Psalm 9:9-20

Psalm 9:9-20 

⁹ The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, 

a stronghold in times of trouble. 

¹⁰ And those who know your name put their trust in you, 

for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. 

¹¹ Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion. Declare his deeds among the peoples. 

¹² For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; 

he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. 

¹³ Be gracious to me, O LORD. 

See what I suffer from those who hate me; 

you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death, 

¹⁴ so that I may recount all your praises, 

and, in the gates of daughter Zion, rejoice in your deliverance. 

¹⁵ The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; 

in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught. 

¹⁶ The LORD has made himself known, he has executed judgment; 

the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. 

Higgaion. Selah 

¹⁷ The wicked shall depart to Sheol, 

all the nations that forget God. 

¹⁸ For the needy shall not always be forgotten, 

nor the hope of the poor perish forever. 

¹⁹ Rise up, O LORD! 

Do not let mortals prevail; 

let the nations be judged before you. 

²⁰ Put them in fear, O LORD; 

let the nations know that they are only human. 

Selah

            Psalm 9:9-20 is part of a lament we find in Psalm 9-10. Psalm 10 has no separate title, together they form an acrostic, and they have common expressions. We best approach these two psalms as if they were one. Some commentators believe David composed the psalm following his victory over the giant Goliath. The psalmist details the nature of the adversary. The psalmist considers himself among the oppressed, poor, needy, meek, and godly.  The context is worship in the temple, at which the psalmist is able to bring his concerns.  The mention of the nations suggests the Yahweh covenant festival provides the immediate background of this psalm. In verses 7-10, God will reign over the whole world, for which the Lord receives praise in worship at the festival. ⁹ The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. The righteous are the oppressed. ¹⁰ And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you. In verses 11-12, we find a hymnic call to praise the Lord. ¹¹ Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion. Declare the deeds of the Lord among the peoples. The desire here is that the nations will glorify the Lord. They will do so as the people of the Lord witness to the mighty acts of the Lord. We again see the importance of witness in the Bible. ¹² For the one who avenges blood is mindful of them; the Lord does not forget the cry of the afflicted. In verses 13-14, stresses the testimony he wants to bring. ¹³ Be gracious to me, O LORD. See what I suffer from those who hate me; you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death, ¹⁴ so that I may recount all your praises, and, in the gates of daughter Zion, rejoice in your deliverance. In verses 15-18, evil carries the seeds of destruction in itself. ¹⁵ The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught. ¹⁶ The LORD has made himself known, the Lord has executed judgment; the wicked snare themselves in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah ¹⁷ The wicked shall depart to Sheol. Sheol was the abode of the dead, a sort of common underworld grave where everyone went, whether good or bad. There was no suggestion of punishment yet, nor a link to a future resurrection. The author simply means that the Lord has dispatched his enemies to an early grave. He identifies those who go to Sheol as all the nations that forget God. ¹⁸ For the nations or the Lord shall not always forget the needy, nor the hope of the poor perish forever. In verses 19-20, the judgment has the purpose of making the nations aware of their limitation and that Yahweh is God of the whole world. ¹⁹ Rise up, O LORD! Do not let mortals prevail; the nations shall receive judgment before you. ²⁰ Put them in fear, O LORD; let the nations know that they are only human. Selah