Psalm 94:1-23
O LORD, God of Vengeance
1O LORD, God of vengeance, O God of vengeance, shine forth.
2Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render a reward to the proud.
3How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked exult?
4They pour out arrogant words; all workers of iniquity boast.
5They crush Your people, O LORD; they oppress Your heritage.
6They kill the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless.
7They say, “The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob pays no heed.”
8Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise?
9He who affixed the ear, can He not hear? He who formed the eye, can He not see?
10He who admonishes the nations, does He not discipline? He who teaches man, does He lack knowledge?
11The LORD knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile.
12Blessed is the man You discipline, O LORD, and teach from Your law,
13to grant him relief from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14For the LORD will not forsake His people; He will never abandon His heritage.
15Surely judgment will again be righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will stand for me against the workers of iniquity?
17Unless the LORD had been my helper, I would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence.
18If I say, “My foot is slipping,” Your loving devotion, O LORD, supports me.
19When anxiety overwhelms me, Your consolation delights my soul.
20Can a corrupt throne be Your ally—one devising mischief by decree?
21They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.
22But the LORD has been my stronghold, and my God is my rock of refuge.
23He will bring upon them their own iniquity and destroy them for their wickedness. The LORD our God will destroy them.
Berean Standard Bible
The psalm calls on the God of vengeance to shine forth and repay the proud. The wicked crush God's people, kill the fatherless, and say the LORD does not see. The prayer refuses to make violence invisible simply because it is common.
God hears, sees, and disciplines nations. The One who formed the eye can see, and the One who teaches nations can correct them. Blessed is the person God disciplines and teaches from His law; when trouble comes, the LORD will not forsake His people.
The psalmist asks who will rise against evildoers and stand for the righteous. He remembers that if the LORD had not been his help, he would have soon dwelt in silence. The closing confidence is that God becomes his stronghold and repays the wicked for their injustice.
Questions
1 What are the wicked doing?
AnswerThey crush God's people, kill the fatherless, and boast that God neither sees nor cares.
2 What does God know?
AnswerHe sees and hears because He formed the eye and ear, so human oppression is not hidden from Him.
3 Whom does God not forsake?
AnswerHe does not forsake His people or abandon His inheritance, even during discipline and trouble.
4 What has God become?
AnswerHe has become the psalmist's stronghold and the rock of refuge.
What This Means for Us
“Vengeance” belongs to God because human revenge easily becomes another injustice. We can name harm, protect victims, and seek lawful accountability without pretending our anger is a perfect judge.
The psalm also asks who will stand with the vulnerable. Compassion is not only feeling; it is rising to defend people who are being crushed.
Prayer
God of justice, see the fatherless and oppressed who are being crushed. Restrain violent power, give victims advocates, and make us willing to stand for the vulnerable without becoming vengeful ourselves. Amen.