1.
Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
Title. A Psalm. App-65 .
of David = by David, or relating to the true David. The Psalm is a continuation of Psalms 27 , and stands in relation to Psalms 18 .
LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 . In Psalms 28 and Psalms 29 thereare twenty verses, and Jehovah occurs twenty times.
rock. Heb. zur See note on Psalms 18:1-2 and compare Psalms 27:5 . The reference is to Psalms 18 .
not silent = not deaf, and so dumb. Heb. harash.
be silent = be quiet, or silent. Hebrew. hashah.
the pit. Hebrew bor, a sepulchre, as hewn (Genesis 21:19 ).
2.
Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.
lift up my hands. Put by Figure of speech Metonymy (of Adjunct), App-6 , for praying.
holy. See note on Exodus 3:5 .
oracle = speaking place. Occurs only here in Psalms. See note on 2 Samuel 16:23 .
3.
Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.
wicked = lawless. Hebrew. rasha'.
iniquity. Hebrew. 'aven
mischief. Hebrew. ra'a'. App-44 .
4.
Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.
them. Note the Figure of speech Repetitio ( App-6 ), for emphasis deeds = deed, or work.
endeavours = practices. work. Some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, and Vulgate, read "works" (plural)
5.
Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.
works = deeds.
operation = actual execution. Some codices plural, as in note above.
6.
Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.
7.
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
shield. Here is the link with Psalms 18 . Compare "strength" in Psalms 28:8 , below.
trusted = confided. Hebrew. batah. App-69 .
trusted . . . helped . . . praise. Note the reference to past, present, and future.
8.
The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.
their = [strength] to His People. The letter Aleph being interchangeable with Ayin. This orthography is attested by some codices, and by Septuagint and Syriac. Thus agreeing with Psalms 29:11 .
saving strength = great saving strength. Hebrew "strength of salvations". Plural of majesty.
of = to.
His anointed = His Messiah, as in Psalms 2:2 .
9.
Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.
Feed = tend as a shepherd. Compare Psalms 23 .