Psalms 109 Commentary: A Cry for Justice and a Testament of Faith
Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.
As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.
Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Lord, hast done it.
Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.
Psalms 109 delves into the complex emotions of a person facing intense opposition and injustice. Often categorized as an "imprecatory psalm," it contains strong appeals for God's judgment on the psalmist's enemies. While these types of psalms can be challenging to interpret, understanding the context and the psalmist's heart reveals valuable insights into faith, justice, and God's character.
Context: Understanding Imprecatory Psalms
Psalms 109 is one of several psalms that call upon God to bring wrath and punishment upon the psalmist's enemies. Other examples include Psalms 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 79, 83, 129, 137, and 140. These "imprecatory" passages aren't expressions of personal revenge, but rather desperate pleas for God to act justly in the face of overwhelming evil. This particular psalm doesn't appear to be tied to a specific historical event, making its themes of injustice and persecution universally relatable.
A Plea for Divine Intervention (Psalms 109:1-5)
The psalm opens with an urgent cry for God to act. The psalmist, likely David based on the psalm's style, is under attack by wicked people who are lying and accusing him without cause. He laments the malicious lies, slander, hateful words, and unjustified aggression he faces (Psalms 109:1-3).
What makes this situation even more painful is that the psalmist has shown love and kindness to these very people. As Psalms 109:5 poignantly states, "They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love." Despite this betrayal, the psalmist doesn't resort to retaliation. Instead, he dedicates himself to prayer. Psalms 109:4 highlights his unwavering commitment: "But I give myself to prayer." This Hebrew phrase emphasizes his reliance on God's power rather than responding with violence or angry words. He vows to continue praying despite his pain.
A Request for Divine Retribution (Psalms 109:6-20)
This section contains the most challenging verses of Psalms 109, where the psalmist asks God to bring a series of calamities upon his enemies. He prays that they be maliciously accused and convicted, that their prayers be rejected, and that they lose their status and importance (Psalms 109:6-8). This last request was referenced by the apostles in Acts 1:20 when choosing a replacement for Judas.
The imprecations become even more intense as the psalmist prays for misfortune to befall his enemies' families, including the loss of their father and husband (Psalms 109:9). He asks that their remaining family be treated with hostility and shame, ultimately leading to the end of their family line (Psalms 109:9-15). While these requests may seem harsh, it's important to remember that the psalmist isn't seeking personal vengeance. Instead, he's appealing to God's justice and righteousness, trusting in the One who declares, "Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay" (Deuteronomy 32:35).
The psalmist explains that his enemies were cruel to the disadvantaged, bringing them death instead of care. They were verbally abusive and hateful towards others. Therefore, he prays that these curses and cruelties would turn back on the enemy and overwhelm them (Psalms 109:16-20). He did not love kindness but persecuted the needy (109:16). He loved cursing and hated blessing (109:17). Therefore, he prayed God would bring the man’s cursing upon himself (109:18-19).
Suffering and a Plea for Help (Psalms 109:21-29)
Having expressed the depth of his anguish and his desire for justice, the psalmist turns back to God with a renewed plea for help. He describes the devastating impact of his enemies' attacks on his life. His wealth and health are suffering, and he feels the shame of their slander (Psalms 109:22-25). He is suffering, wounded, weak, and an object of ridicule (109:22-25).
Despite his suffering, the psalmist appeals to God’s faithful love and asks Him to deal kindly with him and help him (109:21, 26). He maintains his confidence in God's ability to overturn the actions of the wicked. He recognizes that even though people curse, God can bless (Psalms 109:28). And David wants his enemies to know that his deliverance is from the hand of God, so that he would receive the glory (109:27).
Praise and Confidence in God (Psalms 109:30-31)
The psalm concludes with a powerful expression of praise and confidence in God. The psalmist vows to give public thanks and praise to the Lord (Psalms 109:30). He is confident of God’s character; therefore, he anticipates God’s intervention. He knows that God stands at the right hand of the needy to save them from those who condemn them (Psalms 109:31). The God who helps the needy (109:31) would help David in time of need—and he will do the same for us.
Key Takeaways for Today
Psalms 109 offers several important lessons for believers today:
- The reality of injustice: The psalm acknowledges that injustice and persecution are real experiences in this world.
- The importance of prayer: Even in the face of intense opposition, the psalmist turns to prayer as his primary means of seeking help and justice.
- Trusting in God's justice: While the imprecatory language may be difficult, the psalm ultimately expresses faith in God's perfect justice and His ability to right wrongs.
- God's care for the needy: The psalm highlights God's compassion for the vulnerable and His commitment to defend them.
While we may not always understand the specific circumstances or the strong language used in Psalms 109, we can learn from the psalmist's unwavering faith, his commitment to prayer, and his confidence in God's ultimate justice. This psalm reminds us that even in our darkest moments, we can turn to God for help, knowing that He hears our cries and will ultimately bring justice and deliverance.
Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.
As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.
Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Lord, hast done it.
Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.
Psalms 109 delves into the complex emotions of a person facing intense opposition and injustice. Often categorized as an "imprecatory psalm," it contains strong appeals for God's judgment on the psalmist's enemies. While these types of psalms can be challenging to interpret, understanding the context and the psalmist's heart reveals valuable insights into faith, justice, and God's character.
Context: Understanding Imprecatory Psalms
Psalms 109 is one of several psalms that call upon God to bring wrath and punishment upon the psalmist's enemies. Other examples include Psalms 5, 10, 17, 35, 58, 59, 69, 70, 79, 83, 129, 137, and 140. These "imprecatory" passages aren't expressions of personal revenge, but rather desperate pleas for God to act justly in the face of overwhelming evil. This particular psalm doesn't appear to be tied to a specific historical event, making its themes of injustice and persecution universally relatable.
A Plea for Divine Intervention (Psalms 109:1-5)
The psalm opens with an urgent cry for God to act. The psalmist, likely David based on the psalm's style, is under attack by wicked people who are lying and accusing him without cause. He laments the malicious lies, slander, hateful words, and unjustified aggression he faces (Psalms 109:1-3).
What makes this situation even more painful is that the psalmist has shown love and kindness to these very people. As Psalms 109:5 poignantly states, "They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love." Despite this betrayal, the psalmist doesn't resort to retaliation. Instead, he dedicates himself to prayer. Psalms 109:4 highlights his unwavering commitment: "But I give myself to prayer." This Hebrew phrase emphasizes his reliance on God's power rather than responding with violence or angry words. He vows to continue praying despite his pain.
A Request for Divine Retribution (Psalms 109:6-20)
This section contains the most challenging verses of Psalms 109, where the psalmist asks God to bring a series of calamities upon his enemies. He prays that they be maliciously accused and convicted, that their prayers be rejected, and that they lose their status and importance (Psalms 109:6-8). This last request was referenced by the apostles in Acts 1:20 when choosing a replacement for Judas.
The imprecations become even more intense as the psalmist prays for misfortune to befall his enemies' families, including the loss of their father and husband (Psalms 109:9). He asks that their remaining family be treated with hostility and shame, ultimately leading to the end of their family line (Psalms 109:9-15). While these requests may seem harsh, it's important to remember that the psalmist isn't seeking personal vengeance. Instead, he's appealing to God's justice and righteousness, trusting in the One who declares, "Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay" (Deuteronomy 32:35).
The psalmist explains that his enemies were cruel to the disadvantaged, bringing them death instead of care. They were verbally abusive and hateful towards others. Therefore, he prays that these curses and cruelties would turn back on the enemy and overwhelm them (Psalms 109:16-20). He did not love kindness but persecuted the needy (109:16). He loved cursing and hated blessing (109:17). Therefore, he prayed God would bring the man’s cursing upon himself (109:18-19).
Suffering and a Plea for Help (Psalms 109:21-29)
Having expressed the depth of his anguish and his desire for justice, the psalmist turns back to God with a renewed plea for help. He describes the devastating impact of his enemies' attacks on his life. His wealth and health are suffering, and he feels the shame of their slander (Psalms 109:22-25). He is suffering, wounded, weak, and an object of ridicule (109:22-25).
Despite his suffering, the psalmist appeals to God’s faithful love and asks Him to deal kindly with him and help him (109:21, 26). He maintains his confidence in God's ability to overturn the actions of the wicked. He recognizes that even though people curse, God can bless (Psalms 109:28). And David wants his enemies to know that his deliverance is from the hand of God, so that he would receive the glory (109:27).
Praise and Confidence in God (Psalms 109:30-31)
The psalm concludes with a powerful expression of praise and confidence in God. The psalmist vows to give public thanks and praise to the Lord (Psalms 109:30). He is confident of God’s character; therefore, he anticipates God’s intervention. He knows that God stands at the right hand of the needy to save them from those who condemn them (Psalms 109:31). The God who helps the needy (109:31) would help David in time of need—and he will do the same for us.
Key Takeaways for Today
Psalms 109 offers several important lessons for believers today:
- The reality of injustice: The psalm acknowledges that injustice and persecution are real experiences in this world.
- The importance of prayer: Even in the face of intense opposition, the psalmist turns to prayer as his primary means of seeking help and justice.
- Trusting in God's justice: While the imprecatory language may be difficult, the psalm ultimately expresses faith in God's perfect justice and His ability to right wrongs.
- God's care for the needy: The psalm highlights God's compassion for the vulnerable and His commitment to defend them.
While we may not always understand the specific circumstances or the strong language used in Psalms 109, we can learn from the psalmist's unwavering faith, his commitment to prayer, and his confidence in God's ultimate justice. This psalm reminds us that even in our darkest moments, we can turn to God for help, knowing that He hears our cries and will ultimately bring justice and deliverance.