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Wisdom & Poetry · WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE

Psalm 9

Psalm 9 is read especially through the theme of kingship, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application.

KingshipPraiseWisdom
Old Testament

Psalm 9

1For the Chief Musician. Set to “The Death of the Son.” A Psalm by David. I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart. I will tell of all your marvelous works.

2I will be glad and rejoice in you. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

3When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish in your presence.

4For you have maintained my just cause. You sit on the throne judging righteously.

5You have rebuked the nations. You have destroyed the wicked. You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

6The enemy is overtaken by endless ruin. The very memory of the cities which you have overthrown has perished.

7But the LORD reigns forever. He has prepared his throne for judgment.

8He will judge the world in righteousness. He will administer judgment to the peoples in uprightness.

9The LORD will also be a high tower for the oppressed; a high tower in times of trouble.

10Those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.

11Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion, and declare among the people what he has done.

12For he who avenges blood remembers them. He doesn’t forget the cry of the afflicted.

13Have mercy on me, LORD. See my affliction by those who hate me, and lift me up from the gates of death,

14that I may show all of your praise. I will rejoice in your salvation in the gates of the daughter of Zion.

15The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made. In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken.

16The LORD has made himself known. He has executed judgment. The wicked is snared by the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah.

17The wicked shall be turned back to Sheol, even all the nations that forget God.

18For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

19Arise, LORD! Don’t let man prevail. Let the nations be judged in your sight.

20Put them in fear, LORD. Let the nations know that they are only men. Selah.

READ IN CONTEXT

Understanding Psalm 9

Psalm 9 is read especially through the theme of kingship, within Book I (Psalms 1–41). Its language invites attentive prayer before quick application. Read it within the complete five-book Psalms collection, then compare its prayer language with the types of prayer found across Scripture. Classification is a reading aid rather than a replacement for the Psalm's own movement and tension.

Collection

Book I (Psalms 1–41). The five-book shape of the Psalter helps readers hear individual prayers within a deliberately arranged collection.

Themes detected

Kingship, Praise, Wisdom. Read for these themes while remaining open to tension and secondary movements.

TEXT-DERIVED READING NOTES

What to notice in Psalm 9

Psalm 9 contains 20 verses and about 355 words in this translation. These observations come from the chapter itself; they are prompts for close reading, not claims about its only possible meaning.

The opening movement

Verse 1 begins: “For the Chief Musician. Set to “The Death of the Son.” A Psalm by David. I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart. I will tell of all your marvelous works.” Ask what situation, voice, image, or argument this opening establishes for everything that follows.

The closing movement

Verse 20 closes: “Put them in fear, LORD. Let the nations know that they are only men. Selah.” Compare the ending with the opening and note what changed, resolved, intensified, or remained open.

Vocabulary worth tracing

Recurring or prominent content words include will, nations, name, high, wicked, forever. Follow where each word appears and whether its meaning shifts with the speaker or setting.

COMMON QUESTIONS

About Psalm 9

Which Bible translation is shown here?+

This page reproduces the World English Bible Protestant edition (WEBP), a modern-English translation dedicated to the public domain.

How should I cite a specific verse?+

Use the book, chapter, and verse—for example, Psalms 9:1—and name the World English Bible if the wording matters. Each verse number above is a direct anchor link.

Does the chapter number define the complete literary unit?+

Not always. Chapter and verse numbers were added for navigation. Check the paragraphs, scenes, poetic stanzas, or argument before and after this chapter.

What kind of Psalm is this?+

Our reading profile emphasizes kingship, with related themes of Kingship, Praise, Wisdom. Many Psalms blend genres or move between moods, so this label is a guide rather than a rigid classification.

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