서론
無標題
英文原文
The former part of this psalm is the prayer of a saint militan and now in distress (Ps 28:1-3), to which is added the doom of God's implacable enemies, Ps 28:4,5. The latter part of the psalm is the thanksgiving of a saint triumphant, and delivered out of his distresses (Ps 28:6-8), to which is added a prophetical prayer for all God's faithful loyal subjects, Ps 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.
1-5
Prayer for Deliverance
求拯救的禱告
大衛的詩。
¹ 耶和華啊，我要求告你！我的磐石啊，不要向我緘默！倘若你向我閉口，我就如將死的人一樣。 ² 我呼求你，向你至聖所舉手的時候，求你垂聽我懇求的聲音！ ³ 不要把我和惡人並作孽的人一同除掉；他們與鄰舍說和平話，心裏卻是奸惡。 ⁴ 願你按他們所作的，並他們所行的惡對待他們。願你照他們手所作的待他們，將他們所應得的報應加給他們！ ⁵ 他們既然不留心耶和華所行的和他手所作的，耶和華就必拆毀他們，不再建立他們。
在這些經文中，大衛懇切地禱告。
一、他求神在他遭難呼求之時恩慈地垂聽和應允他（詩 28:1-2）。請留意他禱告中的信心：「耶和華——我的磐石啊」——表明他相信神的大能（他是磐石），並倚靠這大能——「他是我的磐石，是我將盼望建立其上的。」請留意他禱告中的懇切：「我要向你呼求」——如同迫切的人，若不及時得著幫助，便要下沉。也請留意他何等切望得著回答：「不要向我緘默」——如同對我的禱告發怒的神（詩 80:4）。「主啊，向我說話，以美言和安慰的話應允我（亞 1:13）；即使我所求的那件事尚未賜下，求神向我說出喜樂和歡欣，使我可以聽見。主啊，為我說話——回應我的禱告，為我辯屈，為我命定拯救，如此便聽見並應允我懇求的聲音。」他提出兩個理由：1. 若神輕看他，他便要陷入何等可悲的絕望：「倘若你向我閉口」——我得不著你恩寵的憑據——「我就如將死的人一樣」（就是說，我是個死人，失落沉淪了）；若神不作我的朋友，不向我顯現、不為我顯現，我的盼望和幫助便都滅沒了。」對於一個蒙恩的靈魂而言，沒有甚麼比缺乏神的恩寵、並感覺到他的不悅更刺痛、更致命的了。「我就像下陰間去的人一樣」——有人如此理解；因為被定罪之人的痛苦豈不就是這個嗎？神對他們永遠緘默、對他們的呼求永遠耳聾。那些如此充滿對神忿怒的畏懼、對他而言他的皺眉比死更可怕的人，在某種程度上已經預備好領受神的恩寵，並可指望得著它。2. 他對神必施恩有著美好的盼望：「我向你至聖所舉手」——這不僅表明熱切的渴望，更表明熱切的期待，要從那裏得著平安的回答。幔子內的至聖所在此，如同在別處一樣，被稱為*「諭言」（和合本作「至聖所」）；約櫃和施恩座在那裏，神被說成「在二基路伯之間」居住，並從那裏向他百姓說話（民 7:89）。那是基督的預表，我們當向他舉目、舉手，因為一切的美善都是藉著他從神那裏臨到我們。它也是天的表樣（來 9:24）；我們受教要從那作我們在天上父的神那裏指望禱告得著回答。聖經被稱為「神的聖言」*，我們在禱告和期待中當注目於它。在那裏有神使我們存盼望、並鼓勵我們存盼望的話語。
二、他求免受惡人的厄運，正如前麵（詩 26:9）所說*「不要把我的靈魂和罪人一同收去」：「主啊，我侍候你的聖諭，求你不要把我和惡人、並作孽的人一同從那裏除掉」（詩 28:3）。1. 「救我脫離他們為我所設網羅的糾纏。他們奉承我、誘哄我，對我說平安的話；但他們對我另有企圖，因為他們心裏是奸惡*；他們想要擾亂我，不，是要毀滅我。主啊，不容我被他们可咒詛的計謀牽引、毀滅；因為除了從上頭賜給他們的以外，他們對我沒有、也不能有任何權勢、任何成功。」2. 「救我免受他們罪惡的感染，免得我作出他們所作的。不要讓我被他们似是而非的論證或誘惑，從我所願意一生住在其中的聖諭那裏被引誘去行任何惡事」（參詩 114:4）；「主啊，永不離棄我任憑我自己，去使用他們為毀滅我所用的那樣欺騙和詭詐的手段來求安全。不要使任何護理的作為成為我不可抗拒的試探，引我或去效法惡人，或去與惡人結盟。」好人懼怕罪人的道路；最好的人也感覺到自己有被引誘偏離其中、陷入其中的危險；因此我們都當懇切地求神的恩典保守我們在正直中。3. 「救我免於捲入他們的厄運；不要讓我與作孽的人同被帶出去，因為我並非那些口中說平安、心中卻懷戰意的人之一。」請注意：那些謹慎不與罪人同流合污的人，有理由盼望他們必不與罪人同受災禍（啟 18:4）。
三、他咒詛作孽的人，願神公義的審判臨到他們（詩 28:4）：「願你按他們所作的對待他們。」這不是出於激情或報復的話語，也與為仇敵禱告的本分不相抵觸。但是：1. 他如此表明自己是何等不願與作孽的人同行，並有何等好的理由求不要與他們一同被除掉——因為他確信，他們若按自己的行為受報，便不能比這更可悲了。2. 他如此表明自己為神治理世界之公義的尊榮大發熱心。「主啊，他們以為自己所作的全是好的，並在自己邪惡的行徑上自以為義。主啊，願你照他們手所作的待他們，好叫周圍那些以為所作的既然不受罰便沒有危害的人醒悟過來」（詩 94:1-2）。3. 這禱告是一個預言——神必遲早按一切不悔改的罪人所應得的報應他們。若所作的錯事不因悔改而撤銷，就必有算賬的日子來到，那時神必按每個堅持行惡之人的行為報應他。這特別是預言毀滅者必被毀滅：「他們與鄰舍說平安話，心裏卻是奸惡；主啊，願你按他們所作的待他們」——願擄人的被擄掠，願如此待人行詭詐的也受詭詐的對待（賽 33:1；啟 18:6；啟 13:10）。請注意：他預言神不僅按他們的行為、更按他們所圖謀的惡報應他們；因為罪人不僅要為他們所作的損害受報，更要為他們所想要作的、所設計並竭力要成就的損害受報。神若以此法則對待惡人，他對待義人當然也必如此——他不僅按他們所作的善報答他們，更要按他們所努力要行的善報答他們，即使他們不能成就。
四、他因他們藐視神和他作為的作為，預言他們的毀滅（詩 28:5）：「因為他們不留心耶和華所行的和他手所作的」——神藉此彰顯自己並向世人說話——「他必毀滅他們」——無論在今世或在來世——*「不再建立他們。」請注意：對神的作為愚昧無動於衷，正是他們沉淪的原因。人為何質疑神的存在或屬性呢？豈不是因為他們不當當留意他的作為——那些作為宣揚他的榮耀，在其中他看不見的事明明可見嗎？人為何忘記神、活著沒有神，不，更是得罪神、活著悖逆他呢？豈不是因為他們不思想他那「從天上顯明在一切不虔不義的人身上」*的忿怒的種種憑據嗎？神百姓的仇敵為何恨惡他們、逼迫他們、設計謀害他們呢？豈不是因為他們不留心神為他教會所行的作為——藉此他已表明教會在他眼中何等寶貴嗎？（參賽 5:12）。
我們唱這詩時，當武裝自己抵擋一切與作孽之人同流的試探，並激勵自己抵擋作孽之人可能用來威脅我們的一切患難。
英文原文
Prayer for Deliverance
A psalm of David.
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.
In these verses David is very earnest in prayer.
I. He prays that God would graciously hear and answer him, now that, in his distress, he called upon him, Ps 28:1,2. Observe his faith in prayer: O Lord, my rock, denoting his belief of God's power (he is a rock) and his dependence upon that power—"He is my rock, on whom I build my hope." Observe his fervency in prayer: "To thee will I cry, as one in earnest, being ready to sink, unless thou come in with seasonable succour." And observe how solicitous he is to obtain an answer: "Be not silent to me, as one angry at my prayers, Ps 80:4. Lord, speak to me, answer me with good words and comfortable words (Zec 1:13); though the thing I pray for has not been given me, yet let God speak to me joy and gladness, and make me to hear them. Lord, speak for me, in answer to my prayers, plead my cause, command deliverances for me, and thus hear and answer the voice of my supplications." Two things he pleads:—1. The sad despair he should be in if God slighted him: "If thou be silent to me, and I have not the tokens of thy favour, I am like those that go down into the pit (that is, I am a dead man, lost and undone); if God be not my friend, appear not to me and appear not for me, my hope and my help will have perished." Nothing can be so cutting, so killing, to a gracious soul, as the want of God's favour and the sense of his displeasure. I shall be like those that go down to hell (so some understand it); for what is the misery of the damned but this, that God is ever silent to them and deaf to their cry? Those are in some measure qualified for God's favour, and may expect it, who are thus possessed with a dread of his wrath, and to whom his frowns are worse than death. 2. The good hopes he had that God would favour him: I lift up my hands towards thy holy oracle, which denotes, not only an earnest desire, but an earnest expectation, thence to receive an answer of peace. The most holy place within the veil is here, as elsewhere, called the oracle; there the ark and the mercy-seat were, there God was said to dwell between the cherubim, and thence he spoke to his people, Nu 7:89. That was a type of Christ, and it is to him that we must lift up our eyes and hands, for through him all good comes from God to us. It was also a figure of heaven (Heb 9:24); and from God as our Father in heaven we are taught to expect an answer to our prayers. The scriptures are called the oracles of God, and to them we must have an eye in our prayers and expectations. There is the word on which God hath caused and encouraged us to hope.
II. He deprecates the doom of wicked people, as before (Ps 26:9, "Gather not my soul with sinners): Lord, I attend thy holy oracle, draw me not away from that with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity," Ps 28:3. 1. "Save me from being entangled in the snares they have laid for me. They flatter and cajole me, and speak peace to me; but they have a design upon me, for mischief is in their heart; they aim to disturb me, nay, to destroy me. Lord, suffer me not to be drawn away and ruined by their cursed plots; for they have, can have, no power, no success, against me, except it be given them from above." 2. "Save me from being infected with their sins and from doing as they do. Let me not be drawn away by their fallacious arguments, or their allurements, from the holy oracle (where I desire to dwell all the days of my life), to practise any wicked works;" see Ps 114:4. "Lord, never leave me to myself, to use such arts of deceit and treachery for my safety as they use to my ruin. Let no event of Providence be an invincible temptation to me, to draw me either into the imitation or into the interest of wicked people." Good men dread the way of sinners; the best are sensible of the danger they are in of being drawn aside into it; and therefore we should all pray earnestly to God for his grace to keep us in our integrity. 3. "Save me from being involved in their doom; let me not be led forth with the workers of iniquity, for I am not one of those that speak peace while war is in their hearts." Note, Those that are careful not to partake with sinners in their sins have reason to hope that they shall not partake with them in their plagues, Re 18:4.
III. He imprecates the just judgments of God upon the workers of iniquity (Ps 28:4): Give them according to their deeds. This is not the language of passion or revenge, nor is it inconsistent with the duty of praying for our enemies. But, 1. Thus he would show how far he was from complying with the workers of iniquity, and with what good reason he had begged not to be drawn away with them, because he was convinced that they could not be made more miserable then to be dealt with according to their deeds. 2. Thus he would express his zeal for the honour of God's justice in the governing world. "Lord, they think all well that they do, and justify themselves in their wicked practices. Lord, give them after the work of their hands, and so undeceive those about them, who think there is no harm in what they do because it goes unpunished," Ps 94:1,2. 3. This prayer is a prophecy that God will, sooner or later, render to all impenitent sinners according to their deserts. If what has been done amiss be not undone by repentance, there will certainly come a reckoning day, when God will render to every man who persists in his evil deeds according to them. It is a prophecy particularly of the destruction of destroyers: "They speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts; Lord, give them according to their deeds, let the spoilers be spoiled, and let those be treacherously dealt with who have thus dealt treacherously;" see Isa 33:1, Re 18:6, Re 13:10. Observe, He foretels that God will reward them, not only according to their deed, but according to the wickedness of their endeavours; for sinners shall be reckoned with, not only for the mischief they have done, but for the mischief they would have done, which they designed, and did what they could to effect. And, if God go by this rule in dealing with the wicked, surely he will do so in dealing with the righteous, and will reward them, not only for the good they have done, but for the good they have endeavoured to do, though they could not accomplish it.
IV. He foretels their destruction for their contempt of God and his hand (Ps 28:5): "Because they regard not the works of the Lord and the operations of his hands, by which he manifests himself and speaks to the children of men, he will destroy them in this world and in the other, and not build them up." Note, A stupid regardlessness of the works of God is the cause of their ruin. Why do men question the being or attributes of God, but because they do not duly regard his handiworks, which declare his glory, and in which the invisible things of him are clearly seen? Why do men forget God, and live without him, nay, affront God, and live in rebellion against him, but because they consider not the instances of that wrath of his which is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men? Why do the enemies of God's people hate and persecute them, and devise mischief against them, but because they regard not the works God has wrought for his church, by which he has made it appear how dear it is to him? See Isa 5:12.
In singing this we must arm ourselves against all temptations to join with the workers of iniquity, and animate ourselves against all the troubles we may be threatened with by the workers of iniquity.
6-9
Devout Thanksgiving and Praise
敬虔的感恩與讚美
⁶ 耶和華是應當稱頌的，因為他聽了我懇求的聲音。 ⁷ 耶和華是我的力量，是我的盾牌；我心倚靠他，就得幫助；所以我心歡樂；我必用詩歌頌讚他。 ⁸ 耶和華是他們的力量，他又是他受膏者得救的力量。 ⁹ 求你拯救你的百姓，賜福給你的產業；牧養他們，扶持他們，直到永遠。
在這些經文裏，
I. 大衛為他的禱告得蒙垂聽而向神獻上感謝，正如他在幾節之前曾懇切求過這垂聯一般懇切：耶和華是應當稱頌的（詩28:6）。聖徒的憂愁何等快便化為詩歌，他們的禱告何等快便化為讚美！大衛是憑信禱告的（詩28:2）：聽了我懇求的聲音；又憑同樣的信獻上感謝（詩28:6），*神已經聽了我懇求的聲音。*請注意， 1. 憑信禱告的人，可以在盼望中喜樂。「他已經聽了我（恩典地悅納了我），我對一個真實的答覆也同樣確定，如同已經得著了一樣。」 2. 我們藉禱告所贏得的，當以讚美來穿戴。神既聽了我們的懇求，我們便當稱頌他的名。
II. 他鼓勵自己盼望神為他成全關乎他的一切。他既已將他恩典的榮耀歸給神（詩28:6），便謙卑而放膽地取其中的安慰（詩28:7）。這便是得著平安的方法：讓我們從那已得的讚美開始；讓我們先稱頌神，然後才稱頌自己。請注意， 1. 他對神的倚賴：「耶和華是我的力量，在我一切的事奉與受苦中扶持我、帶領我前行。他是我的盾牌，保護我免受仇敵對我一切的惡謀。我揀選了他作這樣的神，我一向經歷他如此，我也指望他仍要如此。」 2. 他對這倚賴之益處的經歷：「我心倚靠他——倚靠他的能力與應許；如此行並非徒然，因為我得了幫助——我屢次得著幫助；不僅神在所定的時候將我所交託於他的幫助賜給了我，甚至我之信靠他本身，就在這期間幫助了我，保守我不致喪膽（詩27:13）。」信心的作為本身，就是對一個下沉之靈的當下幫助，往往在死力的關頭拉他一把。 3. 他對這經歷的運用。 （1）他得了其中的喜樂：所以我心大大歡樂。信徒的喜樂是居於心中的，而愚頑人的笑聲中，心卻是憂傷的。這是大喜樂，說不出來、滿有榮光的大喜樂。那真心相信的心，到了時候必大大歡樂；我們所當期望的，正是信中的喜樂與平安。 （2）神要得著其中的讚美：當我心大大歡樂之時，*我必用詩歌頌讚他。*這便是我們當表達的感恩；這是我們所能作的最少的事；別人也必因此受邀、受鼓勵來一同信靠他。
III. 他以一切敬虔之人藉著基督在神裏面所得的分為樂（詩28:8）：「耶和華是他們的力量；不僅是我的力量，也是每一個信徒的力量。」請注意，聖徒為朋友的安慰歡喜，也為自己的歡喜；因為正如我們並不因別人分享了陽光便少得其中的益處，照樣我們也不因別人分享了神臉上的光便少得其中的益處；因為我們確知這光為眾人足夠，也為每一個人足夠。這就是我們與眾聖徒的相通——神是他們的力量，也是我們的力量；基督是他們的主，也是我們的主（林前1:2）。他作以色列的力量，因為他是他受膏者得救的力量——就是說： 1. 在預表中，作大衛的力量。神既堅固那作他們的王、為他們爭戰的大衛，便是堅固了全國。他稱自己為神的受膏者，因為他所受的膏抹正是招致仇敵嫉妒的原因，所以也使他有資格得著神的保護。 2. 在預表的應驗中，作基督——他的受膏者、他的彌賽亞——的力量。神是他拯救的力量，裝備他承擔他的工作，並帶領他走過這工（見詩89:21；賽49:5，50:7、9）。如此他便作他們的力量，作一切聖徒的力量；他堅固了那作教會元首的，又從他將力量輸送給一切肢體；他已經吩咐了他的能力，並堅固為我們所成的工（詩68:28；80:17-18）。
IV. 他以一個簡短卻全面的禱告為神的教會作結（詩28:9）。他為以色列禱告，不是稱之為他的百姓（「求你拯救我的百姓，賜福給我的產業」），雖然他們誠然如此，而是稱之為你的。神在他們身上的權益，比他自己的權益更貼近他的心。我們都是你的百姓是個好憑藉（賽64:9，63:19）；我是屬你的，求你拯救我。神的百姓是他的產業，在他眼中為寶為尊；他從這個世界所得的一點榮耀，都是從他們而來。耶和華的分，本是他的百姓。他為他們向神所求的，是： 1. 求他救他們脫離仇敵，以及他們所暴露於其中的危險。 2. 求他以各樣美善賜福給他們——從他的喜悅而來、照他應許而成就的，並足以成為他們的福樂的美善。 3. 求他牧養他們，賜他們豐盛——特別是他典章的豐盛，因為典章是靈魂的糧食。旁註作「治理他們」。「求你引導他們的謀略與行動歸於正途，並掌管他們的事務，使之轉為美好。求你牧養他們，治理他們；在他們中間設立牧者，設立官長，使他們以智慧聰明盡其職分。」 4. 求他扶持他們，直到永遠——將他們從患難困苦中提拔出來，並且不僅為那個時代如此行，更為他以後每一個時代的百姓如此行，直到末了。「求你將他們舉起，進入你榮耀的國，將他們高舉直到天堂。」在那裏，也惟獨在那裏，聖徒才要永遠被高舉，不再沉淪、不再被壓制。請注意，那些、也惟獨那些蒙神牧養與治理、情願受他教導、引導、掌管的人，必蒙拯救、蒙賜福、並永遠被高舉。
英文原文
Devout Thanksgiving and Praise
⁶ Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.
⁷ The 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.
⁸ The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.
⁹ Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.
In these verses,
I. David gives God thanks for the audience of his prayers as affectionately as a few verses before he had begged it: Blessed be the Lord, Ps 28:6. How soon are the saints' sorrows turned into songs and their prayers into praises! It was in faith that David prayed (Ps 28:2), Hear the voice of my supplications; and by the same faith he gives thanks (Ps 28:6) that God has heard the voice of his supplications. Note, 1. Those that pray in faith may rejoice in hope. "He hath heard me (graciously accepted me) and I am as sure of a real answer as if I had it already." 2. What we win by prayer we must wear by praise. Has God heard our supplications? Let us then bless his name.
II. He encourages himself to hope in God for the perfecting of every thing that concerned him. Having given to God the glory of his grace (Ps 28:6), he is humbly bold to take the comfort of it, Ps 28:7. This is the method of attaining peace: let us begin with praise that is attainable. Let us first bless God and then bless ourselves. Observe, 1. His dependence upon God: "The Lord is my strength, to support me, and carry me on, through all my services and sufferings. He is my shield, to protect me from all the malicious designs of my enemies against me. I have chosen him to be so, I have always found him so, and I expect he will still be so." 2. His experience of the benefits of that dependence: "My heart trusted in him, and in his power and promise; and it has not been in vain to do so, for I am helped, I have been often helped; not only God has given to me, in his due time, the help I trusted to him for, but my very trusting in him has helped me, in the mean time, and kept me from fainting." Ps 27:13. The very actings of faith are present aids to a dropping spirit, and often help it at a dead lift. 3. His improvement of this experience. (1.) He had the pleasure of it: Therefore my heart greatly rejoices. The joy of a believer is seated in the heart, while, in the laughter of the fool, the heart is sorrowful. It is great joy, joy unspeakable and full of glory. The heart that truly believes shall in due time greatly rejoice; it is joy and peace in believing that we are to expect. (2.) God shall have the praise of it: when my heart greatly rejoices, with my song will I praise him. This must we express our gratitude; it is the least we can do; and others will hereby be invited and encouraged to trust in him too.
III. He pleases himself with the interest which all good people, through Christ, have in God (Ps 28:8): "The Lord is their strength; not mine only, but the strength of every believer." Note, The saints rejoice in their friends' comforts as well as their own; for, as we have not the less benefit from the light of the sun, so neither from the light of Gods' countenance, for others' sharing therein; for we are sure there is enough for all and enough for each. This is our communion with all saints, that God is their strength and ours, Christ their Lord and ours, 1Co 1:2. He is their strength, the strength of all Israel, because he is the saving strength of his anointed, that is, 1. Of David in the type. God, in strengthening him that was their king and fought their battles, strengthened the whole kingdom. He calls himself God's anointed because it was the unction he had received that exposed him to the envy of his enemies, and therefore entitled him to the divine protection. 2. Of Christ, his anointed, his Messiah, in the anti-type. God was his saving strength, qualified him for his undertaking and carried him through it; see Ps 89:21, Isa 49:5,50:7,9. And so he becomes their strength, the strength of all the saints; he strengthened him that is the church's head, and from him diffuses strength to all the members, has commanded his strength, and so strengthens what he has wrought for us; Ps 68:28,80,17,18.
IV. He concludes with a short but comprehensive prayer for the church of God, Ps 28:9. He prays for Israel, not as his people ("save my people, and bless my inheritance"), though they were so, but, "thine." God's interest in them lay nearer his heart than his own. We are thy people is a good plea, Isa 64:9, Isa 63:19. I am thine, save me. God's people are his inheritance, dear to him, and precious in his eyes; what little glory he has from this world he has from them. The Lord's portion is his people. That which he begs of God for them is, 1. That he would save them from their enemies and the dangers they were exposed to. 2. That he would bless them with all good, flowing from his favour, in performance of his promise, and amounting to a happiness for them. 3. That he would feed them, bless them with plenty, and especially the plenty of his ordinances, which are food to the soul. Rule them; so the margin. "Direct their counsels and actions aright, and overrule their affairs for good. Feed them, and rule them; sets pastors, set rulers, over them, that shall do their office with wisdom and understanding." 4. That he would lift them up for ever, lift them up out of their troubles and distresses, and do this, not only for those of that age, but for his people in every age to come, even to the end. "Lift them up into thy glorious kingdom, lift them up as high as heaven." There, and there only, will the saints be lifted up for ever, never more to sink or be depressed. Observe, Those, and those only, whom God feeds and rules, who are willing to be taught, and guided, and governed, by him, shall be saved, and blessed, and lifted up for ever.
本詩的前半部，是一個正在爭戰且此刻陷於困苦中的聖徒的禱告（詩二八1-3），其後附上神那些死敵的結局（詩二八4,5）。本詩的後半部，是一個誇勝、並從困苦中得著拯救的聖徒的感恩（詩二八6-8），其後附上為神一切忠信子民而發的預言性禱告（詩二八9）。
因此很難說大衛寫這詩時到底是處於這兩種境況中的哪一種。有人認為他當時正在患難中尋求神，卻同時預備要為得拯救而讚美祂，並憑信心在拯救尚未成就之前就為此向祂獻上感謝。也有人認為他當時正在誇勝，卻記念並為自己與別人的益處記錄下他在受苦之時所作的禱告，好叫那恩典在顯明為對那些禱告的回應時，越發顯得甘甜。