Chapter Overview
Summary
Psalm 28 (MT) / Psalm 27 (LXX) is a Davidic cry for rescue from enemies, moving from petition to confidence after divine hearing. 'The LORD is the strength of his people and the saving refuge of his anointed' (v. 8) and the closing 'save your people, shepherd them, carry them forever' (v. 9) provide both royal-kingship and shepherd-theology.
Notable Variants
28:1 'pit' / 'those who go down to the pit' as Sheol-vocabulary; 28:8 'his anointed' (christou autou) Messianic-royal category; 28:9 'shepherd them and carry them' pastoral-theology.
Structural Notes
MT Ps 28 = LXX Ps 27. 9 verses.
Of David. To you I cry, O LORD, my rock! Do not be deaf to me, for if you are silent toward me, I will become like those who go down to the pit.
'To you I cry, O LORD, my rock!' tracks MT. 'Go down to the pit' (tois katabainousin eis lakkon) — the descent-to-Sheol euphemism for death. Acts 2:27 ('you will not abandon my soul to Hades') inverts the fear with resurrection-confidence.
Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy when I cry out to you, when I lift my hands toward the inner sanctuary of your holiness.
'Lift my hands toward the inner sanctuary' tracks MT. Hand-lifting-toward-sanctuary is the standard Hebrew-Bible prayer-posture. 1 Tim 2:8 ('lifting holy hands') carries it into NT prayer-tradition.
Do not drag me away with the wicked, with the workers of evil, who speak peace to their neighbors while malice is in their hearts.
'Speak peace … while malice in hearts' tracks MT. The double-hearted speech-deception (cf. Ps 12:2) is the anti-integrity target.
Give them according to their deeds and according to the evil of their actions. Give them according to the work of their hands; repay them what they deserve.
'Give them according to their deeds' tracks MT. The retribution-principle that Romans 2:6 ('he will render to each one according to his works') cites: retribution-by-deeds is biblical-ethics constant.
Because they do not understand the works of the LORD or the deeds of his hands, he will tear them down and never rebuild them.
'They do not understand the works of the LORD' tracks MT. The anti-understanding of God's works is the wicked's spiritual-blindness — a theme Isaiah 6 and Romans 11:8–10 develop.
Blessed be the LORD, for he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy!
Doxology-of-answered-prayer tracks MT.
The LORD is my strength and my shield. In him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart leaps for joy, and with my song I give him thanks.
'The LORD is my strength and my shield' tracks MT. Hebrews 13:6 (citing LXX Ps 118:6 'the Lord is my helper') carries similar confidence.
The LORD is the strength of his people and the saving refuge of his anointed.
Masoretic (WLC)
יְהוָה עֹז־לָמוֹ וּמָעוֹז יְשׁוּעוֹת מְשִׁיחוֹ הוּא
The LORD is the strength of his people and the saving refuge of his anointed
Septuagint (LXX)
κύριος κραταίωμα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑπερασπιστὴς τῶν σωτηρίων τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν
The Lord is the strength of his people and the shield of the salvations of his anointed
'HIS ANOINTED' (christou autou) — reprises the Ps 2:2, 18:51, 20:7 christos-royal formula. The king is the Lord's anointed; the Lord is his saving strength. The NT Christological application: Christ himself is the anointed-par-excellence whom the Father saves (Heb 5:7 'was heard because of his reverence').
Save your people and bless your inheritance; shepherd them and carry them forever.
Masoretic (WLC)
הוֹשִׁיעָה אֶת־עַמֶּךָ וּבָרֵךְ אֶת־נַחֲלָתֶךָ וּרְעֵם וְנַשְּׂאֵם עַד־הָעוֹלָם
Save your people and bless your inheritance; shepherd them and carry them forever
Septuagint (LXX)
σῶσον τὸν λαόν σου καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου καὶ ποίμανον αὐτοὺς καὶ ἔπαρον αὐτοὺς ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος
Save your people and bless your inheritance, and shepherd them and lift them up forever
'SAVE YOUR PEOPLE / BLESS YOUR INHERITANCE.' The 'people and inheritance' pair is the covenantal-formula for Israel. Titus 2:14 ('he gave himself for us … to purify for himself a people of his own possession,' laon periousion) Christologically extends the theme.
'Shepherd them and lift them up forever' — the shepherd-bearing theology that Isaiah 40:11 ('he will gather the lambs in his arms and carry them in his bosom') and John 10:11–16 (Jesus the good shepherd) develop.