9 Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance, And feed them, and carry them to the age!
As a shepherd His flock He feedeth, With His arm He gathereth lambs, And in His bosom He carrieth `them': Suckling ones He leadeth.
and they `are' Thy people, and Thine inheritance, whom Thou hast brought out by Thy great power, and by Thy stretched-out arm!
`And every one who is left, of any of the places where he `is' a sojourner, assist him do the men of his place with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, along with a free-will offering for the house of God, that `is' in Jerusalem.'
(for Thy people and Thy inheritance `are' they, whom Thou didst bring out of Egypt, out of the midst of the furnace of iron) --
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, for your knowing what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
And thou, Beth-Lehem, the land of Judah, thou art by no means the least among the leaders of Judah, for out of thee shall come one leading, who shall feed My people Israel.'
And he hath stood and delighted in the strength of Jehovah, In the excellency of the name of Jehovah his God, And they have remained, For now he is great unto the ends of earth.
And thou, Beth-Lehem Ephratah, Little to be among the chiefs of Judah! From thee to Me he cometh forth -- to be ruler in Israel, And his comings forth `are' of old, From the days of antiquity.
Not like these `is' the Portion of Jacob, For framer of all things `is' He, And Israel `is' the rod of His inheritance, Jehovah of Hosts `is' His name.
In all their distress `He is' no adversary, And the messenger of His presence saved them, In His love and in His pity He redeemed them, And He doth lift them up, And beareth them all the days of old.
God of Hosts, turn back, we beseech Thee, Look from heaven, and see, and inspect this vine, And the root that Thy right hand planted, And the branch Thou madest strong for Thee, Burnt with fire -- cut down, From the rebuke of Thy face they perish. Let Thy hand be on the man of Thy right hand, On the son of man Thou hast strengthened for Thyself. And we do not go back from Thee, Thou dost revive us, and in Thy name we call. O Jehovah, God of Hosts, turn us back, Cause Thy face to shine, and we are saved!
for Thou hast separated them to Thyself for an inheritance, out of all the peoples of the earth, as Thou didst speak by the hand of Moses Thy servant, in Thy bringing out our fathers from Egypt, O Lord Jehovah.'
and in the wilderness, where thou hast seen that Jehovah thy God hath borne thee as a man beareth his son, in all the way which ye have gone, till your coming in unto this place.
During all `the time' that I have walked up and down among all the sons of Israel, a word have I spoken with one of the tribes of Israel which I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, `Why have ye not built to Me a house of cedars?
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.).