Commentary
Matthew Poole and continuators on Psalms 9
Annotations upon the Holy Bible. Browse this work.
1. I will praise thee, O LORD with my heart , I will shew forth all thy marvellons works .
(i. e.) With a sincere, and affectionate, and united Heart.
I will discourse in the general of thy manifold Wonders wrought for me, and for thy Church and People formerly. The Particle all is here, as it is oft elsewhere taken in a restrained Sence.
Marginal references: Or, I will praise the Lord.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:1. Public domain.
2. I will be glad and rejoyce in thee : I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most high.
(i. e.) In thy favour and help vouchsafed to me.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:2. Public domain.
3. When mine enemies are turned back , they shall fall and perish at thy presence .
(i. e.) Discomfited and put to Flight.
They shall not save themselves by Flight, and reserve themselves to do further Mischief, but shall stumble as it were at Gall-traps by thee laid in their way, and shall be pursued and overtaken, and cut off.
Upon thy appearance against them. One angry Look of thine is able to confound and destroy them. Heb. from thy face, because thou didst march in the head of our Armies, and against them. They could not stand before thee. So he ascribes the Honour of his Victories to God only, and to his Presence and assistance.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:3. Public domain.
4. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause , thou satest in the throne judging right .
(i. k.) My righteous Cause against thine and mine Enemies.
Thou didst judg and give Sentence for me.
Or, O righteo[illegible: 1+ letters]s Iudg, or, as a just Iudg.
Marginal references: Heb. Thou hast made my judgment.; Heb. In righteo[illegible: 1+ letters]sness.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:4. Public domain.
5. Thou hast rebuked the heathen , thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
(i. e.) Punished, as Psal. 6. 1. or destroyed, as it is explained in the next Clause.
To wit, the Philistins and other heathen Nations, who did from time to time molest David, or the People of Israel.
Either that Fame and Honour which they had gained by their former Exploits, but now utterly lost by their shameful Defeats: or their very Memorial, as it [illegible: 1+ letters]ared with Amalek.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:5. Public domain.
6. O thou enemy , destructions are come to a perpetual end : and thou hast destroyed Cities, their memorial is perished with them .
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This is a sudden Apostrophe to the Enemies of God's People, Philistins, Amorites, or other Nations, who had formerly made great Havock and Wast among them.
Thou hast destroyed the Israelitish Nation utterly and irrecoverably, and, as it follows, their defenced Cities, and their very Name and Memory, according to thy own desire. So it is a Sarcasme or Jrony, an usual Figure in Scripture and all Authors, whereby the quite contrary is signified. To wit, That they were not only frustrated of their Desires and Hopes of destroying the Israelites, but were also subdued, and in a great part destroyed by them. Or this verse may be understood of the great Wast and Ruine which God's Enemies had brought upon Israel before this time: which is here remembred, to make the Israelites more thankful for their later or present Deliverances. Or it may be taken as a Prophecy of the future Calamities which the Enemies should by God's Permission bring upon Israel, of which he speaks as of a thing past and done, after the manner of the Prophets. But this place is otherwise rendered in the Margent of our Bibles, and by divers others, The Destructions of the enemy (which may be understood either 1. Actively, which they caused. Or 2. Passively, which they felt) are come to a perpetual end, or, are fully and finally compleated.
Either 1. Thou, O God, who is oft understood and couched in a Pronoun in this manner, Thou hast destroyed their Cities. Or rather 2. Thou, O Enemy: as may be gathered both from the foregoing Clause, where it is so expressed; and from the next Verse, where it follows by way of opposition to this, But the Lord, &c.
The Places and People are utterly exstinct.
Marginal references: Or, the destructions of the enemy are [illegible: 1 word] to a perpetual end, and their cities hast [illegible: 1 word] destroyed, & [illegible: 1+ letters].
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:6. Public domain.
7. But the LORD shall endure for ever : he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
Though Cities and People may perish for ever, yet the Lord abides for ever. Which is sufficient for the Enemies Terror, and for the Comfort of his Church.
Or, established, by his immutable Purpose, and his irrevocable Promise.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:7. Public domain.
8. And he shall judg the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
Not you onely, but all the Enemies of his People, and all the Men of the World.
Marginal references: Psal. 96. 13. & 98. 9.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:8. Public domain.
9. The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed , a refuge in times of trouble.
God will not only judg the World at the last day, and then give Sentence for his People against their Enemies, but even at present he will give them his Protection.
Marginal references: Psal. 3[illegible: 1+ letters]. 39. & 46. 1. & 91. 2.; Heb. At high place.; Gr. [illegible: 1 word].; Heb. Is trouble. So Gr.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:9. Public domain.
10. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee .
(i. e.) That thoroughly understand and duly consider.
(i. e.) Thy Nature and Perfections, thy infinite Power and Wisdom, and Faithfulness and Goodness: which make a Person a most fit and proper Object for Trust. The name of God is most frequently put for God, as he hath manifested himself in his Word and Works, as Deut. 28. 58. Psal. 7. 17. and 20. 1. Prov. 18. 10. &c.
The experience of thy Faithfulness to thy People in all Ages, is a just ground for their Confidence.
(i. e.) That seek Help and Relief from thee by fervent Prayer, mixed with Faith, or trust in God, as is expressed in the former Clause.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:10. Public domain.
11. Sing praises to the LORD which dwelleth in Zion : declare among the people his doings.
Whose special and gracious Presence is there; for there was the Ark at this time.
(i. e.) To the heathen Nations, that they also may be brought to the Knowledg and Worship of the true God.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:11. Public domain.
12. When he maketh inquisition for blood , he remembreth them : he forgetteth not the cry of the humble .
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Heb. Bloods. The bloodshed or murder of his innocent and holy ones: which though he may connive at for a season, yet he will certainly call the Authors of it to a very severe Account, and avenge it upon them.
Either 1. The Humble, as it follows, or the Oppressed, v. 9. That trust in him, and seek to him, v. 10. Whom he seemed to have forgotten. Or 2. The bloods last mentioned, for that Noun, and this Pronoun are both of the masculine Gender: and then remembring is put for revenging or punishing, as it is Deut. 25. 17, 19. Ne[illegible: 1+ letters]. 6. 14. Ier. 14. 10. and 44. 21. and oft elsewhere.
Or, [illegible: 1+ letters]eek, as this word which is used also Zech. 9. 9. is Translated Mat. 21. 5. Who do not, and cannot, and will not avenge themselves, but commit their Cause to me, as the God to whom Vengeance belongeth. Or afflicted, or oppressed ones.
Marginal references: Gen. 9. 5.; Or, Afflicted.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:12. Public domain.
13. Have mercy upon me, O LORD, consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that li[illegible: 1+ letters]test me up from the gates of death :
To wit, Compassionately and effectually, so as to bring me out of it.
From the Brink or Mouth of the Grave into which I was dropping, being as near Death as a Man is to the City, that is come to the very Gates of it. And so the Phrase is used Psal. 107. 18. Isa. 38. 10. and in other Authors, [of whom see my Latin Synopsis.] Gates elsewhere signify Power and Policy, because the Gates of Cities were places both of Counsel and Strength; but the Gates of Death are never so taken in Scripture.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:13. Public domain.
14. That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion : I will rejoyce in thy salvation.
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(i. e.) In the great Assemblies, which were usually in the Gates. Comp. Prov. 31. 31. Isa. 3. 26. These Gates he elegantly opposeth to the former, and declareth that if he be brought off them he will go into these.
Either 1. Of Ierusalem, so called also Is[illegible: 1+ letters]. 1. 8. Zech. 9. 9. Because at this time it was subject to Zion; which at this time was the seat of the Kings Palace, and of the Ark. For Cities or Towns belonging or subject unto any Metropolis are commonly called its Daughters, as Ios. 15. 45. 2. Chron. [illegible: 1+ letters]3. 19. Psal. 48. 11. As the chief Cities are called Mothers, as 2. Sam. 20. 19. Gal. 4. 26. Or 2. Of the People who live in or belong to, or meet together for civil and religious Matters in Zion▪ For Cities are as it were Mothers to their People, giving them Birth and Breeding, and therefore the People are commonly called their Daughters. So the Name of the Daughter of Egypt, Ier. 46. 11. and of Edom, Lam. 4. 21, 22. and of Tyre, Psal. 45. 12. and of Babel, Psal. 137. 8. and of Ierusalem, Lam. 2. 13, 15. Mich. 4. 8. Are put for the People of those places.
To wit, with spiritual Joy and Thanksgiving: else it were no fit Motive to be used to God in Prayer.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:14. Public domain.
15. The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made : in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
Fallen into that Destruction which they designed to bring upon us.
Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 7. 15. [illegible: 1 word]. 6. [illegible: 1 word]. 22. 8.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:15. Public domain.
16. The LORD is known , by the judgment which he executeth : the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands, Higgaion , Selah.
Or, hath mads himself known, or famous even among his Enemies, by his most wi[illegible: 1+ letters]e Counsels and wonderful Works.
Upon the Wicked as it followeth.
This is either a musical Term, or a Note of Attention, a kind of behold, intimating that the Matter deserves deep and frequent Meditation, or Consideration, as the word signifies.
Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. 92. 3.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:16. Public domain.
17. The wicked, shall be turned into hell , and all the nations that forget God .
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Either 1. Into the Grave, which is oft called Sch[illegible: 1+ letters]ol, into which they are said to be turned, or to return, because they were made of, or taken out of the Dust, Eccles. 12. 7. Or 2. Into the place of eternal Perdition; which also is sometimes called Sch[illegible: 1+ letters]ol, as Prov. 15. 24. and elsewhere. For he seems to speak here of those Punishments which are peculiar to the Wicked, whereas the Grave is common to good and bad. And as v. 8. He seems to speak of the last and general Judgment of all the World, so this Verse may be understood of the general Punishment of all Persons and Nations consequent upon it. And into this place wicked Men may be said to be turned back, or to return, either 1. Because it is their own proper place, Act. 1. 25. to which they belong, and from which they have their Original and their wicked Qualities, as being of their Father the Devil, Iohn 8. 44. In which respect the Locusts (who are by all Interpreters understood to be living Men) are said to come out of the bottomless Pit, Revel. 9. 2, 3. Or 2. Because they had set themselves as it were in Battel-Array against God, and were beaten back and driven from his Presence into their Graves, and into Hell it self.
Whom their great Numbers and Power cannot protect from God's Wrath.
That do not consider nor regard God, nor his Precepts, nor his Thre[illegible: 1+ letters]tnings and Judgments, but go on securely and presumputously in their oppressive and wicked Courses.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:17. Public domain.
18. For the needy shall not alway be forgotten : the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
Though God for a time may seem to neglect or forget them, and suffer their Enemies to triumph over them.
Which negative Particle is fitly understood out of the former Clause, as it is Psal. 1. 5. and 44. 18. Isa. 23 4. and 28. 27, 28.
Marginal references: Psal. 12▪ [illegible: 1+ letters] ▪
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:18. Public domain.
20. Put them in fear , O LORD, that the nations may know themselves to be but men . Selah.
Subdue their proud and insolent Spirits, and strike them with Terror, or with some terrible Judgment.
Heb. Weak, and miserable, and mortal Men, and therefore altogether unable to oppose the omnipotent and eternal God. This he saith, because wicked Men when they are advanced to great Power and Majesty are very prone to forget their own Frailty, and to carry themselves as if they were Gods. See Isa. 31. 3. Ezek. 30. 7, 8. Dan. 5. 21.
Matthew Poole and continuators, Annotations upon the Holy Bible, Psalms 9:20. Public domain.
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