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Psalm 28:3
Don’t draw me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts.
1By 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.
2Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry to you, when I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
3Don’t draw me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts.
4Give them according to their work, and according to the wickedness of their doings. Give them according to the operation of their hands. Bring back on them what they deserve.
5Because they don’t respect the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands, he will break them down and not build them up.
Notice
Peace on the lips and mischief in the heart make David’s plea urgent: he asks God to spare him from the judgment of those who deceive.
Questions to write on. Each one opens a new entry with this verse already attached.
What difference do you see between speaking peace and intending peace toward a neighbor?
Write on thisWhat would you ask God for as you pray David’s plea against sharing the wicked’s fate?
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Where else Scripture says this
11 passages readers most often link with this verse, and the thread each one shares with it.
This verse's connections, by chapterThe Bible's strongest chapter linksHover or tap a book to trace it
Psalm 55:21His mouth was smooth as butter, but his heart was war. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.Both passages expose a gap between soothing speech and harmful intent: peace or softness in the mouth, mischief or war in the heart.
John 14:27Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.Peace links these passages by contrast: David describes deceptive words of peace, while Jesus gives his peace and tells his hearers not to fear.
Proverbs 26:25When his speech is charming, don’t believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart.Both passages describe pleasant speech concealing evil in the heart; Proverbs warns against trusting such speech.
Psalm 62:4They fully intend to throw him down from his lofty place. They delight in lies. They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.Both describe people whose spoken goodwill conceals harm: they speak peace or blessing while harboring mischief or curses.
Jeremiah 9:8Their tongue is a deadly arrow. It speaks deceit. One speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart, he waits to ambush him.Both describe someone speaking peace to a neighbor while harboring harmful intent; Jeremiah makes that intent concrete with an ambush.
Psalm 12:2Everyone lies to his neighbor. They speak with flattering lips, and with a double heart.Both locate deceit in speech toward a neighbor, exposing the division between friendly words and the heart.
Psalm 26:9Don’t gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty menBoth prayers ask God to spare the speaker from being gathered or drawn away with those who do evil.
Micah 3:5The LORD says concerning the prophets who lead my people astray—for those who feed their teeth, they proclaim, “Peace!” and whoever doesn’t provide for their …Both connect talk of peace with harmful intent; Micah names prophets who proclaim peace for food and prepare war against those who withhold it.
Proverbs 24:2for their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about mischief.Both describe harmful intent in the heart, though Proverbs portrays lips talking about mischief where David describes lips speaking peace.
Proverbs 26:23–26Like silver dross on an earthen vessel are the lips of a fervent one with an evil heart.Both expose a mismatch between lips and heart: outward speech conceals the evil within.
Matthew 25:41Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;David asks to be spared the fate of the wicked; Jesus describes a judgment in which the cursed are sent into eternal fire.
Where this verse fits
Injustice and anger. broken friendship.
One step
Something small to carry out of this verse
Encouragement
David brings his fear of sharing the wicked’s fate to God. Your prayer can be just as plain; the judgment he fears belongs to the Lord.
Now put it in your words.
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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).