Psalm 9:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Another (Aquila) states that they shall be transformed. He reiterates the same principle, demonstrating that wrongdoing is inevitably met with retribution, that evil leads to death, and that sin brings about suffering.

What comes next is: "Let sinners be turned into hell" (Psalms 9:17). This signifies that they shall be surrendered to their own desires when they are shown mercy, ensnared by the deadly allure of sinful indulgence. All nations that disregard God are at risk. For when they chose not to retain the knowledge of God, He abandoned them to a depraved mind (Rom. 1:28).

The demise of the unrighteous The Holy Spirit proclaims a strong warning to them: Let those who are sinful face eternal separation from God. We assert to the ungodly that they must be brought low—not merely due to their enslavement to sin, but also because they entangle their very souls in transgressions, turning away to death and nourishing themselves with that which is lifeless, similar to the chicks of predatory birds that descend from heights to feast upon the carcasses of the truly deceased. The law had already cautioned against such practices by issuing a command with a profound significance: not only are predatory birds and all that partake in carrion deemed unclean, but likewise anyone who consumes any form of dead flesh shall also be considered unclean.

In reference to the invitation extended to the Gentiles: “All nations that forget God.”

The Prophet declares that those who have rejected the divine message will soon face death and descend into the abyss, having caused no actual harm to those whom they torment. For it is said, "the patience of the poor shall not perish forever." And "he that endureth to the end shall be saved" (Matt. 10:22). Furthermore, "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 5:3). Observing from a prophetic perspective the injustices inflicted upon the righteous by the wicked, David fervently prays:

Allow the wicked to return to perdition. Here, the wicked are identified as those without faith, and perdition serves as their consequence. It is expressed as a return rather than a transition from this life to the depths below; for it is said that there lie the realms of their judgment. Alternatively, the prophet may be indicating that those who emerged from the earth should revert to earthly concerns, unable to contemplate anything beyond the material. The prophet clarifies who he means by the wicked by referencing the following words from the psalm: All the nations, he states, who forget God. This forgetting implies a voluntary act stemming from their own ignorance.

The understanding of the Gentiles shows that they had clearly forgotten the One they once remembered and had turned away from the One they previously recognized before their estrangement. Thus, the Gentiles possessed only a blurred perception of God.

The Valley of Jehoshaphat presents a grim reality. You entered this world celebrated as one of the chosen, yet when you face the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the site of divine judgment, you will stand exposed, and your transgressions will be laid bare for both the Lord and humanity to witness in their full horror. Woe unto you in that moment! Where will you direct your gaze? Do you dare to speak? What words can you utter? Your sins have consumed your spirit, leaving it as dark as coarse cloth. What will your response be? Will you weep? Your cries will find no ears. Will you pray? Your pleas will not be heard, for those to whom you come know no compassion.

The sufferings differ, as do the rewards of the righteous. The sufferings are entirely located in hell, as stated in the Scriptures, 'in a dark and gloomy land, in a land of eternal darkness' (Job 10:22), where transgressors exist before the judgment and to which they return at the declaration of God's ultimate verdict. For when Scripture says, 'sinners shall return to hell' (Psalms 9:18), and 'death shall save me' (Psalms 48:15), it signifies nothing less than final judgment and everlasting condemnation.

The start of the song, if we refer to the entire psalm as a song based on its structure and purpose, would typically be introduced by the term song, as is common with most psalms. However, this is not applicable in this instance, as the song commences following the diapsalm. Thus, the term song is positioned between the diapsalm and the song itself. This indicates that the essence of the song is conveyed through the subsequent words: Let them go...

Not an oath but a prophetic declaration, which indicates that immorality has unavoidable consequences, and that the unrighteous will certainly find themselves in perdition. The phrase let them return replaces the term return. Why do the unrighteous return to the abyss? Because they originated from there, just as sin itself emanates from that place. God fashioned humanity in righteousness, but the adversary led him into transgression, as stated: you are of your father the devil (John 8:44). The subsequent statement, All the Gentiles forgetting God, refers to those who are the sinners who revert to perdition, specifically, all who neglect God. The act of forgetting God is the foundation of all iniquities, since everyone who sins turns away from God and turns towards the adversary.

Those who transgress have strayed back from the dominion of Christ into the shadows beyond, and all who heed their call shall find their destiny in the flames of Gehenna.