Psalms 94:2

Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud. LIFT UP THYSELF, THOU JUDGE OF THE EARTH - (.) Set thyself on high on the throne of judgment. Thou art really "judge of the earth:" manifest thy power as such. RENDER A REWARD TO THE PROUD - (.) "The proud" are the haughty and seemingly triumphant persecutors of the godly....

1-11 We may with boldness appeal to God; for he is the almighty Judge by whom every man is judged. Let this encourage those who suffer wrong, to bear it with silence, committing themselves to Him who judges righteously. These prayers are prophecies, which speak terror to the sons of violence. There will come a day of reckoning for all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against God, his truths, and ways, and people. It would hardly be believed, if we did not witness it, that millions of rational creatures should live, move, speak, hear, understand, and do what they purpose, yet act as if they believed that God would not punish the abuse of his gifts. As all knowledge is from God, no doubt he knows all the thoughts of the children of men, and knows that the imaginations of the thoughts of men's hearts are only evil, and that continually. Even in good thoughts there is a w...

Verse Psalms 94:2. _LIFT UP THYSELF_] Exert thy power. _RENDER A REWARD TO THE PROUD._] To the Babylonians, who oppress and insult us....

LIFT UP THYSELF - Be exalted or lifted up so as to be manifest in thy true character. The idea is that God was, as it were, sitting at his ease, or as if he were indifferent to what was occurring in the world. See the notes at Psalms 3:7. THOU JUDGE OF THE EARTH - Ruler of the world; to whom it pertains to exercise judgment over all classes of people, and in all circumstances. The meaning here is, that as he was the Ruler of the whole earth, this matter came without doubt under his jurisdiction. It was a case for his interposition. RENDER A REWARD TO THE PROUD - A just recompence to the people who are confident in their own strength, and who are manifesting their pride in depriving others of their rights....

EXPOSITION THIS psalm is primarily (Psalms 94:1) a "cry for vengeance on Israel's oppressors, passing into an appeal for more faith to God's own people" (Cheyne). In the latter half (Psalms 94:12) the psalmist comforts himself with the thought that God will assuredly protect his own, and bring destruction upon the evil doers (Psalms 94:12). Metrically, the psalm is made up of four strophes—the first of seven verses (Psalms 94:1); the next of four (Psalms 94:8); the third of eight ...

LIFT UP THYSELF, THOU, O JUDGE OF THE EARTH,.... A title very proper to Christ, and which is given him by Abraham, Genesis 18:25, who then appeared to him in an human form, and with whom he was conversing; he judges his own people on earth, all judgment being committed to him by the Father; he judges and chastises them, that they may not be condemned with the world; he judges and distinguishes between them and the world; he protects and defends them, he pleads their cause, and avenges them on their enemies: and for this purpose he is requested to "lift up" himself; being in the apprehension of his people as one laid down and asleep, quite negligent and careless of them; and therefore they desire that he would awake and arise, and exert his power, and show himself higher than their enemies; that he would mount his throne, and execute justice and judgment on the wicked, agreeably to his ch...

Let us read this evening the ninety-fourth Psalm, and may the Spirit of God instruct us while we read it! Psalms 94:1. _O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself._ God is the God of justice, and when iniquity and oppression prevail, it is natural that his people should call upon him to come forth out of his hiding-places. Sometimes, when oppression and iniquity and error prevail, it seems as if God had hidden himself away. Hence the prayer of the psalmist, «O Jehovah, the God of recompenses (or revenges, as the margin has it), show thyself.» Psalms 94:2. _Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud._ As one who is about to strike a heavy blow lifts himself up, to increase the force of

PSALM 94-100 Psalms 94 Prayer for the Execution of the Vengeance of God _ 1. The Prayer on account of the enemy (Psalms 94:1)_ 2. Expostulation with the wicked (Psalms 94:8) 3. The comfort of the righteous (Psalms 94:14) The seven Psalms which follow lead on to the full establishment of the kingdom on earth and most of these Psalms celebrate His judgment reign, and the blessings of the age to come. We start once more with a Psalm which pictures vividly the trials of the days which precede the coming of the Lord and the coming of His kingdom. The Spirit of God has arranged these Psalms, as we have by th

XCIV. A PRAYER FOR VENGEANCE ON OPPRESSIVE RULERS AND FOR DELIVERANCE FROM THEM. Psalms 94:1. The wickedness of the arrogant. The bad rulers here are evidently Jews. They are oppressors, not invaders, and their offences against the moral law are just those which the prophets had denounced in the Israel of their day. PSALMS 94:7. The practical (see on Psalms 14), not theoretical atheism of the arrogant. They thought God did not care for men's conduct. As if He who planted ear and eye would fail to hear and see! Only a Jew could adopt this semi-sceptical position to Israel's God. PSALMS 94:10_ b_. Emend, He that teacheth men shall he be without knowledge?...

JUDGE OF THE EARTH. This is in keeping with the subject of Book IV. See notes on p. 809....