Psalms 9
Reading Time: 3 minutes Listen
I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
7 But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
11 Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
13 Have 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:
14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
16 The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19 Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
20 Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 9:1-20
I Will Recount Your Wonderful Deeds
To the choirmaster: according to Muth-labben. A Psalm of David.
1I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
2I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3When my enemies turn back,
they stumble and perish before your presence.
4For you have maintained my just cause;
you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.
5You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish;
you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6The enemy came to an end in everlasting ruins;
their cities you rooted out;
the very memory of them has perished.
7But the Lord sits enthroned forever;
he has established his throne for justice,
8and he judges the world with righteousness;
he judges the peoples with uprightness.
9The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10And those who know your name put their trust in you,
for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.
11Sing praises to the Lord, who sits enthroned in Zion!
Tell among the peoples his deeds!
12For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13Be gracious to me, O Lord!
See my affliction from those who hate me,
O you who lift me up from the gates of death,
14that I may recount all your praises,
that in the gates of the daughter of Zion
I may rejoice in your salvation.
15The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.
16The Lord has made himself known; he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah
17The wicked shall return to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
18For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
and the hope of the poor shall not perish forever.
19Arise, O Lord! Let not man prevail;
let the nations be judged before you!
20Put them in fear, O Lord!
Let the nations know that they are but men! Selah
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 9:1-20
Psalm 9
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A psalm of David.
1I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
3My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.
4For you have upheld my right and my cause,
sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
5You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.
7The Lord reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8He rules the world in righteousness
and judges the peoples with equity.
9The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10Those who know your name trust in you,
for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
11Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
12For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
13Lord, see how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
14that I may declare your praises
in the gates of Daughter Zion,
and there rejoice in your salvation.
15The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16The Lord is known by his acts of justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
17The wicked go down to the realm of the dead,
all the nations that forget God.
18But God will never forget the needy;
the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
19Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
20Strike them with terror, Lord;
let the nations know they are only mortal.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
The last part of the Psalm 9 covers one of my favorite Old Testament perspectives of God--Sovereign Judge of evil activity and Vindicator of His people.
Notice what Ellen White writes about God's justice:
"In the banishment of Satan from heaven, God declared His justice and maintained the honor of His throne. But when man had sinned through yielding to the deceptions of this apostate spirit, God gave an evidence of His love by yielding up His only-begotten Son to die for the fallen race. In the atonement the character of God is revealed. The mighty argument of the cross demonstrates to the whole universe that the course of sin which Lucifer had chosen was in no wise chargeable upon the government of God." The Great Controversy, p. 500.
Psalm 9 asserts that God's throne is not founded on selfishness, but on justice and ultimately love. And it is this love that promises He will vindicate His children when falsely accused and persecuted. He will be their Stronghold and Defense.
What can we pray for today that will reinforce our trust of God's love, justice, and power? Why not write your prayer down and read it three times today.
Leslie N. Pollard
President, Oakwood University
