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Psalms 109 Psalm 109

1 Psalm 109
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
O God, whom I praise,
do not remain silent,

2 for wicked and deceitful men
have opened their mouths against me;
they have spoken against me with lying tongues.

3 With words of hatred they surround me;
they attack me without cause.

4 In return for my friendship they accuse me,
but I am a man of prayer.

5 They repay me evil for good,
and hatred for my friendship.

6 Appoint an evil man to oppose him;
let an accuser stand at his right hand.

7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty,
and may his prayers condemn him.

8 May his days be few;
may another take his place of leadership.

9 May his children be fatherless
and his wife a widow.

10 May his children be wandering beggars;
may they be driven from their ruined homes.

11 May a creditor seize all he has;
may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.

12 May no one extend kindness to him
or take pity on his fatherless children.

13 May his descendants be cut off,
their names blotted out from the next generation.

14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord;
may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.

15 May their sins always remain before the Lord,
that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

16 For he never thought of doing a kindness,
but hounded to death the poor
and the needy and the brokenhearted.

17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
may it come on him;
he found no pleasure in blessing—
may it be far from him.

18 He wore cursing as his garment;
it entered into his body like water,
into his bones like oil.

19 May it be like a cloak wrapped about him,
like a belt tied forever around him.

20 May this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers,
to those who speak evil of me.

21 But you, O Sovereign Lord,
deal well with me for your name’s sake;
out of the goodness of your love, deliver me.

22 For I am poor and needy,
and my heart is wounded within me.

23 I fade away like an evening shadow;
I am shaken off like a locust.

24 My knees give way from fasting;
my body is thin and gaunt.

25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they shake their heads.

26 Help me, O Lord my God;
save me in accordance with your love.

27 Let them know that it is your hand,
that you, O Lord, have done it.

28 They may curse, but you will bless;
when they attack they will be put to shame,
but your servant will rejoice.

29 My accusers will be clothed with disgrace
and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.

30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
in the great throng I will praise him.

31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,
to save his life from those who condemn him.

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Analysis of Psalms Chapter 109

Psalm 109 is one of the imprecatory Psalms, characterized by a cry for divine vengeance against the psalmist’s enemies. Authored by David, this psalm is a poignant plea for justice and deliverance and stands out due to its intensity and vividness in expressing the psalmist’s distress. Despite the harsh imprecations, Psalm 109 provides rich material for reflection on themes such as divine justice, human suffering, and the power of prayer. Let us delve deeper into each verse to better understand the profound messages contained within this chapter.

Verses 1-3: Cry for Help

1 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

2 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.

3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.

David begins by imploring God not to remain silent (“Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise”). This plea signifies an urgent need for God’s intervention. The description of his adversaries—’wicked’ and ‘deceitful’—underscores the unjust nature of the attacks he faces. These enemies use lies and hateful words to surround and combat him, highlighting both the verbal assault and the sense of being unjustly persecuted.

Verses 4-5: Response to Injustice

4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.

5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

David contrasts his behavior with that of his adversaries. Despite offering “love,” he is met with hostility. The phrase “but I give myself unto prayer” suggests a deep sense of reliance on God and underscores the psalmist’s commitment to seek divine help rather than retaliate personally. This reaction exemplifies the principle of responding to injustice with spiritual resilience.

Verses 6-15: Invocation of Divine Justice

6 Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.

7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.

9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labor.

12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children.

13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

15 Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

These verses are some of the most intense in the entire psalm. David calls upon God to enact severe judgment upon his enemies. The curses invoked are comprehensive, extending beyond the individual to their family and descendants. David’s invocation that even the prayers of his adversaries become sin (verse 7) emphasizes his call for total divine rejection of these individuals. This section addresses the profound anger and sense of betrayal David feels. The specific imprecations, like appointing a “wicked man” over his enemy and letting “Satan stand at his right hand” (verse 6), illustrate a desire for his foes to experience divine retribution and suffer the consequences of their actions.

Verses 16-20: Justification of Judgment

16 Because that he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

18 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.

19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

David provides reasons for his severe imprecations: his enemies lack mercy and have persecuted “the poor and needy.” Their actions against the downtrodden, especially those with “a broken heart,” justify the harshness of the curses David calls for. He uses strong imagery to describe the pervasive and internal nature of the curses, such as clothing oneself with cursing (verses 17-19), indicating that they deserve to be engulfed and consumed by their own malice. Verse 20 serves as a conclusion to this section, where David asserts that such retribution is a fitting reward from God for his adversaries.

Verses 21-25: Personal Plea for Deliverance

21 But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.

22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.

25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.

These verses shift from imprecations against enemies to a personal plea for help. David appeals to God to act “for thy name’s sake,” emphasizing that the motivation for divine action is not merely personal but also tied to God’s reputation and mercy. He portrays his own dire condition, highlighting his deep sense of vulnerability and physical weakness (verses 22-24). His metaphor of being like a fleeting shadow or a locust being tossed (verse 23) depicts the transience and unpredictability of his situation. Verse 25 indicates that David’s suffering and weakness have led others to mock and deride him, further compounding his distress.

Verses 26-31: Confidence in Divine Justice

26 Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy:

27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Lord, hast done it.

28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.

30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

David concludes the psalm with a reaffirmation of his trust in divine intervention. He calls for God’s help and salvation, emphasizing that the deliverance will demonstrate God’s power and mercy (verse 27). David contrasts the curses of his enemies with the blessing and vindication he seeks from God (verse 28). He envisions his adversaries being “clothed with shame” (verse 29), indicating that their disgrace will be evident and encompassing. In verses 30-31, David vows to “greatly praise the Lord” and expresses confidence that God will defend and save the poor and needy from condemnation. This expresses a profound trust in divine justice and a commitment to public worship and testimony of God’s faithfulness.

Conclusion

Psalm 109 is a vivid portrayal of deep personal anguish and a desperate plea for divine justice. It captures the raw emotions of betrayal, anger, and a profound sense of injustice faced by the psalmist. Yet, amidst the intense imprecations, there is a steadfast trust in God’s righteousness and a commitment to prayer. David’s cries for retribution are coupled with acknowledgments of his dependence on God’s mercy and justice. This psalm challenges readers to reflect on their responses to injustice and the importance of entrusting their grievances to God’s righteous judgment while maintaining a heart of prayer and praise.