Matthew Henry Commentary Psalms 9:11-20

"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.