But the Lord shall endure for ever ; rather, but the Lord is seated ( i.e. upon his throne)for ever. Cities and nations perish, but Jehovah remains a King for evermore. While all is change and disturbance upon earth, the unchanged and unchangeable Eternal One continues constantly seated, in serene majesty, in heaven. He hath prepared (or rather, established ) his throne for judgment (compare the second clause of per. 4). read more
A righteous God. Experience is the great teacher; and especially as to our knowledge of the Divine nature. From what God has done ( Psalms 9:3-6 ) we are able to learn what he is , viz. righteous, and a Helper of the oppressed. I. GOD 'S RULE IS A CONTINUAL EXERCISE OF JUDGMENT . ( Psalms 9:7-9 .) 1 . This seals the doom of the unrighteous. It will destroy them and their works ( Psalms 9:5 , Psalms 9:6 ). 2 . This secures the safety and the... read more
And he shall judge the world . The "he" is emphatic—he himself, and no other. From his throne of judgment he shall judge, not Israel's enemies only, whom he has just judged ( Psalms 9:3-6 ), but the whole world. In righteousness; i.e. by a strict law of justice, rewarding to all men "after their deserving." He shall minister judgment to the people (rather, the peoples ; i.e. all the people of all the earth) in uprightness; literally, in uprightnesses —a plural of perfection. read more
The Lord also will be a Refuge for the oppressed . Misgab , translated "refuge," is literally "a hill-fort" (comp. Psalms 144:2 , where it is rendered "high tower"). David's use of the metaphor is reasonably ascribed to his having "often experienced safety in such places, when fleeing from Saul" (Hengstenberg; see 1 Samuel 23:14 ). A refuge in times of trouble; literally, in times in trouble ; i.e. "in times that are steeped in trouble" (Kay). read more
But the Lord shall endure for ever - Yahweh is eternal - always the same. Though these cities have become desolate, and the enemy has been permitted to triumph, and nations and people have passed away, yet God is ever the same, unaffected by these changes and desolations, and in due time he will always interfere and vindicate his own character, and defend the oppressed and the wronged.He hath prepared his throne for judgment - See Psalms 9:4. He sits as a just judge among the nations, and he... read more
And he shall judge the world in righteousness - The word here rendered world means properly the habitable earth; and then it denotes the inhabitants that dwell upon the earth. The statement here is general, and is suggested by what is referred to in the previous verses. In the particular case on which the psalm turns, God had manifested himself as a just Judge. He had overthrown the enemies of himself and of truth; he had interposed in behalf of the righteous: and from this fact the psalmist... read more
The Lord also will be a refuge - Margin, an high place. The margin expresses the more exact sense of the, Hebrew word - משׂגב miśgâb. It means properly height, altitude; then a height, rock, crag; and then, as such localities, being inaccessible to an enemy, were sought in times of danger as places of secure retreat, it comes to denote a place of security and refuge, Psalms 18:2; Psalms 46:7, Psalms 46:11; Psalms 48:3; Psalms 59:9, Psalms 59:17; Psalms 94:22. The declaration here is... read more
Psalms 9:7-9. But the Lord shall endure for ever Though cities and people may perish, yet the Lord abides for ever. Which is sufficient for the terror of his enemies, and the comfort of his church. He hath prepared his throne Or, established it by his immutable purpose and his irrevocable promise. And he shall judge the world Not you only, but all the enemies of his people and all the men in the world. The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed God will not only judge the world at... read more
Psalms 9-10 God fights for the oppressedIn Psalms 9:0 and 10 we meet another kind of Hebrew verse, the acrostic. (Other acrostics are Psalms 25, 34, 37, 111, 112, 119 and 145.) In an acrostic the first word of each verse (or stanza) begins with a different letter of the 22-letter Hebrew alphabet, moving in order, so to speak, ‘from A to Z’. The acrostic in this case moves unbroken through Psalms 9:0 and 10, indicating that originally they probably formed one psalm. The absence of a heading to... read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Psalms 9:1-20
Praise for the destroyer's destruction. The title of this psalm is obscure. Its archaisms cannot now be satisfactorily explained. And even a reference to the most learned expositors may possibly only increase the confusion. £ The title, indeed, is very suggestive. It reads, "Upon the death of Labben." Walford regards "Muth-labben" as the name of a musical instrument. For this we can find no warrant. The word muth , which is equivalent to "death," seems to put us on a line of thought... read more