Psalm 28:2 kjv
Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee, when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.
Psalm 28:2 nkjv
Hear the voice of my supplications When I cry to You, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.
Psalm 28:2 niv
Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
Psalm 28:2 esv
Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, when I cry to you for help, when I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary.
Psalm 28:2 nlt
Listen to my prayer for mercy
as I cry out to you for help,
as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.
Psalm 28 2 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| God Hears Prayer | ||
| Psa 4:1 | "Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!" | Call for God's answer |
| Psa 6:9 | "The Lord has heard my plea; the Lord accepts my prayer." | Assurance of God hearing |
| Psa 116:1 | "I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy." | Loving God for hearing |
| Isa 65:24 | "Before they call, I will answer; while they are yet speaking, I will hear." | God's readiness to hear |
| 1 Jn 5:14-15 | "If we ask anything according to his will, he hears us...we have the requests." | Confidence in prayer being heard |
| Jer 33:3 | "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things." | God's invitation to call |
| Crying/Pleas for Help | ||
| Psa 18:6 | "In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help." | Cry in distress |
| Psa 34:6 | "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles." | God delivers those who cry |
| Psa 77:1-2 | "I cry aloud to God...In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord." | Seeking God in trouble |
| Psa 130:1-2 | "Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord! O Lord, hear my voice!" | Cry from despair/depths |
| Lam 3:55-56 | "I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea." | Calling from despair |
| Phil 4:6 | "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication." | Supplication for all things |
| Lifting Hands in Prayer | ||
| Psa 63:4 | "So I will bless you as long as I live; in your name I will lift up my hands." | Lifting hands in praise & blessing |
| Psa 134:2 | "Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!" | Exhortation to worship |
| Psa 141:2 | "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands." | Prayer as a fragrant offering |
| Lam 2:19 | "Pour out your heart like water before the presence of the Lord. Lift your hands to him." | Heartfelt, urgent prayer |
| 1 Tim 2:8 | "I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands." | Proper posture for prayer |
| Sanctuary/Temple as God's Presence & Heavenly Reality | ||
| 1 Ki 8:28-30 | "Listen to the prayer...when your servant prays toward this place." | Solomon's prayer concerning the Temple |
| Psa 5:7 | "But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house." | Entering God's dwelling |
| Psa 27:4-5 | "One thing have I asked...that I may dwell in the house of the Lord." | Desiring God's dwelling |
| Psa 138:2 | "I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name." | Worshipping towards the temple |
| Jon 2:4 | "I said, 'I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.'" | Hope of seeing God's presence |
| Heb 4:16 | "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy." | Approaching God's throne confidently |
| Heb 9:24 | "Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands...but into heaven itself." | Heavenly sanctuary |
| Heb 10:19-22 | "We have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus." | Access through Christ's blood |
Psalm 28 verses
Psalm 28 2 Meaning
Psalm 28:2 expresses David's fervent prayer for God's attentive response. He pleads for divine intervention, articulating his supplications with urgent cries for help. The act of lifting his hands towards God’s holy inner sanctuary signifies an act of deep reverence, humble dependence, and direct appeal to the very presence of the Most High God, seeking immediate and personal communion with Him amidst distress.
Psalm 28 2 Context
Psalm 28 is a fervent plea from David to the Lord for deliverance from his enemies, particularly those who speak peace while harboring evil in their hearts. The preceding verse (Psa 28:1) expresses David's desperate fear that if God remains silent, he will be counted among the wicked who go down to the pit, a metaphor for death and destruction. Verse 2 is the immediate continuation of this urgent petition, specifying the manner and direction of his prayer. It's an intensely personal and desperate cry from a place of great distress, directly aimed at the divine presence believed to reside within the sacred sanctuary. Historically, David, as king and often engaged in conflict, frequently faced internal and external opposition, prompting such pleas for divine justice and protection. This Psalm reflects his unwavering trust in God amidst perilous circumstances.
Psalm 28 2 Word analysis
- "Hear" (שְׁמַע - shemaʿ): This imperative verb is not merely a request for auditory perception, but for attentive and responsive action. It implies God listening, understanding, and then acting on the prayer, reflecting the covenant concept of God 'hearing' Israel's cry and delivering them. It's a foundational term in biblical prayer, indicating an expectation of divine response and intervention.
- "the voice of my pleas for mercy" (קוֹל תַּחֲנוֹתַי - qol tachanotai): "Voice" signifies the audible utterance, emphasizing the intensity and public nature of his appeal. "Pleas for mercy" (singular in form, collective in sense) comes from the root חנן (chanan), meaning to show favor or be gracious. It highlights David's complete reliance on God's unmerited favor rather than any personal merit, indicating humble petition from a position of dependency.
- "when I cry to you for help" (בְּשַׁוְּעִי אֵלֶיךָ - b'shawwəʿi eilekha): "Cry for help" (from שָׁוַע - shavaʿ) suggests a loud, earnest, even desperate, appeal for urgent assistance or deliverance. It's a strong expression of distress, not a quiet murmur, denoting deep personal anguish and a clear sense of overwhelming need that only divine power can address.
- "when I lift up my hands" (בְּנָשְׂאִי יָדַי - b'nas'i yadai): A universal posture of prayer and supplication in the ancient world. It signifies complete surrender, absolute dependence, adoration, and an earnest stretching forth towards God in expectation of receiving divine help. It is both a physical posture and a spiritual attitude of humility and longing.
- "toward your most holy sanctuary" (אֶל־דְּבִיר קָדְשֶׁךָ - el d'vir kodshekha): "Sanctuary" (דְּבִיר - d'vir) specifically refers to the Holy of Holies, the innermost and most sacred chamber of the Temple where the Ark of the Covenant was located, symbolizing the direct, glorious presence of God. The addition of "most holy" (קָדְשֶׁךָ - kodshekha, literally "your holiness") intensely magnifies the sanctity and awe-inspiring nature of this divine dwelling. Directing prayer towards it was an act of profound reverence and an appeal directly to the throne of God's manifest presence, the center of Israel's worship and covenant relationship. It speaks of a bold, yet respectful, approach to God's ultimate dwelling place, a symbolic representation of the spiritual reality of addressing God on His throne.
Psalm 28 2 Commentary
Psalm 28:2 captures the raw intensity of David's prayer, characterized by urgent sound and physical gesture. His request for God to "hear" is more than just listening; it's a plea for divine engagement and intervention. The emphasis on his "pleas for mercy" and "cry for help" highlights a deep awareness of his own vulnerability and a complete reliance on God's compassionate action, not on any presumed righteousness. The accompanying physical act of "lifting up my hands" underscores this profound dependency and fervent yearning for God's aid, a universally recognized posture of utter supplication. The critical element, "toward your most holy sanctuary," roots this intense personal prayer in the public and theological reality of Israel's covenant with God. Directing his prayer towards the Holy of Holies was an acknowledgment of God's supreme holiness, transcendence, and His particular, active presence within Israel. It implied that David was not just praying generally, but directly addressing God where He most powerfully revealed Himself, anticipating an immediate and potent response from the very heart of divine authority and love. This verse instructs believers that earnest prayer involves not only words but also the spirit of humility, fervent trust, and an intentional, worshipful direction towards God's holy presence, believing He actively listens and intervenes from His heavenly throne, which the earthly sanctuary prefigured.
Bonus Section
- This verse prefigures the New Testament understanding of direct access to God. While David approached God via the earthly sanctuary, believers now, through Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, have confidence to enter the true, heavenly sanctuary—the very throne room of grace (Heb 4:16, Heb 10:19-22). The "lifting of hands" can also be seen as an act of adoration, offering oneself and one's plea completely to God.
- The emphasis on "voice" and "cry" also teaches the importance of not being silent in prayer but to audibly express deep spiritual needs, echoing God's own calls for His people to cry out to Him.
- The Hebrew understanding of shema ('hear') inherently includes the concept of 'obey'. When David asks God to 'hear', there's an implicit recognition of God's power and authority to act, not just perceive. Likewise, for the supplicant, hearing God's word should lead to obedience.