Psalm 9

vs 11

What has he done, exactly? I would think that the usage of the term 'Zion' would refer to the whole placement of Israel in the promised land with a godly king and a capital in Jerusalem.

vs 12

The proclamation to the nations, however, does not seem at this stage to be one of repentance and love. It seems more that they are to remind the nations that God will avenge the blood of Israel they have spilled.

vs 13

Even now David feels the pressure of his enemies. With David, though, it's hard to tell who he means when he says enemies. This time, I think he's talking about rival nations. We often think David had it easy in his battles just because he won. But he had enemies that would go on the warpath against him. It can't have been easy. His own life would have been regularly at stake.

vs 14

I think what David is saying is that if he is victorious, then his victories point obviously to God, and God's saving of him from out of heavy odds and so on.

vs 15

Again the nations feature large. The language is similar to psalm 7, suggesting that the nations have ignored God and therefore have sown their own destruction.

vs 16

What a statement - that God is known, not for his love, compassion or mercy, but by his acts of justice. Every time the wicked are foiled, that is God being shown.

vs 17

It's harsh, but true. Of course, the righteous die too. But David makes it clear that forgetting God is at fault here.

vs 18

So although the nations might foolishly forget God, even as he continually punishes the wicked, God never forgets the oppressed and needy. He is their hope, so it never fails.

vs 19

Again, David calls for God to arise in judgement against his enemies. Powerful stuff.

vs 20

What a statement! David is wishing terror on them. He's a psalm terrorist! Wanting God to go strike terror at them so they know he is powerful and that they are only mortals. I don't know if I have the stamina or the theology to be a prayer terrorist.