TRV
Study This Verse
Commentary on Psalms 109 verses 6–20
David here fastens upon some one particular person that was worse than the rest of his enemies, and the ringleader of them, and in a devout and pious manner, not from a principle of malice and revenge, but in a holy zeal for God and against sin and with an eye to the enemies of Christ, particularly Judas who betrayed him, whose sin was greater than Pilate's that condemned him (Joh 19:11), he imprecates and predicts his destruction, foresees and pronounces him completely miserable, and such a one as our Saviour calls him, A son of perdition. Calvin speaks of it as a detestable piece of sacrilege, common in his time among Franciscan friars and other monks, that if any one had malice against a neighbour he might hire some of them to curse him every day, which he would do in the words of these verses; and particularly he tells of a lady in France who, being at variance with her own and only son, hired a parcel of friars to curse him in these words. Greater impiety can scarcely be imagined than to vent a devilish passion in the language of sacred writ, to kindle strife with coals snatched from God's altar, and to call for fire from heaven with a tongue set on fire of hell.
I. The imprecations here are very terrible - woe, and a thousand woes, to that man against whom God says Amen to them; and they are all in full force against the implacable enemies and persecutors of God's church and people, that will not repent, to give him glory. It is here foretold concerning this bad man,
1.That he should be cast and sentenced as a criminal, with all the dreadful pomp of a trial, conviction, and condemnation (Psa 109:6, Psa 109:7): Set thou a wicked man over him, to be as cruel and oppressive to him as he has been to others; for God often makes one wicked man a scourge to another, to spoil the spoilers and to deal treacherously with those that have dealt treacherously. Set the wicked one over him (so some), that is, Satan, as it follows; and then it was fulfilled in Judas, into whom Satan entered, to hurry him into sin first and then into despair. Set his own wicked heart over him, set his own conscience against him; let that fly in his face. Let Satan stand on his right hand, and be let loose against him to deceive him, as he did Ahab to his destruction, and then to accuse him and resist him, and then he is certainly cast, having no interest in that advocate who alone can say, The Lord rebuke thee, Satan (Zac 3:1, Zac 3:2); when he shall be judged at men's bar let not his usual arts to evade justice do him any service, but let his sin find him out and let him be condemned; nor shall he escape before God's tribunal, but be condemned there when the day of inquisition and recompence shall come. Let his prayer become sin, as the clamours of a condemned malefactor not only find no acceptance, but are looked upon as an affront to the court. The prayers of the wicked now become sin, because soured with the leaven of hypocrisy and malice; and so they will in the great day, because then it will be too late to cry, Lord, Lord, open to us. Let every thing be turned against him and improved to his disadvantage, even his prayers.
2.That, being condemned, he should be executed as a most notorious malefactor. (1.) That he should lose his life, and the number of his months be cut off in the midst, by the sword of justice: Let his days be few, or shortened, as a condemned criminal has but a few days to live (Psa 109:8); such bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. (2.) That consequently all his places should be disposed of to others, and they should enjoy his preferments and employments: Let another take his office. This Peter applies to the filling up of Judas's place in the truly sacred college of the apostles, by the choice of Matthias, Act 1:20. Those that mismanage their trusts will justly have their office taken from them and given to those that will approve themselves faithful. (3.) That his family should be beheaded and beggared, that his wife should be made a widow and his children fatherless, by his untimely death, Psa 109:9. Wicked men, by their wicked courses, bring ruin upon their wives and children, whom they ought to take care of and provide for. Yet his children, if, when they lost their father, they had a competency to live upon, might still subsist in comfort; but they shall be vagabonds and shall beg; they shall not have a house of their own to live in, nor any certain dwelling-place, nor know where to have a meal's-meat, but shall creep out of their desolate places with fear and trembling, like beasts out of their dens, to seek their bread (Psa 109:10), because they are conscious to themselves that all mankind have reason to hate them for their father's sake. (4.) That his estate should be ruined, as the estates of malefactors are confiscated (Psa 109:11): Let the extortioner, the officer, seize all that he has and let the stranger, who was nothing akin to his estate, spoil his labour, either for his crimes or for his debts, Job 5:4, Job 5:5. (5.) That his posterity should be miserable. Fatherless children, though they have nothing of their own, yet sometimes are well provided for by the kindness of those whom God inclines to pity them; but this wicked man having never shown mercy there shall be none to extend mercy to him, by favouring his fatherless children when he is gone, Psa 109:12. The children of wicked parents often fare the worse for their parents' wickedness in this way that the bowels of men's compassion are shut up from them, which yet ought not to be, for why should children suffer for that which was not their fault, but their infelicity? (6.) That his memory should be infamous, and buried in oblivion and disgrace (Psa 109:13): Let his posterity be cut off; let his end be to destruction (so Dr. Hammond); and in the next generation let their name be blotted out, or remembered with contempt and indignation, and (Psa 109:15) let an indelible mark of disgrace be left upon it. See here what hurries some to shameful deaths, and brings the families and estates of others to ruin, makes them and their despicable and odious, and entails poverty, and shame, and misery, upon their posterity; it is sin, that mischievous destructive thing. The learned Dr. Hammond applies this to the final dispersion and desolation of the Jewish nation for their crucifying Christ; their princes and people were cut off, their country was laid waste, and their posterity were made fugitives and vagabonds.
II. The ground of these imprecations bespeaks them very just, though they sound very severe. 1. To justify the imprecations of vengeance upon the sinner's posterity, the sin of his ancestors is here brought into the account (Psa 109:14, Psa 109:15), the iniquity of his fathers and the sin of his mother. These God often visits even upon the children's children, and is not unrighteous therein: when wickedness has long run in the blood justly does the curse run along with it. Thus all the innocent blood that had been shed upon the earth, from that of righteous Abel, was required from that persecuting generation, who, by putting Christ to death, filled up the measure of their fathers, and left as long a train of vengeance to follow them as the train of guilt was that went before them, which they themselves agreed to by saying, His blood be upon us and on our children. 2. To justify the imprecations of vengeance upon the sinner himself, his own sin is here charged upon him, which called aloud for it. (1.) He had loved cruelty, and therefore give him blood to drink (Psa 109:16): He remembered not to show mercy, remembered not those considerations which should have induced him to show mercy, remembered not the objects of compassion that had been presented to him, but persecuted the poor, whom he should have protected and relieved, and slew the broken in heart, whom he should have comforted and healed. Here is a barbarous man indeed, not it to live. (2.) He had loved cursing, and therefore let the curse come upon his head, Psa 109:17-19. Those that were out of the reach of his cruelty he let fly at with his curses, which were impotent and ridiculous; but they shall return upon him. He delighted not in blessing; he took no pleasure in wishing well to others, nor in seeing others do well; he would give nobody a good word or a good wish, much less would he do any body a good turn; and so let all good be far from him. He clothed himself with cursing; he was proud of it as an ornament that he could frighten all about him with the curses he was liberal of; he confided in it as armour, which would secure him from the insults of those he feared. And let him have enough of it. Was he fond of cursing? Let God's curse come into his bowels like water and swell him as with a dropsy, and let it soak like oil into his bones. The word of the curse is quick and powerful, and divides between the joints and the marrow; it works powerfully and effectually; it fastens on the soul; it is a piercing thing, and there is no antidote against it. Let is compass him on every side as a garment, Psa 109:19. Let God's cursing him be his shame, as his cursing his neighbour was his pride; let it cleave to him as a girdle, and let him never be able to get clear of it. Let it be to him like the waters of jealousy, which caused the belly to swell and the thigh to rot. This points at the utter ruin of Judas, and the spiritual judgments which fell on the Jews for crucifying Christ. The psalmist concludes his imprecations with a terrible Amen, which signifies not only, "I wish it may be so," but "I know it shall be so." Let this be the reward of my adversaries from the Lord, Psa 109:20. And this will be the reward of all the adversaries of the Lord Jesus; his enemies that will not have him to reign over them shall be brought forth and slain before him. And he will one day recompense tribulation to those that trouble his people.
"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....
Continue studying Psalms 109:16 across the web’s major study libraries — every link below opens this exact verse, chapter, or book on the destination site.
Read & Compare
BibleGatewayThis verse in more than 200 translations and 70 languages.
Bible.comThe YouVersion reader — hundreds of translations, reading plans, and highlights.
ESV.orgCrossway's official English Standard Version reader.
NET BibleThe NET translation with 60,000+ translators' notes on every rendering decision.
STEP BibleTyndale House's free study tool — original text, vocabulary, and scholarly resources.
BibliaLogos Bible Software's free web reader.
USCCBThe New American Bible (Revised Edition) with the U.S. bishops' study notes.
Commentaries
BibleHub CommentariesDozens of classic commentaries on this verse, gathered on one page.
StudyLightMore than 100 commentary sets — the largest collection on the web.
BibleRefPlain-English commentary on what this verse means, verse by verse.
Enduring WordDavid Guzik's free commentary on this chapter, widely used by Bible teachers.
Bible Study ToolsVerse commentary alongside Greek and Hebrew study aids.
Original Language & Research
- BibleHub InterlinearThe verse word by word — original language, transliteration, and English.
- BibleHub LexiconEvery word's original-language definition and Strong's entry.
Blue Letter BibleDeep-study tools — Strong's numbers, concordance, and word studies.
SefariaThe Hebrew text with Rashi and centuries of Jewish commentary.
Sermons, Hymns & Audio
TrulyRandomVerse is not affiliated with these sites and doesn’t control their content. They’re linked because they’re genuinely useful.
SUMMARY
Psalms 109:16 powerfully articulates the profound wickedness of an adversary characterized by a deliberate refusal to extend mercy and a relentless persecution of the most vulnerable. This verse serves as a critical justification for the psalmist's fervent imprecatory prayers, revealing a heart so utterly devoid of compassion that it actively seeks to crush the spirit and hope of those already afflicted, thereby provoking divine judgment against such egregious injustice and cruelty.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: Psalm 109 is a deeply personal and intense imprecatory psalm, traditionally attributed to David, where the psalmist cries out to God for justice against deceitful and malicious enemies. The psalm unfolds dynamically, beginning with a desperate plea for divine intervention against slander and betrayal (verses 1-5). This is followed by a detailed and severe series of curses invoked against the adversary (verses 6-19), which are among the most intense in the Psalter. Verse 16 functions as a pivotal explanatory clause within this section, providing the moral grounds and specific transgressions that warrant such harsh divine retribution. It shifts from the what of the curses to the why, revealing the enemy's profound lack of mercy and active oppression as the direct cause for the psalmist's fervent petition for justice. The psalm then transitions back to the psalmist's own suffering and renewed plea for deliverance and vindication (verses 20-31), ultimately concluding with an expression of trust in God's righteousness.
Historical & Cultural Context: In ancient Israel, justice was a cornerstone of societal and theological understanding, deeply rooted in the covenant relationship with God. The "poor and needy" (ani and ebyôn) were not merely an economic class but often represented those who were marginalized, defenseless, and dependent on the community's and God's protection. Oppression of the vulnerable was considered a grave offense against God himself, who is consistently depicted as the defender of the weak, the widow, and the fatherless. Imprecatory psalms, while jarring to modern sensibilities, reflect a cultural context where individuals appealed directly to God, the ultimate judge, for vindication when human avenues for justice were exhausted or corrupted. They were not expressions of personal vengeance in the modern sense, but rather appeals for God to uphold His righteous character and covenant promises by intervening against those who flagrantly violated divine moral standards and societal order.
Key Themes: Psalm 109:16 powerfully articulates several core themes central to biblical theology. Firstly, it underscores the profound evil of mercilessness and active oppression. The phrase "remembered not to shew mercy" highlights a deliberate and profound absence of compassion, a willful refusal to extend grace or empathy, especially to those in dire need. This stands in stark contrast to the very nature of God, who is described throughout Scripture as "merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy" (see Psalm 103:8). Secondly, the verse emphasizes God's special concern for the vulnerable. The adversary's persecution of "the poor and needy man" points to a pattern of injustice and exploitation directed at the most defenseless members of society. Scripture consistently portrays God as the champion of the marginalized, and their oppression is treated as a direct affront to His character, as Proverbs 14:31 declares that "He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker." Finally, the verse reveals the destructive intent of evil, aiming "that he might even slay the broken in heart." This signifies not merely physical harm but a desire to utterly crush the spirit, hope, and inner being of those already suffering from distress, grief, or affliction, seeking to extinguish life or joy from those most vulnerable to despair, a theme echoed in Psalm 34:18.
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalm 109:16 employs several potent literary devices to underscore the severity of the adversary's wickedness. Contrast is central, as the enemy's utter lack of mercy and active persecution stands in stark opposition to the divine character of compassion and justice, which the psalmist implicitly appeals to. The phrase "remembered not to shew mercy" uses litotes (understatement for emphasis), implying a profound and deliberate unmercifulness rather than mere forgetfulness, thereby intensifying the moral culpability. The progression from "persecuted the poor and needy" to "slay the broken in heart" demonstrates a powerful intensification or climax, revealing the escalating malevolence and the ultimate, devastating goal of the enemy's actions—not just harm, but annihilation of spirit. The phrase "broken in heart" is a vivid metonymy, where the "heart" represents the entire inner person, encompassing emotions, will, and spirit, thereby emphasizing the profound psychological and spiritual damage inflicted. The verse functions as a justification for the imprecations that precede it, providing the moral rationale for the psalmist's plea for divine retribution.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalm 109:16 offers a profound theological statement on the nature of evil and divine justice. It reveals that God's judgment is not arbitrary but a righteous response to specific transgressions, particularly those involving the deliberate oppression of the vulnerable and the cruel disregard for human suffering. The enemy's actions—a conscious refusal of mercy, active persecution, and the intent to destroy the spirit of the afflicted—represent a fundamental rebellion against God's character and His moral order. This verse underscores the biblical truth that how one treats the marginalized is a direct reflection of one's relationship with God, and that God Himself stands as the ultimate defender of the poor and the brokenhearted, ensuring that their cries for justice will not go unheard.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalm 109:16, while describing the heinous actions of a specific adversary, serves as a timeless mirror reflecting the profound gravity of injustice and the call for compassionate living. It compels us to examine our own hearts and actions: Do we "remember to show mercy," or do we, through indifference or active neglect, contribute to the suffering of the "poor and needy"? The verse challenges us to recognize that true spiritual health is measured not just by our piety but by our active pursuit of justice and our extension of mercy to those around us, especially the vulnerable. In a world often marked by callousness and exploitation, this psalm reminds believers of their divine mandate to be agents of God's compassion, to stand against oppression, and to offer solace and hope to those whose spirits are "broken." It encourages us to cultivate a heart that mirrors God's own, which is "nigh unto them that are of a broken heart," and to actively work towards a society where mercy and justice prevail, knowing that God hears the cries of the oppressed and will ultimately bring about His perfect righteousness.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is an "imprecatory psalm" and why are they in the Bible?
Answer: An imprecatory psalm is a prayer or song that invokes divine judgment, calamity, or curses upon enemies or the wicked. Psalm 109 is a prime example. These psalms are in the Bible not to endorse personal vengeance, but to serve as raw, honest expressions of human suffering and a plea for God's justice in a world where human justice often fails. They reflect a deep theological conviction that God is righteous and will ultimately set all wrongs right. They are appeals to God as the ultimate judge, asking Him to uphold His moral order and to defend the oppressed, rather than taking retribution into one's own hands. They remind us that God sees injustice and will respond in His perfect timing and way, ultimately bringing about the justice described in passages like Deuteronomy 32:35.
Does God truly desire to "slay the broken in heart" as the verse seems to imply?
Answer: No, the verse does not imply that God desires to "slay the broken in heart." Rather, it describes the enemy's malevolent intent: "that he might even slay the broken in heart." This highlights the extreme cruelty of the adversary, who seeks to utterly crush those already suffering. In stark contrast, Scripture consistently portrays God as compassionate towards the brokenhearted. Psalm 34:18 states, "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Similarly, Isaiah 61:1 speaks of God sending His Anointed One "to bind up the brokenhearted." God's desire is to heal, restore, and comfort the afflicted, not to destroy them. This verse underscores the enemy's wickedness by showing how diametrically opposed their actions are to God's character.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Psalm 109:16, with its stark depiction of merciless oppression, finds its ultimate fulfillment and profound counterpoint in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The adversary in the psalm embodies the very spirit of evil that seeks to crush the vulnerable and destroy hope, a spirit ultimately defeated by Christ. Jesus, unlike the cruel oppressor, perfectly embodied divine mercy, demonstrating profound compassion for "the poor and needy man" throughout His earthly ministry. He consistently identified with the marginalized, declaring that what is done "to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40). Furthermore, Christ came specifically to heal and uplift "the broken in heart," fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1 as He proclaimed in Luke 4:18, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted." On the cross, Jesus, the innocent Lamb of God, became the ultimate "broken in heart" for humanity's sake, enduring the ultimate persecution so that all who are oppressed by sin and evil might find healing, mercy, and eternal life through His sacrifice (see John 1:29). His resurrection assures us that the power of those who seek to "slay the broken in heart" is ultimately vanquished, and that true justice and everlasting mercy reside in Him, the one who brings comfort to all who mourn (Matthew 5:4).