Psalms 27:8 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

When thou saidst; either by thy word, commanding and inviting me so to do; or by thy Spirit, directing and inclining me to it. Seek ye my face, i.e. seek my presence, and favour, and help, by fervent and faithful prayer. My heart said unto thee; my heart readily and thankfully complied with the motion; and upon the encouragement of this command, or invitation and promise couched in it, I resolved I would do so, and do so at this time. But this verse is a little otherwise rendered by divers learned men. And the words lie in another order in the Hebrew text, which runs thus: To thee my heart said, Thou hast said, (which verb may well be understood here, as it is also 1 Kings 20:34, and as divers other verbs are understood in the sacred text, as Leviticus 24:8 2 Samuel 18:12, 2 Samuel 23:17, compared with 1 Chronicles 11:19, and in many other places; which is not strange in so concise and short a language as the Hebrew is,) Seek ye my face (this is thy great command, so oft and so vehemently urged, as containing the very substance and foundation of all true piety). Thy face, Lord, I will seek; I cheerfully do and will obey thy command therein. Or the verse may be thus translated without any supplement, which, where it can be done, is confessedly the best way of translation: Concerning thee (as the particle lamed is oft used; or, for or instead of thee, as it is unquestionably used, Genesis 11:3 Exodus 13:16 Proverbs 21:18, i.e. in thy name and words, and according to thy mind) my heart said, (to wit, to or within myself, as the word said is frequently taken, i.e. I seriously consider within myself this following command of thine oft inculcated in thy word, and press it upon my own conscience,) Seek ye my face. Thy face, Lord, will I seek. Thou commandest it, and I will obey thee therein.