Psalm 9 and 10: praise and solicitation

Psalms 9 and 10 are related to each other. In Hebrew, almost every stanza of the two begins with a subsequent letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Furthermore, both Psalms emphasize human mortality (9, 20; 10, 18) and both mention the Gentiles (9, 5; 15; 17; 19-20; 10, 16). In the Septuagint, both psalms are listed as one.

In Psalm 9, David praises God for manifesting his justice in the jurisdiction of the world, and for being a true and everlasting judge upon whom those unjustly plagued can cast their trust.

Praise: the proclamation of justice

Psalm 9,1-13
The choirmaster. Almuth Labben. A psalm. From David. I want to praise [you], Lord, with all my heart, I want to relate all your miracles. In you I want to rejoice and rejoice, I want to sing about your name, Most High, while my enemies retreat, fall and perish before your face. For you have carried out my justice and my cause; you are on the throne, a righteous judge. You have scolded nations, lost the wicked, obliterated their names forever and ever; the enemy is finished, shattered forever; you have destroyed cities, their memory is erased. The Lord settles down forever, he has set up his throne for judgment. And he, he will judge the world with righteousness, will judge the peoples with righteousness. But the Lord is a great feast for the oppressed, a great feast in times of tribulation. Trust in you who know your name; for you have not left those who seek you, Lord. Sing to the Lord who dwells in Zion, proclaim his deeds among the peoples! For who investigates the shed blood has thought of them; he has not forgotten the cries of the wretched. This psalm is attributed to David and is to be sung to the tune of Dying for the Son, as we read in other translations. However, what this means exactly is uncertain. In verses 1-3, David fervently praises God, tells of his miracles and rejoices in him to be happy and to praise him. Miracle (the Hebrew word means something extraordinary) is often used in the Psalms when talking about the works of the Lord. The reason for David's praise is described in verses 4-6. God lets justice rule (v. 4) by standing up for David. His enemies recoil (v. 4) and are killed (v. 6) and even the peoples were exterminated (v. 15; 17; 19-20). Such a description depicts their decline. Not even the names of the pagan peoples will be preserved. The memory and commemoration of them will no longer exist (v. 7). All of this happens because God, according to David, is a just and true God and speaks judgment on the earth from his throne (v. 8f). David also applies this truth and righteousness to people who have experienced injustice. Those who have been oppressed, disregarded and abused by the people will be raised up again by the righteous judge. The Lord is their protection and shield in times of need. Since the Hebrew word for refuge is used twice in verse 9, it can be assumed that security and protection will be of great importance. By knowing God's safety and protection, we can trust in Him. The verses end with an admonition to people, especially those whom God does not forget (v. 13). He asks them to praise God (V2) and tell about what he has done for them (v.

Prayer: Help for the troubled

Psalm 9,14-21
Have mercy on me, Lord! See my misery on the part of my haters, lifting me up from the gates of death: that I may give all your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion, that I may rejoice at your salvation. The nations are sunk into the pit that made them; their own foot is trapped in the net they have hidden. The Lord has revealed himself, he has exercised judgment: the wicked has become entangled in the work of his hands. Higgajon. May the wicked turn to Sheol, all nations that forget God. For the poor will not be forgotten forever, hope for the poor will be lost forever. Stand up, Lord, that man does not have violence! May the nations be judged before you! Lay fear on them, Lord! May the nations know that they are human!

Knowing about God's redemption, David calls on God to speak to him in his suffering and give him a reason to praise. He asks God to see that he is being persecuted by his enemies (v. 14). In the danger of death he called on God to deliver him from the gates of death (v. 14; cf. Job 38, 17; Psalm 107, 18, Isaiah 38, 10). When he is saved, he will tell everyone about God's greatness and glory and rejoice in the gates of Zion (v. 15).

David's prayer was strengthened by his deep trust in God. In verses 16-18 David speaks of God's call for the destruction of those who do wrong. Verse 16 was probably written while waiting for the enemy to destroy. If so, David has been waiting for the adversaries to fall into their own pits. Yet the righteousness of the Lord is known everywhere, as the evil that the unrighteous inflict falls back on them. The fate of the wicked contrasts with that of the poor (vv. 18-19). Your hope will not be lost, it will be fulfilled. Those who reject and ignore God have no hope. Psalm 9 ends with a prayer that God would stand up and prevail and let justice prevail. Such a judgment would make the Gentiles realize that they are human and cannot oppress those who put their trust in God.

In this psalm, David continues his prayer from Psalm 9 by asking God not to wait any longer with his jurisdiction. He described the overwhelming power of the wicked against God and against humans and then struggles with God to stand up and avenge the poor by destroying the wicked.

Description of the bad guys

Psalm 10,1-11
Why, Lord, are you standing afar, hiding in times of tribulation? The wicked pursues the poor with arrogance. You are being gripped by the attacks that they have devised. For the wicked boast because of the desire of his soul; and the greedy blasphemers, he despises the Lord. The wicked [thinks] arrogantly: He will not investigate. It is not a god! are all his thoughts. His ways are always successful. Your judgments are high above, far from him; all his adversaries - he blows on them. He says in his heart: I will not waver, from sex to sex in no misfortune. His mouth is full of curse, full of cunning and oppression; under his tongue is hardship and calamity. He sits in the ambush of the courtyards, in hiding he kills the innocent; his eyes peer after the poor man. He lurks in hiding like a lion in his thicket; he lurks to catch the wretched; he catches the wretched by pulling him into his net. He smashes, crouches; and the poor fall by his mighty [powers]. He says in his heart: God has forgotten, has hidden his face, he does not see forever!

The first part of this psalm is a description of the wicked power of the wicked. At the beginning the writer (probably David) complains to God, who seems to be indifferent to the needs of the poor. He asks why God does not seem to be in this injustice. The question why is a clear illustration of how oppressed people feel when they cry out to God. Take note of this very honest and open relationship between David and God.

In verses 2-7 David then elaborates on the nature of the adversaries. With pride, arrogance and greed (v. 2) the wicked plague the weak and speak of God in obscene terms. The evil person is filled with pride and generosity and gives no place to God and his commandments. Such a person is sure that he will not deviate from his wickedness. He believes that he can continue with his actions unhindered (v. 5) and that he will not experience any hardship (v. 6). His words are wrong and destructive and they cause hardship and calamity (v. 7).

In verses 8-11, David describes the evil as people who lurk in secret and how a lion attacks their defenseless victims, pulling them away like a fisherman in their web. These images of lions and fishermen are reminiscent of calculating people just waiting to attack someone. The victims are destroyed by the evil and because God does not immediately come to the rescue, the wicked are convinced that God does not care for them or takes care of them.

Request for retribution

Psalm 10,12-18
Get up sir! God raise your hand! Do not forget the wretched! Why is the wicked allowed to despise God, speak in his heart: “You will not inquire?” You have seen it, for you, you look to hardship and grief in order to take it into your hand. The poor man, the fatherless one leaves it to you; you are a helper. Break the arm of the wicked and the wicked! Sensing his wickedness, so that you can no longer find [her]! The Lord is King always and forever; the nations have disappeared from his land. You have heard the wish of the meek, Lord; you strengthen her heart, let your ear pay attention, in order to create justice for the orphan and the oppressed, so that in future no one on earth will shrink any more.
In an honest prayer for retribution and vengeance, David calls God to stand up (9, 20) and help the helpless (10, 9). One reason for this request is that the wicked should not be allowed to despise God and believe that they will get away with it. The Lord should be moved to answer because the weak trust that God sees their need and pain and is their helper (v. 14). The psalmist specifically asks about the destruction of the wicked (v. 15). Here, too, the description is very pictorial: breaking your arm so that you no longer have any power. If God really punishes the wicked in this way, then they would have to answer questions for their actions. David could then no longer say that God does not care for the oppressed and judges the wicked.

In verses 16-18 the psalm ends with David's sure confidence that God heard him in his prayer. As in Psalm 9, he declares God's rulership in spite of all circumstances (vv. 9, 7). Those who stand in his way will perish (vv. 9, 3; 9, 5; 9, 15). David was sure that God would hear the supplications and cries of the oppressed and take responsibility for them so that the wicked, who are only human beings (9, 20) would no longer have any power over them.

Summary

David puts his heart to God. He is not afraid to tell him about his worries and doubts, not even his divine doubts. By doing so, he is reminded that God is faithful and just and that a situation in which God does not seem to be present is only temporary. It's a snapshot. God will be known as who he is: the one who cares, stands up for the helpless and speaks justice to the wicked.

It is a great blessing to have recorded these prayers, because we too can have such feelings. The Psalms help us to express and deal with them. They help us to remember our faithful God again. Give him praise and bring her wishes and longings before him.

by Ted Johnston


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