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Psalm 28 · a question people ask

"He is a stronghold of salvation to his anointed" (28:8). Who is his anointed?

In the text

The psalm doesn't name him. Anointed is mashiach (tap anointed), which Strong's gives as "anointed; usually a consecrated person (as a king, priest, or saint)". Psalm 18 names the anointed it speaks of: "He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more" (Psalm 18:50), where deliverance is the Hebrew of Psalm 28:8's salvation. Psalm 20 says, "Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed" (Psalm 20:6). Psalm 28's title is "By David" (28:1), and the psalm doesn't say whether the anointed is the one praying. No New Testament verse quotes Psalm 28. Psalm 2's notes take up an anointed one the New Testament does speak of (Acts 4:25-27), and these notes don't carry that over to Psalm 28.

The verses

“By David. To you, LORD, I call. My rock, don’t be deaf to me, lest, if you are silent to me, I would become like those who go down into the pit.”
Psalm 28:1 · World English Bible
“The LORD is their strength. He is a stronghold of salvation to his anointed.”
Psalm 28:8 · World English Bible
“He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his offspring, forever more.”
Psalm 18:50 · World English Bible
“Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed. He will answer him from his holy heaven, with the saving strength of his right hand.”
Psalm 20:6 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of Psalm 28

Psalm 28: The voice of my petitions

The psalm's answer has its request's own words: "Hear the voice of my petitions" (28:2) comes back as "he has heard the voice of my petitions" (28:6), the same Hebrew. And "the operation of their hands" (28:4) and "the operation of his hands" (28:5) are the same words too.

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions