Ps. 94:0 THE ARGUMENT The matter of this Psalm plainly declares the occasion of it to be the oppressions and persecutions of God’s people by wicked and cruel tyrants and enemies, against whom he prays for the Divine aid. The psalmist, calling to God for justice, Ps.

As thou art the supreme Judge of the world, the Patron and Protector of the righteous, and the declared enemy of all wickedness and wicked men.

Lift up thyself; either, 1. Ascend thy tribunal to pronounce the sentence. Or, 2. Arise from thy seat, and bestir thyself to punish thy proud enemies, as it here follows.

Utter; or, pour forth freely, constantly, abundantly, as a fountain doth waters, as this Hebrew word signifies. Hard things; grievous, and insolent, and intolerable words against thee and thy people; blasphemous, malicious, contemptuous, and minatory words.

Those righteous persons whom thou hast chosen for thy portion or inheritance.

Whom common humanity obliged them to spare, and pity, and relieve.

Their impunity and prosperity in their impious and barbarous practices make them ready to doubt of or to deny the providence of God in the government of his church and of the world.

You who, though you think yourselves the wisest of men, yet in truth are the most brutish of all people; for the Hebrews oft express their superlatives in this manner, as Prov. 30:30, Song 1:8;c. You that have only the shape, but not the understanding, of a man in you.

Planted: the word is very emphatical, signifying the excellent structure of the ear, or the several organs or instruments belonging to the sense of hearing, and the exact position and firm settlement of all those parts in their proper places; which is justly admired by all that understand it.

He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? He who, when he pleaseth, can and doth punish the Gentiles or nations of the world, is he not able to punish you for your wicked speeches and actions? Or, He that instructeth or teacheth (as this word signifies, Prov. 9:7, Isa.

This is an answer to the foregoing question, shall not he know? Yes, he knoweth all things, yea, even the most secret things, as the thoughts of men; and in particular your atheistical thoughts, and much more doth he know your wicked practices, which you said he did not see, Ps. 94:6–7.

And whereas these ungodly persons esteem themselves the only happy men, and conclude thy people to be of all men the most miserable, because of the manifold persecutions and afflictions which they commonly suffer, and upon this account dispute against thy providence, so far is their opinion from…

For their present and short troubles prepare them for, and lead them to, true rest and blessedness, whilst the seeming felicities of the wicked make way for those tremendous judgments which God hath prepared for them.

Though God may for a time correct his, people, yet he will not utterly destroy them, as he will their enemies, but will in his time put an end to all their calamities.

But although the world is now full of unrighteous judgments, and even God himself seems not to judge and administer things justly, because he suffers his people to be oppressed, and the wicked to triumph over them, yet the state or things shall be otherwise ordered, God will declare himself to be a…

To defend and help me. I looked hither and thither, and called to my friends for their help, saying, Who will, & c.? but none of them appeared, but God alone helped me, as he saith in the next verse.

In the place of silence, to wit, the grave. Compare Job 3:17–18, Ps. 88:12, Ps. 115:17.

My foot slippeth; I am now upon the point of falling into mischief and utter destruction.

In the multitude of my thoughts; whilst my heart was filled with various and perplexing thoughts, as this Hebrew word signifies, and tormented with cares and fears about my future state.

Wilt thou take part with the unrighteous powers of the world, who oppress thy people? It is true, they partake of thy name, being called gods, Ps. 82:1, but I know thou wilt not afford them thy protection and patronage, but wilt manifest thy justice and displeasure against them.

Against the soul; against the life, as the soul commonly signifies, and as the next clause explains it. They are not satisfied with the spoil of their estates, but do also thirst after their lives.

Their own iniquity, i.e. the fruit and punishment of their sins. In their own wickedness; either in the midst of their sins; or by their own wicked devices, the mischief whereof he will cause to fall upon their own heads.