Psalm 9 David's Vision of the Judgment
“For the Chief Musician; set to (‘al) Muth-labben.”- “Muth" signifies death and "labben” of the son, perhaps of the first man Adam- “A Psalm of David”
1 I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High. 3 When my enemies turn back, they shall fall and perish at Your presence. 4 For You have maintained my right and my cause; you sat on the throne judging in righteousness. 5 You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name forever and ever. 6 O enemy, destructions are finished forever! And you have destroyed cities; even their memory has perished.
Yahweh had saved David from temporal and eternal death. "‘I will praise Thee, O Lord,’ in a song of thanksgiving, ‘with my whole heart,’ with all the powers of the soul; ‘I will show forth all Thy marvelous works,’ declaring their greatness before all men. ‘I will be glad and rejoice in Thee,’ exulting in the favor shown him by Jehovah; I will sing praise to Thy name, O Thou Most High, giving Him the credit for the victories gained by singing psalms extolling His honor, the greatness of His attributes.” (Kretzmann)
It is appointed once for man to die and then comes the Judgment. God’s enemies, even David’s, had “perished in great numbers, and had finally lost the reputation of their former successes. So that every enemy which had before destroyed the cities of Israel, was deprived perpetually of power to continue these desolations; and most of them soon became so insignificant, that the memorial of them, and of their former greatness, perished with them… The destructions caused by the enemy were terminated; God had destroyed their cities; and the remembrance of them had failed from among men. Thus likewise the renowned monarchies, that successively made havock on earth, and oppressed Israel, are now destroyed and almost forgotten; the first opposers of Christ and Christianity have shared the same fate; and all these divine interpositions are earnests of the final ruin of all the enemies of the cause of Christ.” (Thomas Scott) “The temporary victory will be followed by the final victory. The finality of it is revealed. Their name will be blotted out (cp. Exodus 17:14), they will come to an end and be desolate for ever, and the remembrance of their overthrown cities will perish. This is the only end possible for the unrighteous, unless they return to God.” (Peter Pett)
“O enemy, destructions are finished forever! And you have destroyed cities; even their memory has perished.” (6) “Desolation and ruin is found where the enemy formerly flourished; ‘ and Thou,’ Jehovah as the Leader of Israel's armies, ‘hast destroyed cities,’ plucking them up, rooting them out; ‘their memorial is perished with them,’ God had caused their complete annihilation.” (Paul E. Kretzmann)
7 But Yahweh shall endure forever; He has prepared His throne for judgment. 8 He shall judge the world in righteousness, and He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness. 9 Yahweh also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; for You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You. 11 Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people. 12 When He avenges blood, He remembers them; he does not forget the cry of the humble. 13 Have mercy on me, O LORD! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, you who lift me up from the gates of death, 14 that I may tell of all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation.15 The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. 16 Yahweh is known by the judgment He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Higgaion Selah
“‘But Yahweh shall endure forever,’ [the King] sitting secure on the throne of His majesty. He has prepared His throne for judgment.' And the last Great Day is foreshadowed by every individual punishment upon nations.” (Paul E Kretzmann) “Thus we are assured that YHWH judges the whole world in righteousness without fear and without favour. Every knee will have to bow to Him, every tongue will have to confess to God (Is 45:23; Phil 2:10). Notice that the ‘He’ in ‘He will judge’ is emphatic. None other is fit to judge apart from ‘He’, and the teaching of Jesus made clear that this ‘He’ is none other than Jesus Himself Who has been appointed to be the Judge of all (Joh. 5:22; 27).” (Peter Pett)
Jesus will soon “judge the whole human race in righteousness; and uprightly, or according to His declarations and promises, decide on the cause of each individual belonging to the people of Israel, and all other nations . In the mean while, He would prove a Refuge for the protection and comfort of such, as were oppressed or persecuted for His sake, to which they should resort in times of trouble or danger... Indeed all who, by believing His Word and experiencing His faithfulness and mercy, had obtained the knowledge of His Name, or perfections, would trust in Him entirely and exclusively; for it had never been known, that the Lord had forsaken any that sought Him, because of their weakness, or the power of their enemies. But it was only as dwelling in Zion, on the mercy-seat, above the ark of the covenant, through the sacrifices and ordinances which typified the promised Saviour. (Thomas Scott)
“‘When He avenges blood, He does not forget the cry of the humble…’ etc. those who are subject to violence at the hands of the wicked.” (Paul E. Kretzmann) “'Have mercy on me, O LORD! Consider my trouble from those who hate me, you who lift me up from the gates of death, that I may tell of all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Your salvation.' The contrast between ‘the gates of death,’ and ‘the gates of the daughter of Zion,’ is remarkable.” (Thomas Scott)
“The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made; in the net which they hid, their own foot is caught. Yahweh is known by the judgment He executes; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Selah” (15-16) The several nations, who had engaged in war against David, had only brought destruction on themselves, by all their combinations and stratagems; and given JEHOVAH the occasion of manifesting His power and justice, in the judgments which He executed upon them. To this reflection the Psalmist adds, ‘Higgaion Selah;’ a thing to be meditated on with the greatest attention... The example was very instructive, and ought to be deeply considered by the enemies of God for their warning, and by His servants for their encouragement in seasons of trouble and danger.” (Thomas Scott's Notes on the Psalms) ‘The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made,’ etc. Like cunning hunters they prepared a pitfall for the godly and fell into it themselves: the foot of the victim escaped their crafty snares, but the toils surrounded themselves.” (C. H Spurgeon)
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. 18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever. 19 Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your sight. 20 Put them in fear, O LORD, that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah
The wicked shall be turned into hell,’ perhaps “into the grave which is oft called sheol, into which they are said to be turned, or to return, because they were made of or taken out of the dust, Ecclesiastes 12:7.” (Trapp) “‘Sheol’- Hebrew term for the place of the dead.. In the OT it is the place where the dead have their abode, a... space underneath the earth where the dead are gathered in. Synonyms for Sheol are ‘pit,’ death,’ and destruction’ (Abaddon). Sheol is a place of shadows and utter silence. Here all existence is in suspense, yet it is not a nonplace, but rather a place where life is no more. It is described as the land of forgetfulness. Those who dwell there cannot praise God (Ps 88:10-12).” (Tyndale Dict)
“What it will mean when the Lord reigns is told out in these verses. His enemies will be defeated; He rebukes the nations and destroys the wicked; He judgeth the world in righteousness, and He is a refuge for His people. The Lord will dwell in Zion, (spiritual) Israel will sing praises and become the witness amongst the nations.” (Arno Gaebelein) “‘Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men.’ The original word is (Heb.), enosh; and therefore it is a prayer that they may know themselves to be but miserable, frail, and dying men. The word is in the singular number, but it is used collectively.” (John Calvin)