I. INTENTION OF THE PSALMIST. PRAISE TO JEHOVAH (1-2). Personal.
II. INTERVENTION OF JEHOVAH (3-6). Reason for Praise. 1. Execution of Judgment (3-4). Just Inquisition. 2. Extirpation of the Wicked (5-6). Godless for ever forgotten. Ill. INTIMATION BY THE PSALMIST. MANIFESTATION JEHOVAH,S PRESENCE (7-12). 1. Expectation. Messiah,s Righteous Rule (7-8). 2. Explanation. Saints, Certain Confidence (9-10 ). (a) Spoken of Jehovah. (b) Spoken to Jehovah. 3. Exhortation. Messiah's Praising People (11-12). IV. IMPLORATION BY THE PSALMIST. PRAYER TO JEHOVAH (13-14). Personal. 1. Petition (13). 2. Plea (14). V. INTERVENTION OF JEHOVAH (15-18). Reason for Praise (14). 1. Execution of Judgment (15-16). Just Retribution. 2. Extirpation of the Wicked (17-18). Godly never forgotten. VI. INVOCATION BY THE PSALMIST. MANIFESTATION JEHOVAH,S POWER (19-20). Selah. SUPERSCRIPT .-A psalm of David. PRIMARY AssocrATION.-Pss. ix. and x. are closely related. In some ancient versions they are found as one. Note the absence of a title to Ps. x. and the incidence of" Selah" at the end of ix. (similar to Pss: iii.-iv.). The psalms are united by an irregular alphabetical acrostic rwming through both, ix. ending the first half of the Hebrew alphabet, while x. with a significant omission of certain letters, completes it. There is a similarity in the language used, but a marked difference in tone corresponding to the two parts of the one theme exhibited. A key phrase appears in both, "in times of trouble" (ix. 9 and x. 1) and is found nowhere else. David is undoubtedly the writer of both psalms, but the occasion is fixed with less certainty. Ps. ix. probably celebrates his general victories recorded, e.g. 2 Sam. viii., while Ps. x. seems to refer rather to the nation's domestic troubles. It must be remembered that during his reign, David had great difficulty in controlling his powerful nobles (2 Sam. iii. 39; xv. 2 ff.), and the contest with Ishbosheth left a legacy of disorder (1 Sam. xxii. 1-2; 2 Sam. iii. 1, 22; iv. 2). Ps. ix. views the enemy withQut, Ps. x. the enemy within the nation. David sees the age-long conffict between
righteousness and evil waged in two fields; first, between the people of God and the Gentiles (ix.), then between the ungodly oppres sors within the nation and their godly victims (x.). PROPHETIC ANncIPATION.-Pss. ix. and x. both belong propheti cally to the great crisis in the history of Isr÷el and the world, when evil shall have reached its climax in the manifestation of the Man of Sin. This culminating point will be immediately followed by an open demonstration of divine control in the Coming of Jehovah ] esus as Rescuer of Israel and Ruler of the World. There will be a grand renewal for both. The "times of trouble" referred to is the period of "Jacob's trouble" (Jer. xxx. 7), the Great Tribulation. We see here a beautiful confirmation of divine inspiration of the Scriptures in the very irregularity of the structure, which has so puzzled the critics and many devout commentators. There is no "unsolved literary problem" as they assert. Alphabetical structure symbolises governmental order which is here broken by a gap of six letters near the beginning of Ps. x. in the very section that gives a description of the Man of Sin. This broken order agrees with the "troubled times." The number "6 'ø is the number of man (see Rev. xiii. 18). It falls short of divine completion "7" and is the culmina ting point of evil yet limited by God. As soon as Jehovah comes into the psalmist's view again at x. 12, the alphabetical order is resumed. Moreover the Hebrew letter daleth, fourth in the alphabet and standing for the number "4," is the symbol of world order and is significantly dropped from the alphabetical arrangement in Ps. ix., leaving just ten letters (" 10" is the symbol of man's responsibility and recompense). PERSONAL APPLICATION.-The four-fold "Thou hast" of God's providence should be followed by the four-fold "I will" of our praise, 1-2. Thanksgiving should be whole-hearted not half-hearted, and with the heart and not merely the lips, I. To the saints of God it is both a duty and a delight to tell out the wonderful works of God, I. Who has such cause for joy as the child of God? 1-2, 14c; c£ Ps. v. 2 and Phil. iv. 4. Do we daily rea_lise the truth of 7a? The "face" (presence) of Jehovah brings peace to His people, but panic to His enemies. 9ther kingdoms rise and fall, but Jehovah's Kingdom, like Himself, abides for ever, 7. His rule will be true service, His throne an ever-accessible court of appeal, 8-9. The saints are safe in their "high tower" the while sinners sink in their own pit, 9 with
new heavens and new earth for ever. The doom of those that forget God is that of being cast into the outer darkness during the earth's joyous day under the rule of the Prince of Peace; the A.V. gives the true sense. 18. "alway" = perpetually; "poor," i.e. afflicted, see 12. Hb h' fiail ail" 19. man = e . enos ,.e. r man; prev , = wax strong. 20. I.e. by some awe-inspiring exhibition of power such as in Egypt; "men," Heb. enosh = frail men.
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