Psalms — Chapter 9

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1I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.

2I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

3When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.

4For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.

5Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

6O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.

7But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.

8And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

9The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

10And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

11Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.

12When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

13Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:

14That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.

15The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.

16The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

17The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

18For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

19Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.

20Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

1I will give thanks unto Jehovah with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvellous works.

2I will be glad and exult in thee; I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High.

3When mine enemies turn back, They stumble and perish at thy presence.

4For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou sittest in the throne judging righteously.

5Thou hast rebuked the nations, thou hast destroyed the wicked; Thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever.

6The enemy are come to an end, they are desolate for ever; And the cities which thou hast overthrown, The very remembrance of them is perished.

7But Jehovah sitteth [as king] for ever: He hath prepared his throne for judgment;

8And he will judge the world in righteousness, He will minister judgment to the peoples in uprightness.

9Jehovah also will be a high tower for the oppressed, A high tower in times of trouble;

10And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee; For thou, Jehovah, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

11Sing praises to Jehovah, who dwelleth in Zion: Declare among the people his doings.

12For he that maketh inquisition for blood remembereth them; He forgetteth not the cry of the poor.

13Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah; Behold my affliction [which I suffer] of them that hate me, Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death;

14That I may show forth all thy praise. In the gates of the daughter of Zion I will rejoice in thy salvation.

15The nations are sunk down in the pit that they made: In the net which they hid is their own foot taken.

16Jehovah hath made himself known, he hath executed judgment: The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah

17The wicked shall be turned back unto Sheol, Even all the nations that forget God.

18For the needy shall not alway be forgotten, Nor the expectation of the poor perish for ever.

19Arise, O Jehovah; let not man prevail: Let the nations be judged in thy sight.

20Put them in fear, O Jehovah: Let the nations know themselves to be but men. Selah Psalm 10

1For the music director, according to the alumoth-labben style; a psalm of David. I will thank the Lord with all my heart! I will tell about all your amazing deeds.

2I will be happy and rejoice in you. I will sing praises to you, O Most High.

3When my enemies turn back, they trip and are defeated before you.

4For you defended my just cause; from your throne you pronounced a just decision.

5You terrified the nations with your battle cry. You destroyed the wicked; you permanently wiped out all memory of them.

6The enemy’s cities have been reduced to permanent ruins. You destroyed their cities; all memory of the enemies has perished.

7But the Lord rules forever; he reigns in a just manner.

8He judges the world fairly; he makes just legal decisions for the nations.

9Consequently the Lord provides safety for the oppressed; he provides safety in times of trouble.

10Your loyal followers trust in you, for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help.

11Sing praises to the Lord, who rules in Zion. Tell the nations what he has done.

12For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed; he did not overlook their cry for help

13when they prayed: “Have mercy on me, Lord! See how I am oppressed by those who hate me, O one who can snatch me away from the gates of death!

14Then I will tell about all your praiseworthy acts; in the gates of Daughter Zion I will rejoice because of your deliverance.”

15The nations fell into the pit they had made; their feet were caught in the net they had hidden.

16The Lord revealed himself; he accomplished justice. The wicked were ensnared by their own actions. (Higgaion. Selah)

17The wicked are turned back and sent to Sheol; this is the destiny of all the nations that ignore God,

18for the needy are not permanently ignored, the hopes of the oppressed are not forever dashed.

19Rise up, Lord! Don’t let men be defiant. May the nations be judged in your presence.

20Terrify them, Lord. Let the nations know they are mere mortals. (Selah)

1I will give thanks to Yahweh with my whole heart. I will tell of all your marvelous works.

2I will be glad and rejoice in you. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish in your presence.

4For you have maintained my just cause. You sit on the throne judging righteously.

5You have rebuked the nations. You have destroyed the wicked. You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

6The enemy is overtaken by endless ruin. The very memory of the cities which you have overthrown has perished.

7But Yahweh reigns forever. He has prepared his throne for judgment.

8He will judge the world in righteousness. He will administer judgment to the peoples in uprightness.

9Yahweh will also be a high tower for the oppressed; a high tower in times of trouble.

10Those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you, Yahweh, have not forsaken those who seek you.

11Sing praises to Yahweh, who dwells in Zion, and declare among the people what he has done.

12For he who avenges blood remembers them. He doesn’t forget the cry of the afflicted.

13Have mercy on me, Yahweh. See my affliction by those who hate me, and lift me up from the gates of death;

14that I may show all of your praise. In the gates of the daughter of Zion, I will rejoice in your salvation.

15The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made. In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken.

16Yahweh has made himself known. He has executed judgment. The wicked is snared by the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah.

17The wicked shall be turned back to Sheol, even all the nations that forget God.

18For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

19Arise, Yahweh! Don’t let man prevail. Let the nations be judged in your sight.

20Put them in fear, Yahweh. Let the nations know that they are only men. Selah.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
Videos
Reflection

Summary

A thanksgiving psalm (acrostic with Psalm 10) — David praises God for executing judgment against the nations, declares the LORD a stronghold for the oppressed, and affirms that the wicked will not prevail forever.

Authorship & Background

Author: Multiple authors — primarily David (73 psalms attributed), plus Asaph (12), Sons of Korah (11), Solomon (2), Moses (1), Heman (1), Ethan (1), and anonymous. The Psalter was compiled over approximately 1000 years and served as Israel's hymnal and prayer book. The book is divided into five 'books' (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150), paralleling the five books of Moses. Key themes: worship, lament, praise, trust, kingship, creation, wisdom, Messianic prophecy, and the full range of human emotion brought before God.
Classification: Thanksgiving / Hymn of Praise with Lament Elements Attributed Author: David — "To the chief Musician upon Muth-labben, A Psalm of David" Key Themes: Wholehearted praise, God as righteous judge, refuge for the oppressed, nations judged, the wicked trapped by their own schemes, hope for the poor
Historical Context: Psalms 9 and 10 form an acrostic pair (each section begins with successive Hebrew letters, though the pattern is partially broken). In the LXX they are combined as one psalm. "Muth-labben" is obscure — possibly "death of the son" (a tune name) or "death of the champion" (referencing Goliath?). The psalm celebrates God's righteous judgments over nations while also containing plea elements (v.13). It moves between past deliverance (vv.1-6), present confidence (vv.7-12), petition (vv.13-14), and prophetic certainty about the future (vv.15-20). The theme of God as champion of the oppressed dominates.
Structure:
  • Wholehearted Praise for Deliverance (vv.1-6)
  • God Enthroned as Righteous Judge (vv.7-10)
  • Call to Praise and Petition (vv.11-14)
  • Self-Destruction of the Wicked (vv.15-16)
  • The Fate of the Wicked and Hope of the Poor (vv.17-20)

Map & Geography

  • Zion (v.11, v.14): The hill on which Jerusalem/the Temple stood; often used poetically for God's dwelling.

Reflection

  • 1. Praise with your WHOLE heart (v.1). Not partial, not distracted, not reserved. Wholehearted praise is both the goal and the evidence of genuine faith. If you cannot praise wholeheartedly, ask why — and bring that honestly to God.
  • 2. Knowing God's name produces trust (v.10). Trust is not blind faith — it is informed confidence based on known character. Study WHO God is, and trust will follow naturally. Distrust often stems from ignorance of His character.
  • 3. God has special concern for the oppressed (vv.9, 12, 18). This is not peripheral theology — it is central. The God of the Bible is consistently oriented toward the vulnerable, the crushed, the forgotten. If you are oppressed, He is YOUR stronghold specifically. If you are not, align yourself with His concerns.
  • 4. "They are but men" (v.20). The great equalizer. Nations, rulers, oppressors — all merely mortal. The most powerful human is still "enosh" — frail, finite, dust-bound. This truth removes both the fear of men and the worship of men.
  • 5. Evil is self-defeating (vv.15-16). The pit made for others catches the digger. The net hidden for others traps the one who set it. You do not always need to fight evil directly — often you need only wait for it to consume itself.