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The LORD Will Not Forget His People
Psalm 94 is a prayer-poem asking Yahweh to judge proud wrongdoers. It moves from a public cry about violence and false confidence to personal words of help, comfort and refuge in Yahweh.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
The speaker addresses Yahweh as the judge of the earth and describes evildoers who boast, crush Yahweh’s people and attack vulnerable people. The psalm answers their claim that God does not see, speaks of Yahweh’s teaching, then turns to the speaker’s own need for help and confidence in God’s judgement.
Psalms 94:1–23Main takeaway
This psalm teaches that Yahweh sees wickedness, teaches his people, helps the troubled speaker, and will not join or ignore unjust rule.
Explore the poem and its images
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01Calling on the Judge to actThe psalm begins with an appeal to Yahweh as the God to whom vengeance belongs and the judge of the earth.
Explanation
The psalm begins with an appeal to Yahweh as the God to whom vengeance belongs and the judge of the earth. The request that he shine out and rise up asks for open justice. “How long” shows the speaker is waiting while the wicked seem to keep triumphing.
02What the wicked do and sayThe wicked are described by both speech and action. They pour out arrogant words and boast.
Explanation
The wicked are described by both speech and action. They pour out arrogant words and boast. They break Yahweh’s people and kill the widow, the alien and the fatherless. Their claim that Yah will not see or consider denies God’s knowledge while they oppress vulnerable people.
03Yahweh hears, sees and teachesThe psalm answers these fools directly. The one who implanted the ear hears, and the one who formed the eye sees.
Explanation
The psalm answers these fools directly. The one who implanted the ear hears, and the one who formed the eye sees. Yahweh disciplines nations and knows human thoughts are futile. Yet his discipline is also teaching from his law, giving rest in adversity while judgement awaits the wicked.
04He will not forsake his peopleYahweh will not reject his people or forsake his inheritance, and judgement will return to righteousness.
Explanation
Yahweh will not reject his people or forsake his inheritance, and judgement will return to righteousness. The speaker then asks who will rise up or stand against the wicked. This question makes clear the need for help beyond human strength when evildoers are active.
05Help, comfort, refuge and judgementThe speaker says Yahweh helped when his foot was slipping and comforted him in many thoughts within.
Explanation
The speaker says Yahweh helped when his foot was slipping and comforted him in many thoughts within. The psalm rejects any fellowship between God and wicked rule that creates mischief by statute. Though such people condemn the innocent, Yahweh is the speaker’s refuge and will judge their wickedness.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01How does the psalm describe the wicked at the start?
Look for both the arrogant words they speak and the vulnerable people they harm.
02What answer does the psalm give to the claim that Yah will not see?
Compare the claim in verse 7 with the lines about the ear, the eye and Yahweh’s knowledge.
03What shows both the speaker’s trouble and his confidence in Yahweh?
Notice the question about who will stand against the wicked, then the lines about slipping, comfort and refuge.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Psalms 94:1–23
1Yahweh, you God to whom vengeance belongs, you God to whom vengeance belongs, shine out.
2Rise up, you judge of the earth. Pay back the proud what they deserve.
3Yahweh, how long will the wicked, how long will the wicked triumph?
4They pour out arrogant words. All the evildoers boast.
5They break your people in pieces, Yahweh, and afflict your heritage.
6They kill the widow and the alien, and murder the fatherless.
7They say, “Yah will not see, neither will Jacob’s God consider.”
8Consider, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you be wise?
9He who implanted the ear, won’t he hear? He who formed the eye, won’t he see?
10He who disciplines the nations, won’t he punish? He who teaches man knows.
11Yahweh knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.
12Blessed is the man whom you discipline, Yah, and teach out of your law,
13that you may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked.
14For Yahweh won’t reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
15For judgment will return to righteousness. All the upright in heart shall follow it.
16Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?
17Unless Yahweh had been my help, my soul would have soon lived in silence.
18When I said, “My foot is slipping!” Your loving kindness, Yahweh, held me up.
19In the multitude of my thoughts within me, your comforts delight my soul.
20Shall the throne of wickedness have fellowship with you, which brings about mischief by statute?
21They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
22But Yahweh has been my high tower, my God, the rock of my refuge.
23He has brought on them their own iniquity, and will cut them off in their own wickedness. Yahweh, our God, will cut them off.