The big picture
Psalms 9 opens in verse 1 with “I will praise thee, O LORD , with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 10 with “And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD , hast not…”, and closes in verse 20 with “Put them in fear, O LORD : that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, heathen, judgment, name, praise. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 20Psalms 9:1-7
1–7: I will praise thee, O LORD , with my whole heart; I will shew forth all…
Psalms 9:1–7 opens with “I will praise thee, O LORD , with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.” and reaches “But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 9 develops its own movement around LORD, heathen, judgment, name, praise, with particular weight carried by destroyed, LORD, name.
Context that brings the passage to life
“I will praise thee, O LORD , with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.” The line’s distinctive content terms include heart, LORD, marvellous. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 9:1-7
King James Version1I will praise thee, O LORD , with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
3When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
5Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
7But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
Psalms 9:8-14
8–14: He shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to…
Psalms 9:8–14 opens with “And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in…” and reaches “That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 9 develops its own movement around LORD, heathen, judgment, name, praise, with particular weight carried by LORD, gates, people.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Psalms 9:8-14
King James Version8And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
9The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD , hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
11Sing praises to the LORD , which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
12When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
13Have mercy upon me, O LORD ; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:
14That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
Psalms 9:15-20
15–20: The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which…
Psalms 9:15–20 opens with “The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot…” and reaches “Put them in fear, O LORD : that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 9 develops its own movement around LORD, heathen, judgment, name, praise, with particular weight carried by LORD, heathen, nations.
Context that brings the passage to life
“The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.” The line’s distinctive content terms include foot, heathen, sunk. Its relationship to verses 16 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 9:15-20
King James Version15The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
16The LORD is known by the judgment which he executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
17The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
18For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19Arise, O LORD ; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
20Put them in fear, O LORD : that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 9:1 begins with “I will praise thee, O LORD , with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 9:7 forms a natural hinge: “But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.”
The final note
Psalms 9:20 leaves the reader with “Put them in fear, O LORD : that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, heathen, judgment, name, praise, wicked help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Who is included in the covenant?
Noah, his descendants and every living creature. Trace the repeated wording in verses 8-17.
Why does verse 6 matter after the flood?
It grounds the protection of every human life in the continuing divine image.
KJV words made clear
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.