TRV
Translation
King James Version
O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
Complete Jewish Bible
The enemy is finished, in ruins forever; you destroyed their cities; all memory of them is lost.
Berean Standard Bible
The enemy has come to eternal ruin, and You have uprooted their cities; the very memory of them has vanished.
American Standard Version
The enemy are come to an end, they are desolate for ever; And the cities which thou hast overthrown, The very remembrance of them is perished.
World English Bible Messianic
The enemy is overtaken by endless ruin. The very memory of the cities which you have overthrown has perished.
Geneva Bible (1599)
O enemie, destructions are come to a perpetual end, and thou hast destroyed the cities: their memoriall is perished with them.
Young's Literal Translation
O thou Enemy, Finished have been destructions for ever, As to cities thou hast plucked up, Perished hath their memorial with them.
In the KJVVerse 14,028 of 31,102
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Commentary on Psalms 9 verses 1–10
1 ¶ To the chief Musician upon Muthlabben, A Psalm of David. I will praise thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
7 But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
9 The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
The title of this psalm gives a very uncertain sound concerning the occasion of penning it. It is upon Muth-labben, which some make to refer to the death of Goliath, others of Nabal, others of Absalom; but I incline to think it signifies only some tone, or some musical instrument, to which this psalm was intended to be sung; and that the enemies David is here triumphing in the defeat of are the Philistines, and the other neighbouring nations that opposed his settlement in the throne, whom he contested with and subdued in the beginning of his reign, Sa2 5:8. In these verses,
I. David excites and engages himself to praise God for his mercies and the great things he had of late done for him and his government, Psa 9:1, Psa 9:2. Note, 1. God expects suitable returns of praise from those for whom he has done marvellous works. 2. If we would praise God acceptably, we must praise him in sincerity, with our hearts, and not only with our lips, and be lively and fervent in the duty, with our whole heart. 3. When we give thanks for some one particular mercy we should take occasion thence to remember former mercies and so to show forth all his marvellous works. 4. Holy joy is the life of thankful praise, as thankful praise is the language of holy joy: I will be glad and rejoice in thee. 5. Whatever occurs to make us glad, our joy must pass through it, and terminate in God only: I will be glad and rejoice in thee, not in the gift so much as in the giver. 6. Joy and praise are properly expressed by singing psalms. 7. When God has shown himself to be above the proud enemies of the church we must take occasion thence to give glory to him as the Most High. 8. The triumphs of the Redeemer ought to be the triumphs of the redeemed; see Rev 12:10; Rev 19:5; Rev 15:3, Rev 15:4.
II. He acknowledges the almighty power of God as that which the strongest and stoutest of his enemies were no way able to contest with or stand before, Psa 9:3. But, 1. They are forced to turn back. Their policy and their courage fail them, so that they cannot, they dare not, push forward in their enterprises, but retire with precipitation. 2. When once they turn back, they fall and perish; even their retreat will be their ruin, and they will save themselves no more by flying than by fighting. If Haman begin to fall before Mordecai, he is a lost man, and shall prevail no more; see Est 6:13. 3. The presence of the Lord, and the glory of his power, are sufficient for the destruction of his and his people's enemies. That is easily done which a man does with his very presence; with that God confounds his enemies, such a presence has he. This was fulfilled when our Lord Jesus, with one word, I am he, made his enemies to fall back at his presence (Joh 18:6) and he could, at the same time, have made them perish. 4. When the enemies of God's church are put to confusion we must ascribe their discomfiture to the power, not of instruments, but of his presence, and give him all the glory.
III. He gives to God the glory of his righteousness, in his appearing on his behalf (Psa 9:4): "Thou hast maintained my right and my cause, that is, my righteous cause; when that came on, thou satest in the throne, judging right." Observe, 1. God sits in the throne of judgment. To him it belongs to decide controversies, to determine appeals, to avenge the injured, and to punish the injurious; for he has said, Vengeance is mine. 2. We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth and that with him there is no unrighteousness. Far be it from God that he should pervert justice. If there seem to us to be some irregularity in the present decisions of Providence, yet these, instead of shaking our belief of God's justice, may serve to strengthen our belief of the judgment to come, which will set all to-rights. 3. Whoever disown and desert a just and injured cause, we may be sure that the righteous God will maintain it and plead it with jealousy, and will never suffer it to be run down.
IV. He records, with joy, the triumphs of the God of heaven over all the powers of hell and attends those triumphs with his praises, Psa 9:5. By three steps the power and justice of God had proceeded against the heathen, and wicked people, who were enemies to the king God had lately set up upon his holy hill of Zion. 1. He had checked them: "Thou hast rebuked the heathen, hast given them real proofs of thy displeasure against them." This he did before he destroyed them, that they might take warning by the rebukes of Providence and so prevent their own destruction. 2. He had cut them off: Thou hast destroyed the wicked. The wicked are marked for destruction, and some are made monuments of God's vindictive justice and destructive power in this world. 3. He had buried them in oblivion and perpetual infamy, had put out their name for ever, that they should never be remembered with any respect.
V. He exults over the enemy whom God thus appears against (Psa 9:6): Thou hast destroyed cities. Either, "Thou, O enemy! hast destroyed our cities, at least in intention and imagination," or "Thou, O God! hast destroyed their cities by the desolation brought upon their country." It may be taken either way; for the psalmist will have the enemy to know, 1. That their destruction is just and that God was but reckoning with them for all the mischief which they had done and designed against his people. The malicious and vexatious neighbours of Israel, as the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, and Syrians, had made incursions upon them (when there was no king in Israel to fight their battles), had destroyed their cities and done what they could to make their memorial perish with them. But now the wheel was turned upon them; their destructions of Israel had come to a perpetual end; they shall now cease to spoil and must themselves be spoiled, Isa 33:1. 2. That it is total and final, such a destruction as should make a perpetual end of them, so that the very memorial of their cities should perish with them, So devouring a thing is time, and much more such desolations do the righteous judgments of God make upon sinners, that great and populous cities have been reduced to such ruins that their very memorial has perished, and those who have sought them could not find where they stood; but we look for a city that has stronger foundations.
VI. He comforts himself and others in God, and pleases himself with the thoughts of him. 1. With the thoughts of his eternity. On this earth we see nothing durable, even strong cities are buried in rubbish and forgotten; but the Lord shall endure for ever, Psa 9:7. There is no change of his being; his felicity, power, and perfection, are out of the reach of all the combined forces of hell and earth; they may put an end to our liberties, our privileges, our lives, but our God is still the same, and sits even upon the floods, unshaken, undisturbed, Psa 29:10; Psa 93:2. 2. With the thoughts of his sovereignty both in government and judgment: He has prepared his throne, has fixed it by his infinite wisdom, has fixed it by his immutable counsel. It is the great support and comfort of good people, when the power of the church's enemies is threatening and the posture of its affairs melancholy and perplexed, that God now rules the world and will shortly judge the world. 3. With the thoughts of his justice and righteousness in all the administrations of his government. He does all every day, he will do all at the last day, according to the eternal unalterable rules of equity (Psa 9:8): He shall judge the world, all persons and all controversies, shall minister judgment to the people (shall determine their lot both in this and in the future state) in righteousness and in uprightness, so that there shall not be the least colour of exception against it. 4. With the thoughts of that peculiar favour which God bears to his own people and the special protection which he takes them under. The Lord, who endures for ever, is their everlasting strength and protection; he that judges the world will be sure to judge for them, when at any time they are injured or distressed (Psa 9:9): He will be a refuge for the oppressed, a high place, a strong place, for the oppressed, in times of trouble. It is the lot of God's people to be oppressed in this world and to have troublous times appointed to them. Perhaps God may not immediately appear for them as their deliverer and avenger; but, in the midst of their distresses, they may by faith flee to him as their refuge and may depend upon his power and promise for their safety, so that no real hurt shall be done them. 5. With the thoughts of that sweet satisfaction and repose of mind which those have that make God their refuge (Psa 9:10): "Those that know thy name will put their trust in thee, as I have done" (for the grace of God is the same in all the saints), "and then they will find, as I have found, that thou dost not forsake those that seek thee;" for the favour of God is the same towards all the saints. Note, (1.) The better God is known the more he is trusted. Those who know him to be a God of infinite wisdom will trust him further than they can see him (Job 35:14); those who know him to be a God of almighty power will trust him when creature-confidences fail and they have nothing else to trust to (Ch2 20:12); and those who know him to be a God of infinite grace and goodness will trust him though he slay them, Job 13:15. Those who know him to be a God of inviolable truth and faithfulness will rejoice in his word of promise, and rest upon that, though the performance be deferred and intermediate providences seem to contradict it. Those who know him to be the Father of spirits, and an everlasting Father, will trust him with their souls as their main care and trust in him at all times, even to the end. (2.) The more God is trusted the more he is sought unto. If we trust God we shall seek him by faithful and fervent prayer, and by a constant care to approve ourselves to him in the whole course of our conversations. (3.) God never did, nor ever will, disown or desert any that duly seek to him and trust in him. Though he afflict them, he will not leave them comfortless; though he seem to forsake them for a while, yet he will gather them with everlasting mercies.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 1–10. Public domain.
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Anthony the Great (as quoted by Athanasius, AD 373)AD 356
LIFE OF ANTHONY 41-42
Once someone knocked at the door of my cell. And when I went out, I saw someone who seemed massive and tall. When I asked, “Who are you?” he said, “I am Satan.” I said, “What are you doing here?” And he asked, “Why do the monks and all the other Christians censure me without cause? Why do they curse me every hour?” When I replied, “Why do you torment them?” he said, “I am not the one tormenting them, but they disturb themselves, for I have become weak. Haven’t they read that ‘the swords of the enemy have failed utterly, and that you have destroyed their cities’? I no longer have a place—no weapon, no city. There are Christians everywhere, and even the desert has filled with monks. Let them watch after themselves and stop censuring me for no reason!” Marveling then at the grace of the Lord, I said to him, “Even though you are always a liar and never tell the truth, nevertheless this time, even if you did not intend to, you have spoken truly. For Christ in his coming reduced you to weakness, and after throwing you down he left you defenseless.” On hearing the Savior’s name, and being unable to endure the scorching from it, he became invisible. Now if even the devil confesses that he is able to do nothing, then we ought to treat him and his demons with utter contempt. For his part, the enemy with his dogs has treacheries of the sort I have described, but we are able to scorn them, having learned of their weakness. Therefore let us not be plunged into despair in this way, or contemplate horrors in the soul or invent fears for ourselves.… Let us consider in our soul that the Lord is with us, he who routed them and reduced them to idleness. Let us likewise always understand and take it to heart that while the Lord is with us, the enemies will do nothing to us.
John ChrysostomAD 407
COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 9:3
God’s anger is like that, you see: it razes and destroys everything. Or what another translator teaches us in saying “deserts,” implying that he razed not only their inhabited places but also their uninhabited places, and laid waste their cities. Such, in fact, is the way the righteous person waged war, such the way he put down his foes, not employing light and heavy weapons but enjoying grace from God. Hence for him the war was glorious and famous, and his victory overwhelming.
Augustine of HippoAD 430
Exposition on Psalm 9
"The swords of the enemy have failed at the end" [Psalm 9:6]. Not enemies in the plural, but this enemy in the singular. Now what enemy's swords have failed but the devil's? Now these are understood to be various erroneous opinions, whereby as with swords he destroys souls. In overcoming these swords, and in bringing them to failure, that sword is employed, of which it is said in the seventh Psalm, "If you be not converted, He will brandish His sword." And perhaps this is the end, against which the swords of the enemy fail; since up to it they are of some avail. Now it works secretly, but in the last judgment it will be brandished openly. By it the cities are destroyed. For so it follows, "The swords of the enemy have failed at the end: and You have destroyed the cities." Cities indeed wherein the devil rules, where crafty and deceitful counsels hold, as it were, the place of a court, on which supremacy attend as officers and ministers the services of all the members, the eyes for curiosity, the ears for lasciviousness, or for whatsoever else is gladly listened to that bears on evil, the hands for rapine or any other violence or pollution soever, and all the other members after this manner serving the tyrannical supremacy, that is, perverse counsels. Of this city the commonalty, as it were, are all soft affections and disturbing emotions of the mind, stirring up daily seditions in a man. So then where a king, where a court, where ministers, where commonalty are found, there is a city. Now again would such things be in bad cities, unless they were first in individual men, who are, as it were, the elements and seeds of cities. These cities He destroys, when on the prince being shut out thence, of whom it was said, "The prince of this world" has been "cast out," [John 12:31] these kingdoms are wasted by the word of truth, evil counsels are laid to sleep, vile affections tamed, the ministries of the members and senses taken captive, and transferred to the service of righteousness and good works: that as the Apostle says, "Sin should no more reign in" our "mortal body," [Romans 6:12] and so forth. Then is the soul at peace, and the man is disposed to receive rest and blessedness. "Their memorial has perished with uproar:" with the uproar, that is, of the ungodly. But it is said, "with uproar," either because when ungodliness is overturned, there is uproar made: for none passes to the highest place, where there is the deepest silence, but he who with much uproar shall first have warred with his own vices: or "with uproar," is said, that the memory of the ungodly should perish in the perishing even of the very uproar, in which ungodliness riots.
Theodoret of CyrusAD 458
COMMENTARY ON THE PSALMS 9:5
[The godless one] was stripped of his own weapons, having no supporters of his godlessness; instead, those who appointed themselves his instruments have now changed sides and taken up the fight against him. With the overthrow of godlessness practiced in them in former times, the cities took on the building up of true religion; it would have been impossible for them to develop true religion had not they overthrown godlessness first.
John DamasceneAD 749
BARLAAM AND JOSEPH 7:55
From there by his grace [the apostles] were scattered abroad among all nations and preached the orthodox faith, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all the commandments of the Savior. So they gave light to the people that wandered in darkness and abolished the superstitious error of idolatry. Though the enemy chafes under his defeat and even now stirs up war against us, the faithful, persuading the fools and unwise to cling to the worship of idols, yet is his power grown feeble, and his swords have at last failed him by the power of Christ.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Psalm 9:6 delivers a powerful declaration of divine judgment, proclaiming the decisive and permanent defeat of the enemy. It asserts that the destructive campaigns and ruinous acts of the adversary have reached an irreversible conclusion, and their very legacy, along with their ruined cities, has vanished into oblivion. This verse functions as a triumphant pronouncement of God's righteous justice, starkly contrasting the fleeting and ultimately futile nature of human evil and its desolating impact with the enduring sovereignty of God, who ensures the ultimate triumph of righteousness and the complete obliteration of all that opposes His will.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 9:6 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound message of divine triumph and judgment. The direct address, Apostrophe, "O thou enemy," creates a dramatic and confrontational tone, allowing the psalmist to directly taunt the defeated foe, emphasizing the personal nature of God's victory. This is immediately followed by a stark Contrast between the enemy's past destructive power ("thou hast destroyed cities") and their present state of utter obliteration ("destructions are come to a perpetual end," "their memorial is perished with them"). This contrast powerfully underscores the finality and totality of God's judgment. The phrase "perpetual end" uses Hyperbole to emphasize the absolute and eternal nature of the enemy's defeat, suggesting a cessation so complete it extends infinitely beyond human comprehension. Furthermore, the concept of a "memorial" perishing is a form of Metonymy, where "memorial" stands for the entire legacy, reputation, and historical impact of the enemy. The complete erasure of this memorial functions as a powerful Symbolism of God's ultimate victory over evil, where not only is the physical threat removed, but even the memory of its existence is wiped clean, leaving no trace for future generations to recall or fear.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalm 9:6 offers profound theological insights into God's character and His active interaction with the world. It reveals God as the sovereign Judge who not only perceives injustice and oppression but actively intervenes to bring it to a decisive and permanent end. The permanence of the enemy's defeat and the obliteration of their memorial underscore the futility of human rebellion against divine authority and the ultimate triumph of God's righteous order. This verse assures believers that evil, no matter how formidable or destructive it may appear, has a finite lifespan and will ultimately be consigned to oblivion by the just and powerful hand of God. It provides a foundational promise of hope in God's ultimate victory over all forms of wickedness, promising a future where the destructive power of evil is forever broken and its memory erased, vindicating the righteous and establishing God's eternal kingdom.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 9:6 serves as a powerful and enduring reminder for believers in every generation that God is not a distant observer but is actively engaged in the world, bringing justice and setting things right according to His perfect will. In a world frequently plagued by seemingly endless cycles of violence, oppression, and injustice, this verse offers a profound and unwavering anchor for our hope. It encourages us to place our complete trust in God's ultimate sovereignty, knowing with certainty that no matter how powerful or destructive adversaries may appear, their reign is temporary, and their capacity for harm will ultimately be brought to a "perpetual end" by divine decree. This liberating truth should empower us to persevere through personal trials, to courageously stand against injustice in our communities, and to live with an eternal perspective, understanding that only what is built upon God's unchanging principles and truth has lasting value. The impermanence of evil and the glorious promise of its obliteration should motivate us to invest our lives wholeheartedly in what truly endures—God's eternal kingdom and His righteousness—rather than succumbing to the fleeting allure of worldly power or destructive ambitions.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Does this verse imply that God literally erases historical records or memories of evil people?
Answer: While the language "their memorial is perished with them" is indeed strong and evocative, it is primarily a theological and poetic declaration of ultimate judgment and the utter futility of opposing God, rather than a literal promise of historical amnesia. In ancient Near Eastern thought, to have one's "memorial" perish meant the complete cessation of one's name, fame, and legacy—the ultimate disgrace and obliteration of their impact. It signifies that God's judgment is so absolute that the enemy's power, influence, and very reason for remembrance are utterly negated in the divine economy. While historical records might continue to exist, their significance and the power they once represented are rendered meaningless in the face of God's eternal reign. This emphasizes that only God's name and His righteous deeds endure forever, while all that opposes Him ultimately fades into oblivion, as seen in the powerful contrast with Psalm 102:12.
Who is "the enemy" referred to in this psalm?
Answer: In the Psalms, "the enemy" can have multiple layers of meaning, reflecting both immediate historical realities and broader theological truths. On a literal level, it refers to specific human adversaries or nations that opposed David and Israel. Historically, this could include the Philistines, Ammonites, or other hostile kingdoms that threatened God's people. However, on a broader theological level, "the enemy" also represents any force, human or spiritual, that opposes God's righteous rule, His covenant people, and His divine purposes. This encompasses oppressive regimes, wicked individuals, and ultimately, the spiritual forces of evil. The universal language of the psalm allows it to apply to any manifestation of evil that seeks to destroy or oppress, assuring believers that God will ultimately triumph over all such opposition, bringing their destructive power to a "perpetual end" and ensuring their "memorial is perished."
How does this verse relate to the concept of God's vengeance?
Answer: This verse certainly speaks to God's righteous judgment and the decisive defeat of His adversaries, which can be seen as a form of divine vengeance. However, it is crucial to understand biblical "vengeance" not as capricious or personal retaliation, but as God's just and holy response to sin and evil, aimed at upholding His perfect righteousness and restoring cosmic order. When the psalmist declares that "destructions are come to a perpetual end" and the enemy's "memorial is perished," it is a profound declaration that God is actively intervening to dismantle oppressive power and ensure that evil's destructive reign is not eternal. This is not for God's personal gratification but for the vindication of His justice, the deliverance of the oppressed, and the establishment of His righteous kingdom, as promised in passages like Deuteronomy 32:35. It ultimately serves to establish God's eternal reign where righteousness dwells and evil is no more.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 9:6 finds its ultimate and most profound fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. The "enemy" whose destructions come to a perpetual end is ultimately Satan, the "prince of this world" (John 12:31) and the instigator of all evil, sin, and destruction in creation. Through His crucifixion and glorious resurrection, Jesus decisively defeated the power of sin, death, and the devil. The cross, though appearing as a moment of defeat to human eyes, was in fact the ultimate triumph where Christ "disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" (Colossians 2:15). The "perpetual end" of destructions is realized in Christ's victory over death, which has irrevocably lost its sting and power (1 Corinthians 15:55). Furthermore, the profound promise that the enemy's "memorial is perished with them" points to the final eschatological judgment where Satan and all who have persistently opposed God will be cast into the lake of fire, eternally removed from God's presence and memory (Revelation 20:10). In Christ, believers are assured that though evil may rage for a time, its power is broken, and its ultimate destiny is oblivion, while the glorious memorial of Christ's redemptive work and the names of His redeemed endure forever in God's eternal kingdom, where every tear will be wiped away (Revelation 21:4).