Psalm 28:5

5 Denn sie achten nicht auf die Taten Jehovas, noch auf das Werk seiner Hände. Er wird sie zerstören und nicht bauen.

Psalm 28:5 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 28:5

Because they regard not the works of the Lord
Neither the work of creation, as if there was no first cause of all things; nor the work of Providence, taking no notice either of the judgments or of the mercies of God; as though they believed that God had forsaken the earth, and would do neither good nor evil; and still less the work of redemption, which in covenant, promise, and prophecy, was appointed for the Messiah to work out; and as for the work of the Spirit of God upon the soul, they had no notion of that, of the nature and necessity of it; the things of the Spirit of God being foolishness to them, and undiscernible by them; see ( Isaiah 5:12 ) . Perhaps the psalmist may have some regard to his being anointed by Samuel, according to the will of God, and to the victory which he obtained over Goliath, and over others, which justly gained him great esteem among some, and created envy in others; and also the wonderful protection of him from time to time; the Chaldee paraphrase is, "because they do not understand the law of the Lord". It follows,

nor the operation of his hands;
in which his hand was so very apparent, that nothing less could be said than that this was the finger of God; wherefore,

he shall destroy them, and not build them up;
that is, they shall be irrecoverably lost; they shall be punished with everlasting destruction; there will be no help or remedy for them: some ^F19 understand this as a prayer, that God would destroy them in such a manner, and render it, "let him destroy them" ^F20.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 Kimchi in loc. Vid. Aben Ezram in loc.
F20 (Morhy) "destruat eos", Vatablus; so the Arabic version.

Psalm 28:5 In-Context

3 Reiße mich nicht fort mit den Gesetzlosen und mit denen, die Frevel tun, die friedlich reden mit ihrem Nächsten, und Böses ist in ihrem Herzen!

4 Gib ihnen nach ihrem Tun und nach der Bosheit ihrer Handlungen; nach dem Werke ihrer Hände gib ihnen, vergilt ihnen ihr Betragen!

5 Denn sie achten nicht auf die Taten Jehovas, noch auf das Werk seiner Hände. Er wird sie zerstören und nicht bauen.

6 Gepriesen sei Jehova! Denn er hat die Stimme meines Flehens gehört.

7 Jehova ist meine Stärke und mein Schild; auf ihn hat mein Herz vertraut, und mir ist geholfen worden; daher frohlockt mein Herz, und ich werde ihn preisen mit meinem Liede.