I. (94:1–2) O Lord, Pay the Proud as They Deserve. The psalm opens by addressing the Lord as “God of vengeance,” asking him to “repay to the proud what they deserve.” As the song develops, it will be clear who these “proud” are and why it is right to pray that God will repay them.

The notion of vengeance here is founded on God’s justice: he brings his righteous judgment on those who oppose him and harm his people (Deut. 32:35, 41, 43; Ps. 18:47). The Hebrew Bible strictly forbids individuals from taking personal vengeance (Lev. 19:18; cf. Rom. 12:19), but one function of the civil government is to ensure just vengeance against wrongdoers (Ex. 21:20; cf. Rom. 13:4)—a function not being carried out in the setting for which this psalm is suited. God will carry out vengeance against those who despise him (Deut. 32:35; cf. 2 Thess. 1:8), and the faithful will rejoice because his justice has been vindicated (Pss. 58:10; 79:10; cf. Rev. 6:10). There is no double standard: God will judge the unfaithful among his own people as well as among the Gentiles (Ps. 99:8).

The people called “proud” (94:2) are not simply those among the faithful who commit the sin of pride; rather, in their unbelief they exalt themselves against God, defying him to punish them (v. 7), and use their power to exploit the weak members of his people (vv. 5–6, 21). God’s people feel that it is wrong for anyone to do so, and it is hideous for members of his own people to “exult,” to be jubilant over, their apparent triumph (v. 3). The psalm shows that the right response of godly folk to this situation is to pray to the judge of the earth.

II. (94:3–7) They Are Arrogant Oppressors. The next section lists the activities of these “wicked” and “evildoers”: they “exult” (v. 3–4), they “pour out . . . arrogant words” and “boast” (v. 4; the words of v. 7 are probably most in view), they “crush [God’s] people” (v. 5; = his “heritage”), and they “kill” and “murder” the helpless (of whom the widow, sojourner, and fatherless are showcase examples). They do all of this in direct defiance of the attitude that God has and that he wants his people to share (cf. Deut. 10:18; 14:29; 24:17, 19; 27:19).

Their denial that God takes notice of such misdeeds (Ps. 94:7) is the height of arrogance and folly, flowing from an unbelieving heart (cf. 10:11; 59:7; 64:5; 73:11; Isa. 29:15; Ezek. 8:12; 9:9).

III. (94:8–11) The Lord Knows the Plans of All Mankind. This section provides the reply to Psalm 94:7: the God “who planted the ear,” “formed the eye,” “disciplines the nations,” and “teaches man knowledge” is himself fully aware of everything that goes on, even as far as the “thoughts of man.” Although these words speak directly to these arrogant defiers of God, they speak wisdom as well to the faithful, who sing the song and remember its truth and thus do not lose heart.

As in the Wisdom Literature generally, the terms “dullest” (Hb. boʿar [related to baʿar, “stupid”]; cf. 49:10; 92:6; Prov. 12:1) and “fools” refer to those who resist the offer of grace found in God’s covenant. In Psalm 94:8 they are members “of the people,” that is, of Israel. To “understand” or to “be wise” means to grasp the fundamental truths about God, man, and the covenant. The logic of the questions is plain: the God who can provide ears and eyes to human beings must surely have these abilities himself! And the one who disciplines nations and teaches man knowledge must be more than adequate in both power and knowledge. To refuse to work this out is dullness indeed.

Paul adapts verse 11 (LXX) to remind his readers not to set human wisdom against God’s (1 Cor. 3:20). “Breath” (Hb. hebel, “vapor”) sometimes conveys “futility,” which is the meaning behind the Greek rendering (cf. Ps. 62:9).609

IV. (94:12–15) The Lord Cares for the Righteous. This section explains how the faithful, who receive instruction from God’s Word and live by it (“the man whom you discipline, O Lord, and whom you teach out of your law”; v. 12), are blessed (truly happy; cf. comment on 1:1–2).610 They can be sure that punishment (“a pit”) will come to “the wicked” (94:13; cf. v. 3), while “the Lord will not forsake his people” (v. 14; “his people” = “his heritage,” as in v. 5) but bring justice to his faithful ones (“righteous” and “upright in heart”; v. 15). Justice will “return,” which probably refers to a clear vindication (corresponding to the “bringing back” of v. 23); for the moment, the faithful feel that it has gone missing!

It is striking that, even though the wicked in this psalm are members of “the people” (v. 8), verse 14 nevertheless distinguishes them from God’s people and heritage (cf. v. 5).611 This implies that the faithful are God’s people in the deepest sense, whereas the faithless among them are not.

V. (94:16–23) The Lord Will Rise Up on Behalf of His Beloved. The song finishes with confidence: the Lord will keep his faithful ones firm in their faith (v. 18), protect them (v. 22), and bring the unfaithful into the judgment they deserve (v. 23). To the question “Who rises up for me . . . ?” (v. 16), the section implies clearly the answer “God does.”

This section narrows itself down to “me” and “my” (vv. 17–19, 22) and then comes back to “our” (v. 23). The speaker is the person singing, as is clear from the singular words “man” (v. 12) and “righteous” (v. 21), terms that refer to any member of the faithful. The portrayal is an idealization, as the singing congregation identifies itself with those being oppressed.

As often happens in laments, the singers recollect their previous experiences of God’s steadfast love (vv. 17–19). The phrases “land of silence” (v. 17) and “foot slips” (v. 18) point to the specific kind of upholding in view: in the face of such injustice, the sensitive person is tempted to despair, to forsake prayer, or even to drop his faithfulness altogether. The specific “cares” (v. 19) are those expressed in the psalm (cf. v. 3). The “consolations” are the assurances that God knows (vv. 9–11), has shown his support already (vv. 17–18), and will surely judge (v. 23).

Verses 20–21 offer a further description of the specific oppressors who are the context for the psalm’s use (vv. 5–6). They are “wicked rulers,” which implies that they have power, and they use it to “frame injustice” and “condemn the innocent to death,” which God hates (Ex. 23:7). The song enables the faithful to deny that such rulers could possibly be “allied with” God, under his favor and doing work he approves.

Psalm 94:22 uses the image of the “stronghold” and “refuge” (cf. comment on 18:1–3; cf. also 9:9; 59:16–17; 62:2, 6; 144:2).

The psalm ends with assurance that the Lord will not only vindicate his favor to the faithful but also make clear his disapproval of the wicked rulers. It is common to expect the “iniquity” of the unfaithful to recoil upon their own heads (cf. 7:15; 57:6; Prov. 26:27), “always supposing that the sin is unrepented.”612 God will “bring it back,” or cause it to return—matching the justice that will return to the righteous (Ps. 94:15).