Psalm 9
Psalm 9:1–5
God Remembers, Man Forgets
The title of Psalm 9 reads, To the Chief Musician. To the tune of “Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David. This superscription indicates that David is the human author, yet the psalm is ultimately directed unto the LORD Himself, who is the true Chief Musician over the worship of His people. The phrase Muth Labben has been understood by many as the name of a well known melody in David’s day. Others suggest it refers to an instrument. The New King James Version renders it “The Death of the Son,” and ancient Jewish tradition connected it with the death of a champion, possibly Goliath. If so, David may be reflecting upon the LORD’s victory over the Philistine giant from the vantage point of years, seeing that it was not merely a military triumph but a divine act of covenant faithfulness.
There is also a structural note worth observing. The Septuagint and Vulgate combine Psalms 9 and 10 into a single psalm, while the Hebrew text separates them. The Protestant tradition follows the Hebrew numbering. This reminds us that the canonical structure of Scripture has a textual history, yet the content remains divinely preserved and authoritative.
This psalm sets before us a theological contrast: God remembers righteousness and justice, while man forgets God’s works and soon descends into pride. David writes with a global vision. His praise is not merely personal, it anticipates the righteous rule of God over the nations.
Verses 1–2
“I will praise You, O LORD, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”
David begins with deliberate resolve. “I will praise You.” Praise is not presented as a spontaneous accident of emotion but as an act of consecrated will. He commits to praise the LORD with his whole heart. The heart in Hebrew thought represents the inner man, the seat of intellect, will, and affection. True worship is not divided. God does not receive partial devotion. As Scripture repeatedly affirms, He demands total allegiance. Deuteronomy 6:5 declares, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Half hearted worship is functionally no worship at all.
David identifies three expressions of wholehearted praise.
First, “I will tell of all Your marvelous works.” Praise includes proclamation. The Hebrew word for marvelous works speaks of extraordinary acts, often associated with redemptive intervention. Psalm 106:7 says, “Our fathers in Egypt did not understand Your wonders; They did not remember the multitude of Your mercies, But rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.” God’s works were marvelous, but the people forgot. Man forgets. God remembers. To recount His works is to anchor the soul in truth. It is both worship and spiritual warfare against forgetfulness.
Second, “I will be glad and rejoice in You.” This is not superficial happiness, but covenant joy rooted in who God is. Rejoicing “in You” places the object of joy in God Himself, not merely in His gifts. Philippians 4:4 echoes the same principle, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!” The believer’s joy is not circumstantial, it is theological.
Third, “I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” The name represents the revealed character of God. To sing praise to His name is to exalt His attributes, His sovereignty, His covenant faithfulness, His righteousness. The title “Most High” recalls Genesis 14:19–20, “And he blessed him and said: ‘Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.’” The Most High is the sovereign possessor and ruler of all. David’s praise is grounded in divine supremacy.
Verses 3–5
“When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish at Your presence.
For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
You have rebuked the nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.”
David now narrows his praise to a specific deliverance. “When my enemies turn back.” The turning back of the enemy is not credited to military genius, but to the presence of God. “They shall fall and perish at Your presence.” The presence of the LORD is not passive. It is judicial and powerful. Psalm 68:1 declares, “Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.” The mere arising of God is the undoing of the wicked.
Verse 4 provides the theological foundation: “For You have maintained my right and my cause; You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.” God is portrayed as enthroned Judge. This is covenant courtroom language. David understands that his vindication is rooted in divine justice. God is not indifferent to moral categories. He does not treat righteousness and wickedness as equivalent. Psalm 89:14 affirms, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face.” The throne of God is not arbitrary power, it is righteous authority.
This does not justify presumptuous claims that God automatically sides with our personal disputes. Scripture warns against that arrogance. Joshua 5:14 records when Joshua asked the Commander of the LORD’s army whether He was for Israel or for their adversaries, and the answer was, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” The issue is not whether God is on our side, but whether we are aligned with His righteousness. Yet under divine inspiration David can say that God maintained his cause, because in this instance his conflict aligned with covenant justice.
Verse 5 expands the scope from personal enemies to the nations. “You have rebuked the nations, You have destroyed the wicked; You have blotted out their name forever and ever.” The LORD is not merely tribal. He is Judge of all the earth. Genesis 18:25 declares, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” The nations rise and fall under His sovereign rebuke.
The language “blotted out their name” speaks of irreversible judgment. In the ancient world, to have one’s name erased was to be cut off from memory and legacy. By contrast, God preserves the names of the righteous in His book. Revelation 3:5 promises, “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” God remembers His own, but the wicked who persist in rebellion are erased from enduring honor.
It is worth noting that several of these verbs appear in the past tense, yet they carry prophetic certainty. In Hebrew usage, future acts of God can be described as completed because His decree guarantees their fulfillment. What God purposes is as certain as if already accomplished.
Thus Psalm 9:1–5 presents a foundational theology of praise and justice. God is worthy of wholehearted worship. His marvelous works must be declared. He is the Most High, enthroned in righteousness. He defends the just cause and rebukes the wicked nations. Man forgets quickly, but God remembers perfectly.
Psalm 9:6–8
3. David Celebrates the LORD’s Victory
“O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has perished.
But the LORD shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.”
In verses 6 through 8 David shifts his address. He moves from speaking directly to the LORD to addressing the defeated enemy. This rhetorical shift heightens the triumph. The one who had seemed powerful, destructive, and unstoppable is now spoken to as finished.
“O enemy, destructions are finished forever!” The word destructions speaks of devastation, ruin, and violent overthrow. David declares that the cycle of the enemy’s ravaging has reached its appointed end. The wicked often appear invincible for a season. They tear down cities, overthrow the innocent, and imagine permanence. Yet Scripture repeatedly affirms that their end is certain. Psalm 37:9 declares, “For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth.” The destruction they unleash ultimately recoils upon them.
“And you have destroyed cities; Even their memory has perished.” Historically, invading armies would raze cities so thoroughly that their memory faded from the map of history. Yet David’s point is theological. The enemy’s legacy does not endure. Wicked empires rise with arrogance and collapse into obscurity. By contrast, God’s covenant purposes are never erased. Isaiah 26:14 says of oppressive rulers, “They are dead, they will not live; They are deceased, they will not rise. Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And made all their memory to perish.” The LORD Himself removes their remembrance.
Verse 7 marks the great contrast: “But the LORD shall endure forever.” Empires perish. God abides. Psalm 90:2 affirms, “Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” The permanence of God stands against the fragility of man. David does not contrast himself with the enemy, he contrasts the enemy with the LORD. This is humility. David understands that ultimate judgment is not about personal rivalry, it is about rebellion against the throne of heaven.
“He has prepared His throne for judgment.” The throne is not improvised. It is prepared. It is established, fixed, and ordained. God is not reacting to world events. He reigns. Psalm 103:19 declares, “The LORD has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.” The throne is judicial in nature. God’s sovereignty includes moral governance. He does not merely rule by power, He rules by righteousness.
Verse 8 expands the vision globally. “He shall judge the world in righteousness, And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.” The scope is universal. Not Israel alone, not David’s immediate enemies alone, but the world and the peoples. This anticipates the full manifestation of divine rule. Psalm 96:13 proclaims, “For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth.” The repetition across the Psalms confirms that this is a central theme of biblical theology.
The righteousness of God’s judgment stands in contrast to the corruption of human courts. Earthly rulers often judge partially, influenced by power, bribery, or prejudice. But the LORD administers judgment “in uprightness.” There is no distortion, no injustice, no error. Abraham’s confession remains foundational in Genesis 18:25, “Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”
This psalm does not only celebrate past victories, it anticipates future fulfillment. The language points beyond David’s immediate circumstances to the ultimate day of reckoning. The Apostle Paul declared this certainty in Acts 17:31, “because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” The resurrection of Jesus Christ guarantees the coming judgment. The Judge is appointed. The day is fixed.
There is an important pastoral implication here. Modern worship often emphasizes God’s mercy, and rightly so. Yet Scripture equally calls us to praise Him for His righteous rule. Judgment is not a blemish on His character, it is a manifestation of His holiness. A world without righteous judgment would be a world without justice. The saints do not shrink from this truth. Revelation 19:1–2 declares, “After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, ‘Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.’”
Thus Psalm 9:6–8 presents a powerful theological contrast. The enemy’s destruction ends in futility and forgotten ruin. The LORD endures forever. His throne is prepared. His judgment is righteous. His administration is upright. God remembers justice, even when men forget righteousness.
Psalm 9:9–12
B. Praising God for How He Treats the Oppressed
1. God Is a Trustworthy Refuge
“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”
David now turns from celebrating the defeat of enemies to magnifying the character of God toward the afflicted. The same God who judges the wicked is a refuge for the oppressed. Divine justice is not cold abstraction. It is protective, covenantal, and personal.
“The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed.” The word refuge conveys the idea of a high place, a stronghold lifted above danger. The oppressed are those crushed, exploited, or unjustly afflicted by wicked men. Scripture consistently reveals God’s heart toward such people. Psalm 146:7 declares, “Who executes justice for the oppressed, Who gives food to the hungry. The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners.” The LORD is not indifferent to suffering caused by injustice. He is actively engaged on behalf of the vulnerable.
“A refuge in times of trouble.” The phrase times of trouble translates a rare word implying extreme distress, even a sense of being cut off from hope. It is not mild inconvenience. It is pressure intensified to the brink of despair. In such moments, human strength fails. Earthly allies prove insufficient. Yet David affirms that the LORD remains accessible. Psalm 46:1 states, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.” The presence of God does not eliminate adversity, but it provides a secure place within it.
Verse 10 explains why this refuge is experienced. “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You.” To know God’s name is to know His revealed character. The name of the LORD in Scripture represents His covenant identity, His holiness, His mercy, His justice, His faithfulness. Trust grows out of knowledge. Faith is not blind optimism, it is confidence rooted in revealed truth. Proverbs 18:10 affirms, “The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe.” Knowledge of His name produces reliance upon His nature.
“For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” Seeking implies pursuit, prayer, dependence, and submission. God does not abandon those who genuinely turn toward Him. There are seasons when the believer may feel forsaken, particularly after sin, during severe trial, when responsibility is heavy, or when prayers seem unanswered. Yet Scripture anchors the soul in promise. Hebrews 13:5 declares, “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” The covenant faithfulness of God overrides fluctuating emotions. He does not forsake those who seek Him.
Thus the theology is clear. Relationship, trust, and pursuit characterize those who find refuge. The LORD does not arbitrarily favor some and ignore others. He responds to those who know Him, trust Him, and seek Him.
2. Singing Praise to the God Who Remembers His People
“Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people.
When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the humble.”
David now moves from personal testimony to corporate exhortation. “Sing praises to the LORD.” What began as private praise becomes public proclamation. True worship overflows. Those who have tasted deliverance naturally call others to magnify the LORD.
“Who dwells in Zion.” Zion represents the covenant dwelling place of God among His people. Though heaven is His throne, He has chosen to manifest His presence in covenant relationship. Psalm 132:13–14 states, “For the LORD has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place: ‘This is My resting place forever; Here I will dwell, for I have desired it.’” God’s dwelling signifies accessibility and covenant commitment.
“Declare His deeds among the people.” Praise is not to remain confined within the assembly. It is to be declared. The acts of God in history, His redemptive interventions, His righteous judgments, must be proclaimed. Psalm 105:1 says, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!” Singing and declaring are joined together. Worship fuels witness.
Verse 12 grounds this praise in divine remembrance. “When He avenges blood, He remembers them.” In the Old Testament, unavenged blood defiled the land. Numbers 35:33 declares, “So you shall not pollute the land where you are; for blood defiles the land, and no atonement can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it.” God is portrayed as the divine Avenger, the covenant Goel, who seeks out injustice and demands satisfaction. The blood of Abel cried out to God. Genesis 4:10 states, “And He said, ‘What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.’” God hears what men attempt to silence.
“He does not forget the cry of the humble.” This is the central comfort. The humble may appear insignificant in the eyes of the world. Their cries may go unheard in human courts. But they are never forgotten before the throne of heaven. Psalm 34:17 declares, “The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.” Divine remembrance stands against human neglect.
The theme of remembrance anticipates ultimate fulfillment. Revelation 6:9–10 records the cry of martyrs beneath the altar: “When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’” The cry is not ignored. God will avenge. He remembers.
Psalm 9:9–12 therefore presents a balanced portrait of divine character. The LORD is refuge for the oppressed, faithful to those who know and seek Him. He dwells with His people, His deeds are to be declared, and He remembers the humble when their blood cries from the ground. Man may forget. Courts may fail. Empires may suppress. But God does not forget.
Psalm 9:13–16
3. A Plea for Mercy from the God Who Remembers
“Have mercy on me, O LORD!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
That I may tell of all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.”
After declaring that the LORD does not forget the cry of the humble, David now applies that truth personally. Theology moves into petition. Doctrine becomes prayer.
“Have mercy on me, O LORD!” The foundation of David’s plea is not merit, but mercy. Even the anointed king appeals to grace. The word mercy speaks of covenant lovingkindness, steadfast compassion rooted in God’s character. Psalm 51:1 echoes the same posture, “Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.” David understands that survival, deliverance, and restoration all depend upon divine mercy.
“Consider my trouble from those who hate me.” The word consider implies attentive regard. David asks God not to overlook his affliction. Though God is omniscient, the language reflects covenant intimacy. Psalm 31:7 declares, “I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, For You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities.” David is not demanding explanation, he is requesting intervention.
“You who lift me up from the gates of death.” The gates of death symbolize the threshold of destruction, the entrance into Sheol, the place of finality and hopelessness. Death is pictured as a fortified city with gates that close behind the doomed. Yet David testifies that the LORD lifts him from that brink. Psalm 30:3 affirms, “O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.” Deliverance from near death is not self-generated, it is divine rescue.
There is a powerful contrast in verse 14. “That I may tell of all Your praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion.” The gates of death are replaced by the gates of Zion. From the brink of destruction to the place of covenant worship. Zion represents the dwelling of God among His redeemed people. The rescued one does not merely survive, he returns to public praise.
Psalm 118:19–20 captures similar imagery, “Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go through them, And I will praise the LORD. This is the gate of the LORD, Through which the righteous shall enter.” The movement is from death to righteousness, from despair to declaration.
David’s motive is explicit. “That I may tell of all Your praise.” His deliverance is not an end in itself. The ultimate purpose is God’s glory. Even personal salvation is subordinate to divine praise. Psalm 50:15 declares, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.” Deliverance exists for doxology.
“I will rejoice in Your salvation.” The salvation belongs to God. It is His deliverance, His act, His victory. Jonah 2:9 proclaims, “Salvation is of the LORD.” David’s joy is not in his escape alone, but in the revelation of God’s saving power. There is a holy brightness that should mark those who know such salvation. The forgiven man has reason to rejoice. Psalm 32:1–2 states, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
Thus verses 13–14 show that confidence in God’s remembrance does not eliminate prayer. It fuels it. The one who believes God remembers the humble cries out boldly for mercy.
4. The Destiny of the Wicked
“The nations have sunk down in the pit which they made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.
The LORD is known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah.”
David now returns to the theme of divine justice. The imagery is vivid. The nations sink into the pit they themselves constructed. They are caught in the net they secretly laid. This is moral retribution woven into the fabric of providence.
Psalm 7:15–16 expresses the same principle, “He made a pit and dug it out, And has fallen into the ditch which he made. His trouble shall return upon his own head, And his violent dealing shall come down on his own crown.” Evil recoils upon the evildoer. The wicked often imagine clever strategy, yet their schemes become instruments of their undoing.
This pattern appears repeatedly in redemptive history. Joseph’s brothers sought to eliminate him, yet their betrayal became the means of their preservation. Genesis 50:20 records Joseph’s testimony, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” Haman constructed gallows for Mordecai, yet was hanged upon them himself. Judas betrayed the Lord Jesus Christ, yet in doing so fulfilled prophecy and sealed his own destruction. John 17:12 records Christ’s words, “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.”
This does not justify wickedness. Divine sovereignty does not excuse human sin. Rather, it magnifies the wisdom of God who overrules evil without being its author.
“The LORD is known by the judgment He executes.” God reveals Himself not only through mercy, but through justice. His judgments display His holiness. Psalm 76:9 declares, “When God arose to judgment, To deliver all the oppressed of the earth. Selah.” Justice is revelatory. It unveils who God is.
“The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.” The trap becomes the testimony. Sin is inherently self-destructive. Proverbs 5:22 states, “His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, And he is caught in the cords of his sin.” The sinner labors for his own ruin.
The psalmist adds, “Meditation. Selah.” The instruction calls for thoughtful pause. Consider this. Weigh it carefully. Evil is not ultimately victorious. God is not mocked. The Judge of all the earth does right. The wicked may prosper briefly, but their own devices testify against them.
Psalm 9:13–16 therefore presents both plea and proclamation. The righteous cry for mercy from the God who remembers, and the wicked fall into the consequences of their own rebellion. Mercy and judgment proceed from the same throne.
Psalm 9:17–20
C. Appealing to the God Who Judges in Righteousness
1. God Will Deal with Both the Wicked and the Humble
“The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the nations that forget God.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten;
The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.”
As David brings this psalm toward its conclusion, he lifts his eyes beyond present deliverance to ultimate destiny. Temporary reversals in history are not the final word. There is an eternal reckoning.
“The wicked shall be turned into hell.” The Hebrew word here is Sheol, the realm of the dead, yet in context it carries the weight of judicial consequence. It is not mere physical death that is in view, but divine retribution. The wicked are not simply extinguished, they are turned into judgment. Psalm 1:6 declares, “For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish.” Their end is not accidental, it is judicial.
“And all the nations that forget God.” This phrase can be read as an explanatory parallel to “the wicked.” To forget God is the defining mark of wickedness. Forgetfulness here is not innocent memory lapse. It is willful disregard. It is living as though God does not see, does not command, does not judge.
What does man forget?
He forgets the majesty of God. Isaiah 40:25 states, “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal? says the Holy One.”
He forgets the mercies of God. Psalm 103:2 commands, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits.”
He forgets the law of God. Hosea 4:6 declares, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you.”
He forgets the presence of God. Psalm 139:7 asks, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?”
He forgets the justice of God. Ecclesiastes 12:14 warns, “For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.”
Why does man forget? Because remembrance restrains sin. The thought of a holy God unsettles rebellion. Romans 1:28 describes this suppression clearly: “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind.” Forgetting God is both sin and judgment.
Yet in contrast to the wicked who forget God, verse 18 declares, “For the needy shall not always be forgotten.” What men forget, God remembers. The needy here are not merely economically poor, but those afflicted, humble, dependent upon the LORD. Psalm 12:5 states, “For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise, says the LORD; I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”
“Shall not always be forgotten” acknowledges a painful reality. There are seasons when the godly feel overlooked. Deliverance may be delayed. Yet delay is not denial. Isaiah 49:15–16 provides profound assurance: “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.”
“The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.” Hope rooted in God does not die. It may be tested, refined, stretched, but it will not perish. Proverbs 23:18 promises, “For surely there is a hereafter, And your hope will not be cut off.” The wicked are turned into judgment, but the humble are sustained by promise.
2. An Appeal for God to Glorify Himself Among the Nations
“Arise, O LORD,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the nations be judged in Your sight.
Put them in fear, O LORD,
That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.”
David closes with urgent petition. Confidence in God’s sovereignty does not produce passivity. It produces bold prayer.
“Arise, O LORD.” This is covenant language calling upon God to manifest His power. Psalm 68:1 uses the same expression, “Let God arise, Let His enemies be scattered; Let those also who hate Him flee before Him.” The request is not that God awaken from indifference, but that He visibly intervene in history.
“Do not let man prevail.” The word for man emphasizes frailty, mortal weakness. Psalm 8:4 asks, “What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?” David’s plea is that fragile humanity not arrogantly triumph against divine authority.
“Let the nations be judged in Your sight.” Judgment in God’s sight means exposure. Hidden motives, secret oppression, and national pride are brought before the throne. Psalm 96:13 declares, “For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the peoples with His truth.”
“Put them in fear, O LORD.” This is not a prayer for cruelty, but for reverence. Proper fear of God produces humility. Proverbs 9:10 states, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” When nations lose fear of God, they exalt themselves as ultimate authority.
“That the nations may know themselves to be but men.” This is the heart of the petition. Judgment serves revelation. The goal is not annihilation, but recognition. Men must learn they are not gods. Isaiah 2:11 warns, “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.”
Humility is the proper posture before the throne. James 4:10 instructs, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.” David’s prayer is missionary in scope. Let the nations learn through chastisement what they refused to learn through mercy. Let them know they are but men, dependent, accountable, finite.
The psalm ends with “Selah.” Pause. Reflect. The wicked forget God and are turned into judgment. The needy feel forgotten, yet are remembered. The nations boast, yet are but men. The LORD alone endures forever, enthroned in righteousness.
Psalm 9 therefore presents a complete theology of remembrance. Man forgets God and perishes. The humble fear God and are preserved. God remembers justice, mercy, and covenant promise. His throne stands unmoved.
