Old Testament · Poetry

Psalm 9

A Song of Justice

God has not forgotten the afflicted. David celebrates divine justice in an acrostic that marches through the alphabet and through God's faithfulness.

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Read the commentary What this chapter means, the background behind it, and why it still matters

Every verse here opens — tap a number for what that one means.

1I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.

2I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.

3When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.

4For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.

5Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

6O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.

7But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.

8And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

9The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

10And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

11Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.

12When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

13Have mercy upon me, O LORD; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:

14That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.

15The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.

16The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.

17The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

18For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

19Arise, O LORD; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.

20Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.

Commentary

Psalm 9, explained

What Psalm 9 is saying

Psalm 9 (often paired with Psalm 10 as a single acrostic in the Septuagint) is a thanksgiving psalm celebrating God's just governance of nations from His throne of righteousness. The psalmist recounts military victories as evidence of divine judgment and declares God a stronghold (misgav) for the oppressed. The acrostic structure—each section beginning with a successive Hebrew letter—suggests careful literary craftsmanship.

The background behind it

The superscription 'al mut labben' remains obscure, possibly indicating a melody title. Psalms 9–10 together form a broken acrostic that some scholars believe was originally one composition, later divided in the Masoretic tradition.

Themes running underneath

The psalm develops the theology of divine justice as both historical and eschatological—God has judged nations and will continue to do so. The motif of 'remembering' (zakar) is central: God remembers the afflicted while the wicked are blotted from memory.

Why it still matters

This psalm trains believers to interpret current events through the lens of divine justice, neither despairing at injustice nor presuming to execute judgment themselves. It models gratitude as the natural response to recognizing God's governance.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.

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