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 » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Psalms 28
Commentary on Psalms 28 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
Cry for Help and Thanksgiving, in a Time of Rebellion
To Psalms 26:1-12 and Psalms 27:1-14 a third Psalm is here added, belonging to the time of the persecution by Absolom. In this Psalm, also, the drawing towards the sanctuary of God cannot be lost sight of; and in addition thereto we have the intercession of the anointed one, when personally imperilled, on behalf of the people who are equally in need of help, - an intercession which can only be rightly estimated in connection with the circumstances of that time. Like Psalms 27:1-14 this, its neighbour, also divides into two parts; these parts, however, though their lines are of a different order, nevertheless bear a similar poetic impress. Both are composed of verses consisting of two and three lines. There are many points of contact between this Psalm and Psalms 27:1-14; e.g., in the epithet applied to God, מעוז ; but compare also Psalms 28:3 with Psalms 26:9; Psalms 28:2 with Psalms 31:23; Psalms 28:9 with Psalms 29:11. The echoes of this Psalm in Isaiah are very many, and also in Jeremiah.
This first half of the Psalm (Psalms 28:1) is supplicatory. The preposition מן in connection with the verbs חרשׁ , to be deaf, dumb, and חשׁה , to keep silence, is a pregnant form of expression denoting an aversion or turning away which does not deign to give the suppliant an answer. Jahve is his צוּר , his ground of confidence; but if He continues thus to keep silence, then he who confides in Him will become like those who are going down (Psalms 22:30), or are gone down (Isaiah 14:19) to the pit. The participle of the past answers better to the situation of one already on the brink of the abyss. In the double sentence with פּן , the chief accent falls upon the second clause, for which the first only paratactically opens up the way (cf. Isaiah 5:4; Isaiah 12:1); in Latin it would be ne, te mihi non respondente, similis fiam . Olshausen, and Baur with him, believes that because ונמשׁלתּי has not the accent on the ultima as being perf. consec ., it must be interpreted according to the accentuation thus, “in order that Thou mayst no longer keep silence, whilst I am already become like...” But this ought to be ואני נמשׁל , or at least נמשׁלתּי ואני . And if ונמשלתי were to be taken as a real perfect, it would then rather have to be rendered “and I should then be like.” But, notwithstanding ונמשׁלתּי is Milel , it is still perf . consecuticum (“and I am become like”); for if, in a sentence of more than one member following upon פן , the fut ., as is usually the case (vid., on Psalms 38:17), goes over into the perf ., then the latter, in most instances, has the tone of the perf. consec . (Deuteronomy 4:19, Judges 18:25, Proverbs 5:9-12, Malachi 4:6), but not always. The penultima -accentuation is necessarily retained in connection with the two great pausal accents, Silluk and Athnach , Deuteronomy 8:12; Proverbs 30:9; in this passage in connection with Rebia mugrash , just as we may say, in general, the perf. consec . sometimes retains its penultima -accentuation in connection with distinctives instead of being accented on the ultima ; e.g., in connection with Rebia mugrash , Proverbs 30:9; with Rebia , Proverbs 19:14 (cf. Proverbs 30:9 with Ezekiel 14:17); with Zakeph . 1 Samuel 29:8; and even with Tiphcha Obad. Obadiah 1:10, Joel 3:21. The national grammarians are ignorant of any law on this subject.
(Note: Aben-Ezra ( Moznajim 36 b ) explains the perfect accented on the penult . in Proverbs 30:9 from the conformity of sound, and Kimchi ( Michlol 6 b ) simply records the phenomenon.)
The point towards which the psalmist stretches forth his hands in prayer is Jahve's holy דּביר . Such is the word (after the form בּריח , כּליא , עטין ) used only in the Books of Kings and Chronicles, with the exception of this passage, to denote the Holy of Holies, not as being χρηματιστήριον (Aquila and Symmachus), or λαλητήριον , oraculum (Jerome), as it were, Jahve's audience chamber (Hengstenberg) - a meaning that is not in accordance with the formation of the word, - but as the hinder part of the tent, from דּבר , Arabic dabara , to be behind, whence dubr (Talmudic דּוּבר ), that which is behind (opp. kubl . kibal , that which is in the front), cf. Jesurun p. 87f. In Psalms 28:3, Psalms 28:4 the prayer is expanded. משׁך (instead of which we find אסף in Psalms 26:9), to draw any one down forcibly to destruction, or to drag him to the place of judgment, Ezekiel 32:20, cf. Psalms 10:8; Job 24:22. The delineation of the ungodly David borrows from his actual foes, Should he succumb to them, then his fate would be like that which awaits them, to whom he is conscious that he is radically unlike. He therefore prays that God's recompensing justice may anticipate him, i.e., that He may requite them according to their desert, before he succumbs, to whom they have feigned שׁלום , a good understanding, or being on good terms, whereas they cherished in their heart the רעה that is now unmasked (cf. Jeremiah 9:7). נתן , used of an official adjudication, as in Hosea 9:14; Jeremiah 32:19. The epanaphora of תּן־להם is like Psalms 27:14.
(Note: This repetition, at the end, of a significant word that has been used at the beginning of a verse, is a favourite custom of Isaiah's ( Comment . S. 387; transl. ii. 134).)
The phrase השׁיב גּמוּל ( שׁלּם ) , which occurs frequently in the prophets, signifies to recompense or repay to any one his accomplishing, his manifestation, that is to say, what he has done and merited; the thoughts and expression call to mind more particularly Isaiah 3:8-11; Isaiah 1:16. The right to pray for recompense (vengeance) is grounded, in Psalms 28:5, upon their blindness to God's just and merciful rule as it is to be seen in human history (cf. Isaiah 5:12; Isaiah 22:11). The contrast of בּנה and חרס , to pull down (with a personal object, as in Exodus 15:7), is like Jeremiah's style (Psalms 42:10, cf. 1:10; Psalms 18:9, and frequently, Sir. 49:7). In Psalms 28:5 , the prominent thought in David's mind is, that they shamefully fail to recognise how gloriously and graciously God has again and again acknowledged him as His anointed one. He has (2 Sam 7) received the promise, that God would build him a house, i.e., grant perpetual continuance to his kingship. The Absolomites are in the act of rebellion against this divine appointment. Hence they shall experience the very reverse of the divine promise given to David: Jahve will pull them down and not build them up, He will destroy, at its very commencement, this dynasty set up in opposition to God.
The first half of the Psalm prayed for deliverance and for judgment; this second half gives thanks for both. If the poet wrote the Psalm at one sitting then at this point the certainty of being answered dawns upon him. But it is even possible that he added this second part later on, as a memorial of the answer he experienced to his prayer (Hitzig, Ewald). It sounds, at all events, like the record of something that has actually taken place. Jahve is his defence and shield. The conjoined perfects in Psalms 28:7 denote that which is closely united in actual realisation; and in the fut . consec ., as is frequently the case, e.g., in Job 14:2, the historical signification retreats into the background before the more essential idea of that which has been produced. In משּׁירי , the song is conceived as the spring whence the הודות bubble forth; and instead of אודנּוּ we have the more impressive form אהודנּוּ , as in Ps 45:18; Psalms 116:6; 1 Samuel 17:47, the syncope being omitted. From suffering ( Leid ) springs song ( Lied ), and from song springs the praise ( Lob ) of Him, who has “turned” the suffering, just as it is attuned in Psalms 28:6 and Psalms 28:8.
(Note: There is a play of words and an alliteration in this sentence which we cannot fully reproduce in the English. - Tr.)
The αὐτοί , who are intended by למו in Psalms 28:8 , are those of Israel, as in Psalms 12:8; Isaiah 33:2 (Hitzig). The lxx ( κραταίωμα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ ) reads לעמּו , as in Psalms 29:11, which is approved by Böttcher, Olshausen and Hupfeld; but למו yields a similar sense. First of all David thinks of the people, then of himself; for his private character retreats behind his official, by virtue of which he is the head of Israel. For this very reason his deliverance is the deliverance of Israel, to whom, so far as they have become unfaithful to His anointed, Jahve has not requited this faithlessness, and to whom, so far as they have remained true to him, He has rewarded this fidelity. Jahve is a עז a si evhaJ to them, inasmuch as He preserves them by His might from the destruction into which they would have precipitated themselves, or into which others would have precipitated them; and He is the מעוז ישׁוּעות of His anointed inasmuch as He surrounds him as an inaccessible place of refuge which secures to him salvation in all its fulness instead of the destruction anticipated. Israel's salvation and blessing were at stake; but Israel is in fact God's people and God's inheritance - may He, then, work salvation for them in every future need and bless them. Apostatised from David, it was a flock in the hands of the hireling - may He ever take the place of shepherd to them and carry them in His arms through the destruction. The נשּׂאם coupled with וּרעם (thus it is to be pointed according to Ben-Asher) calls to mind Deuteronomy 1:31, “Jahve carried Israel as a man doth carry his son,” and Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 32:11, “as on eagles' wings.” The Piel , as in Isaiah 63:9, is used of carrying the weak, whom one lifts up and thus removes out of its helplessness and danger. Psalms 3:1-8 closes just in the same way with an intercession; and the close of Psalms 29:1-11 is similar, but promissory, and consequently it is placed next to Psalms 28:1-9.