Psalms 9:4

_FOR THOU HAST MAINTAINED MY RIGHT AND MY CAUSE; THOU SATEST IN THE THRONE JUDGING RIGHT._ For thou hast maintained my right, х_ `AASIYTAA_ (H6213) _ MISHPAATIY_ (H4941)] - literally, 'Thou madest my right;' i:e., thou gavest the decision which was due to my righteous cause. The question at issue between Satan, the adversary, and the Lords people, is not to be decided by might, but by right. Messiah is their Vindicator and Law-fulfiller (Romans 8:33). THOU SATEST IN THE THRONE - as the place rightfully belonging to _ Lª-_ thee. JUDGING RIGHT - rather, 'judging righteousness' х_ TSEDEQ_ (H6664)]: a different Hebrew word from that for "right" in the former clause....

The Psalmist proceeds a step farther in the 4th verse, declaring that God stretched forth his hand to give him succor, because he was unrighteously afflicted by his enemies. And surely if we desire to be favored with the assistance of God, we ought to see to it that we fight under his standard. David, therefore, calls him _a judge of righteousness, _or, which is the same thing, _a righteous judge; _as if he had said, God has acted towards me according to his ordinary manner and constant principle of acting, for it is his usual way to undertake the defense of good causes. I am more inclined to render the words, _Thou sittest a just judge, _than to render them, _O just judge, thou sittest_, (168) because the form of expression, according to the first reading, is more emphatic. The import of it is this: God at length has assumed the character of judge, and is gone up into his judgment-seat...

1-10 If we would praise God acceptably, we must praise him in sincerity, with our whole heart. When we give thanks for some one 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 that which the strongest and stoutest of his enemies are no way able to stand before. 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 that. Those who know him to be an everlasting Father, will trust him with their souls as their main c...

FOR THOU HAST MAINTAINED MY RIGHT AND MY CAUSE - My righteous cause; that is, when he was unequally attacked. When his enemies came upon him in an unprovoked and cruel manner, God had interposed and had defended his cause. This shows that the psalmist refers to something that had occurred in the past; also that he regarded his cause as right - for the interposition of God in his behalf had confirmed him in this belief. THOU SATEST IN THE THRONE JUDGING RIGHT - As if he had been seated on a bench of justice, and bad decided on the merits of his cause before he interfered in his behalf. It was not the result of impulse, folly, partiality, or favoritism; it was because he had, as a judge, considered the matter, and had decided that the right was with the author of the psalm, and not with his enemies. As the result of that determination of the case, he had interposed to vindicate him, and to...

EXPOSITION This psalm, which, like the six preceding it, is declared by the title to be "a Psalm of David," is a song of thanksgiving for the defeat of some foreign enemy. It is the first of what are called "the alphabetic psalms;" but the law of alphabetic order is applied in it somewhat loosely and irregularly. All the four lines of the first stanza commence with _aleph_;_ _but after this it is only the first line of each stanza that observes the law. And even this amount of observance is neglected in the last stanza. The poem is one of the most regular in its structure of all the psalms, consisting as it does of ten equal strophes of four lines each. The words in the title, "upon Muth-labben," have been variously explained; but no explanation hitherto given is satisfactory. PSALMS 9:1 I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole he

FOR THOU HAST MAINTAINED MY RIGHT AND MY CAUSE,.... Or vindicated and established his righteous cause; God had pleaded and defended it, and by the flight, fall, and ruin of his enemies, had clearly made it appear that his cause was just and good; THOU SITTEST IN THE THRONE JUDGING RIGHT; God has not only a throne of grace on which he sits, and from whence he distributes grace and mercy to his people, but he has a throne of judgment, and which is prepared for it, as in Psalms 9:7; where he sits as the Judge of all the earth, and will do right; nor can he do otherwise, though his judgments are not always manifest in the present state of things; and the vindication of the psalmist's innocence and uprightness is another reason of his joy and gladness....

This Psalm has a dedication which is very difficult to understand: «To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben. A Psalm of David.» Either «Muthlabben» is the tune to which the Psalm was to be sung, or some musical instrument that is now forgotten, or else it alludes to Ben, who was one of the Levitical singers mentioned in 1 Chronicles 15:18. In all probability, however, the true translation of the title is, «A Psalm on the death of the son,» or «on the death of the champion,» and it is thought by some that it was composed by David after the death of giant Goliath. If it be so, I think you will see, as we read the Psalm, that it well proclaims the victory which God had wrought. Psalms 9:1. _I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works._...

Psalms 9 THE GODLY REMNANT. THE WICKED ONE AND HIS FOLLOWERS (9-15) _ 1. The praise of the Most High (Psalms 9:1)_ 2. Millennial deliverances and glories (Psalms 9:3) 3. Prayer for divine intervention: Faith's Vision (Psalms 9:12) Psalms 9:1. PSALM 9-15 continue the great prophetic story. Once more the godly remnant is before us and in this section the wicked one, the man of sin, is also revealed. The first part of this Psalm is a prophetic vision of what will be on earth, when the Son of Man has come and when all things are put unde

9 AND 10. YAHWEH THE REFUGE OF HIS PEOPLE. These two Pss., divided in MT, were originally one, This is proved by the fact that they are one in LXX. and Vulg., by the absence of title over Psalms 10, and, conclusively, by the evidence that 9 and 10 form one acrostic poem. It was arranged in strophes of four lines each, the first letter of each strophe being one of the letters of the Heb. alphabet in regular succession. This system is carried out in the whole of Psalms 9-2 in Psalms 10. So far we have the first twelve letters of the alphabet, the only omission being that of the fourth letter, which, however, can be supplied by an easy and convincing emendation. Then from Psalms 10:3 to Psalms 10:11 the acrostic character disappears and can be recovered only by precarious emendation. It reappears in...

SATEST. hast sat. RIGHT. righteously....