Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 76:9
When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
When God arose to judgment – That is, when he came to overthrow and destroy the enemies of his people, as referred to in the former part of the psalm.
To save all the meek of the earth – Of the land – to wit, the land of Judea; or, to save his people when in affliction. The word meek, which with us usually means those who are forbearing under injuries, means here the humble, the afflicted, the crushed, the oppressed.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 76:9-10
But I will declare for over; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
A model of devout praise
The praise resolved upon here is worthy of our imitation, inasmuch as it–
I. Loses sight of self in devout admiration of the character and doings of God.
1. He will praise God for His doings.
(1) Undeserved by us. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
(2) Unsought by us. We did not seek God, but He sought us by Jesus Christ.
(3) Freely and heartily given by God out of His own sovereign love. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
2. He will praise God for His faithfulness. With Him there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
3. He will praise God for ever. Let not thy praises be transient–a fit of music, and then the instrument hung by the wall till another gaudy day of some remarkable providence makes thee take it down. God comes not guest-wise to His saints house, but to dwell with them. David took this up for a life-work: As long as I live, I will praise Thee.
II. Evinces its reality by resolving to imitate Him. Our praise of the excellences of others is a very hollow affair unless we also cultivate those excellences. We praise God for His unspeakable gift; are we imitating His pure generosity? We praise Jesus Christ for His great self-sacrifice for us; are we denying ourselves in His spirit that others might be benefited? We bless God for the Gospel; are we exemplifying the spirit of the Gospel? A certain Dr. Whitaker, on reading the fifth chapter of Matthew, brake out, saying, Either this is not the Gospel, or we are not of the Gospel. And is it not to be feared that the spirit of the Gospel for which men praise God, and the spirit of their lives, are often widely different? Let-us evince the sincerity of our praise to God by imitating Him in our spirit and life. Let us admire Him, commune with Him, adore Him, until we are transformed into the same image. (W. Jones.)
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Psa 77:1-20
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 9. The meek of the earth.] The humbled or oppressed people of the land. The poor Jews, now utterly helpless, and calling upon the Lord for succour.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
When God arose to judgement; when God, who for a season had sat still, began to bestir and show himself against his enemies. Or, after God had risen, &c. Or, because God did arise, &c.
To save all the meek of the earth; to save all the godly persons (who are oft called meek ones, as hath been noted again and again) in Israel, for whose sakes God wrought this great deliverance, which reached to all the people of the land.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
When God arose to judgment,…. He may sometimes seem to be asleep, and to defer judgment, but he will arise and hasten it in his own time, and will take vengeance on all his and his people’s enemies, as he did upon the army of the Assyrians, and will upon the antichristian powers, and upon all the wicked, and at the same time will save his own people, as follows:
to save all the meek of the earth; the quiet in the land, who are afflicted in this world, despised by the men of it, are lowly and humble, and mean in their own eyes; these the Lord takes notice of and cares for them, he will beautify them with salvation; these, all of them, even everyone of them, shall be saved in him with an everlasting salvation; this verse is by some connected with the preceding; so Kimchi, “the earth feared, and was still, when God arose to judgment”, &c. and by others, as R. Moses and Aben Ezra, with the following.
Selah. [See comments on Ps 3:2].
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
9. When God arose to judgment. The great object which God had in view in executing this judgment is now declared; which was, that he might furnish a proof of his fatherly love towards all his people. He is, therefore, introduced as speaking, not with his mouth, but with his hand, that he may show to all how precious in his sight is the salvation of all who fear and love him. Under the word arise, there is a reference to the inactivity and indolency ascribed by wicked men to God, an opinion which had led them to take so much liberty to themselves. God is then said to ascend into his judgment-seat, when he plainly indicates that he exercises a special care over his Church. The design of the passage is to show that it is as impossible for God to forsake the afflicted and innocent, as it is impossible for him to deny himself. It is to be observed that he is termed Judge, because he affords succor to the poor who are unrighteously oppressed. The appellation of the meek or humble of the earth is applied to the faithful, who, subdued by afflictions, seek not high things, but, with humble groaning, patiently bear the burden of the cross. The best fruit of afflictions is, when thereby we are brought to purge our minds from all arrogance, and to bend them to meekness and modesty. When such is the effect, we may conclude with certainty that we are under the guardianship and protection of God, and that he is ready to extend his aid and favor towards us.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(9) Of the earth.Or, of the land.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 76:9 When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
Ver. 9. When God arose to judgment ] Being stirred up, as it were, by the prayers of his people, as Psa 76:2-3 .
To save all the meek of the earth
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
meek = the patient oppressed ones.
Selah. Connecting God’s judgment on Jebusites, and making it a ground of praise. See App-66.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
When: Psa 9:7-9, Psa 72:4, Psa 82:2-5, Isa 11:4, Jer 5:28
to save: Psa 25:9, Psa 149:4, Zep 2:3, Mat 5:5, 1Pe 3:4
Reciprocal: Num 12:4 – the Lord Job 31:14 – What then Psa 3:7 – Arise Psa 7:6 – to the Psa 9:19 – Arise Isa 30:7 – Their Joe 3:12 – for Hab 2:20 – let all the earth keep silence before him Zep 1:7 – thy
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
DIVINE JUDGMENT AND ITS LESSONS
God arose to judgment.
Psa 76:9
The close relationship of this psalm to Psalms 75. is universally acknowledged. Without assuming this relationship we might, especially with a peculiar interpretation of Psa 75:5, be led to bring it into connection with the defeat of the allied neighbouring nations, in the reign of Jehoshaphat, foretold by the Asaphite Jehaziel. It is now, with greater certainty, held to relate to the execution of that Divine judgment upon the Assyrians in the time of Hezekiah, which in the foregoing psalm was considered as in prophetic prospect.
I. It is first brought into view how God has again made His name glorious in His chosen dwelling-place in Jerusalem, by the annihilalation of the forces of the enemy, which before His rebuke sank down into the sleep of death (Psa 76:2-7).
II. From this the inference is drawn (Psa 76:8-10) that God, in the terribleness of His wrath, is irresistible when He arises to judgment for the deliverance of His suffering ones.
III. To this, after presenting Gods truthfulness in support of this declaration, the Psalmist adds an exhortation to a course of conduct in agreement therewith (Psa 76:11-12).The enthusiastic feeling, the courageous tone, which characterise the prophecies and also the psalms of the Assyrian period meet us here also.
Illustrations
(1) God needs only to arise to judgment and all the might of the rebellious world recoils upon itself. Therefore have believers every reason to thank God, and the heathen every reason to submit themselves to Him. For none can stand before Gods anger, and the wicked, even in their overthrow, must contribute to His glory.
(2) The whole psalm insists upon the glorifying of God, that He alone is to be feared. With this in view, therefore (1) The mercy is praised with which God has brought Himself so nigh to His people. (2) The judgments are praised which God has undertaken for the deliverance of His own. (3) Good instruction is given, how we are to regard all this, and to adore God with faith, hope, and confidence.
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
76:9 When God arose to judgment, to {f} save all the meek of the earth. Selah.
(f) To avenge the wrongs done to your Church.