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Psalm 28
New English Translation

Psalm 28[a]

By David.

28 To you, O Lord, I cry out!
My Protector,[b] do not ignore me.[c]
If you do not respond to me,[d]
I will join[e] those who are descending into the grave.[f]
2 Hear my plea for mercy when I cry out to you for help,
when I lift my hands[g] toward your holy temple.[h]
3 Do not drag me away with evil men,
with those who behave wickedly,[i]
who talk so friendly to their neighbors,[j]
while they plan to harm them.[k]
4 Pay them back for their evil deeds.
Pay them back for what they do.
Punish them.[l]
5 For they do not understand the Lord’s actions,
or the way he carries out justice.[m]
The Lord[n] will permanently demolish them.[o]
6 The Lord deserves praise,[p]
for he has heard my plea for mercy.[q]
7 The Lord strengthens and protects me;[r]
I trust in him with all my heart.[s]
I am rescued[t] and my heart is full of joy;[u]
I will sing to him in gratitude.[v]
8 The Lord strengthens his people;[w]
he protects and delivers his chosen king.[x]
9 Deliver your people.
Empower[y] the nation that belongs to you.[z]
Care for them like a shepherd and carry them in your arms[aa] at all times![ab]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 28:1 sn Psalm 28. The author looks to the Lord for vindication, asks that the wicked be repaid in full for their evil deeds, and affirms his confidence that the Lord will protect his own.
  2. Psalm 28:1 tn Heb “my rocky summit.” The Lord is compared to a rocky summit where one can find protection from enemies. See Ps 18:2.
  3. Psalm 28:1 tn Heb “do not be deaf from me.”
  4. Psalm 28:1 tn Heb “lest [if] you are silent from me.”
  5. Psalm 28:1 tn Heb “I will be equal with.”
  6. Psalm 28:1 tn Heb “the pit.” The noun בּוֹר (bor, “pit, cistern”) is sometimes used of the grave and/or the realm of the dead.
  7. Psalm 28:2 sn I lift my hands. Lifting one’s hands toward God was a gesture of prayer.
  8. Psalm 28:2 tn The Hebrew term דְּבִיר (devir, “temple”) actually refers to the most holy place within the sanctuary.
  9. Psalm 28:3 tn Heb “workers of wickedness.”
  10. Psalm 28:3 tn Heb “speakers of peace with their neighbors.”
  11. Psalm 28:3 tn Heb “and evil [is] in their heart[s].”
  12. Psalm 28:4 tn Heb “Give to them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds. According to the work of their hands give to them. Return their due to them.” The highly repetitive style reflects the psalmist’s agitated emotional state and draws attention to his yearning for justice.
  13. Psalm 28:5 tn Heb “or the work of his hands.” In this context “the Lord’s actions” and “the work of his hands” probably refer to the way he carries out justice by vindicating the godly and punishing the wicked. (Note the final line of the verse, which refers to divine judgment. See also Ps 92:4-7.) Evil men do not “understand” God’s just ways; they fail to realize he will protect the innocent. Consequently they seek to harm the godly, as if they believe they will never be held accountable for their actions.
  14. Psalm 28:5 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord, who is referred to in the two immediately preceding lines) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  15. Psalm 28:5 tn Heb “will tear them down and not rebuild them.” The ungodly are compared to a structure that is permanently demolished.
  16. Psalm 28:6 tn Heb “blessed [be] the Lord.”
  17. Psalm 28:6 sn He has heard my plea for mercy. The psalmist’s mood abruptly changes at this point, because the Lord responded positively to his petition and assured him that he would deliver him.
  18. Psalm 28:7 tn Heb “The Lord [is] my strength and my shield.”
  19. Psalm 28:7 tn Heb “in him my heart trusts.”
  20. Psalm 28:7 tn Or “I am helped.”
  21. Psalm 28:7 tn Heb “and my heart exults.”
  22. Psalm 28:7 tn Heb “and from my song I will thank him.” As pointed in the Hebrew text, מִשִּׁירִי (mishiri) appears to be “from my song,” but the preposition “from” never occurs elsewhere with the verb “to thank” (Hiphil of יָדָה, yadah). Perhaps משׁיר is a noun form meaning “song.” If so, it can be taken as an adverbial accusative, “and [with] my song I will thank him.” See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 236.
  23. Psalm 28:8 tn Heb “the Lord [is] strength to them” (or perhaps, “to him”). The form לָמוֹ (lamo, “to them/him”) probably needs to be emended to לְעַמּוֹ (leʿammo, “to his people”; see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 236), perhaps due to quiescence of the letter ʿayin (ע; see P. McCarter, Textual Criticism [GBS], 55). Note the reference to the Lord’s “people” in the next verse. Also, a few Hebrew mss, the LXX, and Syriac support לְעַמּוֹ (leʿammo, “to his people”).
  24. Psalm 28:8 tn Heb “he [is] a refuge of help for his anointed one.” The noun מָשִׁיחַ (mashiakh, “anointed one”) refers to the Davidic king, who perhaps speaks as representative of the nation in this psalm. See Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 84:9; 89:38, 51; 132:10, 17.
  25. Psalm 28:9 tn Or “bless.”
  26. Psalm 28:9 tn Heb “your inheritance.” The parallelism (note “your people”) indicates that Israel is in view.
  27. Psalm 28:9 tn Heb “shepherd them and lift them up.”sn The shepherd metaphor is sometimes associated with royal responsibility. See 2 Sam 5:2; 7:7; Mic 5:2-4).
  28. Psalm 28:9 tn Or “forever.”
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Psalm 28
New Catholic Bible

Psalm 28[a]

Thanksgiving for Supplications Heard

1 Of David.

To you I call out, O Lord, my Rock;[b]
    do not turn a deaf ear to my cry.
For if you remain silent,
    I will be like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear my voice in supplication
    as I plead for your help,
as I lift up my hands[c]
    toward your Most Holy Place.
3 Do not snatch me away with the wicked,
    with those whose deeds are evil,
who talk of peace to their neighbors
    while treachery is in their hearts.[d]
4 [e]Repay them as their deeds deserve
    in accordance with the evil they inflict;
repay them for the works of their hands
    and heap upon them what they justly deserve.
5 Since they have paid no heed to the deeds of the Lord
    or to the works of his hands,
he will strike them down
    and refuse to restore them.
6 Blessed[f] be the Lord,
    for he has heard my cry of supplication.
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield;
    my heart[g] places its trust in him.
He has helped me, and I exult;
    then with my song I praise him.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people,
    the refuge where his anointed one[h] finds salvation.
9 Save your people and bless your heritage;
    be their shepherd[i] and sustain them forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 28:1 The psalmist calls upon God and curses his persecutors; such vehemence indicates that he is close to the end of his strength. Deaf for a time, the Lord finally hears his servant; after anguish here is the thanksgiving. The concluding formula transforms the psalm into a prayer for Israel, the “anointed one,” that is, the people consecrated (v. 8) to the service of God. Believers will one day refuse the sentiments of vengeance that spring up here from the experience of the oppressed psalmist; for God could not indistinctly combine honesty with wrongdoing.
    In praying this psalm, we should keep in mind that in this life Christ does not normally answer our desire for escape or special privilege. He sends us out and immerses us in the world and its tribulations (see Jn 15:18—16:4; 17:18) after his election has drawn us out of it (see Jn 15:19). Yet we already foresee victory, for the same divine power that raised Christ from the dead will raise us also and lead our humanity into a state of glory (see Eph 1:17-20).
  2. Psalm 28:1 Rock: the Lord is the Rock, who gives strength and sustenance to his people and provides refuge for them (see Ps 18:3 and note). Pit: metaphor for the grave.
  3. Psalm 28:2 Lift up my hands: the usual posture for prayer (see Pss 63:5; 134:2; 141:2). Most Holy Place: the innermost part of the temple, the Holy of Holies, which contained the Ark of the Covenant and was looked upon as the place of God’s presence on earth (see 1 Ki 6:16, 19-23; 8:6-8).
  4. Psalm 28:3 The psalmist prays that the Lord will deliver him from his adversities (see Ps 26:9-12) so that he will not be numbered with the wicked nor judged with them. Hearts: see note on Ps 4:8.
  5. Psalm 28:4 The wicked have not learned to respond to the Lord and his wondrous deeds in redemptive history (the works of his hands). Therefore, they will be judged according to the works of their hands. Justice requires that evil be removed so that its power will be completely voided. See notes on Pss 5:11; 35.
  6. Psalm 28:6 The psalmist gives praise to the Lord for having heard his prayer; this will result in righteous judgment and vindication. Blessed: see note on Ps 18:47.
  7. Psalm 28:7 No longer does the psalmist feel threatened to the point of despairing. He is overjoyed and jubilant because he knows that the Lord will come to his aid as his strength (see Ex 15:2) and his shield (see Ps 3:4). Heart: see note on Ps 4:8. With my song I praise him: see note on Ps 7:18.
  8. Psalm 28:8 Anointed one: here the reference seems to be to the entire people of God, which is consecrated to his service (see Ps 105:15; Ex 19:6; Hab 3:13). See also note on Ps 2:2.
  9. Psalm 28:9 Be their shepherd: a theme found also in Ps 80:2; Isa 40:11; Jer 31:10; Ezek 34; Mic 5:4. The Lord answered this prayer by sending the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ (Jn 10:11, 14), who died for his sheep.
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Psalm 28
New International Version

Psalm 28

Of David.

1 To you, Lord, I call;
    you are my Rock,
    do not turn a deaf ear(A) to me.
For if you remain silent,(B)
    I will be like those who go down to the pit.(C)
2 Hear my cry for mercy(D)
    as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands(E)
    toward your Most Holy Place.(F)

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
    with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
    but harbor malice in their hearts.(G)
4 Repay them for their deeds
    and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done(H)
    and bring back on them what they deserve.(I)

5 Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
    and what his hands have done,(J)
he will tear them down
    and never build them up again.

6 Praise be to the Lord,(K)
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.(L)
7 The Lord is my strength(M) and my shield;
    my heart trusts(N) in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,(O)
    and with my song I praise him.(P)

8 The Lord is the strength(Q) of his people,
    a fortress of salvation(R) for his anointed one.(S)
9 Save your people(T) and bless your inheritance;(U)
    be their shepherd(V) and carry them(W) forever.

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Psalm 27
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