Thy God hath commanded thy strength: strengthen, O God, that which thou hast wrought for us.
Parallel translations
- WEB Your God has commanded your strength. Strengthen, God, that which you have done for us.
- BSB Summon Your power, O God; show Your strength, O God, which You have exerted on our behalf.
- NKJV Your God has commanded your strength; Strengthen, O God, what You have done for us.
- NASB ¶Your God has commanded your strength; Show Yourself strong, God, You who acted in our behalf.
- NLT Summon your might, O God. Display your power, O God, as you have in the past.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David prays that God would display and strengthen the power he has already shown on Israel's behalf. It teaches us to ask God to sustain what he has begun.
Overview
Recognizing that all Israel's strength comes from God's command, David pleads for the Lord to confirm and uphold his past saving work. True security rests not in human might but in God's ongoing power. The prayer that God complete what he has started echoes the gospel confidence that he who began a good work will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Ps 138:8The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
- Ps 71:3Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.
- Phil 1:6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
- Isa 40:31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
- 2 Cor 12:9–10And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
- Ps 42:8Yet the LORD will command his lovingkindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
- Eph 3:17–20That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
- 2 Th 1:11Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:
- Ps 44:4Thou art my King, O God: command deliverances for Jacob.
- John 5:8–9Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.
- Acts 3:6–8Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 68:28 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.