281 By David. Unto Thee, O Jehovah, I call, My rock, be not silent to me! Lest Thou be silent to me, And I have been compared With those going down to the pit. 2 Hear the voice of my supplications, In my crying unto Thee, In my lifting up my hands toward thy holy oracle. 3 Draw me not with the wicked, And with workers of iniquity, Speaking peace with their neighbours, And evil in their heart. 4 Give to them according to their acting, And according to the evil of their doings. According to the work of their hands give to them. Return their deed to them. 5 For they attend not to the doing of Jehovah, And unto the work of His hands. He throweth them down, And doth not build them up.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 28:1-5
Commentary on Psalm 28:1-5
(Read Psalm 28:1-5)
David is very earnest in prayer. Observe his faith in prayer; God is my rock, on whom I build my hope. Believers should not rest till they have received some token that their prayers are heard. He prays that he may not be numbered with the wicked. Save me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me. Save me from being infected with their sins, and from doing as they do. Lord, never leave me to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety, as they use for my ruin. Believers dread the way of sinners; the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside: we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us. Those who are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins, have reason to hope that they shall not receive their plagues. He speaks of the just judgments of the Lord on the workers of iniquity, verse 4. This is not the language of passion or revenge. It is a prophecy that there will certainly come a day, when God will punish every man who persists in his evil deeds. Sinners shall be reckoned with, not only for the mischief they have done, but for the mischief they designed, and did what they could to effect. Disregard of the works of the Lord, is the cause of the sin of sinners, and becomes the cause of their ruin.