Psalm 27:13 English Standard Version (ESV) I believe that I shall look^[a] upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!

Footnotes ^[a]  Other Hebrew manuscripts Oh! Had I not believed that I would look

Psalm 27:13 King James Version (KJV) I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Psalm 27 has a periscope vision offered by the NASB that calls this psalm “a psalm of fearless trust in the Lord.” It is why “I had fainted” was added in the KJV where there are no Hebrews words given to be translated. That is why the ESV omits those 3 words.

This psalm is written in a time when David was under attack. The inclusion of “I and fainted” is an emotional appeal which is common in warriors who have lost trust in the heat of battle. It does not speak to all warriors, only some. It is common enough to address and why it might have been added in the KJV. It does not change the meaning but does add some human perspective.

It is how some see it by faith. That does not mean all will see it and it does not mean that those who do are wrong. It is not about right or wrong, it is about being touched. We should be mindful of that when we hear others express perspectives we do not share.

Is their perspective theologically dangerous? It might be that their expressions have not matured. We do not expect children to speak as mature adults nor adults as children. It is also possible that their perspectives have been tainted by others who had influence over their lives. We often find that when God leads us to a new church for a season we take our learned behaviors with us. Some minor examples are the way baptisms are performed, how and when the Lord’s Supper is shared or even what it is called.

No issue should become a point of division. We should seek unity of faith.