Psalm 109
A prayer for punishment of the wicked
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
Psalm 109: This psalm constitutes the most vivid example of imprecatory prayer found in all the Psalter. Such petitions for retributive justice have posed a theological problem: How can a man who claims to trust in the Lord (verses 21-31), pray such curses on his enemies as those found in verses 6-20? Several answers may be offered for this problem. First, there is a legitimate righteous indignation against sin. God Himself possesses this attribute and Jesus indirectly commanded it when He instructed the disciples to pray, “Thy kingdom come”. The coming of God’s kingdom includes the destruction of the wicked. Second, the curses used here are actually a prayer that places the matter into the hands of a just and holy God. Third, Peter quotes both (Psalm 69 and Psalm 109 in Acts 1:20), and attributes both references to the Holy Spirit. Fourth, the psalmist is so identified with God that he has the mind of God: the psalmist’s enemies are likewise at enmity with God. The content of the psalm may be analyzed as follows: the psalmist’s lament and declaration of innocence (verses 1-5), the catalog of curses that he prays will fall on his enemies (verses 6-20), and his plea that God will give mercy and protection (verses 21-31).
Verses 1-31: This imprecatory psalm of David cannot be conclusively connected by the psalm’s general details with any particular incident/person in the king’s life as chronicled in (1, 2 Sam. 1 Kings, and 1 Chron.). David’s responds here to those who have launched a vicious verbal assault of false accusations against him (compare 109:2-3, 20). This psalm is considered messianic in nature, since (Acts 1:20 quotes verse 8), in reference to Judas’ punishment for betraying Christ (compare Psalms 41:9; 69:25). David reverses roles with his enemies by moving from being the accused in man’s court to being the accuser/prosecutor before the bar of God.
- The Plaintiff’s Plea (109:1-5).
- The Punishment Desired (109:6-20).
III. The Petition for Justice (109:21-29).
- The Praise of the Judge (109:30-31).
Verses 1-5: It is the unspeakable comfort of all believers, that whoever is against them, God is for them. And to him they may apply as to one pleased to concern himself for them. David’s enemies laughed at him for his devotion, but they could not laugh him out of it.
Psalm 109:1 “Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;”
“O God of my praise”: David begins and ends (compare verse 30), with praise for the Chief Justice of the universe. At (verse 21), David addresses the Judge as “O God the Lord” and at (verse 26), as “O LORD my God”.
In this instance, David is crying out for God to speak. Everyone else has had their say, now it is time for God to speak. When God speaks, the whole world listens. “God of my praise”, means that David directs his praise to Him. It could also be saying, God who deserves my praise.
Verses 2-5: David’s complaint was that the innocent were being accused by the guilty. He asserted that the charges were without cause (109:3). While Doeg the Edomite has been identified by some (compare 1 Sam. chapters 21-22; Psalm 52), the far more likely candidate would be Saul (compare 1 Sam. chapters 18-27). Eight of the 14 historical superscriptions in other psalms refer to the suffering of David related to Saul’s pursuits for the purpose of killing David (compare Psalms 18, 34, 54, 56, 57, 59, 63, and 142).
Psalm 109:2 “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.”
Or “of deceit” itself; most wicked and very deceitful men, who sometimes flattered and pretended friendship, as the Jews did to Christ, when they designed ill against him. Though at other times their mouths were opened, and they poured out their calumnies and reproaches very freely and largely; traducing his person, and aspersing his character as a wicked man. Blaspheming his miracles, as if done by the help of the devil. Charging his doctrine with novelty, falsehood, and blasphemy. Loading him with invidious names, as Samaritan, madman, etc. Representing him as an enemy to the state, as a seditious person, and a disturber of the nation’s peace; particularly their mouths were opened against him when they called for his crucifixion. And would have no denial; and especially when he was on the cross, where they gaped upon him with their mouths, and poured out their scoffs and jeers at him (see Psalm 22:14).
“They have spoken against me with a lying tongue, false witnesses rose up against him, and laid things to his charge he knew nothing of, and which they could not prove (Matt. 26:59).
In (verses 2-5, 20, 25, 27-29), David refers to a group of accusers, in contrast to (verses 6-19), where an individual is mentioned. Most likely, the individual is the group leader.
We know that there is always plenty of negative speaking around. It seems the more you love the Lord, the more the wicked speak out against you. They cannot tell the truth, so they just make up lies to tell. All believers have faced just this kind of opposition.
Psalm 109:3 “They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.”
They surrounded him as he hung on the cross, and expressed their malice and hatred against him. Then was he enclosed with these spiteful snarling dogs, and encompassed by them as with so many bees, who everyone left their sting in him (Psalm 22:16).
“And fought against me without a cause”: They were of a hostile spirit, enemies and enmity itself against him. Fought against him both with words and blows, with their tongues and with their fists. Sought his life, and at length took it away. He was attacked by the body of the Jewish nation, and by the whole posse of devils; and all this without any cause or just reason. He gave them no occasion for this enmity and malice, and opposition to him. And it was in the issue without effect, it was in vain and to no purpose. For though they gained their point in putting him to death, yet he rose again a triumphant Conqueror over them all.
It makes it difficult to understand why they would fight against you, if you had done them no harm. These words of hatred they have brought against him are, because they are jealous of his relationship with God.
Psalm 109:4 “For my love they are my adversaries: but I [give myself unto] prayer.”
For the love that Christ showed to the Jews. To their bodies, in going about and healing all manner of diseases among them. To their souls, in preaching the Gospel to them in each of their cities. And for the love he showed to mankind in coming into the world to save them, which should have commanded love again. But instead of this they became his implacable adversaries. They acted the part of Satan; they were as so many Satans to him, as the word signifies.
“But I give myself unto prayer”: Or “I am a man of prayer”; as Aben Ezra and Kimchi supply it. So he was in the days of his flesh (Heb. 5:7). He was constant at it, and fervent in it; sometimes a whole night together at it. His usual method was, when at Jerusalem, to teach in the temple in the daytime, and at night to go to the mount of Olives, and there abide and pray (Luke 6:12). This was the armor he alone made use of against his enemies, when they fought against him, and acted the part of an adversary to him. He betook himself to nothing else but prayer; he did not return railing for railing, but committed himself in prayer to God, who judges righteously (1 Peter 2:23). Yea, he prayed for those his adversaries: and so Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it, that he was a man of prayer for them, and prayed for them. As it is certain Christ did, when he was encompassed by his enemies, and they were venting all their spite and malice against him (Luke 23:34).
In return for the love that he has shown them, they are his enemies. Jesus taught us to love our enemies, even the ones who despitefully use us. Pray for them. Perhaps the prayer that David is speaking of here, has to do with getting his thoughts off these evil people and on to God. He does not, and cannot, fellowship with these people, so he fellowships with God in prayer.
Psalm 109:5 “And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.”
For the good words and sound doctrine, he delivered to them. For the good works and miracles, he wrought among them, to the healing of them (see John 10:32).
“And hatred for my love”: He came to seek and save that which was lost, and yet they hated him, and would not have him to rule over them (Luke 19:10).
There is some very good advice on this very subject in:
Proverbs 25:21-22 “If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:” “For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.”
The strange thing, David has been doing the right thing with these people. When David loves them and blesses the very ones who hate him, it is pleasing unto God.
Verses 6-20: The Lord Jesus may speak here as a Judge, denouncing sentence on some of his enemies, to warn others. When men reject the salvation of Christ, even their prayers are numbered among their sins. See what hurries some to shameful deaths, and brings the families and estates of others to ruin. Makes them and theirs despicable and hateful, and brings poverty, shame, and misery upon their posterity. It is sin, that mischievous, destructive thing. And what will be the effect of the sentence? Go, ye cursed, upon the bodies and souls of the wicked! How it will affect the senses of the body, and the powers of the soul, with pain, anguish, horror, and despair? Think on these things, sinners, tremble and repent.
The Mosaic law had anticipated false accusations and malicious witnesses (compare Deut. 19:16-21), by decreeing that the false accuser was to be given the punishment intended for the accused. It would appear that David had this law in mind here and verses 26-29. Thus, his imprecations are not malicious maledictions, but rather a call for justice according to the law. These severe words have respect not to the penitent, but to the impenitent and hard-hearted foes of God and His cause, whose inevitable fate is set.
Verses 6-13: Personal vengeance is not David’s motive for cursing his enemies. In praying for his enemies’ punishment and his own deliverance, David prays for God to be honored.
Psalm 109:6 “Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.”
It is possible that the “wicked man” had been a government counselor or adviser to a king. The psalmist prays that his enemy will be betrayed by an adviser who offers only evil counsel.
Vengeance belongs to the Lord. About the worst thing that could happen to an evil person, is to have someone just like himself rule over him. Since his father is Satan, perhaps this would be a good spot for him to be. Look what Jesus had to say about those who are dead set on committing evil in the following verse.
John 8:44 “Ye are of [your] father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”
Those who continue to follow the ways of Satan are Satan’s children.
Psalm 109:7 “When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.”
When he shall be arraigned at the bar of his own conscience, and be charged with the sin of which he is guilty. Let conscience, which is as a thousand witnesses, rise up against him, and condemn him; so it did Judas (Matt. 26:1). Or when he shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ at the last day.
“Let him be condemned”: let him hear the awful sentence, “go, thou cursed, into everlasting fire”. And let him go out immediately from the presence of the Judge into eternal punishment, the condemnation of the devil. so Judas is said to go to his own place (Acts 1:25).
“And let his prayer become sin”: Let it be fruitless and in vain; and so far from being heard, let it be treated as an abomination. Let it be considered as an aggravation of his crime, as Haman’s was (Esther 7:7). Let his prayer being without faith in the blood of Christ, be reckoned sinful, as it was. Let his cries, and tears, and repentance issue in desperation, and that in sin, as it did in destroying himself (Matt. 27:5).
Since Jesus is the Judge of all the world, we know that he will be condemned for the habitual sins he has committed, that he did not seek forgiveness for. If he did not believe in God, his prayers would be directed to the wrong being and would automatically be sin.
Psalm 109:8 “Let his days be few; [and] let another take his office.”
The Apostle Peter cited this verse as justification for replacing Judas the betrayer with another apostle (compare Acts 1:20).
This is the opposite of long life promised to those who follow God’s ways. One of the ten commandments promise long life. Let’s look at it.
Exodus 20:12 “Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”
God determines whether we live or die. There is no iron clad rule that we have to live even the 70 years allotted to mankind. Surely when you draw our last breath on this earth, someone else will take over the job you were doing, even if you were a king.
We see in the next few verses a list of terrible things that could come upon a person. God really does not need David’s help deciding what to do to the evil ones. David is just mentioning some terrible things that he would like to see come on these evil ones.
Psalm 109:9 “Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.”
Hebrew, “his sons.” This is what “always” occurs when a criminal who is a father is executed. It is one of the consequences of crime; and if the officer of justice does his duty, of course, the sons of such a man “must” be made fatherless. The prayer is, simply, that justice may be done, and all this is but an enumeration of what must follow from the proper execution of the laws.
“And his wife a widow”: This implies no malice against the wife, but may be consistent with the most tender compassion for her sufferings. It is simply one of the consequences which must follow from the punishment of a bad man. The enumeration of these things shows the enormity of the crime, just as the consequences which follow from the execution of a murderer are an illustration of the divine sense of the evil of the offence.
Psalm 109:10 “Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek [their bread] also out of their desolate places.”
Wander from place to place, begging their bread. This is denied of the children of good men in David’s time (Psalm 37:25). Yet was threatened to the children of Eli (1 Sam. 2:36), and was very likely literally true of the children of Judas. And was certainly the case of multitudes of the children of the Jews, the posterity of them that crucified Christ, at the time of their destruction by the Romans. When great numbers were dispersed, and wandered about in various countries, as vagabonds, begging their bread from door to door. Which is reckoned by them a great affliction, and very distressing.
“Let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places”: Either describing, as Kimchi thinks, the miserable cottages, forlorn and desolate houses, in which they lived. And from where they went out to everyone that passed by, to ask relief of them. Or it may be rendered:
“Because of their desolate places”: Or, “after them”; so the Targum, “after their desolation was made”. When their grand house was left desolate, their temple, as our Lord said it should, and was (Matt. 23:38). And all their other houses in Jerusalem and in Judea; then were they obliged to seek their bread of others elsewhere, and by begging.
Many times, when children are fatherless, and the mother has to make a living for the family by herself, the children suffer greatly. Not only are they deprived of material things, but time of training is taken away from the children, and they are not prepared to make a living in the world. The widowed mother possibly is doing the best that she can, but she cannot be two people at once. As in many cases, the children suffer for the father’s sin.
Psalm 109:11 “Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labor.”
Or, “lay a snare for all”; as the Romans did, by bringing in their army, invading the land of Judea, and besieging the city of Jerusalem. Who are “the extortioner or exacter that demanded tribute of them”; which they refused to pay, and therefore they seized on all they had for it. The Syrian and Arabic versions render it, “the creditor”; who sometimes for a debt would take wife and children, and all that a man had (see 2 Kings 4:1). It might be literally true of Judas; who dying in debt, his wife and children, and all he had, might be laid hold on for payment.
“And let the stranger spoil his labor”: Plunder his house of all his goods and substance he had been laboring for. Which was true of the Romans, who were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. Who came into the land, and spoiled their houses, fields, and vineyards, they had been laboring in. They took away their place and nation, and all they had (John 11:48).
A crook usually gets caught in his own sin. There is always someone out there, just a little smarter crook. The extortioner is usually involved in a get rich quick scheme. Other people, who are not honest themselves, are usually the one who gets trapped. The extortioner will not quit, until he has the entire worth of the person. This stranger surely would walk away with all your labors.
Psalm 109:12 “Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children.”
No pity is ever expressed at hearing or reading the sad case of Judas. And though the Jews were pitied of those that carried them captive to Babylon (Psalm 106:46). Yet, in their last destruction by the Romans, no mercy was shown them. The wrath of God and man came upon them to the uttermost (1 Thess. 2:16).
“Neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children”: To bestow any benefit upon them. To relieve their wants, nor to protect their persons. No more respect shown them than to their father, being shunned and hated for their father’s sake.
David is saying here, this person showed no one any mercy, let him reap what he has sown. It is a bad situation, but generally children who have parents who have shown no mercy, will not be able to find mercy either. Most people believe the saying, like father like son, and they will not help him because of his father’s reputation.
Psalm 109:13 “Let his posterity be cut off; [and] in the generation following let their name be blotted out.”
To have a numerous posterity, to have the name and family perpetuated, was regarded among the Hebrews as one of the greatest and most desirable blessings. Hence, to pray that all one’s family might be cut off was one of the severest forms of malediction which could be employed.
“And in the generation following”: The very next generation. Let not his family be perpetuated at all.
“Let their name be blotted out”: As a name is erased from a catalogue or muster-roll when one dies.
David is actually asking God here for their memory to be wiped away, because they did not have children. It is usually very important to a father to have a son who can carry on the family name. David says, don’t let them have sons.
Psalm 109:14 “Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.”
Not of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; who, though they had their failings, they were not remembered, and much less punished in their posterity, but were forgiven. Rather of the Amorites and Hittites; the one being said to be the father, and the other the mother, of the Jews (Ezek. 16:3). They succeeding them in their land, and imitating their example, and committing the same sins they did. Or rather of their wicked ancestors, who killed the prophets; and the measure of whose sins Judas and the Jews filled up in crucifying Christ (see Matt. 23:31). The iniquity of these may be said to be remembered, it not being forgiven, when it was brought to account, and punished in their posterity, doing the same wicked actions (compare with this Rev. 16:19).
“And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out”: Or forgiven; but stand as a debt to be accounted for. Meaning not the sin of his mother Eve, nor of his immediate parent. But either of the Hittite as before, or of the synagogue of the Jews, or Jerusalem, which killed the prophets of the Lord.
In the previous lesson we had been studying about David desiring the just punishments for these evil people. We had said that God really did not need suggestions from David. This above is just a statement of what really happens. God does not forget the sins that are not under the blood of the Lamb.
Psalm 109:15 “Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.”
Let their sins never pass from the mind of God. Let him never so forget them as not to inflict punishment for them.
“That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth”: That they may be wholly forgotten among people. Let their very name perish; and let the offender in this case be in the condition of those who have no ancestors to whom they can refer with pride and pleasure. The idea here is drawn from the honor which is felt in being able to refer to ancestors worthy of being remembered for their virtues.
This is a wish of David’s that this family will not be able to continue. This is saying, don’t let them have children and grandchildren to carry on their evil deeds.
Psalm 109:16 “Because that he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.”
He had no compassion; he was severe, harsh, unjust, unfeeling.
“But persecuted the poor and needy man”: The man that was destitute of friends; that was a wanderer and a beggar. There were times in the life of David when this would be strictly and literally applicable to him.
“That he might even slay the broken in heart”: The man whose heart was crushed by sorrow, that he might put “the finishing stroke” to all, and send him to the grave. Whatever might have been the “feeling” which prompted to this prayer, or however difficult it may be to vindicate the psalmist’s expression of feeling, there can be no doubt as to the propriety of inflicting punishment on such a man. The sufferings invoked are none too severe to be inflicted on a man who persecutes the poor and needy, and seeks so to multiply sorrows that the man already crushed and broken in heart shall sink to the grave.
It seems that this evil person showed no mercy for others and does not deserve any mercy to be shown to him. This man was so evil that he even got pleasure in doing terrible things to those who could not help themselves.
Psalm 109:17 “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 loved to curse others. As he seemed to have a pleasure alike in the act of cursing and in the feeling which prompts to cursing. Let him see what it is; let it come upon him in its fullness. He has chosen this as his portion; let it be his. This, in the original, is in the indicative mood, and not, as in our version, in the optative form. “He loved cursing, and it has come upon him; he did not delight in blessing, and it is far from him.” Still, the connection would rather seem to require that we should understand this as a prayer, and not as an affirmation, for the object of the whole seems not to be to state what had come upon him. But what the psalmist wished might come upon him.
“As he delighted not in blessing”: As he had no pleasure in wishing that others might be happy, or in any measures which would tend to promote their happiness. So, let everything that could be regarded as a blessing be put far from him; let him know nothing of it.
David is saying, let him reap what he has sown. David is just asking justice for this man. We have discussed so many times, that what comes from our mouth is what we really are, because it comes from the heart. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. This man is evil to the core. His inner most being is full of cursing. Let the words of his mouth speak out against himself. What he speaks on others, let it be in his life.
Psalm 109:18 “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.”
Moral qualities are often compared with raiment, as that in which we “appear” to our fellow-men (see 1 Peter 5:5; Job 29:14).
“So let it come into his bowels like water”: Margin, “within him.” Hebrew, “In his midst.” Let it penetrate him through and through. Let no part of him be unaffected by it.
“And like oil into his bones”: As if oil flowed through all his bones, so let the effects of cursing pervade his whole frame. The prayer is, that his entire nature might feel the effects of cursing; that he might know to the full what he was endeavoring to bring on others.
Cursing once in a while is bad, but it seems, this evil person here curses all the time. The fact that it clothes him like a garment means that every word he utters includes cursing. He is surrounded by it. This man is so evil that even his bones and bowels are full as well. A person who loves and worships God will have rivers of living waters flowing from their inner most being. This evil, cursing man has death coming from his inner most being.
Psalm 109:19 “Let it be unto him as the garment [which] covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.”
He has chosen to put it on, to wear it, to appear in it. So let him constantly feel its consequences. As he is always obliged to wear clothing, so let this be as constantly with him and upon him as his mantle and his sash.
“And for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually”: The belt or girdle which he constantly wears (see notes Matt. 5:38).
The believers in the LORD are clothed in the robe of righteousness. This evil man is clothed in sin. He is even tied down with it. He is wrapped in it as a girdle. Thank goodness his sin is out for all to see.
Psalm 109:20 “[Let] this [be] the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.”
Who were so many Satans, as the word used signifies. And Judas particularly is called a devil. And of the same malevolent and diabolical disposition were the Jews in general (John 6:70). And what is before imprecated upon them is the just recompense of reward for their hatred to Christ and ill usage of him.
“And of them that speak evil against my soul”: Or “life”; in order to take it away, as did the false witnesses that rose up against him. And the Jews who charged him with sedition and blasphemy.
We see a summation here by David of all the sin in this evil person. Again, David is saying to God, you take vengeance on him for me. As we said earlier, it is a very dangerous thing to speak against the servant of God. The servant will not take vengeance, but God will take vengeance on behalf of his servant.
Verses 21-29: David petitioned the court for justice by asking for deliverance for the judge’s sake (109:21), and then for his own sake (verses 22-25). Afterwards, he requested that his enemies by rightfully punished (verses 26-29).
Verses 21-31: The psalmist takes God’s comforts to himself, but in a very humble manner. He was troubled in mind. His body was wasted, and almost worn away. But it is better to have leanness in the body, while the soul prospers and is in health, than to have leanness in the soul, while the body is feasted. He was ridiculed and reproached by his enemies. But if God blesses us, we need not care who curses us. For how can they curse whom God has not cursed; nay, whom he has blessed? He pleads God’s glory, and the honor of his name. Save me, not according to my merit, for I pretend to none, but according to thy mercy. He concludes with the joy of faith, in assurance that his present conflicts would end in triumphs. Let all that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him. Jesus, unjustly put to death, and now risen again, is an Advocate and Intercessor for his people, ever ready to appear on their behalf against a corrupt world, and the great accuser.
Psalm 109:21 “But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy [is] good, deliver thou me.”
The sense of the petition is, and which is a prayer of Christ as man, that the Lord God would take his part. Be on his side, be present with him, work with him, help and assist him, and that for his own honor and glory. For his truth and faithfulness sake, who had promised him help and assistance (Psalm 89:21).
“Because thy mercy is good”: That is, it is the characteristic of mercy to do good; to show kindness.
“Deliver thou me”: He prays that God would “manifest” himself as he really was, as a God of mercy.
David has finally gotten his eyes off this evil person and is asking for God’s help. God will deliver His own. Notice in the verse above, that David is not asking favors in his own name. He asks favors in the “thy name’s sake”. Have mercy upon me and lift me above all of this, is the cry of David.
Psalm 109:22 “For I [am] poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.”
As he was in human nature, being born of poor parents, brought up in a mean manner, had not where to lay his head, and was ministered to by others. Though he was Lord of all, and immensely rich in the perfections of his nature, and in his vast empire and dominion, and the revenues arising from thence (see 2 Cor. 8:9). It may here chiefly respect his helpless and forlorn estate as man, at the time of his sufferings and death (see Psalm 40:17).
“And my heart is wounded within me”: With the sins of his people on him, with a sense of divine wrath, and when under divine desertions. Especially when his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death (Matt. 26:38).
Now we all know that David was not poor as to having material things. He is speaking of the things of the spirit here. David was just about to die of a broken heart, and that is what he is asking for help with. Many of us know what it is to have a wounded spirit. Usually guilt causes us to have a broken spirit. The first step to forgiveness is having a broken heart for what we have done. Forgiveness is soon in coming when this is our condition.
Psalm 109:23 “I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.”
When the sun is setting, and the shadow is going off; man’s life is often compared to a shadow, because it is fleeting, momentary, and soon gone (1 Chron. 29:15). And death is expressed by going the way of all flesh. And by going to the grave, the house for all living, a man’s long home (Joshua 23:14). And so is the death of Christ (Luke 22:22), it may be rendered, “I am made to go”, denoting the violent death of Christ, who was cut off out of the land of the living, and whose life was taken away from the earth (Isa. 53:8).
“I am tossed up and down as the locust”: Or “shaken out” by the wind, as the locust is by the east wind, and carried from place to place (Exodus 10:13). Or when a swarm of them by a strong wind are crowded together and thrown upon one another. Or like the grasshopper, which leaps from hedge to hedge, and has no certain abode. And such was the case of Christ here on earth. And especially it may have respect not only to his being sometimes in Judea and sometimes in Galilee, sometimes in the temple and sometimes in the mount of Olives. But to his being tossed about after his apprehension, when he was led to Annas, and then to Caiaphas, then to Pilate, then to Herod, then delivered to the soldiers, and by them led to Calvary, and crucified.
The long persecution that David had encountered had left him tossed to and fro. At this point, David felt as if all hope of getting back where he wanted to be was fading fast away.
Psalm 109:24 “My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.”
Hunger; want of food. Strength to stand is connected with firmness in the knee-joints, and hence, weakness and feebleness are denoted by the giving way of the knees (compare Heb. 12:12).
“And my flesh faileth of fatness”: I am lean and weak. There is not the proper supply for my strength. The idea seems to have been that fatness (Hebrew, oil) was necessary to strength.
This means that the prayers David had been sending heavenward are very serious prayers. Fasting shows you mean business with God. It seems that David had fasted for an extended length of time. His strength was gone. He had actually lost a great deal of weight from this extended fast.
Psalm 109:25 “I became also a reproach unto them: [when] they looked upon me they shook their heads.”
Or they reproached him; not only in life, traducing his conversation, blaspheming his miracles, calling him a Samaritan, saying he had a devil, and charging him with sedition. But at the time of his death they reviled him, and treated him in the most opprobrious manner.
“When they looked upon me, they shook their heads”: Which was verified in the Jews as they passed by the cross of Christ, whither they came to stare upon him and scoff at him (Matt. 27:39).
It appears that they had been ridiculing David for his fasting and prayer. They had been reminding him that all this fasting and prayer was not getting an answer. Since they did not believe in God themselves, they thought what David was doing was foolish.
Psalm 109:26 “Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:”
Jehovah the Father is here addressed, who is the God of Christ, as Christ is man. Who formed him, supported him, and glorified him. And whom Christ loved, believed in, obeyed and prayed unto. Nor did he pray to a God that could not hear, but to one that was able to save him from death. As a divine Person he needed no help, being the mighty God, the Most Mighty, the Almighty. But as man he did, being encompassed about with infirmities. And as Mediator help was promised him, he expected it, and he had it (Psalm 89:21).
“O save me according to thy mercy”: Or “kindness”; as before (in Psalm 109:21), from sufferings, and out of them. From death and the grave, as he was; or his people by him, who are saved not by works of righteousness, but according to the mercy of God (Titus 3:5).
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Notice, that David calls Him (my God). David is not asking for justice for himself, but mercy. Great is the mercy of the LORD to those who love Him.
Psalm 109:27 “That they may know that this [is] thy hand; [that] thou, LORD, hast done it.”
Which inflicted vengeance, and executed judgments on Judas and the Jews, as before imprecated. So the Targum, “that they may know that this is thy stroke;” or which was concerned in all the sorrows and sufferings of the Messiah, which could never have come upon him had it not been the will of God. It was his hand and council that determined it, or men could never have effected it (see Acts 4:28). Or which wrought deliverance and salvation as before prayed for (see Psalm 118:21).
“That thou, Lord, hast done it”: One or other, or all the above things; the finger of God was to be seen in them. Particularly in the sufferings of Christ, and in his exaltation (see Acts 2:23).
David wants this answer to his prayer to be evident to these unbelievers, so they will know that God is a God of forgiveness. He not only wants the prayer answered, but for there to be no doubt in any one’s mind who answered the prayer. Secret miracles are great, but those that are evident to the unsaved world can bring many to salvation.
Psalm 109:28 “Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.”
Let them continue to curse me, provided thou wilt bless me. I am willing to bear all these reproaches, if I may have thy favor. That favor I value infinitely more than I do theirs; and it is a small matter that I am reviled and cursed by people, if I may secure the favor and friendship of God. (See Psalm 109:17).
“When they arise”: When they rise up against me; when they attempt to persecute me.
“Let them be ashamed”: Let them be disappointed; let them not be successful in their designs against me. On the word “ashamed” (see notes on Job 6:20, and Psalm 25:2-3).
David is saying here, let them go ahead and curse him, as long as God blesses him. David does not even want the blessing of this evil one. He wants God’s blessings. When the prayer is answered and David is rejoicing, then these evil ones will be ashamed of themselves.
Psalm 109:29 “Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.”
Let confusion and disappointment seem to cover them, so as to constitute a garment. See the notes at (Psalm 109:18-19). They had “clothed themselves with cursing” (Psalm 109:18), and the prayer now is, that the covering of shame might be as complete and entire.
“And let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a mantle”: As with an outer garment, the mantle or robe, which they might wrap all round them. Let it be so abundant that they may entirely wrap their person in it. Let their confusion correspond with their sin in the fullest manner.
For those of unbelief to see a miracle is very confusing. This would also bring shame to them as well, because they had said God did not exist. If He did not exist, how did He answer this prayer? They are now consumed with confusion and have no idea what to believe. They have been proved wrong, now what do they do?
Verses 30-31: The final verse uses a phrase from verse 6, “at the right hand”, and replaces the figure of the accuser, who stands at the right hand of his victim, with the figure of God, who stands at the right hand of the needy to provide salvation.
David’s praise for the divine Magistrate (verse 30), was based on his confidence in the compassion and mercy of the judge (verse 31).
(2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18), record the general outcome to David’s case, which was tried in God’s courtroom.
Psalm 109:30 “I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.”
I will sing abundant praises to him (compare notes at Isa. 38:20).
Yea, I will praise him among the multitude”: In the great congregation. I will publicly acknowledge his goodness and mercy (see notes at Psalm 22:25).
David will not keep silent about this. He will open his mouth wide and praise the LORD to all who will listen.
Romans 10:10 “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
It is not good to be a silent Christian. We must praise out loud the mighty works of God.
Psalm 109:31 “For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save [him] from those that condemn his soul.”
Of the Messiah (as in Psalm 109:22), at whose right hand the Lord was. To guide and direct, help and assist, protect and defend (Psalm 16:8). Or of his people, who are poor in every sense; but the Lord is on their side, and is a present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1).
“To save him from those that condemn his soul”: The Messiah: from his judges, the High Priest and Jewish Sanhedrim, and Pilate the Roman governor, who condemned him to death. But he committed his spirit, or soul, to God, who received it, and raised his body from the dead. And would not suffer it to see corruption, as a testimony of his innocence. Or the soul of the poor saints, which the Lord saves from the condemnation of sin, Satan, the law, and their own consciences (Rom. 8:1).
Spiritual blessings come through the right side. God upholds those who are His. He helps the poor and pleads the case of the condemned that believe in Him. Jesus is our advocate with the Father.