Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 9:18

"For the needy shall not alway be forgotten, Nor the expectation of the poor perish for ever." — Psalms 9:18 (ASV)

Not always.—In the original, the negative comes emphatically at the beginning, ruling both clauses, as in Psalms 35:19.

The expectation of the poor. —The sufferer’s hope will eventually be realized: the hope of being set right. In this confidence, the psalmist goes on to call on Jehovah to appear as judge.