The Meaning of Psalms 28:9 Explained

Psalms 28:9

KJV: Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

YLT: Save Thy people, and bless Thine inheritance, And feed them, and carry them to the age!

Darby: Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance; and feed them, and lift them up for ever.

ASV: Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance: Be their shepherd also, and bear them up for ever.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Save  thy people,  and bless  thine inheritance:  feed  them also, and lift them up  for ever. 

What does Psalms 28:9 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Having expressed his confidence in the Lord"s salvation, David repeated his request for deliverance. He wanted divine salvation and guidance for Israel from her Shepherd forever. This is a long-range petition for God"s sustenance in the years that lay ahead.
God"s people can appeal for help in distress to their great Shepherd and can rely on His guidance and salvation in view of His commitment to them. The leaders of God"s people should intercede for the Lord"s blessing on the people under their charge, as David did (cf. 1 Samuel 12:23).

Context Summary

Psalms 28:1-9 - A Prayer And Its Answer
This psalm also probably belongs to the time of Absalom's rebellion. Psalms 28:2-3 resemble Psalms 26:8-9.
God is silent sometimes because He loves us unspeakably, Zephaniah 3:17, r.v., margin; sometimes to test our faith, Matthew 15:23; sometimes because He has already spoken and we have not listened, Matthew 26:62. But let us never go elsewhere for help, 1 Samuel 28:6-7. Let us wait and pray, lifting up our hands in the dark to touch His hands.
These prayers for the punishment of the wicked should be read as predictions. Do not be afraid of evil or of evil-doers. God is "a consuming fire" and destroys all evil. He causes the enemy to be still as a stone until His redeemed have passed over. Therefore there breaks in on the psalmist the ray of hope which finds expression in Psalms 28:6-7. Faith cries, I am helped! Let us rejoice even before the jailer comes to tell us that we are free, Acts 16:25; and let us send out our prayers for all the Church, Psalms 28:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 28

1  David prays earnestly against his enemies
6  and for the people

What do the individual words in Psalms 28:9 mean?

Save - Your people and bless Your inheritance and Shepherd them and bear them up even to forever
הוֹשִׁ֤יעָה ׀ אֶת־ עַמֶּ֗ךָ וּבָרֵ֥ךְ נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ וּֽרְעֵ֥ם וְ֝נַשְּׂאֵ֗ם עַד־ הָעוֹלָֽם

הוֹשִׁ֤יעָה ׀  Save 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁע 
Sense: to save, be saved, be delivered.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
עַמֶּ֗ךָ  Your  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
וּבָרֵ֥ךְ  and  bless 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: בָּרַךְ 
Sense: to bless, kneel.
נַחֲלָתֶ֑ךָ  Your  inheritance 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נַחֲלָה  
Sense: possession, property, inheritance, heritage.
וּֽרְעֵ֥ם  and  Shepherd  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: רָעָה 
Sense: to pasture, tend, graze, feed.
וְ֝נַשְּׂאֵ֗ם  and  bear  them  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Imperative, masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
עַד־  even  to 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הָעוֹלָֽם  forever 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.