The Meaning of Psalms 28:4 Explained

Psalms 28:4

KJV: Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours: give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.

YLT: Give to them according to their acting, And according to the evil of their doings. According to the work of their hands give to them. Return their deed to them.

Darby: Give them according to their doing, and according to the wickedness of their deeds; give them after the work of their hands, render to them their desert.

ASV: Give them according to their work, and according to the wickedness of their doings: Give them after the operation of their hands; Render to them their desert.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Give  them according to their deeds,  and according to the wickedness  of their endeavours:  give  them after the work  of their hands;  render  to them their desert. 

What does Psalms 28:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 28:1-9 - A Prayer And Its Answer
This psalm also probably belongs to the time of Absalom's rebellion. Psalms 28:2-3 resemble Psalms 26:8-9.
God is silent sometimes because He loves us unspeakably, Zephaniah 3:17, r.v., margin; sometimes to test our faith, Matthew 15:23; sometimes because He has already spoken and we have not listened, Matthew 26:62. But let us never go elsewhere for help, 1 Samuel 28:6-7. Let us wait and pray, lifting up our hands in the dark to touch His hands.
These prayers for the punishment of the wicked should be read as predictions. Do not be afraid of evil or of evil-doers. God is "a consuming fire" and destroys all evil. He causes the enemy to be still as a stone until His redeemed have passed over. Therefore there breaks in on the psalmist the ray of hope which finds expression in Psalms 28:6-7. Faith cries, I am helped! Let us rejoice even before the jailer comes to tell us that we are free, Acts 16:25; and let us send out our prayers for all the Church, Psalms 28:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 28

1  David prays earnestly against his enemies
6  and for the people

What do the individual words in Psalms 28:4 mean?

Give them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors according to the work of their hands Give them Render what they deserve to them
תֶּן־ לָהֶ֣ם כְּפָעֳלָם֮ וּכְרֹ֪עַ מַֽעַלְלֵ֫יהֶ֥ם כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יְ֭דֵיהֶם תֵּ֣ן לָהֶ֑ם הָשֵׁ֖ב גְּמוּלָ֣ם לָהֶֽם

תֶּן־  Give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
כְּפָעֳלָם֮  according  to  their  deeds 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פֹּעַל  
Sense: work, deed, doing.
וּכְרֹ֪עַ  and  according  to  the  wickedness 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֹעַ  
Sense: badness, evil.
מַֽעַלְלֵ֫יהֶ֥ם  of  their  endeavors 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מַעֲלִיל 
Sense: deed, practice.
כְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה  according  to  the  work 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
יְ֭דֵיהֶם  of  their  hands 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine plural
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
תֵּ֣ן  Give 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
הָשֵׁ֖ב  Render 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
גְּמוּלָ֣ם  what  they  deserve 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: גְּמוּל  
Sense: dealing, recompense, benefit.
לָהֶֽם  to  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.