Psalm 28 moves from anxious pleading, “Unto thee will I cry, O Lord: O my God, be not thou silent to me,” to grateful trust: “The Lord is my helper and my protector: in him hath my heart confided, and I have been helped.” Its last verse, “Save, O Lord, thy people, and bless thy inheritance,” is sung in the Te Deum. In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 27. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 28 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
A psalm for David himself. Unto thee will I cry, O Lord: O my God, be not thou silent to me: lest thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.
Hear, O Lord, the voice of my supplication, when I pray to thee; when I lift up my hands to thy holy temple.
Draw me not away together with the wicked; and with the workers of iniquity destroy me not: Who speak peace with their neighbour, but evils are in their hearts.
Give them according to their works, and according to the wickedness of their inventions. According to the works of their hands give thou to them: render to them their reward.
Because they have not understood the works of the Lord, and the operations of his hands: thou shalt destroy them, and shalt not build them up.
Blessed be the Lord, for he hath heard the voice of my supplication.
The Lord is my helper and my protector: in him hath my heart confided, and I have been helped. And my flesh hath flourished again, and with my will I will give praise to him.
The Lord is the strength of his people, and the protector of the salvation of his anointed.
Save, O Lord, thy people, and bless thy inheritance: and rule them and exalt them for ever.
Psalm 28 or Psalm 27?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 27 is Psalm 28 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Ad te, Domine, clamabo. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- Fear of God’s silence: the greatest fear is that God will not answer.
- Hands lifted to the sanctuary: “I lift up my hands to thy holy temple.”
- Prayer heard: “Blessed be the Lord, for he hath heard the voice of my supplication.”
- Strength and shield: “my heart hath confided, and I have been helped. And my flesh hath flourished again.”
- A shepherd-king: “Save, O Lord, thy people… and rule them and exalt them for ever.”
How the Church uses Psalm 28
- In the Te Deum, “Save, O Lord, thy people, and bless thy inheritance” is one of the closing verses. See the Te Deum.
- In the Liturgy of the Hours.
- As a prayer for strength. See psalms for strength.
A prayer with Psalm 28
Written for this page:
Lord, I cry to you: do not be silent to me.
Hear the voice of my pleading as I lift my hands to you.
You are my strength and my shield; in you my heart trusts.
Save your people, Lord, bless your inheritance, and carry us for ever. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Where is “The Lord is my strength and my shield”?
Psalm 28:7 in modern Bibles (27:7 in the Douay-Rheims: “The Lord is my helper and my protector”).
Is Psalm 28 in the Te Deum?
Yes. Its last verse, “Save, O Lord, thy people, and bless thy inheritance,” is sung near the end of the Te Deum.
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 27 (28), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.