Psalms 109

General context

The speaker asks the God of his praise not to hold his peace, because the wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against him with a lying tongue, compassed him with words of hatred and fought him without cause; for his love they are his adversaries, but he gives himself to prayer, and they reward him evil for good. Then a series of let statements against one man: a wicked man set over him and Satan at his right hand; condemnation when he is judged and his prayer become sin; few days and his office taken by another; his children fatherless and begging, his wife a widow, his goods caught by the extortioner; none to extend mercy to him or his fatherless children; his posterity cut off, the iniquity of his fathers and the sin of his mother remembered, and their memory cut off from the earth. The reason: he did not remember to show mercy but persecuted the poor and needy to slay the broken in heart, and he loved cursing, so let cursing come into him like water and oil and cover him like a garment and girdle. Let this be the reward of the speaker's adversaries. The speaker then asks God to act for his name's sake and deliver him, for he is poor and needy, his heart wounded, gone like a shadow, his knees weak with fasting, a reproach to those who shake their heads. He asks for help so they may know it is God's hand; let them curse but God bless, let them be ashamed and his servant rejoice, let his adversaries be clothed with shame. He will greatly praise the Lord among the multitude, for he stands at the right hand of the poor to save him from those who condemn his soul.

Cited passages: Psalms 109:1, Psalms 109:2, Psalms 109:3, Psalms 109:4, Psalms 109:5, Psalms 109:6, Psalms 109:7, Psalms 109:8, Psalms 109:9, Psalms 109:10, Psalms 109:11, Psalms 109:12, Psalms 109:13, Psalms 109:14, Psalms 109:16, Psalms 109:17, Psalms 109:18, Psalms 109:20, Psalms 109:21, Psalms 109:22, Psalms 109:23, Psalms 109:24, Psalms 109:25, Psalms 109:27, Psalms 109:28, Psalms 109:29, Psalms 109:30, Psalms 109:31

Psalms 109 (KJV)

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Historical context

This source prints no superscription; the psalm begins with Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise. The speaker is a single I who calls himself poor and needy and thy servant. The accusers are plural in verses 2 to 5, 20 and 25 to 29, the wicked, the deceitful, mine adversaries, but the curses of verses 6 to 19 are aimed at a single him, whose office, children, wife, fathers and mother are all named as targets; the text does not say who he is or whether he stands for the group. Satan in verse 6 is printed as a name standing at his right hand, and the psalm's last verse sets the Lord at the right hand of the poor. The wrongs charged are lying, hatred without cause, evil for good, and persecuting the poor to slay the broken in heart; no event, place or time is given. The speaker's condition is described as fasting, weak knees, wasted flesh and a wounded heart. There is no Selah. Acts 1:20 cites the book of Psalms with the words and his bishoprick let another take, which match verse 8's let another take his office.

Cited passages: Psalms 109:22, Psalms 109:28, Psalms 109:2, Psalms 109:6, Psalms 109:31, Psalms 109:8, Psalms 109:16, Psalms 109:24, Psalms 109:20, Acts 1:20

Literary context

The psalm is built as accusation, curse and plea, and the three parts are tied by reversals. The enemies open their mouths against the speaker in verse 2, and the speaker opens his in praise in verse 30. A wicked man is asked to stand at the accused's right hand in verse 6, and the Lord stands at the right hand of the poor in verse 31. Cursing is what the accused loved, so cursing is asked to become his clothing, his girdle, his water and his oil, and in verse 29 shame becomes the adversaries' mantle. Mercy is the hinge: the accused showed none, so none is to be shown him, while the speaker asks for deliverance because thy mercy is good. Let is the governing word for fourteen verses, then But do thou for me turns the psalm to petition, and the speaker's self-description in verses 22 to 25 is as physical as the curses, a shadow, a locust, fasting knees, shaking heads.

Cited passages: Psalms 109:2, Psalms 109:30, Psalms 109:6, Psalms 109:31, Psalms 109:17, Psalms 109:19, Psalms 109:29, Psalms 109:16, Psalms 109:21, Psalms 109:23

Key moments

1. Hold not thy peace (Psalms 109:1). The speaker asks the God of his praise to speak against lying mouths.
2. I give myself unto prayer (Psalms 109:4). The speaker answers hatred for his love with prayer.
3. Satan at his right hand (Psalms 109:6). The curses begin with a wicked man set over the accused.
4. Let another take his office (Psalms 109:8). The accused's days are to be few and his office given away.
5. He showed no mercy (Psalms 109:16). The reason for the curse is persecution of the poor and broken in heart.
6. But do thou for me (Psalms 109:21). The psalm turns from curse to petition for the speaker's own deliverance.
7. At the right hand of the poor (Psalms 109:31). The psalm ends with the Lord standing to save the poor from his condemners.

For reflection

The speaker asks that no one extend mercy to his accuser's fatherless children, and then asks God for mercy because he is poor and needy. How does the psalm expect a reader to hear both requests from the same wounded heart?

People in this chapter

• David