Psalm 94

Psalm 94
"O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth"
Royal Psalm
English Bible open at Psalm 94
Other name	Psalm 93 "Deus ultionum"
Language	Biblical Hebrew

Psalm 94
← Psalm 93 Psalm 95 →
Book	Book of Psalms
Hebrew Bible part	Ketuvim
Order in the Hebrew part	1
Category	Sifrei Emet
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	19

Psalm 94 is the 94th psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth". In the slightly different numbering system used in the Greek Septuagint and Latin Vulgate translations of the Bible, this psalm is Psalm 93. In Latin, it is known as "Deus ultionum".^[1] This psalm is referred to as one of the Royal Psalms, Psalms 93–99, praising God as the King of His people, although as Gordon Churchyard notes, God is referred to here as judge rather than king.^[2]

Alexander Kirkpatrick divides it into two sections. In the first section, up to verse 11, the psalmist calls on God "to manifest Himself as judge of the earth", while "the second part of the Psalm is occupied with thoughts of consolation for times of trouble".^[3]

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic liturgies. It has been set to music, for example by Baroque composers Heinrich Schütz and Johann Sebastian Bach (cantata BWV 21) in German. Julius Reubke composed the Sonata on the 94th Psalm for organ, first performed in 1857.

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Transcription

Text

Hebrew

The following table shows the Hebrew text^[4]^[5] of the Psalm with vowels alongside an English translation based upon the JPS 1917 translation (now in the public domain).

Verse	Hebrew	English translation (JPS 1917)
1	אֵל־נְקָמ֥וֹת יְהֹוָ֑ה אֵ֖ל נְקָמ֣וֹת הוֹפִֽיעַ׃‎	O LORD, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth, shine forth.
2	הִ֭נָּשֵׂא שֹׁפֵ֣ט הָאָ֑רֶץ הָשֵׁ֥ב גְּ֝מ֗וּל עַל־גֵּאִֽים׃‎	Lift up Thyself, Thou Judge of the earth; Render to the proud their recompense.
3	עַד־מָתַ֖י רְשָׁעִ֥ים ׀ יְהֹוָ֑ה עַד־מָ֝תַ֗י רְשָׁעִ֥ים יַעֲלֹֽזוּ׃‎	LORD, how long shall the wicked, How long shall the wicked exult?
4	יַבִּ֣יעוּ יְדַבְּר֣וּ עָתָ֑ק יִ֝תְאַמְּר֗וּ כׇּל־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃‎	They gush out, they speak arrogancy; All the workers of iniquity bear themselves loftily.
5	עַמְּךָ֣ יְהֹוָ֣ה יְדַכְּא֑וּ וְֽנַחֲלָתְךָ֥ יְעַנּֽוּ׃‎	They crush Thy people, O LORD, And afflict Thy heritage.
6	אַלְמָנָ֣ה וְגֵ֣ר יַהֲרֹ֑גוּ וִ֖יתוֹמִ֣ים יְרַצֵּֽחוּ׃‎	They slay the widow and the stranger, And murder the fatherless.
7	וַ֭יֹּ֣אמְרוּ לֹ֣א יִרְאֶה־יָּ֑הּ וְלֹא־יָ֝בִ֗ין אֱלֹהֵ֥י יַעֲקֹֽב׃‎	And they say: 'The LORD will not see, Neither will the God of Jacob give heed.'
8	בִּ֭ינוּ בֹּעֲרִ֣ים בָּעָ֑ם וּ֝כְסִילִ֗ים מָתַ֥י תַּשְׂכִּֽילוּ׃‎	Consider, ye brutish among the people; And ye fools, when will ye understand?
9	הֲנֹ֣טַֽע אֹ֭זֶן הֲלֹ֣א יִשְׁמָ֑ע אִֽם־יֹ֥צֵֽר עַ֝֗יִן הֲלֹ֣א יַבִּֽיט׃‎	He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see?
10	הֲיֹסֵ֣ר גּ֭וֹיִם הֲלֹ֣א יוֹכִ֑יחַ הַֽמְלַמֵּ֖ד אָדָ֣ם דָּֽעַת׃‎	He that instructeth nations, shall not He correct? Even He that teacheth man knowledge?
11	יְֽהֹוָ֗ה יֹ֭דֵעַ מַחְשְׁב֣וֹת אָדָ֑ם כִּי־הֵ֥מָּה הָֽבֶל׃‎	The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, That they are vanity.
12	אַשְׁרֵ֤י ׀ הַגֶּ֣בֶר אֲשֶׁר־תְּיַסְּרֶ֣נּוּ יָּ֑הּ וּֽמִתּוֹרָתְךָ֥ תְלַמְּדֶֽנּוּ׃‎	Happy is the man whom Thou instructest, O LORD, And teachest out of Thy law;
13	לְהַשְׁקִ֣יט ל֭וֹ מִ֣ימֵי רָ֑ע עַ֤ד יִכָּרֶ֖ה לָרָשָׁ֣ע שָֽׁחַת׃‎	That Thou mayest give him rest from the days of evil, Until the pit be digged for the wicked.
14	כִּ֤י ׀ לֹא־יִטֹּ֣שׁ יְהֹוָ֣ה עַמּ֑וֹ וְ֝נַחֲלָת֗וֹ לֹ֣א יַעֲזֹֽב׃‎	For the LORD will not cast off His people, Neither will He forsake His inheritance.
15	כִּֽי־עַד־צֶ֭דֶק יָשׁ֣וּב מִשְׁפָּ֑ט וְ֝אַחֲרָ֗יו כׇּל־יִשְׁרֵי־לֵֽב׃‎	For right shall return unto justice, And all the upright in heart shall follow it.
16	מִֽי־יָק֣וּם לִ֭י עִם־מְרֵעִ֑ים מִי־יִתְיַצֵּ֥ב לִ֝֗י עִם־פֹּ֥עֲלֵי אָֽוֶן׃‎	Who will rise up for me against the evil-doers? Who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
17	לוּלֵ֣י יְ֭הֹוָה עֶזְרָ֣תָה לִּ֑י כִּמְעַ֓ט ׀ שָׁכְנָ֖ה דוּמָ֣ה נַפְשִֽׁי׃‎	Unless the LORD had been my help, My soul had soon dwelt in silence.
18	אִם־אָ֭מַרְתִּי מָ֣טָה רַגְלִ֑י חַסְדְּךָ֥ יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה יִסְעָדֵֽנִי׃‎	If I say: 'My foot slippeth', Thy mercy, O LORD, holdeth me up.
19	בְּרֹ֣ב שַׂרְעַפַּ֣י בְּקִרְבִּ֑י תַּ֝נְחוּמֶ֗יךָ יְֽשַׁעַשְׁע֥וּ נַפְשִֽׁי׃‎	When my cares are many within me, Thy comforts delight my soul.
20	הַֽ֭יְחׇבְרְךָ כִּסֵּ֣א הַוּ֑וֹת יֹצֵ֖ר עָמָ֣ל עֲלֵי־חֹֽק׃‎	Shall the seat of wickedness have fellowship with Thee, Which frameth mischief by statute?
21	יָ֭גוֹדּוּ עַל־נֶ֣פֶשׁ צַדִּ֑יק וְדָ֖ם נָקִ֣י יַרְשִֽׁיעוּ׃‎	They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, And condemn innocent blood.
22	וַיְהִ֬י יְהֹוָ֣ה לִ֣י לְמִשְׂגָּ֑ב וֵ֝אלֹהַ֗י לְצ֣וּר מַחְסִֽי׃‎	But the LORD hath been my high tower, And my God the rock of my refuge.
23	וַיָּ֤שֶׁב עֲלֵיהֶ֨ם ׀ אֶת־אוֹנָ֗ם וּבְרָעָתָ֥ם יַצְמִיתֵ֑ם יַ֝צְמִיתֵ֗ם יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ׃‎	And He hath brought upon them their own iniquity, And will cut them off in their own evil; The LORD our God will cut them off.

King James Version

O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, shew thyself.
Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud.
LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?
How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?
They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afflict thine heritage.
They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.
Yet they say, The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it.
Understand, ye brutish among the people: and ye fools, when will ye be wise?
He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see?
He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know?
The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law;
That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.
For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
But judgment shall return unto righteousness: and all the upright in heart shall follow it.
Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.
When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.
In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?
They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.
But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge.
And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.

Uses

Judaism

Is recited in its entirety, along with the first three verses of Psalm 95, as the psalm of the day for the Shir Shel Yom of Wednesday.^[6]
Is recited on the fifth day of Sukkot.^[7]
Verse 1 is part of Mishnah Tamid 7:4.^[8]
Verse 1-2 are the sixth and seventh verses of V'hu Rachum in Pesukei Dezimra.^[9]
Verse 14 is the sixteenth verse of Yehi Kivod in Pesukei Dezimra.^[10]

Literature

Israeli historian Dina Porat titled her book about the Nakam group which sought revenge for the Holocaust "Vengeance and Retribution are Mine" to express her belief that humans should leave revenge for God.^[11]

Monuments

The beginning of verse 15 from Psalm 94 is quoted at the Peace Tower in Ottawa, a Canadian landmark.

New Testament

Verse 11 is quoted in 1 Corinthians 3:20.^[12]
Verse 14 is quoted in Romans 11:1, 2.^[12]

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz set the Psalm 94 in a metred version in German as part of the Becker Psalter, first published in 1628, "Gott, dem alle Rach heimfällt", SWV 192.

Sonata on the 94th Psalm for organ was composed by Julius Reubke, a student of Franz Liszt, and first performed in 1857; It is programmatically based on selected verses, 1-3, 6-7, 17, 19, 22-23, and became a staple of the organ repertoire.

References

^ Parallel Latin/English Psalter, Psalmus 93 (94). Archived 2017-05-07 at the Wayback Machine Medievalist.
^ Churchyard, G., God, Show that You are a Great Judge! Psalm 94, published June 2002, accessed 31 March 2022
^ Kirkpatrick, A., Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Psalm 94, accessed 31 March 2022
^ "Psalms – Chapter 94". Mechon Mamre.
^ "Psalms 94 - JPS 1917". Sefaria.org.
^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 164
^ The Artscroll Tehillim, page 329
^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 479
^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur, page 62
^ The Complete Artscroll Siddur page 66
^ Aderet, Ofer (8 November 2019). "'An Eye for an Eye': The Jews Who Sought to Poison Six Million Germans to Avenge the Holocaust". Haaretz. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
^ ^a ^b Kirkpatrick, A. F. (1901). The Book of Psalms: with Introduction and Notes. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges. Vol. Book IV and V: Psalms XC-CL. Cambridge: At the University Press. p. 839. Retrieved February 28, 2019.