Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, August 3rd, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

Bishop's Bible

Psalms 28:1

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.

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

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.
King James Version
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Contextual Overview

1 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. 2 Heare the voyce of my humble petitions when I crye vnto thee: when I holde vp my handes towarde thy holy place where thy arke is. 3 Take me not away with the vngodlye, and with the workers of iniquitie: whiche speake of peace to their neighbours, but mischiefe is in their heartes. 4 Rewarde them accordyng to their deedes: and according to the wickednes of their owne inuentions. Recompence them after the worke of their handes: pay them home that they haue deserued. 5 For they geue not their minde to vnderstande the doynges of God and the worke of his handes: [therefore] he wyll breake them downe, and not buylde them vp.

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
And the sonnes of God also sawe the daughters of men that they were fayre, & they toke them wyues, such as theyliked, from among them all.
Genesis 24:3
And I wyll make thee sweare by the Lorde God of heauen, and God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wyfe vnto my sonne of the daughters of the Chanaanites, amongest which I dwel:
Genesis 24:37
And my maister made me sweare, saying: thou shalt not take a wyfe to my sonne amongest the daughters of the Chanaanites, in whose lande I dwell:
Genesis 27:4
And make me well tastyng meates, such as I loue, and bryng it to me, that I may eate, that my soule may blesse thee before that I dye.
Genesis 27:46
And Rebecca spake to Isahac: I am weery of my lyfe for the daughters of Heth. Yf Iacob take a wyfe of the daughters of Heth, such as these [which are] of the daughters of the lande, what good shall my lyfe do me?
Genesis 28:3
And God almyghtie blesse thee, and make thee to encrease, & multiplie thee, that thou mayest be a number of people:
Genesis 28:4
And geue the blessing of Abraham vnto thee, and to thy seede with thee, that thou mayest receaue to inherite ye lande wherein thou art a straunger, whiche God gaue vnto Abraham.
Genesis 28:14
And thy seede shalbe as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spreade abrode to the west, to the east, to the north, and to the south: and in thee, and in thy seede, shall all the kynredes of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 28:15
And see, I am with thee, and wyll be thy keper in all [places] whyther thou goest, and wyll bryng thee agayne into this lande: For I wyl not leaue thee, vntyll I haue made good that whiche I haue promised thee.
Genesis 28:16
When Iacob was awaked out of his sleepe, he sayde: Surely the Lorde is in this place, and I knewe 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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