Psalm 28:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

NIV: Save your people and bless your inheritance; be their shepherd and carry them forever.

NASB: Save Your people and bless Your inheritance; Be their shepherd also, and carry them forever.

CSB: Save your people, bless your possession, shepherd them, and carry them forever.

NLT: Save your people! Bless Israel, your special possession. Lead them like a shepherd, and carry them in your arms forever.

KJV: Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

NKJV: Save Your people, And bless Your inheritance; Shepherd them also, And bear them up forever.

David prays for God to save Israel, His inheritance. Someday, the Lord will eternally save members of every tribe of Israel to be His people (Romans 11:25–32). They will enter Messiah's kingdom and enjoy peace and prosperity. They will be His family. Isaiah 40:11 predicts the salvation of Israel and states: "He [Messiah] will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young."

That this psalm uses shepherding images is fitting, given David's experiences. As a shepherd, David knew all about the process; he mentions in Psalm 23 that the Lord, his shepherd, led him beside still waters and along paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:2–3). A good shepherd knows each of his sheep by name, and he feeds his sheep. As a caring shepherd, he leads his sheep and often carries them on his shoulders.

Psalm 28:8–9 comes after David has prayed to the Lord as his Rock. He requested help in the face of his enemies. He urged the Lord to punish the wicked in proportion to their evil. Next, he praised God for answering his prayer by giving him power and protection. Now he expands his perspective to include all the Lord's people. He views the Lord as the power and protection of His people, and he asks God to bless them and shepherd them forever.

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 5/3/2024 5:21:19 PM