Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Psalms
Book: Psalms
Chapter: 9
Overview:
David praises
God for protecting his people.
(1-10) And for
cause to praise him.
(11-20)
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 care, and trust in him at all times, even to the
End;
and
By constant care seek to approve themselves to him in the
whole course of their lives. Who is there that would not seek
him, who never hath forsaken those that seek Him?
11-20 Those who believe that
God is greatly to be praised, not
only desire to praise him better themselves, but desire that
others may join with them. There is a
Day coming, when it will
appear that he has not forgotten the cry of the humble; neither
the cry of their
Blood, or the cry of their prayers. We are
never brought
So low,
So near to
Death, but
God can raise us up.
If he has saved us from spiritual and
Eternal Death, we may
thence
Hope, that in all our distresses he will be a very
present help to us. The overruling
Providence of
God frequently
So orders it, that persecutors and oppressors are brought to
ruin
By the projects they formed to destroy the people of
God.
Drunkards kill themselves; prodigals beggar themselves; the
contentious bring mischief upon themselves: thus men's sins may
be read in their
Punishment, and it becomes
Plain to all, that
the
Destruction of sinners is of themselves. All wickedness came
originally with the wicked one from
Hell; and those who continue
in
Sin, must go to that place of
Torment. The true state, both
of nations and of individuals, may be correctly estimated
By
this one rule, whether in their doings they remember or forget
God.
David encourages the people of
God to wait for his
Salvation, though it should be long deferred.
God will make it
appear that he never did forget them: it is not possible he
should. Strange that
Man,
Dust in his origin, sinful
By his fall,
continually reminded of both
By everything in him and about him, should yet
need some sharp affliction, some severe visitation from
God, to
bring him to the knowledge of himself, and make him feel who and
what he is.