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Psalms 94:2

in Psalms 94

Rise up, O Judge of the earth; render a reward to the proud.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: Render to the proud their desert.

KJV

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

This verse in Psalms 94

Commentary

11 notes on this verse

A commentator

Jerome

Homily 71, on Psalm 93 (Alternate Series) · Written before 420.

"Be exalted, you who judge the earth." You judge the earth, because heaven does not deserve to be judged. Listen, heretic, to how the Lord judges the earth. If there is a fall in heaven, why is there not also a judgment in heaven? If souls sinned in heaven, why is the earth alone judged? "Render their recompense to the proud." All sins indeed must be guarded against, because all are contrary to God; but they are so in various ways: proud sins are enemies to God. For "the Lord resists the proud, but to the humble he gives grace."

This site's exposition

God of vengeance, shine forth

on Psalms 94:1-3

The psalm hands the vengeance to God and asks the Judge of the earth to rise up. Deuteronomy 32:35 claims the vengeance for God Himself, and Paul quotes that verse at Romans 12:19 against private revenge. Verse 3 asks how long, twice over.

The record, by era

The Church Fathers1 voice

A commentator

Augustine of Hippo

Exposition on Psalm 94 · Written in the 5th century.

proposed

And what followed, because He dealt confidently? "Be exalted, Thou Judge of the world" (ver. 2). Because they imprisoned Him when humble, thinkest thou they will imprison Him when exalted? Because they judged Him when mortal, will they not be judged by Him when immortal? What then saith He? "Be exalted," Thou, who hast dealt confidently, the confidence of whose word the wicked bore not, but thought they did a glorious deed, when they seized and crucified Thee; they who ought to have seized on Thee with faith, seized Thee with persecution. Thou then who hast among the wicked dealt confidently, and hast feared no man, because Thou hast suffered, "be exalted;" that is, arise again, depart into heaven. Let the Church also bear with long-suffering what the Church's Head hath borne with long-suffering. "Be exalted, Thou Judge of the world: and reward the proud after their deserving." He will reward them, brethren. For what is this, "Be exalted, Thou Judge of the world: and reward the proud after their deserving"? This is the prophecy of one who doth predict, not the boldness of one who commandeth. Not because the Prophet said, "Be exalted, Thou Judge of the world," did Christ obey the Prophet, in arising from the dead, and ascending into heaven; but because Christ was to do this, the Prophet predicted it. He seeth Christ abased in the spirit, abased he seeth Him: fearing no man, in speech sparing no man, and he saith, "He hath dealt confidently." He seeth how confidently He hath dealt, he seeth Him arrested, crucified, humbled, he seeth Him rising from the dead, and ascending into heaven, and from thence to come in judgment of those, among whose hands He had suffered every evil: "Be exalted," he saith, "Thou Judge of the world, and reward the proud after their deserving." The proud He will thus reward, not the humble. Who are the proud? […]

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

Lift up thyself, to be seen, to be feared; and suffer not thy name to be trampled upon and run down." (2.) That he would mortify the oppressors: Render a reward to the proud; that is, "Reckon with them for all their insolence, and the injuries they have done to thy people." These prayers are prophecies, which speak terror to all the sons of violence.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes

Lift up thyself, thou, O Judge of the earth,....

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Charles Spurgeon

1834–1892

The Treasury of David, Vol. 4 (1874)

Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth. Ascend thy judgment seat and be acknowledged as the ruler of men: and, moreover, raise thyself as men do who are about to strike with all their might; for the abounding sin of mankind requires a heavy blow from thy hand. Render a reward to the proud, give them measure for measure, a fair retaliation, blow for blow.

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Lift up thyself--or, "Arise," both figures representing God as heretofore indifferent (compare Ps 3:7; In an earnest expostulation he expresses his desire that the insolent triumph of the wicked may be ended. 5, 6. thy people [and] thine heritage--are synonymous, the people being often called God's heritage.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens

4 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century4 voices

A commentator

Charles Spurgeon

1834–1892

The Treasury of David, Vol. 4 (1874)

proposed

Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth. Ascend thy judgment seat and be acknowledged as the ruler of men: and, moreover, raise thyself as men do who are about to strike with all their might; for the abounding sin of mankind requires a heavy blow from thy hand. Render a reward to the proud, give them measure for measure, a fair retaliation, blow for blow. The proud look down upon the gracious poor and strike them from above, as a giant might hurl down blows upon his adversary; after the same manner, O Lord, lift up thyself, and "return a recompense upon the proud, "and let them know that thou art far more above them than they can be above the meanest of their fellow men. The psalmist thus invokes the retribution of justice in plain speech, and his request is precisely that which patient innocence puts up in silence, when her looks of anguish appeal to heaven.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Lift up thyself - Exert thy power. Render a reward to the proud - To the Babylonians, who oppress and insult us.

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

Lift up thyself - Exert thy power. Render a reward to the proud - To the Babylonians, who oppress and insult us.
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 Psa 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.

The words behind it

7 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • הִ֭נָּשֵׂאraise yourself up

    hinase'H5375656 times

  • שֹׁפֵ֣טO judge of

    shofetH8199202 times

  • הָאָ֑רֶץthe earth

    haaretzH7762504 times

  • הָשֵׁ֥בrepay

    hashevH77251056 times

  • גְּ֝מ֗וּלrecompense

    gemulH157619 times

  • עַל־to

    ʾal-H59215755 times

  • גֵּאִֽים׃proud [people]

    geimH13439 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    2 Corinthians 5:10

    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.

    it leads to

    • Matthew 16:27

      For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done.

    • Revelation 22:12

      “Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.

    • Ecclesiastes 12:14

      For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

    • Ephesians 6:8

      because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free.

    • Psalms 62:12

      and loving devotion to You, O Lord. For You will repay each man according to his deeds.

  • Through

    Psalms 31:23

    Love the LORD, all His saints. The LORD preserves the faithful, but fully repays the arrogant.

    it leads to

    • Psalms 97:10

      Hate evil, O you who love the LORD! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

    • Psalms 145:20

      The LORD preserves all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy.

  • Through

    Genesis 18:25

    Far be it from You to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Will not the…

    it leads to

    • Job 8:20

      Behold, God does not reject the blameless, nor will He strengthen the hand of evildoers.

About Psalms

Olive Trees. Vincent van Gogh, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, November 1889. Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
Olive Trees. Vincent van Gogh, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, November 1889. Wikimedia Commons. Public domain.
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Book of Psalms; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 94; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 4; Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Homily 71, on Psalm 93 (Alternate Series); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.