Psalms 28
A Cry for Deliverance and Judgment 1–5
Confidence Based on Answered Prayer 6–7
Prayer for the Salvation of God's People 8–9
Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain
Study Notes for Psalms 28
Verse 1
O LORD my rock — Tsur is a cliff or crag, a title the psalmist uses again in Ps 18:46, 'blessed be my rock'. Two different verbs speak of silence, chashah, to hush, and charash, to be dumb. 'The pit' (bor) is where the dead go down, as in Ps 143:7, 'lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit'.
Verse 2
thy holy oracle — Debir is the innermost room of the house, 'the oracle, even… the most holy place' (1 Kgs 6:16), toward which the hands are lifted, as in Ps 141:2. 'Supplications' (tachanun) comes from chanan, to ask for favour, the verb of 'have mercy' in Ps 27:7. Paul writes of 'lifting up holy hands' (1 Tim 2:8).
Verse 3
which speak peace to their neighbours — Shalom, peace, is on their lips while 'mischief' (ra) is in their hearts, as Jeremiah describes: 'one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth' (Jer 9:8). 'Neighbours' (rea) is the word of Ps 15:3, where the righteous does no evil to his neighbour.
Verse 4
render to them their desert — Three words name what they have done: deeds (poal), endeavours (maalal), work of their hands (maaseh), and the repayment is gemul, recompense. The right to repay belongs to the LORD: 'To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence' (Deut 32:35). Paul says he 'will render to every man according to his deeds' (Rom 2:6).
Verse 5
regard not the works of the LORD — Bin is to discern, to look at carefully. Isaiah speaks of the same people: 'they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands' (Isa 5:12). The verdict mirrors Jeremiah's promise to the exiles: 'I will build them, and not pull them down' (Jer 24:6).
Verse 6
Blessed be the LORD — The words of v.2 are taken up in thanks: 'the voice of my supplications' (tachanun) is the very phrase of v.2, and 'heard' is the same verb as 'Hear'. Barak is to bless, literally to kneel. Ps 31:21 uses the same blessing: 'Blessed be the LORD: for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness'.
Verse 7
my strength and my shield — Oz is strength and magen the shield, as in 'I am thy shield' (Gen 15:1). 'Helped' is azar, and 'greatly rejoiceth' alaz, to leap for joy. 'Praise' is yadah, from yad, the hand, a thanks given with outstretched hands, matching the lifted hands of v.2.
Verse 8
the saving strength of his anointed — 'Strength' (maoz) is a stronghold, as in Ps 27:1, and 'saving' is yeshuah, deliverance. The pronouns move from 'their strength', the people's, to 'his anointed' (mashiach), the king, as in Ps 20:6. Christ reads Isa 61:1, 'he hath anointed me', of himself (Luke 4:18).
Verse 9
feed them also, and lift them up for ever — 'Feed' is raah, to shepherd, the verb behind 'my shepherd' in Ps 23:1. 'Lift up' is nasa, to carry, as in 'he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom' (Isa 40:11). 'Thy people' and 'thine inheritance' are joined in Deut 9:29.