Psalm One Hundred and Nine
by Dr. Henry M. Morris
(taken from the Defender's Study Bible)
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.
Psalm 109:1 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
Hold not thy peace. Psalm 109 is one of the most aggressive of the imprecatory psalms (see notes on Psalm 5), with David praying earnestly for God's severe judgment on his enemies. This type of prayer should be viewed not in terms of desired vengeance on an enemy because of his treatment of the injured person, but rather in terms of the anti-God motivation leading to such enmity. Note Psalm 109:4: “For my love [that is, 'my love of God'] they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.” We should not take vengeance of our own on our enemies, even those who are first of all God's enemies, but commit such vengeance to God in prayer. “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19). “For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul” (Psalm 109:31).
Psalm 109:4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
Psalm 109:5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
Psalm 109:6 Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
Psalm 109:7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
prayer become sin. There are occasions when praying is sinful hypocrisy. Note Joshua 7:10, 11; Psalm 66:18; Proverbs 28:9; Matthew 23:14, for example.
Psalm 109:8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
another take his office. This particular imprecation was specifically carried out in the case of Judas (Acts 1:20).
Psalm 109:9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Psalm 109:11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
Psalm 109:22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
Psalm 109:23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
Psalm 109:24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
Psalm 109:25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
Psalm 109:26 Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
Psalm 109:27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.