Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary
Psalms 94:15

Clarke's Commentary

Verse Psalms 94:15. But judgment shall return unto righteousness — If we read יושב yosheb, shall sit, for ישוב yashub, shall return, which is only placing the ו vau before the ש shin instead of after it, we have the following sense: Until the just one shall sit in judgment, and after him all the upright in heart. Cyrus has the epithet צדק tsedek, the just one, in different places in the Prophet Isaiah. See Isaiah 41:2, Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 45:8; Isaiah 51:5. It was Cyrus who gave liberty to the Jews, who appeared as their deliverer and conductor to their own land, and they are all represented as following in his train.

Bridgeway Bible Commentary

Psalms 94:0 God the judge of all

The psalmist, tired of the oppression caused by the proud and the wicked, calls for a fitting divine punishment on all those who oppose God and his ways (1-3). They brutally crush the poor and the helpless, thinking that God does not see them (4-7). How foolish of them. They forget that God is the one who made them. He knows what they are and what they do. He controls their destinies and will punish them for their wrongdoing (8-11).
God does not desert the godly in their troubles, and may even use their troubles to teach them lessons of patience and love. Then, when he sees the time has come to intervene, he punishes the tormentors and gives relief to their victims (12-15). But until that day comes, the suffering believer has no defence against the wicked and no source of comfort except in God alone (16-19). The wicked are in places of authority, but they oppose God whose law they should be administering. The believer’s only hope is to trust in the overruling government of God (20-23).

Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible

PRAISE OF THE PIOUS SUFFERER

"Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Jehovah, And teachest out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, Until the pit be digged for the wicked. For Jehovah will not cast off his people, Neither will he forsake his inheritance. For judgment shall return unto righteousness; And all the upright in heart shall follow it."

"Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest" Some of the sufferers mentioned earlier, no doubt, were allowed to pass through such difficult experiences by the Lord. "The affliction was for their betterment. This is one of the most beneficial forms of experience that the Lord lets men live through."H. C. Leupold, p. 672. In the New Testament, Hebrews 12 stresses the benefit and the necessity of such chastening. (For a fuller discussion of this see Vol. 10 of our New Testament Series of Commentaries (Hebrews), pp. 293-296.)

"Rest from adversity… until the pit be digged for the wicked" Two great blessings are mentioned here for the sufferers: (1) God will give them "peace" and "rest" spiritually, even during their afflictions; and (2) meanwhile, the pit is being digged for the wicked into which they shall surely fall. It is evident that God's punishment of evil-doers, while inevitable and certain, in many instances must wait (a) until their wickedness has run its course, or (b) until God's preparation for their punishment is complete.

"For Jehovah will not cast off his people… nor forsake his inheritance" This was not an "unconditional promise," despite the fact of Racial Israel's treating it exactly that way. What is meant here is that "God will never cast off his faithful people." Romans 11:15 speaks of the "casting away" of many in Israel; yet Paul declares God has not "cast off his people," because he himself and others in the service of Jesus Christ are indeed the "True Israel" which was not cast off.

"Judgment shall return unto righteousness" The RSV seems to be clearer. "Justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it." Martin Luther translated it, "For right must remain right, and the upright in heart shall walk in it."The Interpreter's Bible, p. 509.

In addition to these options, we like the proposal of Addis, who rendered this difficult verse, "Authority shall return to the righteous man, and all the upright in heart shall follow him."W. E. Addis, p. 389. The practical meaning was that whoever the wicked king on the throne of Israel might have been, he would be succeeded by one who would honor God's law.

Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

But judgment shall return unto righteousness - That is, The exercise of judgment shall be so manifest to the world - as if it “returned” to it - as to show that there is a righteous God. The truth here taught is, that the “results” of God’s interposition in human affairs will be such as to show that he is on the side of righteousness, or such as to vindicate and maintain the cause of righteousness in the earth.

And all the upright in heart shall follow it - Margin, shall be after it. The meaning is, that all who are upright in heart - all who are truly righteous - will follow on in the path of justice; that they will regard what God does as right, and will walk in that path. The fact that what occurs is done by God, will be to them a sufficient revelation of what ought to be done; and they will follow out the teachings properly suggested by the divine dealings as their rules of life. In other words, the manifested laws of the divine administration will be to them an indication of what is right; and they will embrace and follow the lessons thus made known to them by the dealings of Divine Providence as the rules of their own conduct.

Calvin's Commentary on the Bible

15.But judgment will return unto righteousness In the dark season of affliction, it is not easy to recognize the secret love which God even then bears to his own children, and the Psalmist adduces another ground of comfort, in the consideration that God will eventually put an end to the confusions which perplex them, and reduce matters to order. The form of expression used by the Psalmist is a little obscure, and this has led some to read the first part of the verse, as if it contained two distinct clauses — justice will return at the end, and then, judgment will return This is a violent wresting of the context. I have no doubt the Psalmist meant to say that judgment would be fitted or conformed to justice. And by judgment here is meant, as in many other places, the government or public state of matters. The confusion which prevails in the world, seems to argue some defect or unrighteousness of administration; and he holds out to us that it shall be well in the issue. More is said than merely that men who indulged in reckless oppression would be brought back to equitable dealing. A deeper meaning is intended, That God, when he interposed to restore the condition of his people, would bring forth openly to the light his justice which had lain concealed; by which we are not to understand that he ever deviates the least in his providence from the strictest rectitude, only there is not always that harmony and arrangement which might make his righteousness apparent to man’s view, and the correction of this inequality is here called justice of government. ⁽³⁰⁾ As the sun’s light is hid from view at night, or at a cloudy season, so when the wicked persecute the righteous, and are allowed to indulge in iniquity without restraint, the Divine justice is obscured by the clouds which are thus interposed between us and the providence of God, and judgment is in a manner separated from justice. But when things are brought back again to their proper state, justice and government are seen to harmonize perfectly together in the equality which prevails. ⁽³¹⁾ Faith no doubt, should enable us to discern the justice of God even when things are most dark and disordered; but the passage speaks of what would be obvious to sense and actual observation, and asserts that the justice of God would shine as the sky when all is calm and serene.

And all that are upright in heart after him Some read, after it, that is, after righteousness; but as by righteousness here we are to understand the equal and harmonious government which prevails when God takes vengeance upon the wicked and delivers his own people, this rendering will scarcely suit. It would rather seem that God himself is to be understood, so that the relative is here without an antecedent. In the Hebrew, when mention is made of God, the relative is not unfrequently put instead of the name. The words then mean, that upon God’s restoring order in the world, his people would be encouraged to follow him with greater alacrity. Even when called to bear the cross, they sigh after him under their troubles and distresses, but it binds them more closely to his service when they see his hand stretched forth in this visible manner, and sensibly experience his deliverance.

(30) “Mais pource qu’au regard des hommes ou ne voit pas tousjours une telle moderation ou temperature que sa justice soit apparente; laquelle est nommee Gouvernement juste, apres que l’inequalite est corrigee.” — Fr.

(31) “On voit un tresbon accord entre la domination et justice en une equalite bien moderee.” — Fr.

Smith's Bible Commentary

Psalms 94:1-23 :

O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth ( Psalms 94:1 );

Now, it's hard for us to remember that. "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" ( Romans 12:19 ). So often we try to take vengeance ourselves against the evil that is done to us. So often we say or hear said, "I'll get even with him," as though it is our place to take vengeance.

But LORD God, vengeance belongeth to thee ( Psalms 94:1 ),

But he said now,

show yourself ( Psalms 94:1 ).

And take vengeance, Lord.

Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud. LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all of the workers of iniquity boast themselves? They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, they afflict your heritage. They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless. Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it ( Psalms 94:2-7 ).

Somehow there is that kind of feeling with those who are guilty of unrighteousness that God doesn't see. No fear of the Lord in them. They do not realize that though they may get by with it here, someday they are going to answer for those things that they have done. Vengeance belongs to God and God is going to come in judgment to bring vengeance upon the workers of iniquity. But what fools they are thinking that God doesn't see or that God doesn't regard what they are doing.

Understand, you brutish among the people: you fools, when will ye be wise? ( Psalms 94:8 )

When you going to wise up?

He that has created the ear, do you think he can't hear? the one that created your eye, you think he can't see? He that chastens the heathen, shall he not correct? he that teaches man knowledge, you think he doesn't know? The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are emptiness. Blessed is the man whom you chasten, O LORD, and teach him out of your law; That you may give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance. But judgment shall return unto the righteous: and the upright in heart shall follow it. Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity? Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence ( Psalms 94:9-17 ).

I would have been wiped out.

When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frames mischief by the law? They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. But the LORD is my defense; and my God is the rock of my refuge. And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off ( Psalms 94:18-23 ).

So the psalm is out of a troubled heart because of the oppression of the wicked, but the acknowledgment that God is the God of vengeance and God will avenge, and God will uphold the righteous. But those that have been guilty of wickedness shall be brought in judgment one day. "

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Psalms 94

This psalm, which begins as a national lament (Psalms 94:1-15) and ends as an individual lament (Psalms 94:16-23), calls on God to avenge the righteous whom the wicked oppress unjustly. It manifests faith in the justice of God.

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

2. A warning for evildoers 94:8-15

Dr. Constable's Expository Notes

Oppression from the wicked is discipline that God permits for His people (cf. Habakkuk 1:5-11). Because of this the writer saw it had value. However, he also believed that God would relieve the godly and not forsake His faithful ones. Eventually God will execute justice, and this will encourage people to follow the path of righteousness.

Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

But judgment shall return unto righteousness,.... Which may be understood either of the judgment and righteousness of God, which seemed to be parted, and stand at a distance from each other; his conduct and government of the world from his justice; the righteous being persecuted and afflicted, and wicked men suffered to prosper; which sometimes makes it difficult to reconcile the judgment of God, or his government of the world, to his justice; see Jeremiah 12:1, but as this has been made manifest in the destruction of the Jews, and in the downfall of Rome Pagan, the first persecutors of the Christians; so it will be seen in Rome Papal, when the judgments of God will be manifest, and appear to be just and true; and these two, judgment and justice, will openly come together, in the sight of all; as they also will at the last judgment; see Revelation 15:4 or else of the righteousness of men, which, in times of general corruption, seems to be fled from them, and to stand at a distance, from their conduct and behaviour; as in the old world before the flood, and in the times Isaiah beautifully describes, Isaiah 59:14, and in the times of Christ and his apostles; and in the persecuting times of Rome Pagan and Papal; and as it will be at the time of the slaying of the witnesses; but upon the rising of them, which will not be long after, there will be a great pouring down of the Spirit, and a general reformation will follow throughout the world; all the Lord's people will be righteous, not only nominally, but really; every pot in Jerusalem shall be holy; and holiness shall be so common as that it is said it shall be upon the bells of the horses; and in the new heavens and new earth will dwell none but righteous persons; and then judgment and righteousness will come together indeed:

and all the upright in heart shall follow it; either judgment, as Jarchi; or righteousness, as Kimchi; not the righteousness of the law, but the righteousness of faith; or rather practical righteousness, works of righteousness, which both the grace wrought in them, and the doctrine of grace received by them, will teach, influence, and engage to pursue after with eagerness: or else the meaning is, that such who are "upright in heart"; who have new hearts and right spirits formed in them; who have the truth of grace, and the root of the matter, in them; whose hearts, words, and actions, agree; who are sincere souls, Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile; these will approve and applaud the righteous judgments of God upon antichrist; they shall follow the justice of God with their commendations and praises; see Revelation 15:3. The words may be rendered, "and all the upright in heart shall be after him" d, the Lord; they shall follow him whithersoever he goes, as sheep follow the shepherd, servants their masters, and soldiers their general; they shall follow him in his own ways, observe his commands, and obey his orders; see the description of such that will be with Christ, and follow him, before and at the time of antichrist's ruin,

Revelation 14:4. The Targum is,

"after him shall be redeemed all the upright in heart.''

d אחריו "post ipsum", Musculus, Gejerus.

Henry's Complete Commentary on the Bible

      12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;   13 That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.   14 For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.   15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.   16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?   17 Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.   18 When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.   19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.   20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?   21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.   22 But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.   23 And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.

      The psalmist, having denounced tribulation to those that trouble God's people, here assures those that are troubled of rest. See 2 Thessalonians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 1:7. He speaks comfort to suffering saints from God's promises and his own experience.

      I. From God's promises, which are such as not only save them from being miserable, but secure a happiness to them (Psalms 94:12; Psalms 94:12): Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest. Here he looks above the instruments of trouble, and eyes the hand of God, which gives it another name and puts quite another color upon it. The enemies break in pieces God's people (Psalms 94:5; Psalms 94:5); they aim at no less; but the truth of the matter is that God by them chastens his people, as the father the son in whom he delights, and the persecutors are only the rod he makes use of. Howbeit they mean not so, neither doth their heart think so,Isaiah 10:5-7. Now it is here promised,

      1. That God's people shall get good by their sufferings. When he chastens them he will teach them, and blessed is the man who is thus taken under a divine discipline, for none teaches like God. Note, (1.) The afflictions of the saints are fatherly chastenings, designed for their instruction, reformation, and improvement. (2.) When the teachings of the word and Spirit go along with the rebukes of Providence they then both manifest men to be blessed and help to make them so; for then they are marks of adoption and means of sanctification. When we are chastened we must pray to be taught, and look into the law as the best expositor of Providence. It is not the chastening itself that does good, but the teaching that goes along with it and is the exposition of it.

      2. That they shall see through their sufferings (Psalms 94:13; Psalms 94:13): That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity. Note, (1.) There is a rest remaining for the people of God after the days of their adversity, which, though they may be many and long, shall be numbered and finished in due time, and shall not last always. He that sends the trouble will send the rest, that he may comfort them according to the time that he has afflicted them. (2.) God therefore teaches his people by their troubles, that he may prepare them for deliverance, and so give them rest from their troubles, that, being reformed, they may be relieved, and that the affliction, having done its work, may be removed.

      3. That they shall see the ruin of those that are the instruments of their sufferings, which is the matter of a promise, not as gratifying any passion of theirs, but as redounding to the glory of God: Until the pit is digged (or rather while the pit is digging) for the wicked, God is ordering peace for them at the same time that he is ordaining his arrows against the persecutors.

      4. That, though they may be cast down, yet certainly they shall not be cast off, Psalms 94:14; Psalms 94:14. Let God's suffering people assure themselves of this, that, whatever their friends do, God will not cast them off, nor throw them out of his covenant or out of his care; he will not forsake them, because they are his inheritance, which he will not quit his title to nor suffer himself to be disseised of. St. Paul comforted himself with this, Romans 11:1.

      5. That, bad as things are, they shall mend, and, though they are now out of course, yet they shall return to their due and ancient channel (Psalms 94:15; Psalms 94:15): Judgment shall return unto righteousness; the seeming disorders of Providence (for real ones there never were) shall be rectified. God's judgment, that is, his government, looks sometimes as if it were at a distance from righteousness, while the wicked prosper, and the best men meet with the worst usage; but it shall return to righteousness again, either in this world or at the furthest in the judgment of the great day, which will set all to-rights. Then all the upright in heart shall be after it; they shall follow it with their praises, and with entire satisfaction; they shall return to a prosperous and flourishing condition, and shine forth out of obscurity; they shall accommodate themselves to the dispensations of divine Providence, and with suitable affections attend all its motions. They shall walk after the Lord,Hosea 11:10. Dr. Hammond thinks this was most eminently fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem first, and afterwards of heathen Rome, the crucifiers of Christ and persecutors of Christians, and the rest which the churches had thereby. Then judgment returned even to righteousness, to mercy and goodness, and favour to God's people, who then were as much countenanced as before they had been trampled on.

      II. From his own experiences and observations.

      1. He and his friends had been oppressed by cruel and imperious men, that had power in their hands and abused it by abusing all good people with it. They were themselves evil-doers and workers of iniquity (Psalms 94:16; Psalms 94:16); they abandoned themselves to all manner of impiety and immorality, and then their throne was a throne of iniquity,Psalms 94:20; Psalms 94:20. Their dignity served to put a reputation upon sin, and their authority was employed to support it, and to bring about their wicked designs. It is a pity that ever a throne, which should be a terror to evil-doers and a protection and praise to those that do well, should be the seat and shelter of iniquity. That is a throne of iniquity which by the policy of its council frames mischief, and by its sovereignty enacts it and turns it into a law. Iniquity is daring enough even when human laws are against it, which often prove too weak to give an effectual check to it; but how insolent, how mischievous, is it when it is backed by a law! Iniquity is not the better, but much the worse, for being enacted by law; nor will it excuse those that practise it to say that they did but do as they were bidden. These workers of iniquity, having framed mischief by a law, take care to see the law executed; for they gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, who dare not keep the statutes of Omri nor the law of the house of Ahab; and they condemn the innocent blood for violating their decrees. See an instance in Daniel's enemies; they framed mischief by a law when the obtained an impious edict against prayer (Daniel 6:7), and, when Daniel would not obey it, they assembled together against him (Psalms 94:11; Psalms 94:11) and condemned his innocent blood to the lions. The best benefactors of mankind have often been thus treated, under colour of law and justice, as the worst of malefactors.

      2. The oppression they were under bore very hard upon them, and oppressed their spirits too. Let not suffering saints despair, though, when they are persecuted, they find themselves perplexed and cast down; it was so with the psalmist here: His soul had almost dwelt in silence (Psalms 94:17; Psalms 94:17); he was at his wits' end, and knew not what to say or do; he was, in his own apprehensions, at his life's end, ready to drop into the grave, that land of silence. St. Paul, in a like case, received a sentence of death within himself,2 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 1:9. He said, "My foot slippeth (Psalms 94:18; Psalms 94:18); I am going irretrievably; there is no remedy; I must fall. I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul. My hope fails me; I do not find such firm footing for my faith as I have sometimes found." Psalms 73:2. He had a multitude of perplexed entangled thoughts within him concerning the case he was in and the construction to be made of it, and concerning the course he should take and what was likely to be the issue of it.

      3. In this distress they sought for help, and succour, and some relief. (1.) They looked about for it and were disappointed (Psalms 94:16; Psalms 94:16): "Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers? Have I any friend who, in love to me, will appear for me? Has justice any friend who, in a pious indignation at unrighteousness, will plead my injured cause?" He looked, but there was none to save, there was none to uphold. Note, When on the side of the oppressors there is power it is no marvel if the oppressed have no comforter, none that dare own them, or speak a good word for them, Ecclesiastes 4:1. When St. Paul was brought before Nero's throne of iniquity no man stood by him,2 Timothy 4:16. (2.) They looked up for it, Psalms 94:20; Psalms 94:20. They humbly expostulate with God: "Lord, shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee? Wilt thou countenance and support these tyrants in their wickedness? We know thou wilt not." A throne has fellowship with God when it is a throne of justice and answers the end of the erecting of it; for by him kings reign, and when they reign for him their judgments are his, and he owns them as his ministers, and whoever resist them, or rise up against them, shall receive to themselves damnation; but, when it becomes a throne of iniquity, it has no longer fellowship with God. Far be it from the just and holy God that he should be the patron of unrighteousness, even in princes and those that sit in thrones, yea, though they be the thrones of the house of David.

      4. They found succour and relief in God, and in him only. When other friends failed, in him they had a faithful and powerful friend; and it is recommended to all God's suffering saints to trust in him. (1.) God helps at a dead lift (Psalms 94:17; Psalms 94:17): "When I had almost dwelt in silence, then the Lord was my help, kept me alive, kept me in heart; and unless I had made him my help, by putting my trust in him and expecting relief from him, I could never have kept possession of my own soul; but living by faith in him has kept my head above water, has given me breath, and something to say." (2.) God's goodness is the great support of sinking spirits (Psalms 94:18; Psalms 94:18): "When I said, My foot slips into sin, into ruin, into despair, then thy mercy, O Lord! held me up, kept me from falling, and defeated the design of those who consulted to cast me down from my excellency," Psalms 62:4. We are beholden not only to God's power, but to his pity, for spiritual supports: Thy mercy, the gifts of thy mercy and my hope in thy mercy, held me up. God's right hand sustains his people when they look on their right hand and on their left and there is none to uphold; and we are then prepared for his gracious supports when we are sensible of our own weakness and inability to stand by our own strength, and come to God, to acknowledge it, and to tell him how our foot slips. (3.) Divine consolations are the effectual relief of troubled spirits (Psalms 94:19; Psalms 94:19): "In the multitude of my thoughts within me, which are noisy like a multitude, crowding and jostling one another like a multitude, and very unruly and ungovernable, in the multitude of my sorrowful, solicitous, timorous thoughts, thy comforts delight my soul; and they are never more delightful than when they come in so seasonably to silence my unquiet thoughts and keep my mind easy." The world's comforts give but little delight to the soul when it is hurried with melancholy thoughts; they are songs to a heavy heart. But God's comforts will reach the soul, and not the fancy only, and will bring with them that peace and that pleasure which the smiles of the world cannot give and which the frowns of the world cannot take away.

      5. God is, and will be, as a righteous Judge, the patron and protector of right and the punisher and avenger of wrong; this the psalmist had both the assurance of and the experience of. (1.) He will give redress to the injured (Psalms 94:22; Psalms 94:22): "When none else will, nor can, nor dare, shelter me, the Lord is my defence, to preserve me from the evil of my troubles, from sinking under them and being ruined by them; and he is the rock of my refuge, in the clefts of which I may take shelter, and on the top of which I may set my feet, to be out of the reach of danger." God is his people's refuge, to whom they may flee, in whom they are safe and may be secure; he is the rock of their refuge, so strong, so firm, impregnable, immovable, as a rock: natural fastnesses sometimes exceed artificial fortifications. (2.) He will reckon with the injurious (Psalms 94:23; Psalms 94:23): He shall render to them their own iniquity; he shall deal with them according to their deserts, and that very mischief which they did and designed against God's people shall be brought upon themselves: it follows, He shall cut them off in their wickedness. A man cannot be more miserable than his own wickedness will make him if God visit it upon him: it will cut him in the remembrance of it; it will cut him off in the recompence of it. This the psalm concludes with the triumphant assurance of: Yea, the Lord our God, who takes our part and owns us for his, shall cut them off from any fellowship with him, and so shall make them completely miserable and their pomp and power shall stand them in no stead.