Psalm 9 5

Psalm 9:5 kjv

Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.

Psalm 9:5 nkjv

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

Psalm 9:5 niv

You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.

Psalm 9:5 esv

You have rebuked the nations; you have made the wicked perish; you have blotted out their name forever and ever.

Psalm 9:5 nlt

You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have erased their names forever.

Psalm 9 verses

Psalm 9 5 Meaning

Psalm 9:5 proclaims God's decisive and righteous judgment against nations and individuals who embody wickedness. It signifies a complete and irreversible defeat and eradication of all that opposes His sovereignty and righteousness. The verse underscores the eternal nature of God's victory over evil, ensuring that the memory, legacy, and very existence of the wicked are utterly removed from the face of the earth, contrasted with the enduring memory of the righteous.

Psalm 9 5 Context

Psalm 9 is a thanksgiving psalm by David, likely celebrating a specific military victory (vv. 3-4, 7-8). More broadly, it is a hymn affirming God as the righteous King and Judge of the universe. The psalmist expresses deep gratitude for God's past interventions in overthrowing his enemies, implicitly understood as the enemies of God's people and God's justice. Verse 5 follows a declaration of God seeing and executing justice from His throne, setting the stage for the complete obliteration of those who oppose Him, particularly wicked nations (goyim) and their leaders (rasha'). It transitions from a personal deliverance to a universal statement of divine retribution and sovereignty. The psalm shifts from David's specific experience to a prophetic outlook on God's final, global judgment.

Psalm 9 5 Word analysis

• You have rebuked (גָּעַר - ga'ar): This Hebrew word implies a forceful and authoritative command, a stern silencing or suppression. It's not just a scolding but an active, effective declaration that brings about the desired outcome. It shows God's sovereign power to instantly and decisively put an end to something simply by His word or presence. The 'rebuke' indicates a cessation of activity, silencing the uproar and challenge of the wicked.
• the nations (גּוֹיִם - goyim): While goyim can generally refer to peoples or nations, in this context, especially given the "rebuked" and "wicked," it refers to Gentile nations hostile to Israel and, by extension, hostile to God's reign. It underscores that God's judgment extends beyond individual offenders to collective, national opposition to His divine order.
• You have destroyed (אָבַד - 'abad): This term signifies complete perishing, utter ruin, or coming to nothing. It's a stronger sense than mere defeat; it implies absolute eradication and dissolution, suggesting that their very essence or purpose ceased to exist.
• the wicked (רָשָׁע - rasha'): This refers to the ungodly, the criminal, the guilty, or those who are in the wrong in a legal or moral sense. They are characterized by their active rebellion or neglect of God's ways, leading to injustice and oppression. The wicked here are linked to the nations, showing that national opposition stems from individual or collective unrighteousness.
• You have blotted out (מָחָה - machah): This is a powerful verb meaning to wipe away, erase, obliterate, or wipe out. The imagery is like removing an inscription from a tablet, or a record from a scroll, leaving no trace. It implies a complete removal from memory and existence.
• their name (שְׁמָם - shemam): In ancient thought, a "name" embodied a person's identity, reputation, lineage, and legacy. To blot out one's name was to eliminate not just their physical presence but their memory, their heritage, their future progeny, and any lasting significance or fame. It's a polemic against human efforts to build an eternal name apart from God (e.g., Babel in Gen 11).
• forever and ever (לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד - le'olam va'ed): This is an intensified Hebrew phrase for eternity, implying a boundless, unending duration. It stresses the absolute finality and permanence of God's judgment. The obliteration is not temporary but irreversible, guaranteeing that the wicked will never again exert influence or be remembered.

• You have rebuked the nations; You have destroyed the wicked: This pairing demonstrates God's dual action of authoritative judgment against collective entities (nations) and their moral characteristic (wickedness). The cause for rebuke and destruction is precisely their wickedness. This shows that God's justice is directed at both external actions and underlying spiritual condition.
• You have blotted out their name forever and ever: This phrase summarizes the completeness and eternal nature of God's judgment. The removal of the "name" signifies a judgment far beyond physical death, encompassing historical remembrance and any future impact. The doubling of "forever" ("for eternity and beyond") powerfully underlines the absolute permanence and irreversible nature of this divine decree. It speaks to a divine decree that guarantees that there will be no resurgence or resurrection of this specific evil entity or legacy.

Psalm 9 5 Bonus section

The concept of blotting out a name (מָחָה שֵׁם) in the Hebrew Bible is extremely potent, carrying the weight of ultimate rejection and non-existence. It is used not only for enemies but also, chillingly, as a threat against disobedient Israelites, as seen in the context of the Golden Calf incident (Exod 32:32-33) where Moses pleads that his name be blotted out from God's book rather than Israel's. This emphasizes that to be blotted out by God is the greatest curse, the antithesis of being remembered in His book of life (Rev 3:5). Conversely, God’s own name, and the name of the righteous, endure forever (Ps 135:13; Prov 10:7), forming a stark contrast to the fate of the wicked in Psalm 9:5. The "forever and ever" aspect points to an eschatological finality where the ungodly, whether nations or individuals, will have no part in the renewed heavens and earth, signifying not merely extinction but separation from God's presence and blessed remembrance.

Psalm 9 5 Commentary

Psalm 9:5 is a strong declaration of divine justice, emphasizing God's absolute sovereignty over nations and individuals. It depicts God as the active Judge who, by His powerful word and intervention, not only defeats but utterly annihilates the wicked and their lasting influence. This verse reassures believers that despite the temporary triumph of evil, God's judgment is decisive, comprehensive, and eternal. It confirms that the boast of the wicked and their legacy are fleeting illusions before the enduring power of the Almighty, who ensures that the memory of ungodliness will ultimately perish. This serves as both a comfort for the oppressed righteous and a stern warning to those who defy God.For example, it highlights that:

• No earthly power, no matter how strong, can stand against God's rebuke.
• Efforts to build a lasting legacy through wickedness are futile; God will erase them.
• Those who seek justice can trust that God is working, in His time, to fully eradicate evil.