Psalm 94:2

Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) Lift up thyself—i.e., either be exalted, or rise to give sentence.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

94:1-11 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Lift up thyself - Be exalted or lifted up so as to be manifest in thy true character. The idea is that God was, as it were, sitting at his ease, or as if he were indifferent to what was occurring in the world. See the notes at Psalm 3:7.

Thou Judge of the earth - Ruler of the world; to whom it pertains to exercise judgment over all classes of people, and in all circumstances. The meaning here is, that as he was the Ruler of the whole earth, this matter came without doubt under his jurisdiction. It was a case for his interposition.

Render a reward to the proud - A just recompence to the people who are confident in their own strength, and who are manifesting their pride in depriving others of their rights.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. Lift up thyself—or, "Arise," both figures representing God as heretofore indifferent (compare Ps 3:7; 22:16, 20).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Lift up thyself; either,

1. Ascend thy tribunal to pronounce the sentence. Or,

2. Arise from thy seat, and bestir thyself to punish thy proud enemies, as it here follows.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Lift up thyself, thou, O Judge of the earth,.... A title very proper to Christ, and which is given him by Abraham, Genesis 18:25, who then appeared to him in an human form, and with whom he was conversing; he judges his own people on earth, all judgment being committed to him by the Father; he judges and chastises them, that they may not be condemned with the world; he judges and distinguishes between them and the world; he protects and defends them, he pleads their cause, and avenges them on their enemies: and for this purpose he is requested to "lift up" himself; being in the apprehension of his people as one laid down and asleep, quite negligent and careless of them; and therefore they desire that he would awake and arise, and exert his power, and show himself higher than their enemies; that he would mount his throne, and execute justice and judgment on the wicked, agreeably to his character and office:

render a reward to the proud; an evil reward, as the Targum; to proud persecutors of the church, who through their pride persecute the poor saints; and to render tribulation to them is but just with the Lord; to antichrist, that exalts himself above all that is called God, and to all his haughty and ambitious dependents and followers, cardinals, bishops, priests, &c.

Geneva Study Bible

Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. Lift up thyself] Shew Thyself to be the supremely exalted Ruler. Cp. Isaiah 6:1; Isaiah 33:10; Psalm 7:6.

judge of the earth] Cp. Genesis 18:25; Psalm 58:11; Psalm 82:8. The universal Judge is needed to call the subordinate ‘judges of the earth’ to account.

render a reward to the proud] R.V. Render to the proud (their) desert; assimilating the rendering to that of Psalm 28:4. Cp. Lamentations 3:64.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - Lift up thyself (comp. Psalm 7:6; Isaiah 33:10). "Rouse thyself," that is, "from thy state of inaction" - come and visit the earth as Judge. Thou Judge of the earth (comp. Genesis 18:25; Psalm 58:11). Render a reward to the proud; rather, render a recompense - as the same phrase is translated in Lamentations 3:64. Psalm 94:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

The first strophe prays that God would at length put a judicial restraint upon the arrogance of ungodliness. Instead of חופיע (a less frequent form of the imperative for הופע, Ges. ֗53, rem. 3) it was perhaps originally written הופיעה (Psalm 80:2), the He of which has been lost owing to the He that follows. The plural נקמות signifies not merely single instances of taking vengeance (Ezekiel 25:17, cf. supra Psalm 18:48), but also intensively complete revenge or recompense (Judges 11:36; 2 Samuel 4:8). The designation of God is similar to אל גּמלות in Jeremiah 51:56, and the anadiplosis is like Psalm 94:3, Psalm 94:23, Psalm 93:1, Psalm 93:3. הנּשׂא, lift Thyself up, arise, viz., in judicial majesty, calls to mind Psalm 7:7. השׁיב גּמוּל is construed with על (cf. ל, Psalm 28:4; Psalm 59:18) as in Joel 3:4. With גּאים accidentally accord ἀγαυός and κύδεΐ γαίων in the epic poets.