Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!
English Standard Version (ESV)
David's plea isn't just about feeling abandoned, but about God withdrawing the visible evidence of His favor and presence. He knows God has been his help, but he desperately needs that help to continue, imploring God not to turn His "face" (meaning His active favor and presence) away. This is a crucial distinction: it’s not just about emotional comfort, but about the tangible reality of God’s saving power in action.
Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!
English Standard Version (ESV)
David is in deep distress, feeling the weight of his enemies and praying for God's protection and presence. Having previously declared his intention to seek God's face, he now pleads that God wouldn't turn away from him or reject him in anger. He appeals to God's past faithfulness as his "help," begging not to be abandoned in this current trial, recognizing God as the ultimate source of his salvation.
When the psalmist cries, 'Hide not your face from me,' what does he truly mean? It's more than just wanting God to be around.
The phrase 'hide not your face' in ancient Near Eastern thought wasn't just about God being physically absent. It was about the withdrawal of favor and blessing.
Seeking God's Smile
When the psalmist pleads for God not to hide His face, he's asking for God's active approval and blessing. It's a plea to experience God's presence as a source of strength and guidance, not just an abstract reality. He wants the tangible effects of God's grace, the assurance that God is on his side.
A Servant's Dependence
This isn't a demand from an equal, but a desperate cry from a dependent servant. The psalmist understands that God's favor is a gift, not a right. The 'face' represents God's disposition towards him – he craves a countenance turned towards him in grace, not averted in displeasure.
Facing abandonment, David doesn't just plead for the future. He leans on God's track record. What can we learn from that?
The psalmist's prayer is powerfully anchored in his past experiences with God. He reminds God, 'You have been my help,' not as a passive observation, but as a compelling reason for God to continue His support.
The Foundation of Trust
This appeal to past faithfulness is a cornerstone of trust. It acknowledges that God is not capricious; His character remains constant. If God has helped before, He is able and willing to help again. This isn't about God reminding, but about David's own faith being strengthened by recounting God's proven reliability.
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A Plea Rooted in Relationship
David's relationship with God is defined by salvation. Calling God 'the God of my salvation' highlights that God has been the ultimate rescuer in his life. This deepens the plea: 'Don't abandon the One whose very nature is to save me!' It's a plea born out of a history of divine intervention.
The cry, 'Turn not your servant away in anger,' reveals a deep-seated fear. What does this specific phrasing tell us about the psalmist's struggle?
The fear of God turning him away in anger is a profound expression of the psalmist's understanding of sin and God's justice.
The Weight of Anger
'Anger' here isn't petty frustration; it signifies righteous displeasure with sin. David, keenly aware of his own failings and God's holiness, fears the consequence of that anger – separation. He recognizes that God's abandonment would be a just response to sin, and he pleads for mercy over judgment.
A Servant's Position
By calling himself 'your servant,' David emphasizes his subordinate position and his vulnerability. A servant can be dismissed. He fears being cast out from God's presence, not just physically, but relationally. He doesn't want to be 'put away' like someone unwanted, especially not due to God's justified wrath. This plea is for God to overlook his sinfulness, not based on his own merit, but on God's demonstrated past help and His saving character.
Understand the original words
ebed · Hebrew Noun
A term designating one who is in a submissive, bonded relationship of service to a superior, particularly used to describe the covenantal relationship between a believer and God.
yesha · Hebrew Noun
A theological term referring to the divine act of rescue from distress, danger, or sin. It implies that God is the sole source of deliverence and existential protection for His people.
This Psalm reflects a deep personal cry from a leader who has known God's favor and presence intimately, but now feels distant. The pleas are grounded in the historical reality of David's reign, his relationship with God as king and 'servant,' and the very real possibility of feeling abandoned, even amidst past experiences of divine help.
c. 1000 BC— this verse
David Reigns as King
The Psalmist, traditionally David, is king of Israel. This period involves significant political and spiritual challenges, including threats from enemies and internal struggles.
Throughout David's Reign
Periods of Divine Silence
David experienced times when he felt God's presence was withdrawn, often in response to his sins or during intense trials and battles. These experiences shaped his understanding of prayer and reliance on God.
c. 1000 BC
Solomon's Temple Construction Begins
While David longed for it, the great Temple in Jerusalem was built by his son Solomon. This signifies a central place of worship and God's dwelling among His people.
This verse echoes the plea to 'hide not your face from me,' directly linking the desire for God's favor and presence to the offering of sacrifices, suggesting a desire for acceptance and blessing.
Psalms 22:24It speaks to God not hiding His face or turning away from the cries of the afflicted, reinforcing the psalmist's desperate plea for God's attention and mercy in a time of great suffering.
Isaiah 49:15This passage powerfully illustrates the depth of God's faithfulness, asking 'Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?' This highlights the profound undeservedness of God's love, even when His people feel abandoned.
Lamentations 3:31-32This verse acknowledges that God does not readily cast off or condemn, even when sending sorrow. It speaks to the faithfulness of God amidst suffering, mirroring the psalmist's hope that God's past help guarantees future presence.
Romans 8:38-39This New Testament passage assures believers that nothing, not even divine wrath, can separate them from God's love. This provides a profound fulfillment to the psalmist's plea, as God's commitment is unbreakable and absolute in Christ.
cambridgePsalms 27:9: "Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation."
9 . Hide not thy face from me (R.V.). A prayer grounded on the divine promise which he has obeyed. Cp. Psalm 22:14 . put not &c.] Or, turn not , like the unjust judge who turns the needy from his right ( Job 24:4 ; Isaiah 10:2 ; Luke 18:1 ff.). in anger ] See note on Psalm 6:1 . thou hast been my help ] An appeal to past experience. Su…
clarkePsalms 27:9: "Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation."
Hide not thy face - from me - As my face is towards thee wheresoever I am, so let thy face be turned towards me. In a Persian MS. poem entitled Shah we Gudda, "The King and the Beggar," I have found a remarkable couplet, most strangely and artificially involved, which expresses exactly the same sentiment one meaning of which is: - Our…
David's plea isn't just about feeling abandoned, but about God withdrawing the visible evidence of His favor and presence. He knows God has been his help, but he desperately needs that help to continue, imploring God not to turn His "face" (meaning His active favor and presence) away. This is a crucial distinction: it’s not just about emotional comfort, but about the tangible reality of God’s saving power in action.
David is in deep distress, feeling the weight of his enemies and praying for God's protection and presence. Having previously declared his intention to seek God's face, he now pleads that God wouldn't turn away from him or reject him in anger. He appeals to God's past faithfulness as his "help," begging not to be abandoned in this current trial, recognizing God as the ultimate source of his salvation.
David is in deep distress, feeling the weight of his enemies and praying for God's protection and presence. Having previously declared his intention to seek God's face, he now pleads that God wouldn't turn away from him or reject him in anger. He appeals to God's past faithfulness as his "help," begging not to be abandoned in this current trial, recognizing God as the ultimate source of his salvation.
"Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help. Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!" — David's plea isn't just about feeling abandoned, but about God withdrawing the visible evidence of His favor and presence. He knows God has been his help, but he desperately needs that help to co…
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Last reviewed October 2026