Psalm 9:20 is a prayer asking the LORD to remind the nations that they are only human, and therefore not ultimate. The psalmist is not writing out of anger for its own sake; he is asking God to act so that proud, oppressive powers recognize their limits before the one true God. The verse is spoken by David, or in the voice of the psalm’s worshiper, directly to God, and it is written for Israel and for anyone who watches human power pretend to be final.
Put them in fear, the LORD. Let the nations know that they are only men. Selah.
Psalm 9:20 (WEB)
What Psalm 9:20 Means
The opening command, “Put them in fear, the LORD,” is a request for God to make the nations feel the weight of his presence. The Hebrew word for fear here carries the sense of dread or awe in the face of a power that cannot be resisted. The psalmist is not asking God to be cruel for its own sake, but to bring an end to arrogance that has been crushing the weak.
The second part, “Let the nations know that they are only men,” works as a plain statement of human frailty. The word “men” points to mortal humanity, creatures who age, fail, and die. When nations forget this, they begin to act as though they are gods. The psalm asks God to bring that truth back into view.
Notice what the verse does not promise. It does not say that God will destroy every enemy on a set schedule, or that the psalmist will personally see the outcome. It is a prayer, and prayers ask God to act according to his justice and timing. The word “Selah” that closes the verse is a musical or liturgical marker, inviting the worshiper to pause and reflect on what has just been said.
The Context of Psalm 9:20
Psalm 9 belongs to the book of Psalms, the hymnbook of ancient Israel, and it is traditionally attributed to David. It is a song of thanksgiving that moves into a plea for justice. The psalm opens with praise for God’s righteous judgment, then shifts to a call for him to rise up against the wicked nations that have forgotten him. Verse 20 comes near the end of that movement, serving as a climax of the prayer for judgment.
The verses just before it describe the fate of the wicked, who will be turned back to Sheol, and promise that the needy will not be forgotten forever. Verse 19 begs God to arise so that man does not prevail. Read this way, Psalm 9:20 is not a random outburst of hostility but the final petition in a sequence that sets human arrogance against God’s enduring care for the poor. The nations are asked to know their limits because the poor are not forgotten.
Key Phrases in Psalm 9:20
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.”
(WEB)
This verse calls the nations and the earth to be still and to know that God is God. It parallels Psalm 9:20 by inviting the nations to recognize God’s supremacy and to stop their restless striving, though the tone is calmer and more trusting.
Psalm 9:18
For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
(WEB)
This verse, just before the target verse, promises that the needy will not always be forgotten. It explains the heart behind the prayer for judgment: God’s concern for the vulnerable is what drives his action against the proud nations.
A Short Prayer From Psalm 9:20
Lord, you see the proud rulers who forget that they are only human, and you see the poor who suffer under their hand. Put fear of your holiness into the hearts of those who oppose you, and let them remember their limits before you. Keep my own heart humble, so that I do not join the arrogance I am asking you to correct. Remind me that the needy are not forgotten, and that your justice is slow but sure. Amen.
