9 Be a saviour to your people, and send a blessing on your heritage: be their guide, and let them be lifted up for ever.
He will give food to his flock like a keeper of sheep; with his arm he will get it together, and will take up the lambs on his breast, gently guiding those which are with young.
But still they are your people and your heritage, whom you took out by your great power and by your stretched-out arm.
And whoever there may be of the rest of Israel, living in any place, let the men of that place give him help with offerings of silver and gold and goods and beasts, in addition to the offering freely given for the house of God in Jerusalem.
For they are your people and your heritage, which you took out of Egypt, out of the iron fireplace;
And that having the eyes of your heart full of light, you may have knowledge of what is the hope of his purpose, what is the wealth of the glory of his heritage in the saints,
You Beth-lehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the chiefs of Judah: out of you will come a ruler, who will be the keeper of my people Israel.
And this will be our peace: when the Assyrian comes into our country and his feet are in our land, then we will put up against him seven keepers of the flocks and eight chiefs among men.
For this cause he will give them up till the time when she who is with child has given birth: then the rest of his brothers will come back to the children of Israel.
The heritage of Jacob is not like these; for the maker of all things is his heritage: the Lord of armies is his name.
It was no sent one or angel, but he himself who was their saviour: in his love and in his pity he took up their cause, and he took them in his arms, caring for them all through the years.
Come back, O God of armies: from heaven let your eyes be turned to this vine, and give your mind to it, Even to the tree which was planted by your right hand, and to the branch which you made strong for yourself. It is burned with fire; it is cut down: they are made waste by the wrath of your face. Let your hand be on the man of your right hand, on the son of man whom you made strong for yourself. So will we not be turned back from you; keep us in life, and we will give praise to your name. Take us back, O Lord God of armies; let us see the shining of your face, and let us be safe.
Give Israel salvation, O God, out of all his troubles.
For you made them separate from all the peoples of the earth, to be your heritage, as you said by Moses your servant, when you took our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.
And in the waste land, where you have seen how the Lord was supporting you, as a man does his son, in all your journeying till you came to this place.
In all the places where I went with all the children of Israel, did I ever say to any of the judges of Israel, to whom I gave the care of my people Israel, Why have you not made me a house of cedar?
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Psalms 28
Commentary on Psalms 28 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
PSALM 28
Ps 28:1-9. An earnest cry for divine aid against his enemies, as being also those of God, is followed by the Psalmist's praise in assurance of a favorable answer, and a prayer for all God's people.
1. my rock—(Ps 18:2, 31).
be not silent to me—literally, "from me," deaf or inattentive.
become like them, &c.—share their fate.
go down into the pit—or, "grave" (Ps 30:3).
2. lift up my hands—a gesture of prayer (Ps 63:4; 141:2).
oracle—place of speaking (Ex 25:22; Nu 7:89), where God answered His people (compare Ps 5:7).
3. Draw me not away—implies punishment as well as death (compare Ps 26:9). Hypocrisy is the special wickedness mentioned.
4. The imprecation is justified in Ps 28:5. The force of the passage is greatly enhanced by the accumulation of terms describing their sin.
endeavours—points out their deliberate sinfulness.
5. Disregard of God's judgments brings a righteous punishment.
destroy … build … up—The positive strengthened by the negative form.
6. supplications—or, "cries for mercy."
7. The repetition of "heart" denotes his sincerity.
8. The distinction made between the people.
their strength—and the anointed—may indicate Absalom's rebellion as the occasion.
9. The special prayer for the people sustains this view.
feed them—as a shepherd (Ps 23:1, &c.).