What is the meaning of Psalm 28:4? Repay them according to their deeds “Repay them according to their deeds” reminds us that God is perfectly just and keeps precise account of every action. • Scripture consistently affirms this principle: “He will repay each one according to his deeds” (Romans 2:6). • Jeremiah echoes the same certainty: “I, the LORD, search the heart … to give to each man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds” (Jeremiah 17:10). • The psalmist is not asking for personal vengeance but appealing to God’s righteous character. Like Proverbs 24:12 says, “Will He not repay a man according to his deed?” God’s response is proportionate, never arbitrary. and for their works of evil The verse intensifies: “and for their works of evil.” Evil is not an abstract concept but tangible rebellion expressed in behavior. • Psalm 5:5 states, “You hate all workers of iniquity,” underscoring that evil actions provoke divine opposition. • Psalm 94:23 assures believers that “He will bring back on them their own iniquity and destroy them for their wickedness.” • Revelation 20:12–13 pictures the final judgment where “the dead were judged according to their deeds,” proving that every evil work will face God’s scrutiny. Repay them for what their hands have done Repeating the plea highlights certainty: “Repay them for what their hands have done.” Deeds are concrete and traceable. • Job 34:11 describes God as One who “repays a man according to his work.” • Isaiah 3:11 warns, “Woe to the wicked—it will go badly for them, for what they have done will be done to them.” • By spotlighting “hands,” David underscores personal responsibility; sin is not accidental but carried out deliberately. bring back on them what they deserve Finally, “bring back on them what they deserve” sums up divine recompense: the consequences circle back to the evildoer. • Psalm 7:15–16 pictures the wicked falling into the pit they dug. • Obadiah 15 declares, “As you have done, it will be done to you; your recompense will return upon your own head.” • Paul affirms the same principle for persecutors: “It is just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you” (2 Thessalonians 1:6). God’s justice is not merely future but often breaks into present history. summary Psalm 28:4 is David’s confident appeal to God’s flawless justice. Every deed, every evil work, every act performed by human hands will be answered by the Lord with exact, deserved recompense. Believers can rest, knowing vengeance belongs to God, while evildoers are warned that divine justice never overlooks a single act. |
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