Matthew Henry Commentary Psalms 9
Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalms 9
Matthew Henry Commentary
Psalms 9
"I will give thanks unto Jehovah with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvellous works. I will be glad and exult in thee; I will sing praise to thy name, O thou Most High. When mine enemies turn back, They stumble and perish at thy presence. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou sittest in the throne judging righteously. Thou hast rebuked the nations, thou hast destroyed the wicked; Thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever. The enemy are come to an end, they are desolate for ever; And the cities which thou hast overthrown, The very remembrance of them is perished. But Jehovah sitteth [as king] for ever: He hath prepared his throne for judgment; And he will judge the world in righteousness, He will minister judgment to the peoples in uprightness. Jehovah also will be a high tower for the oppressed, A high tower in times of trouble; And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee; For thou, Jehovah, hast not forsaken them that seek thee." — Psalms 9:1-10 (ASV)
If we are to praise God acceptably, we must praise Him in sincerity, with our whole heart. When we give thanks for a particular mercy, we should remember former mercies. Our joy must not be in the gift so much as in the Giver. The triumphs of the Redeemer ought to be the triumphs of the redeemed.
The almighty power of God is such that the strongest and most resolute of His enemies are in no way able to stand before it. We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth, and that with Him there is no unrighteousness. His people may, by faith, flee to Him as their Refuge, and may depend on His power and promise for their safety, so that no real hurt shall be done to them.
Those who know Him to be a God of truth and faithfulness will rejoice in His word of promise and rest upon it. Those who know Him to be an everlasting Father will trust Him with their souls as their main care, and trust in Him at all times, even to the end; and by constant care seek to prove themselves acceptable to Him throughout their lives. Who is there who would not seek Him, who has never forsaken those who seek Him?
"Sing praises to Jehovah, who dwelleth in Zion: Declare among the people his doings. For he that maketh inquisition for blood remembereth them; He forgetteth not the cry of the poor. Have mercy upon me, O Jehovah; Behold my affliction [which I suffer] of them that hate me, Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death; That I may show forth all thy praise. In the gates of the daughter of Zion I will rejoice in thy salvation. The nations are sunk down in the pit that they made: In the net which they hid is their own foot taken. Jehovah hath made himself known, he hath executed judgment: The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah The wicked shall be turned back unto Sheol, Even all the nations that forget God. For the needy shall not alway be forgotten, Nor the expectation of the poor perish for ever. Arise, O Jehovah; let not man prevail: Let the nations be judged in thy sight. Put them in fear, O Jehovah: Let the nations know themselves to be but men. Selah " — Psalms 9:11-20 (ASV)
Those who believe that God is greatly to be praised not only desire to praise Him better themselves, but also desire that others may join with them. A day is coming when it will appear that He has not forgotten the cry of the humble; neither the cry of their blood nor the cry of their prayers. We are never brought so low, so near to death, that God cannot raise us up.
If He has saved us from spiritual and eternal death, we may therefore hope that in all our distresses He will be a very present help to us. The overruling providence of God frequently so orders it that persecutors and oppressors are brought to ruin by the projects they formed to destroy the people of God. Drunkards kill themselves; prodigals impoverish themselves; the contentious bring mischief upon themselves. Thus their sins may be read in their punishment, and it becomes plain to all that the destruction of sinners is their own doing.
All wickedness came originally with the wicked one from hell; and those who continue in sin must go to that place of torment. The true state, both of nations and of individuals, may be correctly estimated by this one rule: whether in their actions they remember or forget God. David encourages the people of God to wait for His salvation, even if it is long deferred. God will make it appear that He never forgot them, for it is impossible that He should.
Strange that a person, dust within and dust without, should still need some sharp affliction, some severe visitation from God, to bring them to self-knowledge and make them feel who and what they are.
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