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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.
This is certainly what David also says in the Psalms. "Let his prayer become sin," when not only is there nothing of worth sought in his sacrifices but even much of blame. For you hear the Lawgiver decree that if anyone eats from that "which was left over to the third day, he will incur the sin." From this we must understand how great a destruction of sins is imminent for the human condition when sin arises even in that place where the offering of the atonement is sought.
"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.
But still, what is more serious, another asks for the death of an enemy, and the one whom he cannot pursue with a sword, he pursues with prayer. And the one who is cursed still lives, yet the one who curses is already held guilty of his death. But God commands that an enemy be loved, and yet God is asked to kill an enemy. Whoever therefore prays in this way fights against the Creator in his very prayers. Hence it is said under the figure of Judas: "Let his prayer become sin." For it is prayer becoming sin to ask for those things which the very one who is petitioned forbids.
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SUMMARY
Psalms 109:7 presents a profound and intense plea from the psalmist for divine judgment against a malevolent adversary. It articulates a fervent desire that when this enemy faces God's tribunal, they would not only be found guilty and condemned, but, remarkably, that their very act of prayer would be transformed into an offense against God. This verse, embedded within one of the Bible's most potent imprecatory psalms, powerfully conveys deep personal suffering, a cry for righteous retribution, and a stark portrayal of the ultimate spiritual rejection of the unrepentant by a holy God.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Psalms 109:7 masterfully employs several potent literary devices to convey its intense message of righteous indignation and desire for divine justice. The overarching device is Imprecation, a direct curse or invocation of evil upon an adversary, which characterizes the entire psalm. This verse serves as a particularly sharp and shocking example, directly calling for divine judgment and the perversion of a sacred act. The phrase "let his prayer become sin" vividly demonstrates both Irony and Paradox. Prayer, by its very nature, is intended as a means of seeking God's favor, forgiveness, or intervention. To wish for it to "become sin" is to invert its sacred purpose entirely, creating a stark and unsettling image of ultimate spiritual rejection and an inversion of divine order. This extreme wish can also be interpreted as a form of Hyperbole, an exaggeration used for emphatic effect. While the psalmist genuinely desires severe judgment, the intensity of this particular curse underscores the profound depth of his suffering and the perceived heinousness of his enemy's actions, aiming to convey the utter depravity of the adversary.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Psalms 109:7 offers a profound theological statement about the nature of divine justice and the integrity required in approaching God. It affirms God as the ultimate righteous judge who will not indefinitely tolerate wickedness, providing solace and hope to those who suffer injustice. The shocking imprecation that prayer itself might become sin underscores the biblical principle that genuine communion with God demands a sincere heart, repentance, and alignment with His will. It highlights the futility and even offense of prayers offered from a place of unrepentant sin, hypocrisy, or malicious intent. While challenging for modern readers accustomed to New Testament teachings on loving enemies, this verse reminds us that God sees and judges the heart, and that true piety is not merely external ritual but an internal disposition of righteousness and humility before Him.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Psalms 109:7, with its raw intensity and seemingly harsh imprecations, compels us to confront the depths of human suffering and the profound longing for justice in a fallen world. It serves as a powerful reminder that God is indeed a righteous judge who sees every injustice and will ultimately bring all things to account. For those who have been deeply wronged, this psalm gives authentic voice to the anguish and desire for vindication that can arise from betrayal and oppression. While the New Covenant calls us to a higher standard of love and forgiveness, this verse still points us to the absolute certainty of God's final judgment, providing a foundational hope that evil will not ultimately prevail. Moreover, the chilling phrase "let his prayer become sin" serves as a timeless warning about the posture of our own hearts in prayer. It challenges us to examine our motives, confess our sins, and ensure that our communication with God flows from a place of humility, sincerity, and obedience, rather than hypocrisy or self-righteousness. It reminds us that God desires truth in the inward parts and that our prayers are truly heard when our lives are aligned with His will.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Are imprecatory psalms like Psalm 109 still relevant for Christians today, given New Testament teachings on love and forgiveness?
Answer: Yes, imprecatory psalms remain highly relevant for several reasons, though they must be interpreted through the lens of Christ's teachings. Firstly, they provide an honest and raw expression of human suffering, pain, and the desire for justice in a fallen world. They validate that God understands and acknowledges the deep anguish of those who are wronged. Secondly, they affirm God's character as a righteous judge who will ultimately bring all wickedness to account. This truth provides comfort and hope that evil will not have the final say. Thirdly, they serve as prophetic foreshadowings of Christ's ultimate victory over evil and His role as the final judge, where perfect justice will be executed. While Christians are commanded to love their enemies and pray for them, as seen in Matthew 5:44, this does not negate the reality of divine judgment. Instead, it calls us to entrust vengeance to God, as articulated in Romans 12:19, and to pray for the repentance of our adversaries, knowing that if they remain unrepentant, they will face God's just condemnation.
What does it truly mean for a prayer to "become sin," and how can this apply to us?
Answer: For a prayer to "become sin" signifies the ultimate spiritual rejection of an individual's attempt to communicate with God. It implies that the person's heart is so hardened, their intentions so malicious, or their actions so steeped in unrepentant sin that their very act of prayer is not only unheard but is considered an offense or an abomination to a holy God. This concept is echoed in other scriptures, such as Proverbs 28:9, which states that "He who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination." For us, this serves as a stark warning and a profound call to self-examination. It reminds us that God looks at the heart, not merely outward appearances or rituals, as seen in 1 Samuel 16:7. Our prayers must be offered with humility, sincerity, and a repentant spirit. Hypocrisy, unconfessed sin, or a desire for selfish gain can hinder our prayers and, in extreme cases, render them unacceptable to God. It underscores the importance of walking in obedience and maintaining a right relationship with Him, ensuring our prayers are truly a means of communion, not an act of offense.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
While Psalms 109:7 expresses a raw human cry for judgment upon an adversary, its ultimate fulfillment and transformation are found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the perfect embodiment of righteousness and the ultimate innocent sufferer, did not invoke curses upon His enemies but instead prayed for their forgiveness even as they crucified Him, as recorded in Luke 23:34. He became the ultimate recipient of unjust judgment, condemned by human courts, yet through His sacrifice, He absorbed the condemnation due to humanity's sin, becoming "sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21). The shocking concept of a "prayer becoming sin" finds its profound resolution in Christ, for it is through His perfect life and atoning death that our prayers, though imperfect and offered by sinful people, are made acceptable to God, allowing us to "draw near with confidence to the throne of grace" (Hebrews 4:16). He is the one who ultimately defeats the true adversary, Satan, disarming the powers of darkness and triumphing over them on the cross (Colossians 2:15). Thus, the psalmist's cry for justice is fully realized in Christ, who will return not only as the Lamb of God but also as the righteous Judge, to whom "the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son" (John 5:22), executing perfect judgment and bringing ultimate vindication to His people.