= Psalm 9 * Please see [[nsv:license|License]] for Copyright notice and Licensing information. * [ [[Psalm_8|Previous]] | [[Psalm_10|Next]] ] == Psalm 9 1 I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High. 3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. 4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right. 5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever. 6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them. 7 But the Lord shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. 8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. 9 The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble. 10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. 11 Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings. 12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble. 13 Have 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: 14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation. 15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken. 16 The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah. 17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. 18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever. 19 Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight. 20 Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah. == Notes == Cross Reference == Concordance == Commentary == Rashi ==== Verse 1 to brighten the youth Heb. על מות לבן. Some interpret על מות לבן, on the death of Absalom, but this interpretation is not plausible because he [David] states: לבן ; he does not state הבן. Others interpret על מות לבן [as referring to] Nabal. Neither is this plausible, to invert the name. Moreover, no mention is made of him in the psalm. (The preceding paragraph does not appear in most editions.) I saw in the Great Masorah that it is one word, judging by the fact that it is compared to (below 48:15): “He will lead us as in youth (על מות).” Menachem and Dunash interpreted what they interpreted, but it does not seem correct to me. I saw in the Pesikta (d’Rav Kahana, p. 25a) that the chapter deals with Amalek and Esau (as in verse 6): You rebuked nations; You destroyed a wicked man. But I say that this song, למנצח על מות לבן, is for the future, when the childhood and the youth of Israel will be brightened; their righteousness will be revealed and their salvation will draw near, that Esau and his seed will be erased, according to our Torah. (The last phrase does not appear in most editions.) על מות means childhood. לבן is like ללבן, to whiten. Menachem interpreted על מות לבן, melodies to teach, and this is its interpretation: To the conductor למנצח, to the conductor, melodies to teach, in which case לבן is equivalent to להבין ולבונן, to understand and to comprehend; על מות, named for a musical instrument called עלמות, as is stated (below 46:1): “on alamoth-shir.” Dunash (p. 15f) interpreted לבן as the name of a man whose name was Labben, who fought with David in those days, and the Psalmist’s statement, “You rebuked nations, You destroyed a wicked man”this wicked man is Labben, who slew innocent people. Although you do not come upon a man named Labben anywhere else but this place, you find the same with other names, which are found in Scripture only once. (This entire account of Dunash’s interpretation does not appear in early mss. Menachem’s interpretation is presented very briefly.) ==== Verse 2 all your wonders the final redemption, which is equal to all the miracles, as is stated (in Jer. 23: 7): “when they shall no longer say, As the Lord lives, Who brought up, etc.” ==== Verse 5 my judgment and my cause Heb. משפטי ודיני, words doubled in Scripture, for there is no difference between them, as (in Job 16:19): “my Witness is in heaven, and He Who testifies for me is on high”; (ibid. 40:18), “His limbs are as strong as copper, his bones as a load of iron.” my judgment and my cause in heaven (?). You sat on the throne The throne of judgment. ==== Verse 6 You rebuked nations [This alludes to Amalek, described in Num. 24:20 as] “Amalek is the first of the nations.” You destroyed a wicked man Esau. You erased their name “For I will surely erase the remembrance of Amalek” (Exod. 17:14). ==== Verse 7 The enemy has been destroyed for the swords of hatred are perpetually upon him like a sharp sword. Another explanation: חרבות לנצח that enemy, the swords of whose hatred were upon us forever. That is the one concerning whom it is stated (in Amos 1:11): “and kept their fury forever.” Another explanation: חרבות is an expression of destruction, and this is its interpretation: The enemy has been destroyed; his ruins are perpetual. And so it is stated (in Ezek. 35:9): “I will make you perpetual desolations, and your cities shall not be restored.” and You have uprooted the cities “Should Edom say, ‘We are poor, but we will return and build the ruins’? So said the Lord of Hosts: ‘They shall build, but I shall demolish’” (Malachi 1:4). their remembrance is lost at that time. ==== Verse 8 But the Lord shall sit forever, etc. The Name shall be complete and the throne shall be complete, as it is written כסאו, but before it is erased, it is written (in Exod. 17:16): “For a hand is on the throne (כס) of the Eternal (י-ה).” The throne is lacking [i.e., it is spelled defectively] and the Name is divided [i.e., the final two letters of the Tetragrammaton are missing]. ==== Verse 9 But He judges the world with righteousness, kingdoms with equity Until the coming of the end, He was wont to judge them with clemency according to the equity found in them. He would judge them at night, when they would sleep and commit no sins. ==== Verse 10 And the Lord shall be a fortress for the crushed Heb. לדך, an expression of crushed, amenuyze in Old French. In the future, when He establishes His throne for judgment, He will be a fortress for Israel, who are crushed. for times of distress lit., for times in distress. ==== Verse 12 Sing praises to the Lord, Who dwells in Zion When He restores His dwelling to Zion, they will praise Him in this manner. ==== Verse 13 remembers them The blood that was shed in Israel. ==== Verse 14 Be gracious to me, O Lord now in exile. You Who raise me up with Your redemption. ==== Verse 16 Nations have sunk This is the praise that I will tell. ==== Verse 17 The Lord is known All this is part of the praise: The Lord is known to the creatures; [it is known] that He governs and rules and wreaks vengeance upon His enemies, for He performs justice upon them, “justice” in French. the wicked man stumbles Heb. נוקש, the wicked man stumbles. Let us meditate over this forever. הגיון סלה, lit. a constant meditation. Let us meditate over this forever. ==== Verse 18 to the grave Said Rabbi Nehemiah: Every word that requires a “lammed” in the beginning, Scripture places a “hey” at the end, e.g. מצרימה, to Egypt (Gen. 12:10); מדברה, to the desert (I Kings 19:15). They asked him: Is it not written: May the wicked return to the grave (לשאולה)? Replied Rabbi Abba bar Zavda: To the lowest level of Sheol. What does it mean that they will return? After they emerge from Gehinnom and stand in judgment and are found guilty, they return to the lowest level of Gehinnom. ==== Verse 19 For the needy shall not be forgotten forever [i.e.,] Israel, the needy, [shall not be forgotten] from visiting upon them as they [the wicked nations] enslaved them, neither shall the hope of the poor be forgotten to eternity. ==== Verse 20 Arise, O Lord David was praying before the Holy One, blessed be He, that He rise and hasten to do this. let...have no power [i.e., let] the wicked man [not] enjoy longevity in his greatness. for Your anger Because of the anger with which they angered You in Your sanctuary. ==== Verse 21 mastery Heb. מורה, mastery and a yoke (Mid. Ps. 9:16). Another explanation: מורה is an expression of hurling, as (in Exod. 15:4), “He hurled (ירה) into the sea.” Others say that מורה is an expression meaning a razor. let the nations know that they are human and not deities, that their might should rule.