Psalms 94
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Psalms 94
[Psalms 94:1] O LORD GOD, TO WHOM VENGEANCE BELONGETH; O GOD, TO WHOM VENGEANCE BELONGETH, SHEW THYSELF.
<<O LORD GOD, TO WHOM VENGEANCE BELONGETH. Hebrew "El Nekamot" i.e. "God of Vengeances". The Almighty will take revenge on all they who have oppressed the Jewish People and on all they who hate without justification the Tribes of Joseph.
We too must take vengeance when we can and when appropriate.
On the one hand it says,
THOU SHALT NOT AVENGE, NOR BEAR ANY GRUDGE AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF THY PEOPLE, BUT THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF: I AM THE LORD [Leviticus 19:18]. This applies when the person spoken of (who may have done us wrong) is an Israelite and/or shares something in common with us, i.e. a "neighbor" and with whom we can and must live together. This is necessary because it enables us to live. We need to keep a clean heart.
Everyone makes mistakes. We are all liable to be guilty of misjudgment, irritability, lack of consideration, etc at times. If everyone bore grudges against everyone else it would be a difficult world to live in.
ALSO TAKE NO HEED UNTO ALL WORDS THAT ARE SPOKEN; LEST THOU HEAR THY SERVANT CURSE THEE [The Preacher-Ecclesiastes 7:21]:
FOR OFTENTIMES ALSO THINE OWN HEART KNOWETH THAT THOU THYSELF LIKEWISE HAST CURSED OTHERS [The Preacher-Ecclesiastes 7:22].
A foreigner however who attacks us and would continue to do so if they could must be made an example of.
REMEMBER WHAT AMALEK DID UNTO THEE BY THE WAY, WHEN YE WERE COME FORTH OUT OF EGYPT; [Deuteronomy 25:17]
HOW HE MET THEE BY THE WAY, AND SMOTE THE HINDMOST OF THEE, EVEN ALL THAT WERE FEEBLE BEHIND THEE, WHEN THOU WAST FAINT AND WEARY; AND HE FEARED NOT GOD [Deuteronomy 25:18].
THEREFORE IT SHALL BE, WHEN THE LORD THY GOD HATH GIVEN THEE REST FROM ALL THINE ENEMIES ROUND ABOUT, IN THE LAND WHICH THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE FOR AN INHERITANCE TO POSSESS IT, THAT THOU SHALT BLOT OUT THE REMEMBRANCE OF AMALEK FROM UNDER HEAVEN; THOU SHALT NOT FORGET IT [Deuteronomy 25:19].
[Psalms 94:2] LIFT UP THYSELF, THOU JUDGE OF THE EARTH: RENDER A REWARD TO THE PROUD.
A REWARD. Hebrew "Gemul" meaning "requitement".
[Psalms 94:3] LORD, HOW LONG SHALL THE WICKED, HOW LONG SHALL THE WICKED TRIUMPH?
The Midrash Shocher Tov on Tehilim says that the heathen defeat Israel only because the Almighty delivers Israel into their hands. The Heathen received numerous miraculous signs testifying to this even through the logic of their own superstitions (Ezekiel 21-21-22). Nevertheless they attribute their victory over Israel to their own prowess, saying , OUR HAND IS HIGH, AND THE LORD HATH NOT DONE ALL THIS (Deuteronomy 32:27 ). The Midrash says that if the Enemies of Israel, "were able to cut a passageway in the sky to ascend to heaven [to fight against the Almighty] they would do it". This refers especially to those Gentiles who hate the Jews since in their eyes the Jews represents believe in God Almighty and in Divine Providence.
[Psalms 94:4] HOW LONG SHALL THEY UTTER AND SPEAK HARD THINGS? AND ALL THE WORKERS OF INIQUITY BOAST THEMSELVES?
[Psalms 94:5] THEY BREAK IN PIECES THY PEOPLE, O LORD, AND AFFLICT THINE HERITAGE.
BREAK IN PIECES. Hebrew "Yidacu" also understandable as "oppress, put down".
This applies to the Oppressors of Judah. They hate the Jewish People. They try to put the Jewish People down any way they can. They afflict the Land of Israel by trying to take it away from the Jewish People and give it to evildoers, treacherous bandits, and whoever else they can find as long as they are not Jews.
[Psalms 94:6] THEY SLAY THE WIDOW AND THE STRANGER, AND MURDER THE FATHERLESS.
This also applies to the wicked amongst all Israelites who oppress their own people taking advantage of the weak and vulnerable.
THE STRANGER. Hebrew "Ger". This word can have several connotations. Here it refers to the resident alien who often has no friends or family and lacks the necessary background to get along as he should. Such a person should not be taken advantage of. In fact no-one should be taken advantage of but Scripture emphasizes that one must be especially careful regarding the sensibilities of others including the foreigner who lives amongst us, women without menfolk to protect them, and children without parents or with parents that have difficulty in functioning.
These are all very nice and true exhortations.
I doubt if any readers of these Brit-Am Commentatories would be liable to go out and literally do such wicked things as those described above. On the other hand one never knows. Someone who gets caught up in Mafia-type associations is liable to find themselves parties to actions they would never have dreamed they could be guilty of.
At all events, everything if relative. We should do what we can as well as we can and be careful not to hurt others, especially not those who are "hurting". We should also do what we can to ensure that society acts as it should and does not commit injustices.
[Psalms 94:7] YET THEY SAY, THE LORD SHALL NOT SEE, NEITHER SHALL THE GOD OF JACOB REGARD IT.
God knows everything and takes account of every deed and situation. He sees us.
[Psalms 94:8] UNDERSTAND, YE BRUTISH AMONG THE PEOPLE: AND YE FOOLS, WHEN WILL YE BE WISE?
<<BRUTISH. "Boarim" in the plural. In the singular it is "bor" and is the source of the English word "boor". In Hebrew "it connotes "not knowing" or rather "not wanting to know".
[Psalms 94:9] HE THAT PLANTED THE EAR, SHALL HE NOT HEAR? HE THAT FORMED THE EYE, SHALL HE NOT SEE?
[Psalms 94:10] HE THAT CHASTISETH THE HEATHEN, SHALL NOT HE CORRECT? HE THAT TEACHETH MAN KNOWLEDGE, SHALL NOT HE KNOW?
<<THE HEATHEN. Hebrew "Goyim" meaning nations in general whether Israelite or non-Israelite. God punishes nations for their sins and so too can HE punish individuals..
[Psalms 94:11] THE LORD KNOWETH THE THOUGHTS OF MAN, THAT THEY ARE VANITY.
We all do things for different reasons. Freud and all the Psycho-people who came after him were not entirely wrong. It may be that even when we do good we have ulterior motives or that deep in our subconscious there are influences on our behavior that if they became known might be considered problematic. God knows this better than we can and more than we can imagine. Nevertheless nothing more is required of us than to do what we must as well as we can and leave the rest where it is, buried away.
[Psalms 94:12] BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOM THOU CHASTENEST, O LORD, AND TEACHEST HIM OUT OF THY LAW;
It is a blessing to be punished by God and realize it and to be taught out of the Bible.
We do not know how fortunate we are. We should take advantage of the favor shown us by the Almighty while we can and do as well as we can.
[Psalms 94:13] THAT THOU MAYEST GIVE HIM REST FROM THE DAYS OF ADVERSITY, UNTIL THE PIT BE DIGGED FOR THE WICKED.
If we repent now and reform ourselves now we will be rescued from punishment later
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