Shīpiān 94

1 Yēhéhuá a , nǐ shì shēnyuān de shén . shēnyuān de shén a , qiú nǐ fāchū guāng lái .

2 Shĕnpàn shìjiè de zhǔ a , qiú nǐ tǐng shēn ér lì , shǐ jiāoào rén shòu yīngdé de bàoyìng .

3 Yēhéhuá a , è rén kuā shēng yào dào jǐshí ne , yào dào jǐshí ne .

4 Tāmen xù xù tāo tāo , shuō ào màn de huà . yīqiè zuò niè de rén , dōu zìjǐ kuā zhāng .

5 Yēhéhuá a , tāmen jiàng yē nǐde bǎixìng , kǔhaì nǐde chǎnyè .

6 Tāmen shā sǐ guǎfu hé jìjū de , yòu shāhaì gūér .

7 Tāmen shuō , Yēhéhuá bì bù kànjian , Yǎgè de shén bì bù sīniàn .

8 Nǐmen mínjiān de chùleì rén dāng sīxiǎng . nǐmen yú wán rén , dào jǐshí cái yǒu zhìhuì ne .

9 Zào ĕrduo de , nándào zìjǐ bù tīngjian ma . zào yǎnjing de , nándào zìjǐ bù kànjian ma .

10 Guǎngjiào liè bāng de , jiù shì jiào rén dé zhīshi de , nándào zìjǐ bù chéng zhì rén ma .

11 Yēhéhuá zhīdào rén de yìniàn shì xūwàng de .

12 Yēhéhuá a , nǐ suǒ guǎngjiào , yòng lǜfǎ suǒ jiàoxun de rén , shì yǒu fú de .

13 Nǐ shǐ tā zaì zāo nán de rìzi , dé xiǎng píngān . wéiyǒu è rén xiàn zaì suǒ wā de kēng zhōng .

14 Yīnwei Yēhéhuá bì bù diūqì tāde bǎixìng , yĕ bù lí qì tāde chǎnyè .

15 Shĕnpàn yào zhuǎn xiàng gōngyì . xīnli zhèngzhí de , bì dōu suícóng .

16 Shuí kĕn wèi wǒ qǐlai gōngjī zuò è de . shuí kĕn wèi wǒ zhàn qǐ dǐdǎng zuò niè de .

17 Ruò bù shì Yēhéhuá bāngzhu wǒ , wǒ jiù zhù zaì jì jìng zhī zhōng le .

18 Wǒ zhēng shuō wǒ shī le jiǎo , Yēhéhuá a , nàshí nǐde cíaì fúzhù wǒ .

19 Wǒ xīnli duō yōu duō yí , nǐ ānwèi wǒ , jiù shǐ wǒ huānlè .

20 Nà jiè zhe lǜ lì jià lòng cánhaì , zaì wèi shang xíng jiān è de , qǐnéng yǔ nǐ xiāngjiāo ma .

21 Tāmen dàjiā jùjí gōngjī yì rén , jiāng wúgū de rén déng wèi sǐ zuì .

22 Dàn Yēhéhuá xiàng lái zu4 le wǒde gāo tái . wǒde shén zuò le wǒ tóukào de pánshí .

23 Tā jiào tāmende zuìniè guī dào tāmen shēnshang . tāmen zhèngzaì xíng è zhī zhōng , tā yào jiǎnchú tāmen . Yēhéhuá wǒmen de shén yào bǎ tāmen jiǎnchú .

Shīpiān 94 Commentary

Chapter 94

The danger and folly of persecutors. (1-11) Comfort and peace to the persecuted. (12-23)

Verses 1-11 We may with boldness appeal to God; for he is the almighty Judge by whom every man is judged. Let this encourage those who suffer wrong, to bear it with silence, committing themselves to Him who judges righteously. These prayers are prophecies, which speak terror to the sons of violence. There will come a day of reckoning for all the hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against God, his truths, and ways, and people. It would hardly be believed, if we did not witness it, that millions of rational creatures should live, move, speak, hear, understand, and do what they purpose, yet act as if they believed that God would not punish the abuse of his gifts. As all knowledge is from God, no doubt he knows all the thoughts of the children of men, and knows that the imaginations of the thoughts of men's hearts are only evil, and that continually. Even in good thoughts there is a want of being fixed, which may be called vanity. It concerns us to keep a strict watch over our thoughts, because God takes particular notice of them. Thoughts are words to God.

Verses 12-23 That man is blessed, who, under the chastening of the Lord, is taught his will and his truths, from his holy word, and by the Holy Spirit. He should see mercy through his sufferings. There is a rest remaining for the people of God after the days of their adversity, which shall not last always. He that sends the trouble, will send the rest. The psalmist found succour and relief only in the Lord, when all earthly friends failed. We are beholden, not only to God's power, but to his pity, for spiritual supports; and if we have been kept from falling into sin, or shrinking from our duty, we should give him the glory, and encourage our brethren. The psalmist had many troubled thoughts concerning the case he was in, concerning the course he should take, and what was likely to be the end of it. The indulgence of such contrivances and fears, adds to care and distrust, and renders our views more gloomy and confused. Good men sometimes have perplexed and distressed thoughts concerning God. But let them look to the great and precious promises of the gospel. The world's comforts give little delight to the soul, when hurried with melancholy thoughts; but God's comforts bring that peace and pleasure which the smiles of the world cannot give, and which the frowns of the world cannot take away. God is his people's Refuge, to whom they may flee, in whom they are safe, and may be secure. And he will reckon with the wicked. A man cannot be more miserable than his own wickedness will make him, if the Lord visit it upon him.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 94

Some, as Jarchi and others, think this psalm was written by Moses; others, with greater probability, assign it to David; as do the Septuagint, Vulgate Latin, and all the Oriental versions; and which all but the Syriac version say it was composed to be sung on the fourth day of the week, on which day the Talmudists say it was sung; see the argument of the preceding psalm. This psalm and others, that go before and follow, are without any title in the Hebrew Bible: the title of it in the Syriac version is,

``a Psalm of David, concerning the company of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; but spiritually, concerning the persecution against the church;''

not of the oppression of the Israelites in Egypt, as some; nor of the Jews in their present exile, as Kimchi; but rather of the people of God under the tyranny of antichrist; who are represented as complaining of his insults and cruelty, and as comforting themselves in the hopes of deliverance, and in the view of his destruction.