Psalm 68 28

Psalm 68:28 kjv

Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.

Psalm 68:28 nkjv

Your God has commanded your strength; Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.

Psalm 68:28 niv

Summon your power, God; show us your strength, our God, as you have done before.

Psalm 68:28 esv

Summon your power, O God, the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.

Psalm 68:28 nlt

Summon your might, O God.
Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.

Psalm 68 verses

Psalm 68 28 Meaning

Psalm 68:28 expresses a profound truth about the origin of God's people's strength and simultaneously offers a fervent prayer. It first declares that God, the sovereign Lord, has authoritatively commanded and imparted the strength, power, and capability of His people, making it a divine decree rather than a human acquisition. Following this declaration, the verse turns into an earnest plea, entreating God to firmly establish, fortify, and continue to perfect the mighty works and deliverances He has already initiated and accomplished for His covenant community. It signifies both a theological acknowledgement of divine provision and an humble petition for its ongoing manifestation.

Psalm 68 28 Context

Psalm 68 is a majestic and triumphant hymn celebrating God's power and victory over His enemies, His leadership of His people (Israel), and His establishment of His dwelling in Zion. It is often linked to the bringing of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem or a processional hymn recounting God's glorious acts, starting from the Exodus. The preceding verses (24-27) vividly depict a grand cultic procession towards the sanctuary, with various tribes participating and praising God. In this context, verse 28 serves as a theological declaration and a responsive prayer, following the recognition of God's manifest presence and victory. It underscores that all the might displayed by Israel in these triumphs and processions originates solely from God's command and His past deeds of salvation, making Him the indispensable source of their sustained strength and achievements. The verse then anticipates a continuation of this divine working in the future, as it leads into a call for earthly kings to acknowledge God's sovereignty.

Psalm 68 28 Word analysis

• Your God (אֱלֹהִים - Elohim): This term refers to the one true God, the God of Israel. The possessive "your" (often referring to the people of Israel corporately in such Psalms) highlights the intimate and exclusive covenant relationship. It speaks of YHWH as Israel's specific and personal divine authority.
• has commanded (צִוָּה - tzavvah): This verb is in the perfect tense, indicating a completed action with ongoing effects. It signifies a divine decree, an authoritative order or declaration from God. It's not a suggestion but a potent, effective pronouncement that brings something into existence or causes it to be.
• your strength (עֻזֶּךָ - ozzecha): The root (עֹז - oz) denotes power, might, vigor, or prowess. Combined with the possessive "your," it refers to the strength or power that belongs to or is wielded by Israel. This implies Israel's military might, national vitality, or even their spiritual fortitude, which is understood to be divinely given.
• Strengthen (עוּזָה - Uzza): An imperative verb derived from the same root as "strength." This is a direct petition or command addressed to God. It means "make strong," "confirm," "establish," or "fortify." The repetition of the root "oz" emphasizes the intensity and critical importance of divine power.
• O God (אֱלֹהִים - Elohim): Used here as a direct vocative address, underscoring that the fervent plea is directed to the all-powerful Divine Being who is capable of fulfilling the request for strength.
• what You have wrought (פָּעַלְתָּ לָּנוּ - pa'alta lanu): The verb "pa'alta" is perfect tense, meaning "You have worked" or "You have done" (past action). This refers to God's completed deeds, accomplishments, and acts of deliverance on behalf of His people throughout their history (e.g., Exodus, victories in battle, establishing the land). These are tangible, impactful divine interventions.
• for us (לָּנוּ - lanu): This dative suffix emphatically highlights that God's actions and decrees are not generic but are specifically for the benefit, protection, and welfare of His chosen people, underscoring His covenant faithfulness.

• Words-group analysis:
• "Your God has commanded your strength": This declarative statement establishes a foundational theological truth. It attributes the very existence and efficacy of Israel's strength entirely to God's authoritative will and decree. It is not self-generated, nor earned, but a sovereign gift commanded into being by their covenant Lord. This sets the stage for dependency and gratitude.
• "Strengthen, O God, what You have wrought for us": This clause transforms the preceding declaration into an impassioned prayer. Based on the firm acknowledgment of God's past and present work ("what You have wrought for us"), the petition humbly requests the ongoing and perfecting hand of God. It's a prayer for the sustainment, fortification, and completion of His initiated works of grace, salvation, and empowerment for His people. It expresses reliance on God for His continuous operation in their midst.

Psalm 68 28 Bonus section

• The use of the same root 'oz' (strength) twice in the verse, once as the divinely bestowed strength and once as an imperative prayer for continued strengthening, forms a powerful rhetorical emphasis on God's omnipotent provision and humanity's constant need.
• This verse carries a corporate significance for the community of faith. The "your" and "us" pronouns indicate that this is a prayer and declaration made on behalf of God's covenant people, recognizing their collective reliance on Him for their corporate vitality, security, and successful pursuit of His purposes.
• The concept of God "commanding" strength points to a deliberate and purposeful act of empowering His people, not a passive permission. This aligns with His character as one who sovereignly ordains and fulfills His will.
• In the New Covenant, this principle is fulfilled through Christ's redemptive work, which is God's ultimate "wrought for us" (John 19:30, Heb 12:2). Believers, through the Holy Spirit, receive spiritual strength to live according to God's will (Eph 3:16) and accomplish His work (Phil 2:13), constantly praying for His power to be made perfect in their weakness (2 Cor 12:9-10).

Psalm 68 28 Commentary

Psalm 68:28 succinctly captures a dual reality in the believer's walk: the theological certainty of God as the sole source of all strength, and the spiritual necessity of fervent prayer for the sustainment of that divine provision. The opening declaration, "Your God has commanded your strength," establishes God's absolute sovereignty, emphasizing that any power, ability, or victory found among His people is a direct result of His purposeful decree. This strength is not accidental nor self-derived; it is divinely willed and enacted. This fundamental truth combats any self-reliance, highlighting radical dependence on God. The subsequent plea, "Strengthen, O God, what You have wrought for us," shifts from a statement of fact to a humble yet urgent petition. Acknowledging God's mighty past works—His acts of salvation, deliverance, and establishment on behalf of His people—the psalmist asks for the continuation and perfection of these very deeds. This demonstrates that even divinely commanded strength requires ongoing divine support and confirms the biblical pattern of praying into God's already revealed will and work. The verse teaches us to trust God's past faithfulness as the basis for confidently praying for His future grace and empowerment in our lives and in His church's mission. For example, knowing Christ's triumph over sin (God's work "for us"), we pray for continued strength against temptation in daily life (strengthening what He has wrought).