Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 9:14
That I may show forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
14. in the gates ] i.e. with the utmost publicity (Psa 116:14); for the city gates were the common place of concourse and business, corresponding to the agora or forum of Greece and Rome. Cp. Job 29:7; Pro 8:3; Jer 17:19-20. The implied contrast between “the cheerful ways of men” and the gloomy entrance to the nether world is obvious.
Ports (P.B.V.) is an obsolete word for gates, from Lat. porta.
the daughter of Zion ] A poetical personification of the citizens or the city as an individual. Originally Zion was thought of as the mother, the citizens collectively as her daughter; but as terms for land and people are easily interchanged, the expression came to be applied to the city itself (Isa 1:8; Lam 2:15). ‘Daughter of Zion’ occurs nowhere else in the Psalter (see however ‘daughter of Tyre,’ Psa 45:12; ‘daughter of Babylon,’ Psa 137:8), but together with the cognate phrases ‘daughter of Jerusalem,’ ‘daughter of my people’ &c. frequently in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, Zephaniah, Zechariah, and is specially characteristic of the Lamentations.
salvation ] R.V. marg., saving help. See note on Psa 3:8.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
That I may show forth all thy praise – That I may praise time in the land of the living; that I may finish the work of praise by rendering to thee all that is due. The idea is, that the dead could not praise God, or that his praise could be uttered only by the living; and he calls on God, therefore, to interpose and save him, that he might yet worship and praise him on the earth. In this sentiment the psalmist utters only what man naturally feels when he looks upon the grave; that it is an end of human plans and pursuits; that it is a land of silence; that the worship of God is not there celebrated. Such language must be retarded as uttered under the impulse of natural feeling, and not as uttered by the deliberate judgment of the mind when calmly contemplating the whole subject. All pious persons baize these feelings at times, and it was proper that these feelings should be expressed in the sacred writings, as illustrating human nature even under the influence of religion. The same sentiment occurs in several places, as is, that he was apparently near to the gates of death, and that the only one who could raise him up was God, and he now invoked His interposition that it might be done. The phrase gates of death relates to the prevalent views about the unseen world – the world where the dead abide. That world was represented as beneath; as a dark and gloomy abode; as enclosed Psa 115:17, The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence. See the notes at Psa 6:5. It is not necessary to say that the sacred writers had brighter views at times than these. But who can keep the mind always from desponding when it looks at the grave? Who can always help feeling that it is a place of darkness and gloom?
In the gates of the daughter of Zion – As contradistinguished from the gates of death. Gates in ancient cities were places of concourse, where important transactions were performed; and the gates of Jerusalem were regarded as attractive and sacred, because it was through them that the people passed on their way to worship God at the tabernacle or in the temple. Hence, it is said, Psa 87:2, The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Psa 100:4, enter into his gates with thanksgiving. Compare Psa 118:19. The phrase, daughter of Zion, means Jerusalem. For the reason of this appellation see the notes at Isa 1:8. The language used here proves that the psalm was composed after Zion or Jerusalem was made the capital of the kingdom and the seat of public worship, and, therefore, that it cannot refer, as is supposed in the Aramaic Paraphrase, to the death of Goliath.
I will rejoice in thy salvation – In the salvation which thou wilt bestow on me; here particularly, in delivering him from his dangers. The language, however, is general, and may be employed with reference to salvation of any kind.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
In the gates, i.e. in the great assemblies, which were usually in the gates. Compare Pro 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.
Of the daughter of Zion; either,
1. Of Jerusalem, so called also Isa 1:8; Zec 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 Jos 15:45; 2Ch 13:19; Psa 48:11; as the chief cities are called mothers, as 2Sa 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 names of the daughters of Egypt, Jer 46:11, and of Edom, Lam 4:21,22, and of Tyre, Psa 45:12, and of Babel, Psa 137:8, and of Jerusalem, Lam 2:13,15; Mic 4:8, are put for the people of those places.
I will rejoice, to wit, with spiritual joy and thanksgiving; else it were no fit motive to be used to God in prayer.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
14. gates . . . ZionTheenclosure of the city (compare Psa 48:12;Isa 23:12), or, church, asdenoted by this phrase contrasted with that of death, carries out theidea of exaltation as well as deliverance. Signal favors should leadus to render signal and public thanks.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
That I may show forth all thy praise,…. That is, all thy bounties and acts of goodness, deserving of praise; even as many of them as he had an experience of, and which came within his knowledge; and as much of them as he was capable of observing: for otherwise the instances of divine grace and goodness are so many, that they cannot be reckoned up in order, nor God be praised for them, in the present state of things, as he should; [See comments on Ps 9:1];
in the gates of the daughter of Zion: it was usual with the Hebrews to represent a chief city as a mother city, and the towns and villages, and places adjacent, as daughters; and so, as Zion or Jerusalem signifies the church of God in general, or the mother church, Ga 4:26; so “the daughter” of Zion may mean a particular church: the Targum renders it the congregation of Zion; and “the gates” of it are the public ordinances of divine worship in it; and the sense is, that the psalmist desired to show forth the praises of God in the most public manner in the congregation and assembly of the saints;
I will rejoice in thy salvation, or “that I may rejoice in thy salvation” m: meaning either temporal salvation and deliverance from enemies, wrought by God for him, which would be matter of joy to him; or spiritual salvation, which may be called God’s salvation, because contrived by him in the council of peace, and secured by him in the covenant of grace, and wrought out by his Son in the fulness of time, and applied by his Spirit at conversion. And a gracious man rejoices in this salvation more because it is the Lord’s than because it is his own; or he rejoices more because of the glory of God, which is displayed in it, than because of his own advantage and happiness by it.
m “exultem”, Junius Tremellius, Musculus “ut exultem”, Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis; “gaudeam”, Cocceius; so Ainsworth.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
14. That I may recount. David’s meaning simply is, that he will celebrate the praises of God in all assemblies, and, wherever there is the greatest concourse of people, (for at that time it was the custom to hold assemblies at the gates of cities;) but, at the same time, there seems to be an allusion to the gates of death, of which he has just spoken, as if he had said, After I am delivered from the grave, I will do my endeavor to bear testimony, in the most public manner, to the goodness of God, manifested in my deliverance. As, however, it is not sufficient to utter the praises of God with our tongues, if they do not proceed from the heart, the Psalmist, in the last clause of the verse, expresses the inward joy with which he would engage in this exercise, And that I may rejoice in thy salvation; as if he had said, I desire to live in this world for no other purpose than to rejoice in having been preserved by the grace of God. Under the name of daughter, as is well known, the Jews meant a people or city, but he here names the city from its principal part, namely, Sion.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Psa 9:14. The daughter of Zion The word bath, daughter, applied to a city or nation, implies the inhabitants of it; the city being, as it were, the parent from whence they sprung. See Isa 37:22.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Is not this one of the well-known offices of the Mediator? Was it not said of him, under the spirit of prophecy, the king shall joy in thy strength, O Lord, and in thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice t Psa 21:1 . Hence, therefore, it is one of the blessed offices of our great Head and Saviour, having accomplished redemption by his obedience and death, to proclaim by his Spirit Jehovah’s salvation in the Church and through the earth. Isa 49:6 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 9:14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
Ver. 14. That I may show forth all thy praise ] i.e. All that I can compass or attain unto. Aliter omnes laudes Dei diei non possunt, quia plures ignorat homo quam novit, saith R. David here; for all the praises of God cannot be shown forth, since those we know not are more than those we know.
In the gates of the daughter of Zion
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
praise. So some codices, with four early printed editions (one in margin). Other codices read “praises”.
I will = that I may.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
That: Psa 51:15, Psa 79:13, Psa 106:2
in the gates: Psa 22:22, Psa 22:25, Psa 35:18, Psa 42:4, Psa 109:30, Psa 109:31, Psa 116:18, Psa 116:19, Psa 118:19, Psa 118:20, Psa 149:1, Psa 149:2
daughter: Isa 37:22, Isa 62:11, Mic 4:13
I will: Psa 13:5, Psa 20:5, Psa 21:1, Psa 35:9, Psa 51:12, 1Sa 2:1, Isa 12:3, Hab 3:18, Luk 1:47
Reciprocal: 2Ki 19:21 – the daughter Psa 9:1 – show Psa 26:7 – That Psa 75:9 – But Psa 78:4 – praises Psa 102:21 – General Psa 119:175 – Let my Psa 137:3 – the songs of Zion Psa 142:7 – my soul Son 3:11 – O ye Isa 1:8 – daughter Isa 25:9 – we will Isa 38:20 – therefore Jer 51:10 – let us Mat 21:5 – the daughter 1Pe 1:6 – ye greatly Rev 19:7 – be glad
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
9:14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the {f} gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
(f) In the open assembly of the Church.