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Commentary on Psalms 94 verses 1–11
In these verses we have,
I. A solemn appeal to God against the cruel oppressors of his people, Psa 94:1, Psa 94:2. This speaks terror enough to them, that they have the prayers of God's people against them, who cry day and night to him to avenge them of their adversaries; and shall he not avenge them speedily? Luk 18:3, Luk 18:7. Observe here,
1.The titles they give to God for the encouraging of their faith in this appeal: O God! to whom vengeance belongeth; and thou Judge of the earth. We may with boldness appeal to him; for, (1.) He is judge, supreme judge, judge alone, from whom every man's judgment proceeds. He that gives law gives sentence upon every man according to his works, by the rule of that law. He has prepared his throne for judgment. He has indeed appointed magistrates to be avengers under him (Rom 13:4), but he is the avenger in chief, to whom even magistrates themselves are accountable; his throne is the last refuge (the dernier ressort, as the law speaks) of oppressed innocency. He is universal judge, not of this city or country only, but judge of the earth, of the whole earth: none are exempt from his jurisdiction; nor can it be alleged against an appeal to him in any court that it is coram non judice - before a person not judicially qualified. (2.) He is just. As he has authority to avenge wrong, so it is his nature, and property, and honour. This also is implied in the title here given to him and repeated with such an emphasis, O God! to whom vengeance belongs, who wilt not suffer might always to prevail against right. This is a good reason why we must not avenge ourselves, because God has said, Vengeance is mine; and it is daring presumption to usurp his prerogative and step into his throne, Rom 12:19. Let this alarm those who do wrong, whether with a close hand, so as not to be discovered, or with a high hand, so as not to be controlled, There is a God to whom vengeance belongs, who will certainly call them to an account; and let it encourage those who suffer wrong to bear it with silence, committing themselves to him who judges righteously.
2.What it is they ask of God. (1.) That he would glorify himself, and get honour to his own name. Wicked persecutors thought God had withdrawn and had forsaken the earth. "Lord," say they, "show thyself; make them know that thou art and that thou art ready to show thyself strong on the behalf of those whose hearts are upright with thee." The enemies thought God was conquered because his people were. "Lord," say they, "lift up thyself, be thou exalted in thy own strength. Lift up thyself, to be seen, to be feared; and suffer not thy name to be trampled upon and run down." (2.) That he would mortify the oppressors: Render a reward to the proud; that is, "Reckon with them for all their insolence, and the injuries they have done to thy people." These prayers are prophecies, which speak terror to all the sons of violence. The righteous God will deal with them according to their merits.
II. A humble complaint to God of the pride and cruelty of the oppressors, and an expostulation with him concerning it, Psa 94:3-6. Here observe,
1.The character of the enemies they complain against. They are wicked; they are workers of iniquity; they are bad, very bad, themselves, and therefore they hate and persecute those whose goodness shames and condemns them. Those are wicked indeed, and workers of the worst iniquity, lost to all honour and virtue, who are cruel to the innocent and hate the righteous.
2.Their haughty barbarous carriage which they complain of. (1.) They are insolent, and take a pleasure in magnifying themselves. They talk high and talk big; they triumph; they speak loud things; they boast themselves, as if their tongues were their own and their hands too, and they were accountable to none for what they say or do, and as if the day were their own, and they doubted not but to carry the cause against God and religion. Those that speak highly of themselves, that triumph and boast, are apt to speak hardly of others; but there will come a day of reckoning for all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against God, his truths, and ways, and people, Jde 1:15. (2.) They are impious, and take a pleasure in running down God's people because they are his (Psa 94:5): "They break in pieces thy people, O Lord! break their assemblies, their estates, their families, their persons, in pieces, and do all they can to afflict thy heritage, to grieve them, to crush them, to run them down, to root them out." God's people are his heritage; there are those that, for his sake, hate them, and seek their ruin. This is a very good plea with God, in our intercessions for the church: "Lord, it is thine; thou hast a property in it. It is thy heritage; thou hast a pleasure in it, and out of it the rent of thy glory in this world issues. And wilt thou suffer these wicked men to trample upon it thus?" (3.) They are inhuman, and take a pleasure in wronging those that are least able to help themselves (Psa 94:6); they not only oppress and impoverish, but they slay the widow and the stranger; not only neglect the fatherless, and make a prey of them, but murder them, because they are weak and exposed, and sometimes lie at their mercy. Those whom they should protect from injury they are most injurious to, perhaps because God has taken them into his particular care. Who would think it possible that any of the children of men should be thus barbarous?
3.A modest pleading with God concerning the continuance of the persecution: "Lord, how long shall they do thus?" And again, How long? When shall this wickedness of the wicked come to an end?
III. A charge of atheism exhibited against the persecutors, and an expostulation with them upon that charge.
1.Their atheistical thoughts are here discovered (Psa 94:7): Yet they say, The Lord shall not see. Though the cry of their wickedness is very great and loud, though they rebel against the light of nature and the dictates of their own consciences, yet they have the confidence to say, "The Lord shall not see; he will not only wink at small faults, but shut his eyes at great ones too." Or they think they have managed it so artfully, under colour of justice and religion perhaps, that it will not be adjudged murder. "The God of Jacob, though his people pretend to have such an interest in him, does not regard it either as against justice or as against his own people; he will never call us to an account for it." Thus they deny God's government of the world, banter his covenant with his people, and set the judgment to come at defiance.
2.They are here convicted of folly and absurdity. He that says either that Jehovah the living God shall not see or that the God of Jacob shall not regard the injuries done to his people, Nabal is his name and folly is with him; and yet here he is fairly reasoned with, for his conviction and conversion, to prevent his confusion (Psa 94:8): "Understand, you brutish among the people, and let reason guide you." Note, The atheistical, though they set up for wits, and philosophers, and politicians, yet are really the brutish among the people; if they would but understand, they would believe. God, by the prophet, speaks as if he thought the time long till men would be men, and show themselves so by understanding and considering: "You fools, when will you be wise, so wise as to know that God sees and regards all you say and do, and to speak and act accordingly, as those that must give account?" Note, None are so bad but means are to be used for the reclaiming and reforming of them, none so brutish, so foolish, but it should be tried whether they may not yet be made wise; while there is life there is hope. To prove the folly of those that question God's omniscience and justice the psalmist argues,
(1.)From the works of creation (Psa 94:9), the formation of human bodies, which as it proves that there is a God, proves also that God has infinitely and transcendently in himself all those perfections that are in any creature. He that planted the ear (and it is planted in the head, as a tree in the ground) shall he not hear? No doubt he shall, more and better than we can. He that formed the eye (and how curiously it is formed above any part of the body anatomists know and let us know by their dissections) shall he not see? Could he give, would he give, that perfection to a creature which he has not in himself? Note, [1.] The powers of nature are all derived from the God of nature. See Exo 4:11. [2.] By the knowledge of ourselves we may be led a great way towards the knowledge of God - if by the knowledge of our own bodies, and the organs of sense, so as to conclude that if we can see and hear much more can God, then certainly by the knowledge of our own souls and their noble faculties. The gods of the heathen had eyes and saw not, ears and heard not; our God has no eyes nor ears, as we have, and yet we must conclude he both sees and hears, because we have our sight and hearing from him, and are accountable to him for our use of them.
(2.)From the works of providence (Psa 94:10): He that chastises the heathen for their polytheism and idolatry, shall not he much more correct his own people for their atheism and profaneness? He that chastises the children of men for oppressing and wronging one another, shall not he correct those that profess to be his own children, and call themselves so, and yet persecute those that are really so? Shall not we be under his correction, under whose government the whole world is? Does he regard as King of nations, and shall he not much more regard as the God of Jacob? Dr. Hammond gives another very probably sense of this: "He that instructs the nations (that is, gives them his law), shall not he correct, that is, shall not he judge them according to that law, and call them to an account for their violations of it? In vain was the law given if there will not be a judgment upon it." And it is true that the same word signifies to chastise and to instruct, because chastisement is intended for instruction and instruction should go along with chastisement.
(3.)From the works of grace: He that teaches man knowledge, shall he not know? He not only, as the God of nature, has given the light of reason, but, as the God of grace, has given the light of revelation, has shown man what is true wisdom and understanding; and he that does this, shall he not know? Job 28:23, Job 28:28. The flowing of the streams is a certain sign of the fulness of the fountain. If all knowledge is from God, no doubt all knowledge is in God. From this general doctrine of God's omniscience, the psalmist not only confutes the atheists, who said, "The Lord shall not see (Psa 94:7), he will not take cognizance of what we do;" but awakens us all to consider that God will take cognizance even of what we think (Psa 94:11): The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. [1.] He knows those thoughts in particular, concerning God's conniving at the wickedness of the wicked, and knows them to be vain, and laughs at the folly of those who by such fond conceits buoy themselves up in sin. [2.] He knows all the thoughts of the children of men, and knows them to be, for the most part, vain, that the imaginations of the thoughts of men's hearts are evil, only evil, and that continually. Even in good thoughts there is a fickleness and inconstancy which may well be called vanity. It concerns us to keep a strict guard upon our thoughts, because God takes particular notice of them. Thoughts are words to God, and vain thoughts are provocations.
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. [Psalms 94:11] Therefore let no man glory in men. For all things are yours; Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; And ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.
"The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are but vain" [Psalm 94:11]. For although you know not the thoughts of God, that they are righteous; "He knows the thoughts of man, that they are but vain." Even men have known the thoughts of God: but those to whom He has become a friend, it is to them He shows His counsel. Do not, brethren, despise yourselves: if you approach the Lord with faith, you hear the thoughts of God; these you are now learning, this is told you, and for this reason you are taught, why God spares the wicked in this life, that you may not murmur against God, who teaches man knowledge. "The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are but vain." Abandon therefore the thoughts of man, which are vain: that you may take hold on the thoughts of God, which are wise. But who is he who takes hold on the thoughts of God? He who is placed in the firmament of heaven. We have already chanted that Psalm, and have expounded this expression therein.
People argue against this evident truth. What else, after all, could you expect from mere people, who savor the things of humankind, but to argue about God against God? I mean, he is God, they are mere individuals. But God "knows the thoughts of people, that they are vain." With worldly, materialistic people, what they are in the habit of observing entirely governs their manner of understanding. What they are accustomed to see, they can believe; what they aren't, they can't. God performs miracles that go beyond what we are accustomed to, because he is God. It is in fact a greater miracle, so many people being born every day who did not previously exist, than a few having risen again, who did exist; and yet this kind of miracle is not seriously considered and appreciated, but being so common is disregarded as uninteresting. Christ rose again; the case is complete and closed. He was body, he was flesh, which hung on the cross, gave up the soul, was placed in the tomb. He presented it alive, seeing he lived in it. Why are we astonished, why don't we believe? It is God who did it. Reflect on the one who brought it about, and you eliminate all possibility of doubt.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 94:11 powerfully declares God's absolute and comprehensive knowledge of all human thoughts, revealing their inherent nature as "vanity." This profound statement underscores the divine attribute of omniscience, asserting that no human intention, scheme, or intellectual pursuit, particularly those conceived in self-sufficiency or opposition to God's purposes, can escape His penetrating gaze. Furthermore, it highlights the intrinsic emptiness, futility, and transient nature of human reasoning and endeavors when they are not aligned with divine wisdom and eternal truth, serving as both a comforting assurance for the righteous and a sobering warning for the wicked.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 94:11 employs several literary devices to convey its powerful message. Personification is evident in the depiction of the LORD as actively "knowing" and discerning, attributing human-like cognitive abilities to God, albeit on an infinite and perfect scale. The statement "that they [are] vanity" utilizes Metaphor, comparing human thoughts to "vapor" or "breath" (the literal meaning of hebel), thereby conveying their ephemeral, insubstantial, and ultimately futile nature. This also borders on Hyperbole, as not all human thoughts are inherently evil or entirely without temporary effect, but the psalmist emphasizes their ultimate lack of lasting value or ability to thwart God's plans. Furthermore, there is a strong element of Contrast between the infinite, perfect knowledge of God and the limited, often misguided, and ultimately vain thoughts of humanity. This contrast serves to elevate God's wisdom and sovereignty while humbling human pride and self-sufficiency.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 94:11 stands as a profound theological statement on the nature of God and humanity. It firmly establishes God's omniscience as a foundational attribute, asserting that His knowledge is not merely extensive but exhaustive, penetrating the most private and hidden aspects of human existence—our thoughts. This divine insight ensures that no wickedness goes unseen, no injustice unperceived, and no secret plan escapes His notice, providing immense comfort to the oppressed and a stark warning to the wicked. The declaration that human thoughts are "vanity" underscores the inherent limitations and ultimate futility of human wisdom and endeavors when divorced from divine truth. It reminds us that true wisdom and lasting purpose are found only in aligning our minds with God's perfect will, as human schemes, however clever, are ultimately transient and powerless against the eternal counsel of the Almighty.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 94:11 offers a sobering yet profoundly liberating truth for contemporary believers. The knowledge that God intimately "knoweth the thoughts of man" should cultivate profound humility within us, reminding us that our most intricate plans, our deepest desires, and even our secret musings are fully exposed before His divine gaze. This awareness calls us to a rigorous self-examination, prompting us to align our inner world—our motives, intentions, and thought patterns—with God's truth and righteousness. It challenges the pride of human intellect and self-sufficiency, urging us to surrender our own wisdom to His infinite understanding. For those who feel overlooked or oppressed, this verse provides immense comfort, assuring them that God sees the hidden machinations of their adversaries and that the wicked's schemes are ultimately futile. Conversely, for those tempted to act with malice, deceit, or self-serving ambition, it serves as a powerful deterrent, reminding them that no thought can be hidden from the ultimate Judge. Ultimately, understanding the "vanity" of thoughts apart from God compels us to invest our minds and energies into pursuits that possess eternal value, seeking to think God's thoughts after Him and to live purposefully for His glory, recognizing that true significance comes only from Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What does "vanity" truly mean in the context of Psalms 94:11?
Answer: In Psalms 94:11, "vanity" (Hebrew: hebel) signifies emptiness, futility, transience, and lack of lasting substance. It means that human thoughts, especially those conceived in opposition to God's will, or those pursued independently of Him, are ultimately without real value or enduring effect. They are like a fleeting breath or vapor, here one moment and gone the next, unable to achieve ultimate purpose or thwart God's eternal plans. This concept is famously explored in the book of Ecclesiastes, where the author repeatedly declares "vanity of vanities" to describe all human striving and wisdom apart from God.
How does God's knowledge of our thoughts impact us personally?
Answer: God's intimate knowledge of our thoughts has profound implications. For the righteous, it offers immense comfort and assurance that God sees their struggles, understands their true intentions, and is aware of every injustice they face, even the hidden schemes of their oppressors. This provides a basis for trust in His ultimate justice and vindication. For those who might harbor wicked or selfish thoughts, it serves as a sobering reminder of accountability. There is no hiding from God; every secret thought is laid bare before Him. This should motivate us to cultivate a pure heart and mind, seeking to align our inner world with God's righteousness, as the Lord "searches the heart and examines the mind" as stated in Jeremiah 17:10.
Is all human thought considered "vanity" according to this verse?
Answer: Not all human thought is inherently "vanity." The context of Psalm 94 is a lament against the wicked and their oppressive schemes. Therefore, the "thoughts of man" here primarily refer to those thoughts, plans, and intentions that are self-serving, rebellious against God, or aimed at injustice. When human thoughts are aligned with God's truth, inspired by His Spirit, and directed towards His purposes, they are not vain but can be instruments of His will. However, the verse serves as a general caution that any human thought, when disconnected from divine wisdom and eternal purpose, ultimately falls into the category of "vanity"—lacking ultimate meaning or lasting significance in God's grand design. It reminds us that true wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, as Proverbs 1:7 teaches.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalms 94:11 finds its ultimate fulfillment and deepest meaning in Jesus Christ. As the eternal Son of God, Christ perfectly embodies the divine omniscience described, knowing not only the actions but also the very thoughts and intentions of all humanity. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus repeatedly demonstrates this profound insight, discerning the hidden motives of the Pharisees, knowing the thoughts of those who questioned Him, and even perceiving the faith or doubt within individuals' hearts, as seen when He knew the thoughts of the scribes in Mark 2:8. Furthermore, the "vanity" of human thoughts apart from God is powerfully addressed in Christ. Humanity's greatest "vanity" is its rebellion against God, its self-sufficient wisdom that rejects divine truth, and its futile attempts to establish righteousness apart from Him. Jesus, however, is the embodiment of divine wisdom, the one through whom all things were created and in whom all true knowledge resides, as highlighted in Colossians 2:3. Through His atoning sacrifice, Christ offers a transformation of the human mind, replacing vain thoughts with thoughts of truth, righteousness, and eternal purpose. The believer, through union with Christ, gains access to the "mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16), allowing their thoughts to be renewed by the Spirit and directed towards God's glory, thus escaping the inherent futility of a life lived by human wisdom alone and finding true purpose in Him.