Augustine of Hippo — Commentary on Scripture

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

He adds, "Thus have they rewarded me evil for good" [Psalm 109:4]. And as if we asked, what evil? For what good? "And hatred," he says, "for my good will." This is the sum total of their great guilt. For how could the persecutors injure Him who died of His own free-will, and not by compulsion? But this very hatred is the greatest crime of the persecutor, although it be the willing atonement of the sufferer. And he has sufficiently explained the sense of the above words, "In place of loving me," since they owed love not as a general duty only, but in return for His love: in that he has here added, "for my good will." This love He mentions in the Gospel, when He says, "How often would I have gathered your children together, and you would not!" [Matthew 23:37]

Psalms 109:5

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

"Set thou an ungodly man to be ruler over him; and let Satan stand at his right hand" [Psalm 109:5]. Though the complaint had been before concerning many, the Psalm is now speaking of one....Since therefore he is here speaking of the traitor Judas, who, according to the Scripture in the Acts of the Apostles, was to be punished with the penalty due to him, [Acts 1:20] what means, "set thou an ungodly man over him," save him whom in the next verse he mentions by name, when he says, "and let Satan stand at his right hand"? He therefore who refused to be subject unto Christ, deserved this, that he should have the devil set over him, that is, that he should be subject unto the devil....For this reason also it is said of those who, preferring the pleasures of this world to God, styled the people blessed who have such and such things, "their right hand is a right hand of iniquity.". ..

Psalms 109:6

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

"When sentence is given upon him, let him be condemned, and let his prayer be turned into sin" [Psalm 109:6]. For prayer is not righteous except through Christ, whom he sold in his atrocious sin: but the prayer which is not made through Christ, not only cannot blot out sin, but is itself turned into sin. But it may be inquired on what occasion Judas could have so prayed, that his prayer was turned into sin. I suppose that before he betrayed the Lord, while he was thinking of betraying Him; for he could no longer pray through Christ. For after he betrayed Him, and repented of it, if he prayed through Christ, he would ask for pardon; if he asked for pardon, he would have hope; if he had hope, he would hope for mercy; if he hoped for mercy, he would not have hanged himself in despair....

Psalms 109:7

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

"Let his days be few" [Psalm 109:7]. By "his days," he meant the days of his apostleship, which were few; since before the Passion of our Lord, they were ended by his crime and death. And as if it were asked, What then shall become of that most sacred number twelve, within which our Lord willed, not without a meaning, to limit His twelve first Apostles? He at once adds, "and let another take his office." As much as to say, let both himself be punished according to his desert, and let his number be filled up.

Psalms 109:8 · 2 passages

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

"Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow" [Psalm 109:8]. After his death, both his children were fatherless, and his wife a widow.

Petilianus said, "We must consider, I say, and declare how far the treacherous traditor is to be considered dead while he was still living. Judas was an apostle when he betrayed Christ; and the same man was already dead, having spiritually lost the office of an apostle, being destined afterwards to die by hanging himself, as it is written: "I have sinned," he says, " ' in that I have betrayed innocent blood'; and he departed, went out, and hanged himself." The traitor perished by the rope: he left the rope for others like himself, of whom the Lord Christ cried aloud to the Father, "Father, those that you gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled." For David of old had passed this sentence on him who was to betray Christ to the unbelievers: "Let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow." See how mighty is the spirit of the prophets, that it was able to see all future things as though they were present, so that a traitor who was to be born hereafter should be condemned many centurie…

Petilianus said, "We must consider, I say, and declare how far the treacherous traditor is to be considered dead while he was still living. Judas was an apostle when he betrayed Christ; and the same man was already dead, having spiritually lost the office of an apostle, being destined afterwards to die by hanging himself, as it is written: "I have sinned," he says, " ' in that I have betrayed innocent blood'; and he departed, went out, and hanged himself." The traitor perished by the rope: he left the rope for others like himself, of whom the Lord Christ cried aloud to the Father, "Father, those that you gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the Scripture might be fulfilled." For David of old had passed this sentence on him who was to betray Christ to the unbelievers: "Let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow." See how mighty is the spirit of the prophets, that it was able to see all future things as though they were present, so that a traitor who was to be born hereafter should be condemned many centuries before. Finally, that the said sentence should be completed, the holy Matthias received the bishopric of that lost apostle. Let no one be so dull, no one so faithless, as to dispute this: Matthias won for himself a victory, not a wrong, in that he carried off the spoils of the traitor from the victory of the Lord Christ.

Psalms 109:9

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

"Let his children be vagabonds, and be carried away, and beg their bread" [Psalm 109:9]. By "vagabonds" he means, uncertain whither to go, destitute of all help. "Let them be driven from their habitations." He here explains what he had said above, "Let them be carried away." How all this happened to his wife and children, the following verses explain.

Psalms 109:10

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

"Let the extortioner search out all his substance, and let the strangers spoil his labour" [Psalm 109:10].

Psalms 109:11

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

"Let there be no man to help him" [Psalm 109:11]: that is, to guard his posterity; wherefore follows, "nor to have compassion on his fatherless children"

Psalms 109:12

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

But as even orphans may, without one to help them, and without a guardian, nevertheless increase amid trouble and want, and preserve their race by descent; he next says, "Let his posterity be destroyed; and in the next generation let his name be clean put out" [Psalm 109:12]: that is, let what has been generated by him generate no more, and quickly pass away.

Psalms 109:13

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

But what is it that he next adds? "Let the wickedness of his fathers be had in remembrance in the sight of the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be done away" [Psalm 109:13]. Is it to be understood, that even the sins of his fathers shall be visited upon him? For upon him they are not visited, who has been changed in Christ, and has ceased to be the child of the wicked, by not having imitated their conduct. [Ezekiel 18:4, 20] ...And to these words, "I will visit the sins of the fathers upon the children," [Exodus 20:5] is added, "who hate Me;" that is, hate Me as their fathers hated Me: so that as the effect of imitating the good is that even their own sins are blotted out, so the imitation of the wicked causes men to suffer not their own deservings only, but those also of those whom they have imitated....

Psalms 109:14

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

"Let them always be against the Lord" [Psalm 109:14]. "Against the Lord," means in the Lord's sight: for other translators have rendered this line, "let them be always in the sight of the Lord;" while others have rendered it, "let them be before the Lord always;" as it is elsewhere said, "You have set our misdeeds in Your sight." By "alway," he means that this great crime should be without pardon, both here, and in a future life. "Let the memorial of them perish from off the earth:" that is, of his father and of his mother. By memorial of them, he means, that which is preserved by successive generations: this he prophesied should perish from the earth, because both Judas himself, and his sons, who were the memorial of his father and mother, without any succeeding offspring, as it is said above, were consumed in the short space of one generation.. ..

Psalms 109:15-16

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

"And that, because he remembered not to act mercifully" [Psalm 109:15]; either Judas, or the people itself. But "remembered not" is better understood of the people: for if they slew Christ, they might well remember the deed in penitence, and act mercifully towards His members, whom they most perseveringly persecuted. For this reason he says, "but persecuted the poor man and the beggar" [Psalm 109:16]. It may indeed be understood of Judas; for the Lord did not disdain to become poor, when He was rich, that we might be enriched by His poverty. [2 Corinthians 8:9] But how shall I understand the word "beggar," save perhaps because He said to the Samaritan woman, "Give me to drink," [John 4:7] and on the Cross He said, "I thirst." [John 19:28] But as to what follows, I do not see how it can be understood of our Head Himself, that is, the Saviour of His own body, whom Judas persecuted. For after saying, "He persecuted the poor man and the beggar:" he adds, "and to slay," that is, "that he might slay Him," for some have so rendered it, "Him that was pricked at the heart." This expression is…

"And that, because he remembered not to act mercifully" [Psalm 109:15]; either Judas, or the people itself. But "remembered not" is better understood of the people: for if they slew Christ, they might well remember the deed in penitence, and act mercifully towards His members, whom they most perseveringly persecuted. For this reason he says, "but persecuted the poor man and the beggar" [Psalm 109:16]. It may indeed be understood of Judas; for the Lord did not disdain to become poor, when He was rich, that we might be enriched by His poverty. [2 Corinthians 8:9] But how shall I understand the word "beggar," save perhaps because He said to the Samaritan woman, "Give me to drink," [John 4:7] and on the Cross He said, "I thirst." [John 19:28] But as to what follows, I do not see how it can be understood of our Head Himself, that is, the Saviour of His own body, whom Judas persecuted. For after saying, "He persecuted the poor man and the beggar:" he adds, "and to slay," that is, "that he might slay Him," for some have so rendered it, "Him that was pricked at the heart." This expression is not commonly used except of the stings of past sins in the sorrows of penitence; as it is said of those who, when they had heard the Apostles after our Lord's ascension, were "pricked in heart," even they who had slain the Lord....

Psalms 109:17 · 2 passages

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

For in that same Book of Testimonies, in order to justify somehow his assertion that “all are ruled by their own will,” Pelagius has cited this passage from the psalm, “And he loved cursing, and it will come to him, and [he] would not have blessing, and it shall be far from him.” But who does not know that this is a fault, not of nature, as God created it, but of the human will, which turned away from God? Even if he had not loved cursing, had desired blessing, and, in this instance, denied that his will was helped by divine grace, the fact is that, in his ingratitude and impiety, he would be abandoned to be ruled by himself. The result of being deprived of divine guidance and brought to ruin is that he would discover through punishment that he was incapable of being ruled by himself.

The Psalm then continues: "His delight was in cursing, and it shall happen to him" [Psalm 109:17]. Although Judas loved cursing, both in stealing from the money bag, and selling and betraying the Lord: nevertheless, that people more openly loved cursing, when they said, "His blood be on us, and on our children." [

Psalms 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.

"Let it be unto him as the cloak which covers him" [Psalm 109:18]. Since he has before spoken of the cloak, why does he repeat it? When he said, "He clothed himself with cursing as with a raiment;" does the raiment with which he is "covered" differ from that with which he is "clothed"? For every man is clothed with his tunic, covered with his cloak; and what is this, save boasting in iniquity, even in the sight of men? "and as the girdle," he says, "that he is always girded withal." Men are girded chiefly that they may be better fit for toil, that they may not be hindered by the folds of their dress. He therefore girds himself with curses, who designs an evil which he has carefully contrived, not on a sudden impulse, and who learns in such a manner to do evil, that he is always ready to commit it.

Psalms 109:19

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

"This is the work of them that slander me before the Lord" [Psalm 109:19]. He said not, "their reward," but, "their work:" for it is clear that by the clothing, covering, water, oil, and girdle, he was describing the very works by which eternal curses are procured. It is not then one Judas, but many, of whom it is said, "This is the work of them that slander me before the Lord." Although indeed the plural number might have been put for the singular; even as, when Herod died, it was said by the Angel, "They are dead which sought the young Child's life." [Matthew 2:20] But who slander Christ more before the Lord, than they who slander the very words of the Lord, by declaring that it is not He whom the Law of the Lord and His Prophets announced beforehand? "And of those that speak evil against my soul:" by denying that He, when He had willed, could have arisen: though He says, "I have power to lay down My life, and I have power to take it again." [John 10:18]

Psalms 109:20

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

"But work Thou with me, O Lord God" [Psalm 109:20]. Some have thought "mercifully" should be understood, some have actually added it; but the best copies have the words thus: "But work Thou with me, O Lord God, for Your Name's sake." Whence a higher sense should not be passed over, supposing the Son to have thus addressed the Father, "Deal Thou with Me," since the works of the Father and of the Son are the same. Where although we understand mercy—for these words follow, "for sweet is Your mercy,"— because he said not, "In me," or, "over me;" or anything of this sort: but, "work Thou with Me;" we rightly understand that the Father and Son together work mercifully towards the vessels of mercy. [Romans 9:23] "Work with me," may also be understood to mean, help me. We use this expression in our daily language, when we are speaking of anything which is in our favour; "It works with us." For the Father aids the Son, as far as the Deity aids Man, on account of His having assumed the "form of a servant," to which Man, God, and to which "Form of a servant," the Lord too is Father. For in the…

"But work Thou with me, O Lord God" [Psalm 109:20]. Some have thought "mercifully" should be understood, some have actually added it; but the best copies have the words thus: "But work Thou with me, O Lord God, for Your Name's sake." Whence a higher sense should not be passed over, supposing the Son to have thus addressed the Father, "Deal Thou with Me," since the works of the Father and of the Son are the same. Where although we understand mercy—for these words follow, "for sweet is Your mercy,"— because he said not, "In me," or, "over me;" or anything of this sort: but, "work Thou with Me;" we rightly understand that the Father and Son together work mercifully towards the vessels of mercy. [Romans 9:23] "Work with me," may also be understood to mean, help me. We use this expression in our daily language, when we are speaking of anything which is in our favour; "It works with us." For the Father aids the Son, as far as the Deity aids Man, on account of His having assumed the "form of a servant," to which Man, God, and to which "Form of a servant," the Lord too is Father. For in the "form of God," the Son needs not aid, for He is equally all-powerful with the Father, on which account He also is the helper of men....And because when he had said, "Work Thou with me," he added, "for Your Name's sake," he has commended grace. For without previous deserving works, human nature was raised to such a height, that the whole in one, the Word and Flesh, that is, God and Man, was styled the Only-begotten Son of God. And this was done that that which had been lost might be sought by Him who had created it, through that which had not been lost; whence the following words, "For Your mercy is sweet."

Psalms 109:21

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

"O deliver me, for I am needy and poor" [Psalm 109:21]. Need and poverty is that weakness, through which He was crucified. [2 Corinthians 13:4] "And my heart is disturbed within me." This alludes to those words which He spoke when His Passion was drawing near, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death." [Matthew 26:38]

Psalms 109:22

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

"I go hence like a shadow that declines" [Psalm 109:22]. By this he signified death itself. For as night comes of the shadow's declining, so death comes of mortal flesh. "And am driven away as the locusts." This I think would be more suitably understood of His members, that is, of His faithful disciples. That he might make it much plainer, he preferred writing "locusts" in the plural number: although many may be understood where the singular number is used, as in that passage, "He spoke, and the locust came;" but it would have been more obscure. His disciples, then, were driven away, that is, were put to flight by persecutors, either the multitude of whom He wished to be signified by the word locusts, or their passing from one place to another.