Psalm 28 (27):4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Repay them based on their actions, for this is right. And according to the evil inclinations of their hearts. As they pursue wickedness, they fail to recognize goodness. Render to them the result of their labors. Even if their actions have contributed to the salvation of others, judge them according to the intentions of their hearts. Bestow upon them the fruits of their deeds. For the truth they have received, they sought to respond with falsehood; may their own deceit ensnare them.

Rightful suffering Because they failed to recognize You in Your blessings, they will come to know You in their suffering.

No one should presume that a righteous person desires harm for those who oppose him; his words reflect not animosity, but rather righteous judgment. He proclaims, "Render their recompense unto them," indicating that they may reap the consequences of their own malice, just as they have acted against others. This sentiment is echoed in Psalm 7:17: "His sickness shall turn upon his head, and his unrighteousness shall come down upon his top." He then clarifies the rationale behind the judgment.

Grant them, O Lord, in accordance with their deeds, and judge them for the deceitfulness of their actions, O Lord, reflecting their evil and their hypocritical and wicked works. By their actions shall You measure their fate. In this repetition, David conveys the anguish and affliction of his spirit, fervently kindled against sin. Another interpretation suggests that their works reflect their nature, and the works of their hands signify the active expressions of their intentions. Render to them their due recompense. The Lord declares to give fitting retribution for their malice and unrighteousness. Yet, it becomes clear that David's imprecation is not borne from wickedness, but from a commitment to truth; thus he desires that the consequences for evil draw near, leading to transformation and improvement.

Having called upon God to acknowledge his righteousness, he struck his adversaries with oaths like thunder. The accumulation of these oaths indicates that he had long suffered under the weight of wrongdoing before seeking such retribution. Thus, as if fatigued by prolonged forbearance and burdened by the heaviness of oppression, he implores God to finally restrain the arrogance of his foes, who have long continued to multiply their transgressions. Render unto them, O Lord, according to their works: that is, deliver upon them a fate that reflects the consequences of their actions in accordance with the standards of Your justice.

This psalm is believed to have been composed by David during the time of Absalom's rebellion. As the king was compelled to abandon Jerusalem, he fervently implores the Lord to act on his behalf against the treacherous Absalom and his followers, seeking a decisive response from the Lord to rescue him from peril and the threat of death, where “Soul” in Hebrew refers to the essence of one’s passionate pursuits. The psalmist reflects upon the falsehoods of his adversaries—those who have fabricated lies for their own benefit. He expresses a heartfelt longing with the assertion: “lest I should doubt that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!” (v.1).

The wicked Jews constructed a cross for Christ the Lord, yet they themselves became scattered from the Cross across all creation, and due to their lack of faith in Him, they were condemned alongside demons to the abyss. Just as the unrighteous strive to devour a devout individual from the earthly realm, they find themselves denied access to the land of the living.