Psalm 94 does not have a superscription in the Masoretic text. In the Septuagint it is labeled a psalm of David for the fourth day of the week. In the temple there was a psalm designated to be sung by the Levites for each day of the week, and Psalm 94 was the one for Wednesday. This custom may have originated during the Babylonian exile. In Babylon a different god was honored on each day of the week, and the Jews decided to honor the true God on every day of the week.
The Talmud (b Rosh Hashanah 31a) notes that the fourth day of creation is associated with the sun and moon, and Levites sang Psalm 94 on the fourth day of the week to call for God's punishment of those who worshiped the sun and moon.
Psalm 94 begins by referring to the God of Israel as the "God of vengeances." The congregation prays that God would execute justice on the wicked who have been exploiting the defenseless and boasting about what they have done (vv 1-7). The wicked are rebuked in vv 8-11 for imagining that God will not hold them accountable for their actions.
On the other hand, there are blessings for those who submit to God's authority and allow themselves to be corrected by God's word. A midrash on Ps 94:12 lists 3 blessings that result from divine discipline:
- the Torah (Ps 94:12).
- the promised land (Deut 8:5-7).
- the world to come (Prov 6:23).
Two verses in Psalm 94 are referenced in the New Testament. Verse 14 declares, "For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage." Paul repeats this affirmation in Rom 11:1-2.
Psalm 94:11 states that God "knows the thoughts of man, that they are but a breath." Paul quotes this verse in 1 Cor 3:20 when he admonishes his readers not to trust too much in human wisdom.
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