Psalm 28:7 Komentář

The former part of this psalm is the prayer of a saint militan and now in distress (Psa 28:1-3), to which is added the doom of God's implacable enemies (Psa 28:4, Psa 28:5). The latter part of the psalm is the thanksgiving of a saint triumphant, and delivered out of his distresses (Psa 28:6-8), to which is added a prophetical prayer for all God's faithful loyal subjects (Psa 28:9). So that it is hard to say which of these two conditions David was in when he penned it. Some think he was now in trouble seeking God, but at the same time preparing to praise him for his deliverance, and by faith giving him thanks for it, before it was wrought. Others think he was now in triumph, but remembered, and recorded for his own and others' benefit, the prayers he made when he was in affliction, that the mercy might relish the better, when it appeared to be an answer to them. A psalm of David.

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 28 A Psalm of David. This psalm, Aben Ezra says, David either composed himself, or one of the singers for him; the former seems most likely; and it might be made by him when he was persecuted by Saul, or when delivered from him; or at least when he had faith and hope that he should be delivered: the psalm consists of two parts, petitions and thanksgivings.

The Lord is my strength,.... That is, the author both of natural and spiritual strength; that gave him strength of body, and fortitude of mind, to bear up under all the exercises he was tried with; the strength of his life, spiritual and temporal, and of his salvation; the strength of his heart under present distresses, and who he knew would be so in the hour of death, when his heart and strength would fail; and my shield; to protect and defend him; as were the love, power, and faithfulness of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, his power and fulness, his blood, righteousness, and salvation; my heart trusted in him; in the Lord as his strength and shield; not in any creature, nor in his own strength and righteousness; but in the Lord God, in whom are righteousness and strength: and it is plain he did not trust in his own heart, since his heart trusted in the Lord; and which shows that his trust was an hearty one, his faith was a faith unfeigned, he believed with the heart unto righteousness; and I am helped: this was the fruit of his trust, even a gracious experience of divine assistance: saints are helpless in themselves, and are also as to the help of man; God is the only helper of them; he helps them out of all their troubles; in whatsoever he calls them unto, and to what they want; and the help he affords is sometimes quick, and always seasonable; and sometimes by means, and sometimes without them; therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; that is, in the Lord, the ground of which was the help he had from him; and this joy was very great, a joy unspeakable, and full of glory; it was not carnal, but spiritual, a heart joy, joy in the Holy Ghost; and with my song will I praise him; praise is due to God, what glorifies him, and is acceptable to him; it becomes the saints, is comely for them, and it is pleasant work to them, when grace is in exercise; see Psa 69:30; this may be understood of one of his songs, and one of the best of them, and of one better than this, as a Jewish writer (u) observes. (u) R. Moseh in Aben Ezra in loc.

"The Lord My Helper and My Protector" [Psalm 28:7]. The Lord helping Me in so great sufferings, and protecting Me with immortality in My resurrection. "In Him has My Heart trusted, and I have been helped." "And My Flesh has flourished again:" that is, and My Flesh has risen again. "And of my will I will confess unto Him." Wherefore, the fear of death being now destroyed, not by the necessity of fear under the Law, but with a free will with the Law, shall they who believe in Me, confess unto Him; and because I am in them, I will confess.

Take note of the expression he used. He does not say “flourished,” but “flourished again,” for nothing flourishes again unless it had flourished previously. The Lord’s flesh flourished when he first came forth from the Virgin Mary’s undefiled womb, just as Isaiah says: “A shoot will come forth from the root of Jesse, and a flower will come up from his root.” It flourished again, when, after the flower of his body was cut down by the Jews, it sprouted forth from the tomb with the renewed glory of the resurrection. In the manner of a flower, it breathed forth at the same time a scent and the gleam of immortality on all people, circulating the scent of good works with its sweetness and demonstrating the incorruptibility of the eternal divinity with its gleam.

Here he shows in what he was heard, namely that he obtained the help of God: and concerning this he does three things. First he sets forth the benefit of divine help; second, the merit of the benefit, at "and in him my heart has hoped"; third, the effect of the benefit, at "and my flesh has flourished again." Man needs divine help for two things: to act well, and to be freed from evils and to be advanced to the good. As to the first he says, "The Lord is my helper." Jn. 15: "Without me you can do nothing." Is. 50: "The Lord God is my helper." As to the second he says, "and my protector": and a protector from evils, like a shield protecting a man from external weapons. Is. 49: "Under the shadow of his hand he protected me." Ps. 63: "You have protected me, O God, from the assembly of the malignant." But by what merit do you defend me? By my own? No. But by no other than that "in him my heart has hoped," as though from my inmost affection I trust in him. Ps. 24: "In you I trust; I shall not be put to shame." And therefore "I have been helped." Is. 40: "Those who hope in the Lord shall renew their strength." All these things can be referred to Christ insofar as he is man: for as God, he himself helps and protects all together with the Father; insofar as he is man, he was helped and protected by the Father. And there follows "in him." The effect of the help is set forth here in two respects. First as to the flesh; second as to the soul; hence he says, "and my flesh has flourished again." The youth of man is compared to a flower: because just as a flower is the promise of fruit, so the youth of man is the promise of future life. Ps. 89: "In the morning let him pass like the grass." The flesh therefore flourishes again when what is old becomes young again; since man in sadness seems to grow old, and in joy seems to grow young; but the flesh of Christ flowered with the flower of beauty and incorruption. In the first man his flesh flowered through the purity of innocence, but by sinning it was stained. But in Christ it flourished again in the resurrection: for it was conceived of the Holy Spirit without sin. Is. 11: "A flower shall rise from his root." Likewise, in the first state human nature flowered, because it was incorruptible: but through sin it was subjected to corruption: Rom. 8: "The body through sin is dead." But Christ flourished again in the resurrection: Song 1: "And our couch is flowery." As to the soul he says, "and of my own will I shall confess to you." The soul, as long as it is in sin, has its will turned away from God and turned toward temporal things; but when it is restored through conversion, then its will is turned toward God, and it confesses God by praising him. Or if this is said of Christ, it refers to his members, namely the faithful: Ps. 53: "Freely I shall sacrifice to you and confess your name, O Lord, for it is good."

An earnest cry for divine aid against his enemies, as being also those of God, is followed by the Psalmist's praise in assurance of a favorable answer, and a prayer for all God's people. (Psa 28:1-9) my rock-- (Psa 18:2, Psa 18:31). be not silent to me--literally, "from me," deaf or inattentive. become like them, &c.--share their fate. go down into the pit--or, "grave" (Psa 30:3).

The repetition of "heart" denotes his sincerity.