The big picture
Psalms 28 opens in verse 1 with “Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 5 with “Because they regard not the works of the LORD , nor the operation of his hands, he shall…”, and closes in verse 9 with “Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, hands, strength, heart, lift. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 9Psalms 28:1-5
1–5: Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou…
Psalms 28:1–5 opens with “Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I…” and reaches “Because they regard not the works of the LORD , nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 28 develops its own movement around LORD, hands, strength, heart, lift, with particular weight carried by hands, LORD, silent.
Context that brings the passage to life
“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…” Naming Unto keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Psalms 28:1-5
King James Version1Unto 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.
2Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.
3Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.
4Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.
5Because they regard not the works of the LORD , nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.
Psalms 28:6-9
6–9: Blessed be the LORD , because he hath heard the voice of my…
Psalms 28:6–9 opens with “Blessed be the LORD , because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.” and reaches “Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 28 develops its own movement around LORD, hands, strength, heart, lift, with particular weight carried by LORD, strength, heart.
Psalms 28:6-9
King James Version6Blessed be the LORD , because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.
7The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.
8The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.
9Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 28:1 begins with “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.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 28:5 forms a natural hinge: “Because they regard not the works of the LORD , nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.”
The final note
Psalms 28:9 leaves the reader with “Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, hands, strength, heart, lift, silent help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Which promise most directly answers Jacob's situation?
God will be with him, keep him and bring him back to the land in verse 15.
How does the place change for Jacob?
An ordinary stopping place becomes recognized as the setting of divine encounter.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.