The Eastern Cross/Bible/Psalms/Psalm 27
The Book of Psalms · the Psalter
Psalm 28 in the KJV and most English Bibles
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A Psalm of David. 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.
Τοῦ Δαυίδ. Πρὸς σὲ Κύριε ἐκέκραξα, ὁ Θεός μου μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς ἐπʼ ἑμοὶ, μήποτε παρασιωπήσῃς ἐπʼ ἐμοὶ, καὶ ὁμοιωθήσομαι τοῖς καταβαίνουσιν εἰς λάκκον.
"Unto You, O Lord, have I cried; My God, be not silent from me". Unto You, O Lord, have I cried; My God, separate not the unity of Your Word from that which as Man I am. "Lest at any time Thou be silent from me: and I shall be like them that go down into the pit." For from this, that the Eternity of Your Word ceases…
Hearken to the voice of my supplication, when I pray to thee, When I lift up my hands toward thy holy temple.
Εἰσάκουσον τῆς φωνῆς τῆς δεήσεώς μου, ἐν τῷ δέεσθαί με πρὸς σὲ, ἐν τῷ αἴρειν με χεῖράς μου εἰς ναὸν ἅγιόν σου.
"Hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication, whist I pray unto You, while I hold up my hands to Your holy temple". Whilst I am crucified for their salvation, who on believing become Your holy temple.
Draw not away my soul with sinners, And destroy me not with the workers of iniquity, Who speak peace with their neighbors, But evils are in their hearts.
Μὴ συνελκύσῃς μετὰ ἁμαρτωλῶν τὴν ψυχήν μου, καὶ μετὰ ἐργαζομένων ἀδικίαν μὴ συναπολέσῃς με, τῶν λαλούντων εἰρήνην μετὰ τῶν πλησίον αὐτῶν, κακὰ δὲ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν.
"Draw not My Soul away with sinners, and destroy me not with them that work iniquity, with them that speak peace with their neighbours". With them that say unto Me, "We know that You are a Master come from God." [John 3:2] "But evil in their hearts." But they speak evil in their hearts.
Give them according to their works, And according to the wickedness of their devices: Give them according to the works of their hands; Render their recompense unto them.
Δὸς αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν, καὶ κατὰ τὴν πονηρίαν τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων αὐτῶν· κατὰ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν δὸς αὐτοῖς, ἀπόδος τὸ ἀνταπόδομα αὐτῶν αὐτοῖς.
"Give unto them according to their works". Give unto them according to their works, for this is just. "And according to the malice of their affections." For aiming at evil, they cannot discover good. "According to the works of their hands give Thou unto them." Although what they have done may avail for salvation to…
Because they have not attended to the works of the Lord, Even to the works of his hands, Thou shalt pull them down, and shalt not build them up.
Ὅτι οὐ συνῆκαν εἰς τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου καὶ εἰς τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ, καθελεῖς αὐτοὺς καὶ οὐ μὴ οἰκοδομήσεις αὐτούς.
"For they have not had understanding in the works of the Lord". And whence is it clear that this has befallen them? From this forsooth, "for they have not had understanding in the works of the Lord." This very thing, in truth, has been, even now, their recompense, that in Him whom they tempted with malicious intent as…
Blessed be the Lord, for he has hearkened to the voice of my petition.
Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος, ὅτι εἰσήκουσε τῆς φωνῆς τῆς δεήσεώς μου.
"Blessed be the Lord, for He has heard the voice of My prayer".
The Lord is my helper and my defender; My heart has hoped in him, and I am helped: My flesh has revived, And willingly will I give praise to him.
Κύριος βοηθός μου καὶ ὑπερασπιστής μου· ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ἤλπισεν ἡ καρδία μου, καὶ ἐβοηθήθην, καὶ ἀνέθαλεν ἡ σάρξ μου· καὶ ἐκ θελήματός μου ἐξομολογήσομαι αὐτῷ.
"The Lord My Helper and My Protector". The Lord helping Me in so great sufferings, and protecting Me with immortality in My resurrection. "In Him has My Heart trusted, and I have been helped." "And My Flesh has flourished again:" that is, and My Flesh has risen again. "And of my will I will confess unto Him."…
The Lord is the strength of his people, And the saving defender of his anointed.
Κύριος κραταίωμα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὑπερασπιστὴς τῶν σωτηρίων τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐστι.
"The Lord is the strength of His people". Not that people "ignorant of the righteousness of God, and willing to establish their own." [Romans 10:3] For they thought not themselves strong in themselves: for the Lord is the strength of His people, struggling in this life's difficulties with the devil. "And the protector…
Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: And take care of them, and lift them up forever.
Σῶσον τὸν λαόν σου, καὶ εὐλόγησον τὴν κληρονομίαν σου, καὶ ποίμανον αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἔπαρον αὐτοὺς ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος.
"Save Your people, and bless Your inheritance". I intercede therefore, after My Flesh has flourished again, because You have said, "Desire of Me, and I will give You the heathen for Your inheritance;" "Save Your people, and bless Your inheritance:" for "all Mine are Yours." [John 17:10] "And rule them, and set them up…
Every note is a real passage, quoted word for word from a published English translation, with its source. Nothing here is summarised or written by us. Some verses have many notes and some have none, because the Fathers wrote more on some passages than others.
All of these translations are in the public domain. The passages were matched to their verses by the Historical Christian Commentaries project, which also hosts the full texts we link to. The Fathers are a treasury of the Church's mind, and they are best read alongside the life of the Church: if a passage raises a question, bring it to your priest.