the sudden reversal: "they stumbled and fell." This isn't a story of David's own mighty strength overcoming them, but rather an act of God's intervention.
This powerful image reminds us that even when enemies seem ravenous and overwhelming, God is able to bring about their downfall, often in unexpected ways.
Understand the original words
merea'im · Hebrew Noun/Participle
Those who actively pursue wickedness and lawlessness, often opposing God and His anointed, characterized by their rejection of divine moral standards.
c. 1015 BC
David Anointed King
Samuel the prophet anoints David as king, signifying God's choice for Israel's future leadership, though Saul still reigns.
c. 1010-1005 BC
David on the Run
King Saul, driven by jealousy, relentlessly pursues David, forcing him to flee and hide in various wilderness locations.
c. 1005 BC
Saul's Death
Saul dies in battle against the Philistines, creating a power vacuum and paving the way for David's eventual ascent to the throne.
c. 1005 BC
David Crowned King of Judah
David is first crowned king over the tribe of Judah in Hebron, leading to a civil war with the remaining tribes.
c. 1005-1002 BC
Civil War in Israel
A period of conflict and division within Israel as loyalists to Saul's house (led by Ish-bosheth) oppose David's rule.
c. 1002 BC
David Crowned King of All Israel
After years of conflict and the death of Saul's heir, David is finally crowned king over all the tribes of Israel.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David Faces Personal Foes
David, now king, faces intense opposition from personal enemies and adversaries who seek his destruction, comparing them to wild beasts. He trusts in God's protection, knowing they will ultimately stumble and fall.
This passage shows Goliath, a formidable enemy described as coming to 'devour' David, ultimately stumbling and falling before the Lord's champion, much like the foes in Psalms 27:2.
Job 19:20Job laments, 'My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh: I am escaped with the skin of my teeth,' which echoes the graphic imagery of flesh being consumed, highlighting the desperate straits described in Psalms 27:2.
Isaiah 8:15This verse speaks of people stumbling and falling because of God's judgment, paralleling the fate of the enemies mentioned in Psalms 27:2 who 'stumble and fall' before their attackers.
Jeremiah 46:12The prophet describes nations being ashamed and falling in defeat, with imagery of 'bruising' and 'crushing,' which resonates with the violent downfall of the adversaries in Psalms 27:2.
John 18:6When Jesus confronted the soldiers who came to arrest him, they stumbled backward and fell to the ground, illustrating how those who seek to harm God's servants can be overcome in unexpected ways, just as the foes did in Psalms 27:2.
cambridgePsalms 27:2: "When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell."
2 . When evil-doers came near against me to eat my flesh, Even mine adversaries and my foes, they stumbled and fell. This may refer to past experience, or it may be a confident anticipation of the discomfiture of his foes. According to a common Hebrew idiom the perfect tense may realise their defeat as an accomplished plished fact. See Appendix, Note IV. He compares his assail…
gillPsalms 27:2: "When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell."
When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me,.... They are wicked men, men of malignant spirits, and evildoers, who are the enemies and foes of the people of God, and who hate them with an implacable hatred, and do everything they can to distress and afflict them; and such enemies David had, who were many and mighty; and these "came upon" him, or "approached ag…
The verse uses the powerful image of enemies wanting to "eat up my flesh," not just as a metaphor for literal violence, but as a depiction of their savage, consuming desire for destruction. Yet, the stunning twist is that the ones who came with such ferocity to devour are the ones who themselves "stumble and fall," highlighting how their own destructive intentions lead to their downfall, not David's strength.
David is calling out to God for help, beginning by declaring his trust in God as his light and salvation, even in the face of intense opposition. He then recalls a specific time when his enemies, intent on destroying him, were suddenly defeated, stumbling and falling before they could accomplish their wicked intentions. This past victory fuels his confidence that even a massive army attacking him wouldn't make his heart fear.
David is calling out to God for help, beginning by declaring his trust in God as his light and salvation, even in the face of intense opposition. He then recalls a specific time when his enemies, intent on destroying him, were suddenly defeated, stumbling and falling before they could accomplish their wicked intentions. This past victory fuels his confidence that even a massive army attacking him wouldn't make his heart fear.
"When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall." — The verse uses the powerful image of enemies wanting to "eat up my flesh," not just as a metaphor for literal violence, but as a depiction of their savage, consuming desire for destruction. Yet, the…
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Last reviewed October 2026