Psalm 28: My Rock, Be Not Silent

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

"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. Give them according to their deeds… because they regard not the works of the LORD."

"Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications. The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped… The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed. Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever."

Lifting hands toward the debir

"Thy holy oracle" is the debir, the inner room of the temple where the ark stood (1 Kings 6:5, 16). Prayer with raised hands toward the sanctuary is shown in ancient Near Eastern art and described in 1 Kings 8:22.

Blessing

The last verse is a priestly-style blessing for the people. The Ketef Hinnom silver scrolls (pictured) preserve the priestly blessing of Numbers 6 from about 600 BC, the oldest surviving text of a biblical passage.

In the Te Deum

The ancient Latin hymn Te Deum (4th–5th century) ends with a series of psalm verses, including 28:9: "Salvum fac populum tuum, Domine, et benedic hereditati tuae" ("O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine heritage"). The verse is also a standard response in Anglican Morning and Evening Prayer.

The heading

Hebrew: le-David alone; the library's Vulgate has "Psalmus ipsi David."

Individual and community

Like Psalm 25, Psalm 28 ends by widening from "I" to the people and the king ("his anointed," v. 8). Many scholars see these endings as signs of the psalms' use in public worship.

The versions

Greek and Latin Psalm 27. In v. 7 the Greek reads "my flesh has revived" where the Hebrew has "my heart rejoices"; the library's Vulgate has "et refloruit caro mea."