Psalms 94 Study Notes: A Plea for God to Judge the Wicked
The psalmist calls on God as Judge to act against the arrogant wicked who kill widows, foreigners, and orphans while claiming God cannot see. He answers that the Maker of ear and eye sees all, calls God's discipline a blessing, rests in the LORD who upholds him, and trusts God to repay the wicked.
General
In 94:1-2, to whom does the psalmist appeal, and what does he ask for?
Answer: The divine Judge over all, to appear and repay the proud
The psalmist calls on the LORD as the God to whom vengeance belongs and as the Judge over the earth, asking Him to shine forth and give the proud what they deserve (94:1-2). Vengeance here means God's just punishment of wrongdoing, not personal spite. God claims that right for Himself in the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:35), and Paul quotes it when he tells believers not to take revenge but to let God deal with wrongdoing (Romans 12:19). The psalmist does exactly that: he hands his case to God, the one whom Abraham trusted to do right as Judge of the whole earth (Genesis 18:25).
- Psalm 94:1-2 (BSB)“O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth. Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render a reward to the proud.”The psalm opens with an urgent appeal to God as the righteous avenger and Judge to act against the proud.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (BSB)“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.””In the Song of Moses God claims vengeance as His own right, which is why the psalmist brings his case to God.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul quotes the same claim to tell believers to leave vengeance to God rather than take it themselves.
- Genesis 18:25 (BSB)“Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?””Abraham appeals to God as the Judge of the whole earth who will surely do what is right.
Theological
In 94:1-2, whom does the psalmist address, and what does he request?
Answer: The divine Judge over all, to appear and repay the proud
The psalm opens with a doubled invocation of the God of vengeance and an appeal to the Judge over the earth to rise and render recompense to the proud (94:1-2). Vengeance here denotes God's judicial retribution, His prerogative according to Deuteronomy 32:35, which Paul cites to forbid personal revenge (Romans 12:19). The psalmist's prayer is itself an act of committing judgment to God rather than seizing it, grounded in confidence that the universal Judge will do right (Genesis 18:25).
- Psalm 94:1-2 (BSB)“O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth. Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render a reward to the proud.”The psalm opens with an urgent appeal to God as the righteous avenger and Judge to act against the proud.
- Deuteronomy 32:35 (BSB)“Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.””In the Song of Moses God claims vengeance as His own right, which is why the psalmist brings his case to God.
- Romans 12:19 (BSB)“Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.””Paul quotes the same claim to tell believers to leave vengeance to God rather than take it themselves.
- Genesis 18:25 (BSB)“Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?””Abraham appeals to God as the Judge of the whole earth who will surely do what is right.
General
According to 94:12-13, why is the person whom God disciplines called blessed?
Answer: God instructs him and gives him rest until the wicked fall
Surprisingly, the psalmist calls the person God disciplines blessed, or truly happy (94:12). God's discipline comes together with teaching from His law, and its purpose is to give that person rest and calm in times of trouble while God's judgment on the wicked is being prepared (94:13). Discipline is a sign of God's love, not His rejection. Proverbs teaches that the LORD disciplines those He loves (Proverbs 3:11-12), and Hebrews quotes that teaching to encourage believers (Hebrews 12:5-6), adding that God's discipline aims at our good, that we might take part in His holiness (Hebrews 12:10-11).
- Psalm 94:12-13 (BSB)“Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD, and teach from Your law, to grant him relief from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.”The psalmist calls the one whom God disciplines and instructs blessed, because God gives him rest until the wicked are judged.
- Proverbs 3:11-12 (BSB)“My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights.”Proverbs teaches that the LORD disciplines those He loves, as a father does a son he delights in.
- Hebrews 12:5-6 (BSB)“And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.””Hebrews quotes Proverbs to show that God's discipline is a mark of His love for His children.
- Hebrews 12:10-11 (BSB)“Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.”God disciplines His children for their good, producing righteousness and peace.
Theological
According to 94:12-13, what makes the man whom the LORD disciplines blessed?
Answer: God instructs him and gives him rest until the wicked fall
The beatitude of 94:12 pairs divine discipline with instruction from His law, and 94:13 states its purpose: to give the disciplined one quiet in days of adversity until the pit is prepared for the wicked. Chastening is thus an expression of covenant love, not rejection, as Proverbs 3:11-12 teaches and Hebrews 12:5-6 applies to believers as sons. Its end is sanctification, a sharing in God's holiness that later bears righteousness and peace (Hebrews 12:10-11).
- Psalm 94:12-13 (BSB)“Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD, and teach from Your law, to grant him relief from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.”The psalmist calls the one whom God disciplines and instructs blessed, because God gives him rest until the wicked are judged.
- Proverbs 3:11-12 (BSB)“My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD, and do not loathe His rebuke; for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, as does a father the son in whom he delights.”Proverbs teaches that the LORD disciplines those He loves, as a father does a son he delights in.
- Hebrews 12:5-6 (BSB)“And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not take lightly the discipline of the Lord, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you. For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and He chastises every son He receives.””Hebrews quotes Proverbs to show that God's discipline is a mark of His love for His children.
- Hebrews 12:10-11 (BSB)“Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.”God disciplines His children for their good, producing righteousness and peace.
General
In 94:17-19, what held the psalmist up when he felt his footing give way and anxiety overwhelm him?
Answer: The LORD's help, His loyal love, and His comforts
The psalmist asks who will stand with him against evildoers (94:16), and the answer is no human ally. If the LORD had not helped him, he would soon have gone down to the silence of death (94:17). When he felt his foot slipping, God's loving devotion, His loyal covenant love, held him up, and when worries crowded in, God's comfort brought joy to his soul (94:18-19). David likewise says the LORD holds the hand of the righteous so they are not overwhelmed (Psalm 37:24). Paul praises God as the source of every comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), and Peter invites believers to cast every anxiety on Him (1 Peter 5:7).
- Psalm 94:16-19 (BSB)“Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the LORD had been my helper, I would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence. If I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your loving devotion, O LORD, supports me. When anxiety overwhelms me, Your consolation delights my soul.”The psalmist asks who will stand up for him, and answers that only the LORD's help, loving devotion, and comfort sustained him.
- Psalm 37:24 (BSB)“Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.”David says that though the righteous fall, they are not overwhelmed, because the LORD holds their hand.
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (BSB)“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”Paul praises God as the God of all comfort who comforts His people in every trouble.
- 1 Peter 5:7 (BSB)“Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”Peter tells believers to cast all their anxiety on God because He cares for them.
Theological
According to 94:17-19, what sustained the psalmist when he was slipping and beset by anxieties?
Answer: The LORD's help, His loyal love, and His comforts
The questions of 94:16 find no human answer. Apart from the LORD's help the psalmist would have descended into the silence of death (94:17). When his foot began to slip, the LORD's loving devotion upheld him, and amid a multitude of anxious thoughts God's consolations delighted his soul (94:18-19). Preservation is God's work: the LORD upholds the stumbling righteous (Psalm 37:24), comforts His people in all affliction (2 Corinthians 1:3-4), and invites them to cast every care on Him (1 Peter 5:7).
- Psalm 94:16-19 (BSB)“Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the LORD had been my helper, I would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence. If I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your loving devotion, O LORD, supports me. When anxiety overwhelms me, Your consolation delights my soul.”The psalmist asks who will stand up for him, and answers that only the LORD's help, loving devotion, and comfort sustained him.
- Psalm 37:24 (BSB)“Though he falls, he will not be overwhelmed, for the LORD is holding his hand.”David says that though the righteous fall, they are not overwhelmed, because the LORD holds their hand.
- 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (BSB)“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.”Paul praises God as the God of all comfort who comforts His people in every trouble.
- 1 Peter 5:7 (BSB)“Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.”Peter tells believers to cast all their anxiety on God because He cares for them.
General
True or False: In 94:14, the psalmist grounds his hope in the certainty that the LORD will never cast off His own people.
Answer: True
This is true. Right after speaking of discipline, the psalmist gives the reason for hope: God will not desert His people or cast off His heritage, the people who belong to Him (94:14). Therefore justice will again be just, and everyone upright will follow it (94:15). God's discipline never means He has given up on His own. Samuel told Israel the same thing, grounding it in God's choice to make them His (1 Samuel 12:22). Paul uses similar words about the people God foreknew (Romans 11:1-2), and Jesus promises that no one can seize His sheep out of His Father's hand (John 10:28-29). God keeps those who are His.
- Psalm 94:14-15 (BSB)“For the LORD will not forsake His people; He will never abandon His heritage. Surely judgment will again be righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.”The psalmist's confidence rests on God's faithfulness to His people and on the certainty that justice will return.
- 1 Samuel 12:22 (BSB)“Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.”Samuel assures Israel that the LORD will not abandon His people, because He chose to make them His own.
- Romans 11:1-2 (BSB)“I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel:”Paul uses similar words to insist that God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.
- John 10:28-29 (BSB)“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”Jesus promises that no one can snatch His sheep out of His or His Father's hand.
Theological
True or False: In 94:14, the psalmist's confidence rests on the LORD's refusal to abandon His people.
Answer: True
This is true. The causal particle of 94:14 grounds the preceding beatitude: God will neither desert nor cast off His own inheritance, and therefore judgment will return to righteousness, with the upright following it (94:15). God's fidelity rests on His own electing purpose (1 Samuel 12:22), a point Paul echoes in affirming that God has not rejected the people He foreknew (Romans 11:1-2). The same covenant faithfulness underlies the perseverance of the saints, secured by the Son's and the Father's keeping hand (John 10:28-29).
- Psalm 94:14-15 (BSB)“For the LORD will not forsake His people; He will never abandon His heritage. Surely judgment will again be righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.”The psalmist's confidence rests on God's faithfulness to His people and on the certainty that justice will return.
- 1 Samuel 12:22 (BSB)“Indeed, for the sake of His great name, the LORD will not abandon His people, because He was pleased to make you His own.”Samuel assures Israel that the LORD will not abandon His people, because He chose to make them His own.
- Romans 11:1-2 (BSB)“I ask then, did God reject His people? Certainly not! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject His people, whom He foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he appealed to God against Israel:”Paul uses similar words to insist that God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew.
- John 10:28-29 (BSB)“I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father who has given them to Me is greater than all. No one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand.”Jesus promises that no one can snatch His sheep out of His or His Father's hand.
General
What is the point of the psalmist's questions about the ear and the eye in 94:9-10?
Answer: The Creator of hearing and sight must Himself hear and see
The psalmist turns to the fools among the people and asks when they will become wise (94:8). His questions answer the claim that God does not see (94:7): the one who planted the ear can certainly hear, and the one who shaped the eye can certainly see. The one who disciplines nations and teaches mankind is not lacking in knowledge (94:10). If God made these abilities, He cannot lack them. Proverbs says the LORD made both ear and eye (Proverbs 20:12), God reminds Moses that He gives people hearing and sight (Exodus 4:11), and Hebrews says nothing anywhere escapes His sight (Hebrews 4:13).
- Psalm 94:8-10 (BSB)“Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise? He who affixed the ear, can He not hear? He who formed the eye, can He not see? He who admonishes the nations, does He not discipline? He who teaches man, does He lack knowledge?”The psalmist rebukes the foolish with questions: the one who made ear and eye and who teaches mankind cannot be deaf, blind, or ignorant.
- Proverbs 20:12 (BSB)“Ears that hear and eyes that see—the LORD has made them both.”Proverbs states that the LORD made both the hearing ear and the seeing eye.
- Exodus 4:11 (BSB)“And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?”God tells Moses that He is the one who gives people their mouths, hearing, and sight.
- Hebrews 4:13 (BSB)“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”Nothing in creation is hidden from God's sight; everything is exposed before Him.
Theological
What argument do the rhetorical questions of 94:9-10 make?
Answer: The Creator of hearing and sight must Himself hear and see
Verses 8-10 answer the claim of 94:7 with an argument from the lesser to the greater. The Creator who fashioned hearing and sight cannot Himself be deaf or blind, and the one who disciplines nations and instructs mankind cannot be ignorant. Whatever perfection is found in the creature derives from, and is surpassed in, the Creator. The same premise underlies Proverbs 20:12 and Exodus 4:11, and Hebrews 4:13 draws the conclusion: everything lies uncovered before the God who will call all to account.
- Psalm 94:8-10 (BSB)“Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise? He who affixed the ear, can He not hear? He who formed the eye, can He not see? He who admonishes the nations, does He not discipline? He who teaches man, does He lack knowledge?”The psalmist rebukes the foolish with questions: the one who made ear and eye and who teaches mankind cannot be deaf, blind, or ignorant.
- Proverbs 20:12 (BSB)“Ears that hear and eyes that see—the LORD has made them both.”Proverbs states that the LORD made both the hearing ear and the seeing eye.
- Exodus 4:11 (BSB)“And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?”God tells Moses that He is the one who gives people their mouths, hearing, and sight.
- Hebrews 4:13 (BSB)“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”Nothing in creation is hidden from God's sight; everything is exposed before Him.
General
What does the question about a corrupt throne in 94:20 imply?
Answer: God can never side with rulers who make evil into law
The psalmist asks whether a corrupt seat of power could ever be God's partner, one that plans harm and gives it the force of law (94:20). The expected answer is no. Such rulers gang up on godly people and sentence innocent people to die (94:21), but God cannot be on their side, because He is too pure to approve evil (Habakkuk 1:13), and a throne is meant to stand on righteousness (Proverbs 16:12). The psalm ends in confidence: God has proved to be the psalmist's stronghold and refuge, and He will turn the wicked's own sin back on them and destroy them (94:22-23), as another psalm pictures the wicked falling into their own pit (Psalm 7:15-16).
- Psalm 94:20-23 (BSB)“Can a corrupt throne be Your ally—one devising mischief by decree? They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the LORD has been my stronghold, and my God is my rock of refuge. He will bring upon them their own iniquity and destroy them for their wickedness. The LORD our God will destroy them.”The psalmist asks whether a corrupt throne could be allied with God, and closes with confidence that God will judge the wicked.
- Habakkuk 1:13 (BSB)“Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?”Habakkuk confesses that God's eyes are too pure to look on evil or tolerate wrongdoing.
- Proverbs 16:12 (BSB)“Wicked behavior is detestable for kings, for a throne is established through righteousness.”Proverbs teaches that a throne is established through righteousness, not wickedness.
- Psalm 7:15-16 (BSB)“He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.”Another psalm describes the wicked falling into the pit they dug, their violence coming back on their own heads.
Theological
What does the rhetorical question of 94:20 about a throne of destruction imply?
Answer: God can never side with rulers who make evil into law
The question of 94:20 expects a negative answer: no corrupt tribunal that frames mischief by statute can have fellowship with God. Such rulers conspire against the just and sentence the guiltless to die (94:21), yet God's holiness excludes any alliance with evil (Habakkuk 1:13), and legitimate rule is grounded in righteousness (Proverbs 16:12). The psalm closes with trust in the LORD as stronghold and refuge and with the certainty of retributive justice, their own iniquity returning upon them (94:22-23; Psalm 7:15-16).
- Psalm 94:20-23 (BSB)“Can a corrupt throne be Your ally—one devising mischief by decree? They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death. But the LORD has been my stronghold, and my God is my rock of refuge. He will bring upon them their own iniquity and destroy them for their wickedness. The LORD our God will destroy them.”The psalmist asks whether a corrupt throne could be allied with God, and closes with confidence that God will judge the wicked.
- Habakkuk 1:13 (BSB)“Your eyes are too pure to look upon evil, and You cannot tolerate wrongdoing. So why do You tolerate the faithless? Why are You silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?”Habakkuk confesses that God's eyes are too pure to look on evil or tolerate wrongdoing.
- Proverbs 16:12 (BSB)“Wicked behavior is detestable for kings, for a throne is established through righteousness.”Proverbs teaches that a throne is established through righteousness, not wickedness.
- Psalm 7:15-16 (BSB)“He has dug a hole and hollowed it out; he has fallen into a pit of his own making. His trouble recoils on himself, and his violence falls on his own head.”Another psalm describes the wicked falling into the pit they dug, their violence coming back on their own heads.
General
Which New Testament writer cites 94:11, and to whom does he apply it?
Answer: Paul in 1 Corinthians, applying it to the worldly wise
Psalm 94:11 says the LORD knows human thoughts and knows them to be empty. The wicked thought God could not see (94:7), but God sees even their reasoning and finds it worthless. Paul quotes this verse in 1 Corinthians 3:20, in the form he gives it, applying it to the reasoning of those who are wise by worldly standards, as part of his argument that worldly wisdom is folly to God (1 Corinthians 3:19-20). Human cleverness cannot stand against God, whose thoughts are far above ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
- Psalm 94:11 (BSB)“The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.”The LORD knows human thinking through and through and knows it to be empty.
- 1 Corinthians 3:19-20 (BSB)“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.””Paul quotes this verse, in the form he gives it, to show that the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.
- Isaiah 55:8-9 (BSB)““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”God declares that human thoughts fall far short of His own.
Theological
Where is 94:11 cited in the New Testament, and how is it applied?
Answer: Paul in 1 Corinthians, applying it to the worldly wise
Verse 11 completes the refutation of 94:7: far from being blind, God discerns the very thoughts of man and pronounces them futile. Paul cites the verse in 1 Corinthians 3:20, in the form he gives it, applying it to the reasonings of the wise within his argument that worldly wisdom is folly before God (1 Corinthians 3:19-20). Human reasoning set against God is empty before the One whose thoughts are far above ours (Isaiah 55:8-9).
- Psalm 94:11 (BSB)“The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.”The LORD knows human thinking through and through and knows it to be empty.
- 1 Corinthians 3:19-20 (BSB)“For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.” And again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.””Paul quotes this verse, in the form he gives it, to show that the wisdom of this world is foolishness before God.
- Isaiah 55:8-9 (BSB)““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”God declares that human thoughts fall far short of His own.
General
According to 94:5-6, whom do the wicked prey upon?
Answer: God's people, above all widows, foreigners, and orphans
The psalmist asks how long the wicked will be allowed to gloat and boast (94:3-4). He then describes their crimes: they crush and oppress God's own people, His heritage, and they kill the most defenseless members of society, widows, foreigners living in Israel, and children without fathers (94:5-6). God's law had placed widows and orphans under His special protection, warning that He would hear their cry and act (Exodus 22:22-24). The cry of how long is echoed in Revelation by martyrs asking God to judge (Revelation 6:10).
- Psalm 94:3-6 (BSB)“How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked exult? They pour out arrogant words; all workers of iniquity boast. They crush Your people, O LORD; they oppress Your heritage. They kill the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless.”The psalmist asks how long the wicked will gloat, and he lists their arrogance and their violence against the weak.
- Exodus 22:22-24 (BSB)“You must not mistreat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to Me in distress, I will surely hear their cry. My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless.”God's law warned that He Himself would hear the cry of widows and orphans and punish those who mistreat them.
- Revelation 6:10 (BSB)“And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who dwell upon the earth and avenge our blood?””The martyrs in Revelation raise the same cry of how long, asking God to judge and avenge.
Theological
According to 94:5-6, who are the victims of the wicked?
Answer: God's people, above all widows, foreigners, and orphans
The lament of 94:3-4, asking how long the wicked may gloat, leads into an indictment: the wicked crush the LORD's people, His heritage, and murder the widow, the sojourner, and the fatherless (94:5-6). Widows and orphans are precisely the vulnerable whom the covenant law placed under God's own protection, with His promise to hear their cry and punish their oppressors (Exodus 22:22-24). The same cry for God to intervene is taken up by the souls under the altar in Revelation 6:10.
- Psalm 94:3-6 (BSB)“How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked exult? They pour out arrogant words; all workers of iniquity boast. They crush Your people, O LORD; they oppress Your heritage. They kill the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless.”The psalmist asks how long the wicked will gloat, and he lists their arrogance and their violence against the weak.
- Exodus 22:22-24 (BSB)“You must not mistreat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to Me in distress, I will surely hear their cry. My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless.”God's law warned that He Himself would hear the cry of widows and orphans and punish those who mistreat them.
- Revelation 6:10 (BSB)“And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who dwell upon the earth and avenge our blood?””The martyrs in Revelation raise the same cry of how long, asking God to judge and avenge.
General
True or False: The wicked in 94:7 act as they do because they assume that Israel's God will not notice.
Answer: True
This is true. The psalm quotes the wicked directly: they claim God is blind to what they do and that Jacob's God pays no attention (94:7). Their cruelty rests on the belief that no one is watching who will hold them to account. This same boast appears in another psalm (Psalm 10:11), and Ezekiel saw Israel's own elders worshiping idols in secret while saying the LORD could not see them (Ezekiel 8:12). The rest of Psalm 94 answers this lie.
- Psalm 94:7 (BSB)“They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.””The wicked justify their violence by claiming God does not see or care.
- Psalm 10:11 (BSB)“He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He hides His face and never sees.””Another psalm records the same boast of the wicked, that God hides His face and never sees.
- Ezekiel 8:12 (BSB)““Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’””Ezekiel exposes Israel's elders practicing idolatry in secret while saying the LORD does not see them.
Theological
True or False: In 94:7, the wicked act on the assumption that Israel's God takes no notice of their deeds.
Answer: True
This is true. Verse 7 records the working unbelief of the wicked: they do not deny that God exists, only that He attends to them, supposing that the LORD neither sees nor heeds. The same presumption appears in Psalm 10:11 and among the elders of Ezekiel 8:12, who practiced secret idolatry under cover of this belief. The following verses of Psalm 94 refute it directly.
- Psalm 94:7 (BSB)“They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.””The wicked justify their violence by claiming God does not see or care.
- Psalm 10:11 (BSB)“He says to himself, “God has forgotten; He hides His face and never sees.””Another psalm records the same boast of the wicked, that God hides His face and never sees.
- Ezekiel 8:12 (BSB)““Son of man,” He said to me, “do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? For they are saying, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the land.’””Ezekiel exposes Israel's elders practicing idolatry in secret while saying the LORD does not see them.