Psalms 9:5

5 Thou hast blamed heathen men, and the wicked perished; thou hast done away the name of them into the world, and into the world of world. (Thou hast rebuked the heathen, and destroyed the wicked; thou hast done away their names forever and ever.)

Psalms 9:5 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 9:5

Thou hast rebuked the Heathen
The people of the Philistines, as the Targum and Kimchi explain it, though some Jewish writers ^F1 understand it of Amalek the chief of the Heathen nations; but it rather refers to Gospel times, and to the rebukes of the Heathen, by the preaching of the Gospel, for their idolatry and superstition; and especially to the latter day, and to the rebukes of the antichristian states, the Papists who are called Gentiles; which will be with flames of fire, and will issue in their utter extirpation, upon which a profound peace and prosperity will succeed in the Christian churches, according to ( Isaiah 2:4 ) ; which is a prophecy of those times;

thou hast destroyed the wicked;
the wicked man; for it is in the singular number, "labben", as Aben Ezra observes, or who is meant by him; Goliath, according to the Targum and Kimchi; or Esau, as other Jewish writers ^F2, that is, his posterity the Edomites; and each of these were figures of antichrist, the man of sin, the wicked one, whom Christ will slay with the breath of his lips, ( Isaiah 11:4 ) ;

thou hast put out their name for ever and ever;
that is, the glory and reputation of their name, a good and honourable one, which they sought to transmit to the latest posterity; for though the names of wicked men may continue, as Pharaoh, Judas, and others; yet they continue with a scandal and reproach upon them that shall never be wiped off, their names rot and stink; see ( Proverbs 10:7 ) ; the whole of this denotes the utter ruin and shameful end of the enemies of Christ and his church, and which is matter of joy to the saints.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Jarchi in loc. & Pesikta in ibid. in v. 1.
F2 Ibid.

Psalms 9:5 In-Context

3 For thou turnest mine enemy aback; they shall be made feeble, and shall perish from thy face (they shall be made weak, and they shall perish before thee).

4 For thou hast made my doom, and my cause; thou, that deemest rightfulness, hast set on the throne. (For thou hast made judgement in favour of me, and my case; thou, who judgest righteousness, sittest on the throne.)

5 Thou hast blamed heathen men, and the wicked perished; thou hast done away the name of them into the world, and into the world of world. (Thou hast rebuked the heathen, and destroyed the wicked; thou hast done away their names forever and ever.)

6 The swords of the enemy have failed into the end; and thou hast destroyed the cities of them. The mind of them hath perished with sound; (The swords of the enemy have failed to the end; and thou hast destroyed their cities. The memory of them hath perished without a trace;)

7 and the Lord dwelleth [into] without end. He hath made ready his throne in doom; (but the Lord liveth forever. He hath made his throne ready for judgement;)