The Righteous One Anticipating the Setting up of the Throne of Judgement

This psalm breathes out David’s confidence in, and his praise of God. He has experienced deliverance from the gates of death (v. 13), and realises that it is in order to “show forth his praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion,” (v. 14). This also was our Lord’s experience, in that the bands of death and gates of brass could not hold Him, and He was delivered in order to sing God’s praise in the midst of the great congregation. 

David prays that the knowledge of God’s righteous government and sovereignty, may so affect nations that they might know themselves to be but men. The implication is weak, frail, dying men. It is well that we see ourselves as such, and so magnify and fear the One who is otherwise.

Pastor Jeff O’ Neil

Psalm 9

¹LORD, thee I’ll praise with all my heart,
Thy wonders all proclaim.
²In thee, most High, I’ll greatly joy,
And sing unto thy name.

³When back my foes were turn’d, they fell,
And perish’d at thy sight:
⁴For thou maintain’dst my right and cause;
On throne sat’st judging right.

⁵The heathen thou rebuked hast,
The wicked overthrown;
Thou hast put out their names, that they
May never more be known.

⁶O en’my! now destructions have
An end perpetual:
Thou cities raz’d; perish’d with them
Is their memorial.

⁷GOD shall endure for aye; he doth
For judgment set his throne;
⁸In righteousness to judge the world,
Justice to give each one.

⁹GOD also will a refuge be
For those that are oppress’d;
A refuge will he be in times
Of trouble to distress’d.

¹⁰And they that know thy name, in thee
Their confidence will place:
For thou hast not forsaken them
That truly seek thy face.

¹¹O sing ye praises to the LORD,
That dwells in Zion hill;
And all the nations among
His deeds record ye still.

¹²When he enquireth after blood,
He then rememb’reth them:
The humble folk he not forgets
That call upon his name.

¹³LORD, pity me; behold the grief
Which I from foes sustain;
Ev’n thou, who from the gates of death
Dost raise me up again;

¹⁴That I, in Zion’s daughters’ gates,
May all thy praise advance;
And that I may rejoice always
In thy deliverance.

¹⁵The heathen are sunk in the pit
Which they themselves prepar’d;
And in the net which they have hid
Their own feet fast are snar’d.

¹⁶The LORD is by the judgment known
Which he himself hath wrought:
The sinners’ hands do make the snares
Wherewith themselves are caught.

¹⁷They who are wicked into hell
Each one shall turned be;
And all the nations that forget
To seek the Lord most high.

¹⁸For they that needy are shall not
Forgotten be alway;
The expectation of the poor
Shall not be lost for aye.

¹⁹Arise, LORD, let not man prevail;
Judge heathen in thy sight:
²⁰That they may know themselves but men,
The nations, LORD, affright.