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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 Wicked persecutors thought God had withdrawn and had forsaken the earth.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.
We have discussed the prayer of holy Job; now let us approach that prayer that we have found in the psalms. David spoke out in many passages in regard to worldly vanity; he often asserted that the supposed goods of this world were vain, especially in the thirty-eighth psalm, in which he says, “And indeed all things are vanity, every one living. Although a person walks in the image of God, yet he is troubled vainly. He stores up, and he knows not for whom he is gathering these things.” And in another passage he says, “How long shall sinners, O Lord, how long shall sinners glory?”—because here they have a shadow of glory, but, when they have departed from life, they will not have the benefit of consolation. Still, the same David introduced into the collection Psalm 72 [LXX]. In it he declares, under the title Asaph, that at first he almost fell, being afflicted with great pain. For he saw that sinners were wealthy and rich in this world and enjoyed prosperity and abundance, whereas he, who was just in his heart, was in afflictions and tribulations. He had committed a rather serious offense in the beginning; later he had been corrected and enlightened through the scourges of the Lord and had learned the course of true surrender by the gift of God’s knowledge.
"Lord, how long shall the ungodly, how long shall the ungodly triumph?" [Psalm 94:3]. "They answer, and will speak wickedness, they all will speak that work unrighteousness" [Psalm 94:4]. What is their saying, but against God, when they say: What profits it us that we live thus? What will you reply? Does God truly regard our deeds? For because they live, they imagine that God knows not their actions. Behold, what evil happens unto them! If the officers knew where they were, they would arrest them; and they therefore avoid the officer's eyes, that they may escape instant apprehension; but no one can escape the eye of God, since He not only sees within the closet, but within the recesses of the heart. Even they themselves believe that nothing can escape God: and because they do evil, and are conscious of what they have done, and see that they live while God knows, though they would not live if the officer discovered them; they say unto themselves, These things please God: and, in truth, if they displeased Him, as they displease kings, as they displease judges, as they displease governors, as they displease recorders, yet could we escape the eye of God, as we do escape the eyes of those authorities? Therefore these things please God....Some righteous man comes, and says, Do not commit iniquity. Wherefore? That you may not die. Behold, iniquity I have committed: why do I not die? That man wrought righteousness: and he is dead: why is he dead? I have wrought iniquity: why has not God carried me off? Behold, that man did righteously: and why has He thus visited him? Why suffers He thus? They answer; this is the meaning of the word "answer:" for they have a reply to make; because they are spared, from the long-suffering of God, they discover an argument for their reply. He spares them for one reason, they answer for another, because they still live. For the Apostle tells us wherefore He spares, he expounds the grounds of the long-suffering of God: "And do you think this, O man, who judges those who do such things, and does the same, that you shall escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering; not knowing that the long-suffering of God leads you to repentance?" "But you," that is, he who answers and says, If I displeased God, He would not spare me, hear what he works for himself; hear the Apostle; "but after your hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up into yourself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his deeds." [Romans 2:5-6] He therefore increases His long-suffering, you increase your iniquity. His treasure will consist in eternal mercy towards those who have not despised His mercy; but your treasure will be discovered in wrath, and what thou daily layest up little by little, you will find in the accumulated mass; you lay up by the grain, but you will find the whole heap. Omit not to watch your slightest daily sins: rivers are filled from the smallest drops.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 94:3 encapsulates a raw and urgent lament from the psalmist, articulating a profound anguish and exasperation over the persistent, seemingly unchecked prosperity and arrogant triumph of the wicked. This poignant cry serves as a desperate appeal to God, questioning the apparent delay of divine justice in the face of rampant evil and pleading for the swift vindication of the righteous. It captures the universal human struggle with injustice and the deep yearning for divine intervention.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Psalm 94 is a fervent communal lament and a passionate appeal for divine justice, strategically placed within the Psalter as part of Book IV (Psalms 90-106), which often emphasizes God's kingship and sovereignty. The psalm opens with a powerful invocation to "the God to whom vengeance belongs" Psalms 94:1, immediately establishing a tone of righteous indignation and a demand for divine retribution. The psalmist observes the cruel deeds, boastful arrogance, and oppressive actions of those who "speak mischievous things" and "triumph" over God's heritage, seemingly without consequence Psalms 94:4-5. The central question, "LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?" serves as the emotional pivot of the psalm, articulating the deep frustration of the righteous who witness injustice prevailing. This lament then transitions into a confident affirmation of God's omniscience ("He that planted the ear, shall he not hear?" Psalms 94:9), His sovereignty, and His ultimate commitment to judge evildoers, culminating in the assurance that "judgment shall return unto righteousness" Psalms 94:15. The psalm ultimately moves from desperate plea to confident trust in God's righteous governance.
Historical & Cultural Context: While the specific historical backdrop for Psalm 94 is not explicitly stated, its themes resonate deeply with periods of oppression, whether from external enemies, corrupt internal leadership, or pervasive societal injustice within Israel. The "wicked" could refer to powerful individuals or groups who exploited the vulnerable, perverted legal systems, or disregarded God's covenant law, often acting with impunity. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, the concept of divine justice was paramount, and a king or deity's legitimacy was often tied to their ability to maintain order, protect the weak, and punish wrongdoing. The lament tradition, a prominent genre within the Psalms and other biblical books (e.g., Lamentations 5), provided a culturally accepted and biblically sanctioned outlet for expressing profound distress, questioning God's apparent delay, and appealing for divine intervention when human systems of justice failed or when suffering seemed prolonged. This cultural expectation underscores the psalmist's fervent plea, rooted in the belief that God, as the supreme King and Judge, would indeed act to uphold righteousness.
Key Themes: This verse powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within the Psalms and the broader biblical narrative. It is a direct and urgent expression of The Cry for Justice, reflecting a universal human yearning for fairness, an end to oppression, and divine intervention, particularly when the innocent suffer. It squarely addresses The Problem of Evil, grappling with the enduring theological question of why evil seems to prosper and go unpunished, a struggle echoed in other wisdom literature and prophetic books, such as the profound wrestling found in Psalms 73 and Habakkuk 1:2-4. The psalmist's repeated "how long" highlights the tension between Divine Patience vs. Human Impatience, as human suffering often struggles to reconcile God's perfect timing with immediate pain and the desire for swift resolution. Underlying the lament, however, is a deep-seated faith in the Vindication of the Righteous, a conviction that God is ultimately a God of justice who will, in His sovereign time, vindicate His people and bring judgment upon the wicked, as affirmed later in the psalm Psalms 94:23.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 94:3 employs several powerful literary devices to convey its profound emotional and theological weight. The most prominent is Repetition of the phrase "how long shall the wicked," which serves to emphasize the psalmist's profound distress, impatience, and the prolonged nature of the suffering. This repetition builds emotional intensity and underscores the urgency of the plea for divine intervention. The verse is also a prime example of a Rhetorical Question, which is not posed to elicit information but to express strong emotion—in this case, anguish, exasperation, and a demand for divine action. It implicitly challenges God to act in a way that aligns with His just character. As part of a larger psalm, this verse functions as a Lament, a common genre in the Psalter where the speaker expresses sorrow, complaint, and petition to God in the face of suffering or injustice. The psalmist's cry also implies a form of Anthropomorphism, as God's perceived delay in acting is experienced and questioned from a human perspective, even though God's timing is perfect and beyond human comprehension.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 94:3 powerfully articulates the tension between human experience of pervasive injustice and the theological conviction of God's ultimate righteousness and sovereignty. It affirms that it is permissible, even necessary, to bring our raw questions and frustrations to God, trusting that He hears and cares. This lament acknowledges the painful reality of evil's temporary triumph while simultaneously affirming a deep-seated faith that God is the just Judge who will ultimately intervene. The psalmist's cry is rooted in the belief that God is not indifferent to suffering but is actively engaged in His creation and will bring all deeds to account. This verse thus serves as a foundational expression of hope for divine vindication amidst present suffering, pointing to a future where righteousness will prevail and God's justice will be fully manifest.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 94:3 offers profound comfort and validation for believers who grapple with the stark reality of injustice in a fallen world. It grants us permission to voice our deepest frustrations and questions directly to God, reminding us that authentic faith doesn't demand stoic silence but invites honest lament and fervent petition. When we witness the wicked prospering and feel God's intervention is delayed, this verse encourages us to pour out our hearts, trusting that our cries for justice are heard by a God who sees and knows all. It challenges us to hold fast to the assurance that while the triumph of evil may seem prolonged, it is ultimately temporary and subject to God's perfect timing. Our role is to persist in prayer for justice, to live righteously even amidst adversity, and to rest in the unwavering truth of God's sovereign control and His ultimate commitment to set all things right. This psalm calls us to a patient endurance, rooted in the certainty of God's perfect timing and His final, righteous judgment.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Is it wrong or a sign of weak faith to question God's timing or apparent inaction in the face of injustice?
Answer: No, it is not wrong, nor is it necessarily a sign of weak faith. The Psalms, including Psalm 94, provide ample biblical precedent for honest lament and questioning God in times of distress. Figures like Job Job 1:21 and many psalmists openly expressed their anguish, confusion, and even impatience with God's perceived delay. This "how long" cry is a form of wrestling in faith, demonstrating a belief that God is indeed sovereign and capable of intervening, even when His timing is incomprehensible to human understanding. It's an act of bringing one's raw emotions and deepest concerns to the One who can truly address them, rather than suppressing them or turning away in despair. It reflects a profound trust that God is big enough to handle our questions and our pain, and that true faith can encompass both trust and honest struggle.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The lament of Psalms 94:3, crying "how long shall the wicked triumph?", finds its ultimate answer and fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He is the perfectly righteous One who perfectly embodied justice and truth, yet He experienced the pinnacle of injustice, being condemned and crucified by wicked hands Acts 2:23. His suffering on the cross was, in human eyes, the ultimate triumph of evil and darkness, yet it was precisely through this apparent defeat that God's redemptive plan triumphed over sin, death, and the powers of darkness Colossians 2:15. The "how long" of the psalmist is echoed by the cry of the martyrs in heaven, pleading for justice Revelation 6:10, and it is Christ who is revealed as the one appointed by God to judge the living and the dead John 5:22, Acts 17:31. His first coming inaugurated His kingdom, and His second coming will bring the full and final triumph of righteousness, where every tear will be wiped away, and there will be no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain Revelation 21:4. Thus, the psalmist's desperate plea for an end to the wicked's triumph is ultimately resolved in the glorious return of Christ, who will establish perfect justice and usher in an eternal kingdom where righteousness reigns supreme and the wicked are finally silenced.