Psalm 9:20 is a prayer asking the LORD to make the nations understand that they are only human, with no power that can rival God’s. The psalmist, traditionally identified as King David, speaks directly to God on behalf of a people who have been oppressed and who want justice to be seen in the world.
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 verse opens with a request: “Put them in fear, the LORD.” The psalmist is not asking for cruelty but for a sobering reminder. The nations in view have acted as though they answer to no one, and the prayer asks God to make that arrogance end. The fear in view is the awe that comes when someone realizes they are not in control.
The second line asks that the nations “know that they are only men.” The Hebrew word for “men” here points to mortal, frail human beings. Proud rulers can forget that they breathe the same air as everyone they govern. The prayer asks God to bring that truth back into view so that nations stop acting as if they were divine.
The word “Selah” at the end is a musical or liturgical marker, probably a pause for reflection or a moment of emphasis in worship. It invites the reader to stop and let the words sink in. The verse does not promise a timeline or a specific outcome for any nation. It expresses a confident hope that God will act to humble human pride.
The Context of Psalm 9:20
Psalm 9 belongs to the book of Psalms, the collection of Israel’s songs and prayers that Christians have read as Scripture for centuries. It is attributed to David, and it reads as a song of thanksgiving that slides into a plea for justice. The original worshipers would have gathered in Jerusalem, sharing a faith that God rules over all peoples and not just Israel.
Just before verse 20, the psalm declares that “the needy shall not always be forgotten” and that “the hope of the poor” will not perish forever. Verse 19 pleads, “Arise, LORD! Don’t let man prevail.” Read in that setting, verse 20 is not a bitter outburst. It is the closing request of a people who trust that God sees the oppressed and will bring the powerful down to size.
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 know that God is God. It echoes the request in Psalm 9:20 that the nations come to recognize God’s supremacy and their own limits. Both passages move from human noise to a settled confidence in God’s rule.
Isaiah 40:15
Behold, the nations are like a drop in a bucket, and are regarded as a speck of dust on a balance. Behold, he lifts up the islands like a very little thing.
(WEB)
Isaiah describes the nations as a drop from a bucket and dust on the scales before God. The imagery is striking and pairs well with Psalm 9:20, since both show how small human powers look when set beside the Lord.
A Short Prayer From Psalm 9:20
Lord, you see the nations and the people who suffer under their power. Put a holy fear in the hearts of those who forget that they are only human. Let them remember that every throne and every army is held in your hands. Where pride has grown large, bring it low, and where the poor have been overlooked, lift them up in your justice.
Teach me the same humility. Keep me from treating my own strength as if it were eternal. Let me rest in your rule and trust that you will make all things right in your time. Amen.
