Psalm 28 (27):3Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Those who declare to Me, ‘We are aware that You are the Teacher sent by God’ (John 3:2), harbor wickedness within their hearts. Yet their words reveal the malice that resides in their souls.

Do not associate me with the wicked. The Jewish people are referred to as sinners, as the Savior remarked to them: ‘But if ... ye have not faith, as I am, ye shall die in your sins’ (John 8:24). They are also guilty of wrongdoing, having taken the life of the innocent and just, which the Law strictly prohibited. These are the individuals who profess peace with their fellow man. This is said because, despite acknowledging the Savior as a teacher and good, they conspired against Him with malevolent intentions.

Blessed David petitions for separation from those who are double-minded, declaring, "Those who speak one way but think another are detestable to me." Consequently, he wishes that they might receive punishment commensurate with their actions. For he states.

Do not unite me with the wicked Do not lead me, O Lord, to judgment alongside the wicked, meaning those who are estranged, as one who lives among and engages with them. You are aware, Lord, that I dwell among them against my will, subjected to violence due to the persecution from Saul. In the prayer found in Psalm 7, when referring to the wicked, it is appropriate to interpret this as infidels, heretics, or even demons. And do not annihilate me with those who perpetrate injustice This line clarifies the preceding one and conveys the same sentiment. In reflecting on this divine message, Cyril poses a question: Might someone argue that those who express such concerns claim to be without sin? How can they assert their own purity?

Do not emulate the raven. The reason the Holy Spirit descended upon the Lord as a dove is evident: it serves as a reminder to the faithful that they can only be filled with the Spirit by embracing simplicity and fostering genuine peace with their fellow believers, as symbolized by the beak of doves. While ravens possess beaks as well, they torment their prey, an act foreign to doves. Ravens represent those who offer a facade of peace to their neighbors while harboring malice within. In contrast, the dove inherently cannot harm others and perfectly embodies those pure-hearted individuals who maintain harmony with all, striving to uphold the sacred unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

David petitions God not to subject him to the same fate as those who act lawlessly. He admits his own sinfulness but does not identify himself with the depravity of his foes. His plea is not based on the assumption that God lacks discernment or harbors anger toward humanity; rather, he reasons from God's nature that, as an innocent man who has not wronged his adversaries, he can confidently expect God's favor. It is inherent to God to differentiate between the righteous and the wicked, granting each their due recompense. When referring to those who engage in unrighteousness, he speaks of individuals who have surrendered themselves to wrongdoing.

This psalm is believed to have been composed by David during the time of Absalom's rebellion. As he was compelled to flee Jerusalem, the king urgently implores the Lord to intercede on his behalf against the treasonous Absalom and his followers, asking for a clear voice of salvation that would rescue him from the peril of death, where “Soul” in Hebrew (nepesh) signifies the deepest passions. He reflects on the deceit of those who perpetrate falsehoods for their own gain. The scripture states: “lest I should doubt that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (v.1).

At the Final Judgment, please, O Lord, do not place me among the condemned, for I fear being cast into everlasting torment alongside those whose words are sweet yet whose hearts are filled with anguish. The wound that pierces their tongues.