Psalms 27:14
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Study Note
Study Note
The double imperative of Psalm 27's conclusion — 'wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!' — frames active waiting as a form of spiritual strength rather than passive resignation. The repetition of the command (inclusion) creates a frame of intentional emphasis: waiting for God is not the last resort of the powerless but the deliberate discipline of those who have learned that God acts in his own time. 'Be strong, and let your heart take courage' (hizaq ve'amets libecha) is the same formula used to encourage Joshua (Deuteronomy 31:7-8; Joshua 1:6-9), suggesting that the strength required for waiting is as real as the strength required for conquest. The verse has become the paradigmatic expression of eschatological patience in both Jewish and Christian tradition — holding on to God in the interim between promise and fulfillment.
Other Translations
Wait for Jehovah: Be strong, and let thy heart take courage; Yea, wait thou for Jehovah.
Look unto Jehovah--be strong, And He doth strengthen thy heart, Yea, look unto Jehovah!
Let your hope be in the Lord: take heart and be strong; yes, let your hope be in the Lord.
Cross References
And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look …
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he …
Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is …
And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that …
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they …
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, …
And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that …
And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii forum, and …