Psalm 28:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.

NIV: Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

NASB: Hear the sound of my pleadings when I cry to You for help, When I raise my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

CSB: Listen to the sound of my pleading when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your holy sanctuary.

NLT: Listen to my prayer for mercy as I cry out to you for help, as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.

KJV: Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.

NKJV: Hear the voice of my supplications When I cry to You, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

David was mindful of right worship as he prayed. The tabernacle in Jerusalem was the site where God met His people and displayed His glory. This is the "holy sanctuary" to which David refers.

Daniel, living many centuries after David, was also mindful of right worship. When he heard that King Darius had issued an edict prohibiting his subjects from making a request to any god or man except himself or be executed (Daniel 6:6–9), Daniel continued to pray to the Lord. "He went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously" (Daniel 6:10).

As part of his prayer, David asks for both mercy and help. Believers today receive encouragement to offer a similar prayer. Hebrews 4:16 states: "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." "Mercy" implies not suffering deserved consequences, while "help" and "grace" both imply something actively and freely given.

Psalm 28:1–5 begins with David's plea for help and a request to be spared from the fate of evildoers. Other psalms indicated David's intent to avoid sin and the consequences it brings (Psalm 26:4–5). He knows the wicked are bound for eternal destruction and asks God to repay them for their evil deeds and rejection of holiness.

David prays for God to hear him, noting the distinction between himself and those who wickedly reject God. Because he honors the Lord, David expects to be spared from the fate of evil people. Prior experience has made David confident in God's protection, a theme which he encourages all God's people to embrace.

Some scholars attribute this psalm to an unknown author. However, it seems reasonable to credit David with the authorship. The psalm indicates the author was in a dangerous situation. His enemies were oppressing him, but he trusted in the Lord to deliver him. The second part of the psalm is praise for answered prayer. This psalm complements Psalms 26 and 27.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 4/28/2024 10:14:32 PM