Psalm 9
Psa 9:1-20. Upon Muthlabben, or, after the manner according to "death to the Son," by which some song was known, to whose air or melody the musician is directed to perform this Psalm. This mode of denoting a song by some prominent word or words is still common (compare Psa 22:1). The Psalmist praises God for deliverance from his enemies and celebrates the divine government, for providing security to God's people and punishment to the wicked. Thus encouraging himself, he prays for new occasions to recount God's mercies, and confident of His continued judgment on the wicked and vindication of the oppressed, he implores a prompt and efficient manifestation of the divine sovereignty
1. Heartfelt gratitude will find utterance.
3-5. When ... are turned back--It is the result of God's power alone. He, as a righteous Judge ([Psa 7:11]), vindicates His people. He rebukes by acts as well as words ([Psa 6:1]; ), and so effectually as to destroy the names of nations as well as persons.
6. Literally, "As to the enemy finished are his ruins for ever. Thou [God] hast destroyed," &c. ([1Sa 15:3], ; , ). The wicked are utterly undone. Their ruins shall never be repaired.
7-8. God's eternal possession of a throne of justice is contrasted with the ruin of the wicked.
9-10. The oppressed, and all who know Him ([Psa 5:3]; ), find Him a sure refuge.
11. (Compare [Psa 2:6]; ).
12. for blood--that is, murders ([Psa 5:6]), including all the oppressions of His people.
maketh inquisition--(compare [Ge 9:5]). He will avenge their cause.
13. gates--or, "regions."
of death--Gates being the entrance is put for the bounds.
14. gates ... Zion--The enclosure of the city (compare [Psa 48:12]; [Is 23:12]), or, church, as denoted by this phrase contrasted with that of death, carries out the idea of exaltation as well as deliverance. Signal favors should lead us to render signal and public thanks.
15-16. The undesigned results of the devices of the wicked prove them to be of God's overruling or ordering, especially when those results are destructive to the wicked themselves.
17. shall be turned--or, "shall turn," retreating under God's vengeance, and driven by Him to the extreme of destruction, even hell itself. Those who forget God are classed with the depraved and openly profane.
18. (Compare [Psa 13:1-6]).
the needy--literally, "poor," as deprived of anything; hence miserable.
expectation of the poor--or, "meek," "humble," made so by affliction.
19. Arise--(compare [Psa 4:7]).
let not man--([Psa 8:4]).
let ... be judged--and of course condemned.
20. By their effectual subjection, make them to realize their frail nature ([Psa 8:4]), and deter them from all conceit and future rebellion.
Psalm 10
Psa 10:1-18. The Psalmist mourns God's apparent indifference to his troubles, which are aggravated by the successful malice, blasphemy, pride, deceit, and profanity of the wicked. On the just and discriminating providence of God he relies for the destruction of their false security, and the defense of the needy
1. These are, of course, figurative terms (compare [Psa 7:6]; , &c.).
hidest--Supply "thine eyes" or "face."
2. Literally, "In pride of the wicked they (the poor or humble, [Psa 10:17]; ) shall be taken in the devices they (the proud) have imagined."
3. heart's--or, "soul's."
desire--that is, his success in evil.
and blesseth, &c.--he (the wicked) blesseth the covetous, he despiseth the Lord.
4. The face expresses the self-conceit, whose fruit is practical atheism ([Psa 14:1]).
5-6. Such is his confidence in the permanence of his way or course of life, that he disregards God's providential government (out of sight, because he will not look, [Is 26:11]), sneers at his enemies, and boasts perpetual freedom from evil.
7-10. The malignity and deceit ([Psa 140:3]) of such are followed by acts combining cunning, fraud, and violence (compare [Pr 1:11], ), aptly illustrated by the habits of the lion, and of hunters taking their prey. "Poor," in [Psa 10:8], [10, 14], represents a word peculiar to this Psalm, meaning the sad or sorrowful; in [Psa 10:9], as usual, it means the pious or meek sufferer.
11. As before, such conduct implies disbelief or disregard of God's government.
12. (Compare [Psa 9:19]; ).
the humble--(Compare [Psa 10:17], and Margin.)
lift up thine hand--exert thy power.
13-14. It is in vain to suppose God will overlook sin, however forbearing; for He carefully examines or beholds all wickedness, and will mark it by His providential (Thine hand) punishment.
15. arm--power.
till thou find none--So far from not requiting ([Psa 10:11], ), God will utterly destroy the wicked and his deeds ([Psa 9:5], ; ; ).
16-18. God reigns. The wicked, if for a time successful, shall be cut off. He hears and confirms the hearts of His suffering people ([Psa 112:7]), executes justice for the feeble, and represses the pride and violence of conceited, though frail, men (compare [Psa 9:16]).
Psalm 11
Psa 11:1-7. On title, see Introduction. Alluding to some event in his history, as in 1Sa 23:13, the Psalmist avows his confidence in God, when admonished to flee from his raging persecutors, whose destruction of the usual foundations of safety rendered all his efforts useless. The grounds of his confidence are God's supreme dominion, His watchful care of His people, His hatred to the wicked and judgments on them, and His love for righteousness and the righteous
1. my soul--me ([Psa 3:2]).
Flee--literally, "flee ye"; that is, he and his companion.
as a bird to your mountain--having as such no safety but in flight (compare [1Sa 26:20]; [La 3:52]).
2. privily--literally, "in darkness," treacherously.