7 Jehovah `is' my strength, and my shield, In Him my heart trusted, and I have been helped. And my heart exulteth, And with my song I thank Him.
Thou hast turned my mourning to dancing for me, Thou hast loosed my sackcloth, And girdest me `with' joy. So that honour doth praise Thee, and is not silent, O Jehovah, my God, to the age I thank Thee!
The day I am afraid I am confident toward Thee. In God I praise His word, in God I have trusted, I fear not what flesh doth to me.
To the Overseer. -- By a servant of Jehovah, by David, who hath spoken to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul, and he saith: -- I love Thee, O Jehovah, my strength. Jehovah `is' my rock, and my bulwark, And my deliverer, My God `is' my rock, I trust in Him: My shield, and a horn of my salvation, My high tower.
Thou hast sorely thrust me to fall, And Jehovah hath helped me. My strength and song `is' Jah, And He is to me for salvation. A voice of singing and salvation, `Is' in the tents of the righteous, The right hand of Jehovah is doing valiantly.
Sing to Jehovah a new song, Sing to Jehovah all the earth. Sing to Jehovah, bless His name, Proclaim from day to day His salvation. Declare among nations His honour, Among all the peoples His wonders.
Therefore hath my heart been glad, And my honour doth rejoice, Also my flesh dwelleth confidently: For Thou dost not leave my soul to Sheol, Nor givest thy saintly one to see corruption. Thou causest me to know the path of life; Fulness of joys `is' with Thy presence, Pleasant things by Thy right hand for ever!
And David speaketh to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah hath delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul, and he saith: `Jehovah `is' my rock, And my bulwark, and a deliverer to me, My God `is' my rock -- I take refuge in Him; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, My high tower, and my refuge! My Saviour, from violence Thou savest me! The Praised One, I call Jehovah: And from mine enemies I am saved. When the breakers of death compassed me, The streams of the worthless terrify me, The cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been the snares of death. In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I call, And He heareth from His temple my voice, And my cry `is' in His ears, And shake and tremble doth the earth, Foundations of the heavens are troubled, And are shaken, for He hath wrath! Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils. And fire from His mouth devoureth, Brands have been kindled by it. And He inclineth heaven, and cometh down, And thick darkness `is' under His feet. And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And is seen on the wings of the wind. And He setteth darkness Round about Him -- tabernacles, Darkness of waters -- thick clouds of the skies. From the brightness before Him Were brands of fire kindled! Thunder from the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice. And He sendeth forth arrows, And scattereth them; Lightning, and troubleth them; And seen are the streams of the sea, Revealed are foundations of the world, By the rebuke of Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of His anger. He sendeth from above -- He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters. He delivereth me from my strong enemy, From those hating me, For they were stronger than I. They are before me in a day of my calamity, And Jehovah is my support, And He bringeth me out to a large place, He draweth me out for He delighted in me. Jehovah recompenseth me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me. For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against my God. For all His judgments `are' before me, As to His statutes, I turn not from them. And I am perfect before Him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity. And Jehovah returneth to me, According to my righteousness, According to my cleanness before His eyes. With the kind Thou shewest Thyself kind, With the perfect man Thou shewest Thyself perfect, With the pure Thou shewest Thyself pure, And with the perverse Thou shewest Thyself a wrestler. And the poor people Thou dost save, And Thine eyes on the high causest to fall. For Thou `art' my lamp, O Jehovah, And Jehovah doth lighten my darkness. For by Thee I run -- a troop, By my God I leap a wall. God! Perfect `is' His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield He `is' to all those trusting in Him. For who is God save Jehovah? And who a Rock save our God? God -- my bulwark, `my' strength, And He maketh perfect my way; Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand, Teaching my hands for battle, And brought down was a bow of brass by mine arms, And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy lowliness maketh me great. Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden. I pursue mine enemies and destroy them, And I turn not till they are consumed. And I consume them, and smite them, And they rise not, and fall under my feet. And Thou girdest me `with' strength for battle, Thou causest my withstanders to bow under me. And mine enemies -- Thou givest to me the neck, Those hating me -- and I cut them off. They look, and there is no saviour; Unto Jehovah, and He hath not answered them. And I beat them as dust of the earth, As mire of the streets I beat them small -- I spread them out! And -- Thou dost deliver me From the strivings of my people, Thou placest me for a head of nations; A people I have not known do serve me. Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me, At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me. Sons of a stranger fade away, And gird themselves by their close places. Jehovah liveth, and blessed `is' my Rock, And exalted is my God -- The Rock of my salvation. God -- who is giving vengeance to me, And bringing down peoples under me, And bringing me forth from mine enemies, Yea, above my withstanders Thou raisest me up. From a man of violence Thou deliverest me. Therefore I confess Thee, O Jehovah, among nations. And to Thy name I sing praise. Magnifying the salvations of His king, And doing loving-kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed -- unto the age!'
And Hannah prayeth, and saith: `My heart hath exulted in Jehovah, My horn hath been high in Jehovah, My mouth hath been large over mine enemies, For I have rejoiced in Thy salvation. There is none holy like Jehovah, For there is none save Thee, And there is no rock like our God. Ye multiply not -- ye speak haughtily -- The old saying goeth out from your mouth, For a God of knowledge `is' Jehovah, And by Him actions are weighed. Bows of the mighty are broken, And the stumbling have girded on strength. The satiated for bread hired themselves, And the hungry have ceased. While the barren hath borne seven, And she abounding with sons hath languished. Jehovah putteth to death, and keepeth alive, He bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up. Jehovah dispossesseth, and He maketh rich, He maketh low, yea, He maketh high. He raiseth from the dust the poor, From a dunghill He lifteth up the needy, To cause `them' to sit with nobles, Yea, a throne of honour He doth cause them to inherit, For to Jehovah `are' the fixtures of earth, And He setteth on them the habitable world. The feet of His saints He keepeth, And the wicked in darkness are silent, For not by power doth man become mighty. Jehovah -- broken down are His adversaries, Against them in the heavens He thundereth: Jehovah judgeth the ends of earth, And giveth strength to His king, And exalteth the horn of His anointed.' And Elkanah goeth to Ramath, unto his house, and the youth hath been serving Jehovah, `in' the presence of Eli the priest;
And Deborah singeth -- also Barak son of Abinoam -- on that day, saying: -- `For freeing freemen in Israel, For a people willingly offering themselves Bless ye Jehovah. Hear, ye kings; give ear, ye princes, I, to Jehovah, I -- I do sing, I sing praise to Jehovah, God of Israel. Jehovah, in Thy going forth out of Seir, In Thy stepping out of the field of Edom, Earth trembled, also the heavens dropped, Also thick clouds dropped water. Hills flowed from the face of Jehovah, This one -- Sinai -- From the face of Jehovah, God of Israel. In the days of Shamgar son of Anath -- In the days of Jael -- The ways have ceased, And those going in the paths go `in' crooked ways. Villages ceased in Israel -- they ceased, Till that I arose -- Deborah, That I arose, a mother in Israel. He chooseth new gods, Then war `is' at the gates! A shield is not seen -- and a spear Among forty thousand in Israel. My heart `is' to the lawgivers of Israel, Who are offering themselves willingly among the people, Bless ye Jehovah! Riders on white asses -- Sitters on a long robe -- And walkers by the way -- meditate! By the voice of shouters Between the places of drawing water, There they give out righteous acts of Jehovah, Righteous acts of His villages in Israel, Then ruled in the gates have the people of Jehovah. Awake, awake, Deborah; Awake, awake, utter a song; Rise, Barak, and take captive thy captivity, Son of Abinoam. Then him who is left of the honourable ones He caused to rule the people of Jehovah, He caused me to rule among the mighty. Out of Ephraim their root `is' against Amalek. After thee, Benjamin, among thy peoples. Out of Machir came down lawgivers, And out of Zebulun those drawing with the reed of a writer. And princes in Issachar `are' with Deborah, Yea, Issachar `is' right with Barak, Into the valley he was sent on his feet. In the divisions of Reuben, Great `are' the decrees of heart! Why hast thou abode between the boundaries, To hear lowings of herds? For the divisions of Reuben, Great `are' the searchings of heart! Gilead beyond the Jordan did tabernacle, And Dan -- why doth he sojourn `in' ships? Asher hath abode at the haven of the seas, And by his creeks doth tabernacle. Zebulun `is' a people who exposed its soul to death, Naphtali also -- on high places of the field. Kings came -- they fought; Then fought kings of Canaan, In Taanach, by the waters of Megiddo; Gain of money they took not! From the heavens they fought: The stars from their highways fought with Sisera. The brook Kishon swept them away, The brook most ancient -- the brook Kishon. Thou dost tread down strength, O my soul! Then broken were the horse-heels, By pransings -- pransings of its mighty ones. Curse Meroz -- said a messenger of Jehovah, Cursing, curse ye its inhabitants, For they came not to the help of Jehovah, To the help of Jehovah among the mighty! Blessed above women is Jael, Wife of Heber the Kenite, Above women in the tent she is blessed. Water he asked -- milk she gave; In a lordly dish she brought near butter. Her hand to the pin she sendeth forth, And her right hand to the labourers' hammer, And she hammered Sisera -- she smote his head, Yea, she smote, and it passed through his temple. Between her feet he bowed -- He fell, he lay down; Between her feet he bowed, he fell; Where he bowed, there he fell -- destroyed. Through the window she hath looked out -- Yea, she crieth out -- the mother of Sisera, Through the lattice: Wherefore is his chariot delaying to come? Wherefore tarried have the steps of his chariot? The wise ones, her princesses, answer her, Yea, she returneth her sayings to herself: Do they not find? -- they apportion spoil, A female -- two females -- for every head, Spoil of finger-work for Sisera, Spoil of embroidered finger-work, Finger-work -- a pair of embroidered things, For the necks of the spoil! So do all Thine enemies perish, O Jehovah, And those loving Him `are' As the going out of the sun in its might!' and the land resteth forty years.
Then singeth Moses and the sons of Israel this song to Jehovah, and they speak, saying: -- `I sing to Jehovah, For triumphing He hath triumphed; The horse and its rider He hath thrown into the sea. My strength and song is JAH, And He is become my salvation: This `is' my God, and I glorify Him; God of my father, and I exalt Him. Jehovah `is' a man of battle; Jehovah `is' His name. Chariots of Pharaoh and his force He hath cast into the sea; And the choice of his captains Have sunk in the Red Sea! The depths do cover them; They went down into the depths as a stone. Thy right hand, O Jehovah, Is become honourable in power; Thy right hand, O Jehovah, Doth crush an enemy. And in the abundance of Thine excellency Thou throwest down Thy withstanders, Thou sendest forth Thy wrath -- It consumeth them as stubble. And by the spirit of Thine anger Have waters been heaped together; Stood as a heap have flowings; Congealed have been depths In the heart of a sea. The enemy said, I pursue, I overtake; I apportion spoil; Filled is my soul with them; I draw out my sword; My hand destroyeth them: -- Thou hast blown with Thy wind The sea hath covered them; They sank as lead in mighty waters. Who `is' like Thee among the gods, O Jehovah? Who `is' like Thee -- honourable in holiness -- Fearful in praises -- doing wonders? Thou hast stretched out Thy right hand -- Earth swalloweth them! Thou hast led forth in Thy kindness The people whom Thou hast redeemed. Thou hast led on in Thy strength Unto Thy holy habitation. Peoples have heard, they are troubled; Pain hath seized inhabitants of Philistia. Then have chiefs of Edom been troubled: Mighty ones of Moab -- Trembling doth seize them! Melted have all inhabitants of Canaan! Fall on them doth terror and dread; By the greatness of Thine arm They are still as a stone, Till Thy people pass over, O Jehovah; Till the people pass over Whom Thou hast purchased. Thou dost bring them in, And dost plant them In a mountain of Thine inheritance, A fixed place for Thy dwelling Thou hast made, O Jehovah; A sanctuary, O Lord, Thy hands have established; Jehovah reigneth -- to the age, and for ever!' For the horse of Pharaoh hath gone in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and Jehovah turneth back on them the waters of the sea, and the sons of Israel have gone on dry land in the midst of the sea. And Miriam the inspired one, sister of Aaron, taketh the timbrel in her hand, and all the women go out after her, with timbrels and with choruses; and Miriam answereth to them: -- `Sing ye to Jehovah, For Triumphing He hath triumphed; The horse and its rider He hath thrown into the sea!'
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Psalms 28
Commentary on Psalms 28 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO Psalm 28
cf15I A Psalm of David. This psalm, Aben Ezra says, David either composed himself, or one of the singers for him; the former seems most likely; and it might be made by him when he was persecuted by Saul, or when delivered from him; or at least when he had faith and hope that he should be delivered: the psalm consists of two parts, petitions and thanksgivings.
Unto thee will I cry,.... This denotes the distress the psalmist was in, fervency and ardour in prayer, resolution to continue in it, and singularity with respect to the object of it; determining to cry to the Lord only; to which he was encouraged by what follows;
O Lord my rock; he being a strong tower and place of defence to him, in whom were all his safety, and his trust and confidence, and in whom he had an interest;
be not silent to me; or "deaf"F17אל תחרש "ne obsurdescas", Vatablus, Tigurine version, Gejerus; so Ainsworth, Junius & Tremellius, Michaelis. ; persons that do not hear are silent, and make no answer; as the Lord seems to be, when he returns no answer to the cries of his people; when he does not arise and help them; when he seems not to take any notice of his and their enemies, but stands at a distance from them, and as if he had forsaken them; see Psalm 39:12; the words may be considered, as they are by some, as an address to Christ his rock, his advocate and intercessor; that he would not be silent, but speak for him, and present his supplications to God, with the much incense of his mediation; see 1 Samuel 7:8;
lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit; either like such that fall into a ditch, and cannot help themselves out, and they cry, and there is none to take them out from thence; or like such that die in battle, and are cast into a pit, and there buried in common with others; which David might fear would be his case, through Saul's violent pursuit after him; or lest he should be like the dead, who are not regarded, and are remembered no more; or lest he should really die by the hands of his enemies, and so be laid in the grave, the pit of corruption; or be in such distress and despair as even the damned in hell be, the pit out of which there is no deliverance.
Hear the voice of my supplications,.... Which proceed from the Spirit of grace and of supplication, and are put up in an humble manner, under a sense of wants and unworthiness, and on the foot of grace and mercy, and not merit;
when I cry unto thee; as he now did, and determined he would, and continue so doing, until he was heard;
when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle: the holy of holies, in the tabernacle and in the temple, which was sometimes so called, 1 Kings 6:23; compared with 2 Chronicles 3:10; where were the ark, the mercy seat, and cherubim, between which the Lord dwelt, and gave responses to his people; or heaven itself, which the holy of holies was a figure of; where is the throne of God, and from whence he hears the prayers of his people directed to him; or else Christ himself, who is the most Holy, and the "Debir", or Oracle, who speaks to the Lord for his people; and by whom the Lord speaks to them again, and communes with them. The oracle had its name, "debir", from speaking. Lifting up of the hands is a prayer gesture, and here designs the performance of that duty to God in heaven, through Christ; see Lamentations 3:41; it was frequently used, even by the Heathens, as a prayer gestureF18"Duplices manus ad sidera tendit--et paulo post--et ambas ad coelum tendit palmas", Virgil. Aeneid. 10. vid. Aeneid. 2. "Ad coelum manibus sublatis", Horat. Satyr. l. 2. satyr. 5. v. 97. "Coelo supines si tuleris manus", ib. Carmin. l. 3. Ode 23. v. 1. "Et pandere palmas ante Deum delubra", Lucretius l. 5. prope finem δη χειρα ανασχων, Homer. Iliad. 5. v. 174. ; see Psalm 141:2.
Draw me not away with the wicked,.... That is, with those who are notoriously wicked; who are inwardly and outwardly wicked; whose inward part is very wickedness, and who sell themselves and give up themselves to work wickedness: the sense is, that God would not suffer him to be drawn away, or drawn aside by wicked men, but that he would deliver him from temptation; or that he would not give him up into their hands, to be at their mercy; who he knew would not spare him, if they had him in their power; or that he might not die the death of the wicked, and perish with them; see Psalm 26:9;
and with the workers of iniquity; who make it the trade and business of their lives to commit sin; and which may be applied, not only to profane sinners, but to professors of religion, Matthew 7:23; since it follows,
which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts; hypocrites, double minded men, who have a form of godliness, but deny the power of it; pretend to religion, and have none; and speak fair to the face, but design mischief and ruin; as Saul and his servants did to David, 1 Samuel 18:17.
Give them according to their deeds,.... According to the demerit of them, which is death, even death eternal;
and according to the wickedness of their endeavours; for though wicked men do not always succeed; yet their want of success does not excuse their wickedness;
give them after the work of their hands; see 2 Timothy 4:14;
render to them their desert; what their iniquities, in thought, word, and deed, deserve: such petitions are not contrary to that Christian charity which the Gospel recommends; nor do they savour of a spirit of revenge, which is condemned by the word of God; for it should be observed, that these things are said with respect to men given up to a reprobate mind; and that the psalmist does not seek to avenge himself, nor to gratify his own mind; but he sought the glory of God, and moreover spoke by a prophetic spirit, knowing what was the will of God in this case; see Psalm 28:5; and therefore these petitions of his are not to be drawn into an example in common and ordinary cases.
Because they regard not the works of the Lord,.... Neither the work of creation, as if there was no first cause of all things; nor the work of Providence, taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God; as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth, and would do neither good nor evil; and still less the work of redemption, which in covenant, promise, and prophecy, was appointed for the Messiah to work out; and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul, they had no notion of that, of the nature and necessity of it; the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them, and undiscernible by them; see Isaiah 5:12. Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel, according to the will of God, and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath, and over others, which justly gained him great esteem among some, and created envy in others; and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time; the Chaldee paraphrase is, "because they do not understand the law of the Lord". It follows,
nor the operation of his hands; in which his hand was so very apparent, that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God; wherefore,
he shall destroy them, and not build them up; that is, they shall be irrecoverably lost; they shall be punished with everlasting destruction; there will be no help or remedy for them: someF19Kimchi in loc. Vid. Aben Ezram in loc. understand this as a prayer, that God would destroy them in such a manner, and render it, "let him destroy them", &c.F20יהרסם "destruat eos", Vatablus; so the Arabic version. .
Blessed be the Lord,.... Which must be understood, not as invoking nor as conferring a blessing on him, neither of which can be done by a creature; nor does he stand in need of any, he being Elshaddai, God all sufficient, God over all, blessed for ever; but as ascribing all blessedness to him, congratulating his greatness and happiness, and giving him praise and glory for mercies received; and particularly for the following:
because he hath heard the voice of my supplications; what he had prayed for, Psalm 28:2; an answer was quickly returned, even while he was speaking, Isaiah 65:24; though this may be an expression of faith, being fully persuaded and assured that he was heard, and would be answered, and may be said by a prophetic spirit; knowing that what he had humbly asked for would be granted; so Aben Ezra and Kimchi understand it in a way of prophecy.
The Lord is my strength,.... That is, the author both of natural and spiritual strength; that gave him strength of body, and fortitude of mind, to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with; the strength of his life, spiritual and temporal, and of his salvation; the strength of his heart under present distresses, and who he knew would be so in the hour of death, when his heart and strength would fail;
and my shield; to protect and defend him; as were the love, power, and faithfulness of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, his power and fulness, his blood, righteousness, and salvation;
my heart trusted in him; in the Lord as his strength and shield; not in any creature, nor in his own strength and righteousness; but in the Lord God, in whom are righteousness and strength: and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart, since his heart trusted in the Lord; and which shows that his trust was an hearty one, his faith was a faith unfeigned, he believed with the heart unto righteousness;
and I am helped: this was the fruit of his trust, even a gracious experience of divine assistance: saints are helpless in themselves, and are also as to the help of man; God is the only helper of them; he helps them out of all their troubles; in whatsoever he calls them unto, and to what they want; and the help he affords is sometimes quick, and always seasonable; and sometimes by means, and sometimes without them;
therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; that is, in the Lord, the ground of which was the help he had from him; and this joy was very great, a joy unspeakable, and full of glory; it was not carnal, but spiritual, a heart joy, joy in the Holy Ghost;
and with my song will I praise him; praise is due to God, what glorifies him, and is acceptable to him; it becomes the saints, is comely for them, and it is pleasant work to them, when grace is in exercise; see Psalm 69:30; this may be understood of one of his songs, and one of the best of them, and of one better than this, as a Jewish writerF21R. Moseh in Aben Ezra in loc. observes.
The Lord is their strength,.... The strength of his people, mentioned in Psalm 28:9; not only the strength of David in particular, but of all his people in general; see Psalm 37:39;
and he is the saving strength of his anointed; meaning either himself, as before, who was anointed by Samuel king of Israel, and therefore had not invaded and thrust himself into an office he had no call and right unto; or the Messiah, the Lord's Anointed, whom he heard, helped, and strengthened in the day of salvation, and delivered him from the power of death and the grave, and raised him from thence, and gave him glory; see Psalm 20:6.
Save thy people,.... The psalmist begins the psalm with petitions for himself, and closes it with prayers for the people of God; whom God has chosen for his people, taken into covenant to be his people, and given them to his son as such; these he has resolved to save, and has appointed Christ, and sent him into the world, to be the Saviour of them; and to them he makes known and applies the great salvation by his Spirit: so that this prayer was a prayer of faith, as are also the following petitions;
and bless thine inheritance; the people whom the Lord has chosen for his inheritance, and has given to Christ as his portion, and are his peculiar possession; and these he blesses with all spiritual blessings, with grace here, and glory hereafter, as is requested;
feed them also; as the shepherd does his flock, by leading them into green pastures, by giving them the bread of life, by nourishing them with the word and ordinances, by the means or his ministering servants, who are under-shepherds appointed to feed the saints with knowledge and understanding;
and lift them up for ever; above their enemies, and out of the reach of them; bear and carry them now, as the shepherd does his lambs, in his arms and bosom; and raise them out of their graves, and give them the dominion in the morning of the resurrection, and cause them to reign as kings and priests with Christ, as they ever will.