Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, January 9th, 2025
Thursday after Epiphany
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Psalms 28:1

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.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Prayer;   Thompson Chain Reference - Foundation, Spiritual;   Pit, the;   Rock;   Security-Insecurity;   The Topic Concordance - Foundation;   God;   Rendering;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Pit;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Rock;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Psalms, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - English Versions;   Greek Versions of Ot;   Pit;   Psalms;   Sin;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Pit;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Psalms the book of;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Rock;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bible, the;   Cry, Crying;   God, Names of;   Pit;   Sheol;  

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version

Of David.

To you, O Lord , I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if you be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.
Geneva Bible (1587)
A Psalme of Dauid. Vnto thee, O Lord, doe I crie: O my strength, be not deafe toward mee, lest, if thou answere me not, I be like them that goe downe into the pit.
Christian Standard Bible®
Lord, I call to you;my rock, do not be deaf to me.If you remain silent to me,I will be like those going down to the Pit.
Hebrew Names Version
<> To you, LORD, I call. My rock, don't be deaf to me; Lest, if you are silent to me, I would become like those who go down into the pit.
Easy-to-Read Version

A song of David.

Lord , you are my Rock. I am calling to you for help. Don't close your ears to my prayers. If you don't answer me, I will be counted among the dead.
Amplified Bible
To you I call, O LORD, My rock, do not be deaf to me, For if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit (grave).
American Standard Version

A Psalm of David.

Unto thee, O Jehovah, will I call: My rock, be not thou deaf unto me; Lest, if thou be silent unto me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
Contemporary English Version

(By David.)

Only you, Lord , are a mighty rock! Don't refuse to help me when I pray. If you don't answer me, I will soon be dead.
Complete Jewish Bible
By David: Adonai , I am calling to you; my Rock, don't be deaf to my cry. For if you answer me with silence, I will be like those who fall in a pit.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
[A Psalm] of David. Unto thee, O LORD, do I call; my Rock, be not Thou deaf unto me;
King James Version (1611)
[A Psalme of Dauid.] Vnto thee will I cry, O Lord, my rocke, be not silent to mee: lest if thou be silent to me, I become like them that goe downe into the pit.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
To thee, O Lord, have I cried; my God, be not silent toward me: lest thou be silent toward me, and so I should be likened to them that go down to the pit.
English Revised Version
A Psalm of David. Unto thee, O LORD, will I call; my rock, be not thou deaf unto me: lest, if thou be silent unto me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
Berean Standard Bible
Of David. To You, O LORD, I call; be not deaf to me, O my rock. For if You remain silent, I will be like those descending to the Pit.
Lexham English Bible

A psalm of David.

To you, O Yahweh, I call. O my rock, do not be deaf to me. Or else, if you are silent to me, then I will become like those descending to the pit.
Literal Translation
A Psalm of David. I will call to You, O Jehovah; my Rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if You be silent from me I may be compared with those going down into the Pit.
New Century Version

Of David.

Lord , my Rock, I call out to you for help. Do not be deaf to me. If you are silent, I will be like those in the grave.
New English Translation

By David.

To you, O Lord , I cry out! My protector, do not ignore me! If you do not respond to me, I will join those who are descending into the grave.
New King James Version
To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock: Do not be silent to me, Lest, if You are silent to me, I become like those who go down to the pit.
New Living Translation

A psalm of David.

I pray to you, O Lord , my rock. Do not turn a deaf ear to me. For if you are silent, I might as well give up and die.
New Life Bible
O Lord, to You I call. O my Rock, listen to me. If You will not hear me, I will be like those who have gone down to the grave.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Unto thee, O Yahweh, do I cry, O my Rock! do not turn in silence from me, - lest, if thou turn from me in silence, I be like them who go down into the pit.
Douay-Rheims Bible
(27-1) <A psalm for David himself.> Unto thee will I cry, O Lord: O my God, be not thou silent to me: lest if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
George Lamsa Translation
UNTO thee have I cried, O my God; be not silent to me, lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
Good News Translation
O Lord , my defender, I call to you. Listen to my cry! If you do not answer me, I will be among those who go down to the world of the dead.
New American Standard Bible
To You, LORD, I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me, For if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Vnto thee I crye O God my strength, make not as though thou were deafe at me: lest if thou holdest thy peace, I become like them that go downe into the graue.
New Revised Standard

Of David.

To you, O Lord , I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
Darby Translation

[A Psalm] of David.

Unto thee, Jehovah, do I call; my rock, be not silent unto me, lest, [if] thou keep silence toward me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The title of the seuen and twentithe salm. To Dauid. Lord, Y schal crye to thee; my God, be thou not stille fro me, be thou not stille `ony tyme fro me; and Y schal be maad lijk to hem, that goen doun in to the lake.
Young's Literal Translation
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.
World English Bible
<> To you, Yahweh, I call. My rock, don't be deaf to me; Lest, if you are silent to me, I would become like those who go down into the pit.
Revised Standard Version
A Psalm of David. To thee, O LORD, I call; my rock, be not deaf to me, lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like those who go down to the Pit.
Update Bible Version
[A Psalm] of David. To you, O Yahweh, I will call: My rock, don't be deaf to me; Or else, if you are silent to me, I will become like those that go down into the pit.
Webster's Bible Translation
[A Psalm] of David. To thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, [if] thou shouldst be silent to me, I should become like them that go down into the pit.
Bible in Basic English
My cry goes up to you, O Lord, my Rock; do not keep back your answer from me, so that I may not become like those who go down into the underworld.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Unto the wil I crie, o my stronge defence: thinke no scorne of me, lest (yf thou make the as though thou herdest not) I become like them, that go downe into ye pytte.
THE MESSAGE

A David Psalm

Don't turn a deaf ear when I call you, God . If all I get from you is deafening silence, I'd be better off in the Black Hole.
New American Standard Bible (1995)

A Psalm of David.

To You, O Lord , I call; My rock, do not be deaf to me, For if You are silent to me, I will become like those who go down to the pit.
Legacy Standard Bible
To You, O Yahweh, I call;My rock, do not be silent to me,Lest if You are hesitant toward me,I will become like those who go down to the pit.

Contextual Overview

1 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. 2 Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle. 3 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. 4 Give 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. 5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord , nor the operation of his hands, he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Unto: Psalms 3:4, Psalms 5:2, Psalms 22:2, Psalms 77:1, Psalms 142:1

O: Psalms 18:2, Psalms 42:9, Isaiah 26:4, *marg.

be: Psalms 35:22, Psalms 83:1

to: Heb. from

I become: Psalms 30:9, Psalms 69:15, Psalms 88:4-6, Psalms 143:7, Job 33:28, Proverbs 1:12, Isaiah 38:18, Revelation 20:3

Reciprocal: Job 33:26 - pray Psalms 18:3 - I will Psalms 26:9 - Gather not Psalms 30:3 - down Psalms 55:1 - hide Psalms 109:1 - Hold Psalms 140:6 - hear Song of Solomon 1:7 - for Song of Solomon 5:6 - I sought Ezekiel 26:20 - I shall bring Ezekiel 28:8 - shall bring Matthew 15:23 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 6:2
That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
Genesis 24:3
And I will make thee swear by the Lord , the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
Genesis 24:37
And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:
Genesis 27:4
And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die.
Genesis 27:46
And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?
Genesis 28:3
And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;
Genesis 28:4
And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.
Genesis 28:14
And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 28:15
And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
Genesis 28:16
And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Unto thee will I cry,.... This denotes the distress the psalmist was in, fervency and ardour in prayer, resolution to continue in it, and singularity with respect to the object of it; determining to cry to the Lord only; to which he was encouraged by what follows;

O Lord my rock; he being a strong tower and place of defence to him, in whom were all his safety, and his trust and confidence, and in whom he had an interest;

be not silent to me; or "deaf" q; persons that do not hear are silent, and make no answer; as the Lord seems to be, when he returns no answer to the cries of his people; when he does not arise and help them; when he seems not to take any notice of his and their enemies, but stands at a distance from them, and as if he had forsaken them; see

Psalms 39:12; the words may be considered, as they are by some, as an address to Christ his rock, his advocate and intercessor; that he would not be silent, but speak for him, and present his supplications to God, with the much incense of his mediation; see 1 Samuel 7:8;

lest, [if] thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit; either like such that fall into a ditch, and cannot help themselves out, and they cry, and there is none to take them out from thence; or like such that die in battle, and are cast into a pit, and there buried in common with others; which David might fear would be his case, through Saul's violent pursuit after him; or lest he should be like the dead, who are not regarded, and are remembered no more; or lest he should really die by the hands of his enemies, and so be laid in the grave, the pit of corruption; or be in such distress and despair as even the damned in hell be, the pit out of which there is no deliverance.

q אל תחרש "ne obsurdescas", Vatablus, Tigurine version, Gejerus; so Ainsworth, Junius & Tremellius, Michaelis.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Unto thee will I cry - That is, under the consciousness of the danger to which I am exposed - the danger of being drawn away into the society of the wicked. In such circumstances his reliance was not on his own strength; or on his own resolutions; on his own heart; or on his fellowmen. He felt that he was safe only in God, and he appeals to Him, therefore, in this earnest manner, to save him.

O Lord my rock - See the notes at Psalms 18:2.

Be not silent to me - Margin, “from me.” So the Hebrew. The idea is that of one who will not speak to us, or who will not attend to us. We pray, and we look for an “answer” to our prayers, or, as it were, we expect God to “speak” to us; to utter words of kindness; to assure us of His favor; to declare our sins forgiven.

Lest, if thou be silent to me - If thou dost not answer my supplications.

I become like unto them that go down into the pit - Like those who die; or, lest I be crushed by anxiety and distress, and die. The word “pit” here refers to the grave. So it is used in Psalms 30:3; Psalms 88:4; Isaiah 38:18; Isaiah 14:15, Isaiah 14:19. The meaning is, that if he did not obtain help from God he despaired of life. His troubles would overwhelm and crush him. He could not bear up under them.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

PSALM XXVIII

A righteous man in affliction makes supplication to God, and

complains of the malice of his enemies, 1-4;

whom he describes as impious, and whose destruction he

predicts, 5.

He blesses God for hearing his prayers, and for filling him

with consolation, 6, 7;

then prays for God's people, 8, 9.


NOTES ON PSALM XXVIII

This Psalm is of the same complexion with the two preceding; and belongs most probably to the times of the captivity, though some have referred it to David in his persecutions. In the five first verses the author prays for support against his enemies, who appear to have acted treacherously against him. In the sixth and seventh he is supposed to have gained the victory, and returns with songs of triumph. The eighth is a chorus of the people sung to their conquering king. The ninth is the prayer of the king for his people.

Verse Psalms 28:1. O Lord my rock — צורי tsuri not only means my rock, but my fountain, and the origin of all the good I possess.

If thou be silent — If thou do not answer in such a way as to leave no doubt that thou hast heard me, I shall be as a dead man. It is a modern refinement in theology which teaches that no man can know when God hears and answers his prayers, but by an induction of particulars, and by an inference from his promises. And, on this ground, how can any man fairly presume that he is heard or answered at all? May not his inductions be no other than the common occurrences of providence? And may not providence be no more than the necessary occurrence of events? And is it not possible, on this skeptic ground, that there is no God to hear or answer? True religion knows nothing of these abominations; it teaches its votaries to pray to God, to expect an answer from him, and to look for the Holy Spirit to bear witness with their spirits that they are the sons and daughters of God.


 
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