Psalm 9 - Gleanings in the Psalms

Gleanings in
the Psalms
(Psalm 9)

Here is David's song of praise to God …

FIRST - For his own experience of God's goodness towards himself, and God's righteous judgement against his enemies. (Verses 1-4)
SECOND - For the Lord's readiness to do the like work for ALL the godly. (Verses 5-10)
THIRD - he exhorteth the godly to praise God with him. (Verses 11-12)
FORTH - he prayeth for his own delivery out of his present distress. (Verses 13-14)
FIFTH - he hath assurance of the overthrow of all his enemies. (Verses 15-18)
LASTLY - for the execution of this overthrow he heartily prayeth. (Verses 19-20)

David Dickson

Verse 1. "I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will SHEW FORTH ALL THY MARVELLOUS WORKS".

When we have received any special good thing from the Lord, it is well, according as we have opportunities, to tell others of it. When the woman who had lost one of her ten pieces of silver found the missing portion of her money, she gathered her neighbours and her friends, together, saying, "Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece that I had lost". We may do the same; we may tell friends and relations that we have received such-and-such a blessing, and that we trace it directly to the hand of God. Why have we not already done this? Is there a lurking unbelief as to whether it really came from God; or are we ashamed to own it before those who are accustomed to laugh at such things? Who knows so much of the marvellous works of God as His own people; if they be silent, how can we expect the world to see what he has done?

P. B. Power

Verse 5. "Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou has destroyed the wicked …".

Augustine applieth all this MYSTICALLY: "I will speak", saith he, "of all thy wonderful works;" and what so wonderful as the turning of the spiritual enemy backward, whether the devil, as when he said "Get thee behind me Satan"; or the old man, which is turned backward when his is put off, and the new man put on?

John Mayer

Verse 10. "And they that KNOW thy name will put their trust in thee …"

Though there can be knowledge without faith, yet there can be no faith without knowledge. Knowledge must carry the torch before faith. 2nd Timothy 1 verse 12. "For I KNOW whom I have believed". As in Paul's conversion a light from heaven "Shined round about him", so before faith be wrought, God shines in with a light upon the understanding. A blind faith is as bad as a dead faith. Devout ignorance damns; which condemns the Church of Rome that thinks it is a piece of their religion to be kept in ignorance; these set up an altar to an unknown God. They say ignorance is the mother of devotion; but where the sun is set in the understanding, it must needs be night in the affections.

Thomas Watson

Verse 12. "When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: HE FORGETTENT NOT THE CRY OF THE HUMBLE".

Prayer is a haven to the shipwrecked man; an anchor to them that are sinking in the waves; a staff to the limbs that totter; a mine of jewels to the poor; a healer of diseases, and a guardian of health.

Chrysostom

Verse 14. "That I may show forth ALL thy praise …"

To show forth All God's praise is to enter largely into the work. An occasional "GOD I THANK THEE" is no fit return for a perpetual stream of rich benefits.

William Plumer

Verse 15. "The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made …"

Whilst they are digging pits for others, there is a pit a-digging and a grave a-making for themselves. Alas! They are but plotting their own ruin, and building a Babel which will fall upon their own heads. And usually the deliverance of God's children is joined with the destruction of His enemies; Saul's death and David's deliverance; the Israelites' deliverance, and the Egyptians' drowning. The Church and her opposites are like the scales of a balance; when one goes up the other goes down.

Richard Sibbes

Verse 16. "… The wicked is snared in the work of his own hand".

The wages that sin offers the sinner are life, pleasure, and profit; but the wages it pays him with are death, torment and destruction. He that would understand the falsehood and deceit of sin must compare its promises and payments together.

Robert South

Verse 17. "The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God". That person is here spoken of as a "wicked" person that "forgets God". And, therefore, though you cannot say of such a one, he will be drunk, or he will swear, or he will oppress, yet, if you can say he will forget God, you say enough to speak him under wrath, and to turn him into hell without remedy.

John Howe

This Page Title – Gleanings in the Psalms — Psalm 9
The Wicket Gate Magazine "A Continuing Witness".
Internet Edition number 44 – placed on line September 2003
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