Psalms 28:7-9

Context

28:7 The Lord strengthens and protects me;¹

I trust in him with all my heart.²

I am rescued³ and my heart is full of joy;⁴

I will sing to him in gratitude.⁵

28:8 The Lord strengthens his people;⁶

he protects and delivers his chosen king.⁷

28:9 Deliver your people!

Empower⁸ the nation that belongs to you!⁹

Care for them like a shepherd and carry them in your arms¹⁰ at all times!¹¹

[28:7] ¹tn Heb “The Lord [is] my strength and my shield.”

[28:7] ²tn Heb “in him my heart trusts.”

[28:7] ³tn Or “I am helped.”

[28:7] ⁴tn Heb “and my heart exults.”

[28:7] ⁵tn Heb “and from my song I will thank him.” As pointed in the Hebrew text, מִשִּׁירִי (mishiri) appears to be “from my song,” but the preposition “from” never occurs elsewhere with the verb “to thank” (Hiphil of יָדָה, yadah). Perhaps משׁיר is a noun form meaning “song.” If so, it can be taken as an adverbial accusative, “and [with] my song I will thank him.” See P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 (WBC), 236.

[28:8] ⁶tn Heb “the Lord [is] strength to them” (or perhaps, “to him”). The form לָמוֹ (lamo, “to them/him”) is probably a corruption of an original לְעַמוֹ (lÿ’amo, “to his people”; see P. C. Craigie, Psalms 1-50 [WBC], 236), perhaps due to quiescence of the letter ayin (ע; see P. McCarter, Textual Criticism [GBS], 55). Note the reference to the Lord’s “people” in the next verse.

[28:8] ⁷tn Heb “he [is] a refuge of help for his anointed one.” The noun מָשִׁיחַ (mashiakh, “anointed one”) refers to the Davidic king, who perhaps speaks as representative of the nation in this psalm. See Pss 2:2; 18:50; 20:6; 84:9; 89:38, 51; 132:10, 17.

[28:9] ¹¹tn Or “bless.”

[28:9] ¹²tn Heb “your inheritance.” The parallelism (note “your people”) indicates that Israel is in view.

[28:9] ¹³tn Heb “shepherd them and lift them up.”

[28:9] ¹⁴tn Or “forever.”