TRV
Study This Verse
Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Psalms 139:17–24. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here the psalmist makes application of the doctrine of God's omniscience, divers ways.
I.He acknowledges, with wonder and thankfulness, the care God had taken of him all his days, Psa 139:17, Psa 139:18.
God, who knew him, thought of him, and his thoughts towards him were thoughts of love, thought of good, and not of evil, Jer 29:11. God's omniscience, which might justly have watched over us to do us hurt, has been employed for us, and has watched over us to do us good, Jer 31:28. God's counsels concerning us and our welfare have been,
1.Precious to admiration: How precious are they! They are deep in themselves, such as cannot possibly be fathomed and comprehended. Providence has had a vast reach in its dispensations concerning us, and has brought things about for our good quite beyond our contrivance and foresight. They are dear to us; we must think of them with a great deal of reverence, and yet with pleasure and thankfulness. Our thoughts concerning God must be delightful to us, above any other thoughts.
2.Numerous to admiration: How great is the sum of them! We cannot conceive how many God's kind counsels have been concerning us, how many good turns he has done us, and what variety of mercies we have received from him. If we would count them, the heads of them, much more the particulars of them, they are more in number than the sand, and yet every one great and very considerable, Psa 40:5. We cannot conceive the multitude of God's compassions, which are all new every morning.
3.Constant at all times: "When I awake, every morning, I am still with thee, under thy eye and care, safe and easy under thy protection." This bespeaks also the continual devout sense David had of the eye of God upon him: When I awake I am with thee, in my thoughts; and it would help to keep us in the fear of the Lord all the day long if, when we awake in the morning, our first thoughts were of him and we did then set him before us.
II.He concludes from this doctrine that ruin will certainly be the end of sinners.
God knows all the wickedness of the wicked, and therefore he will reckon for it: "Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God! for all their wickedness is open before thee, however it may be artfully disguised and coloured over, to hide it from the eye of the world. However thou suffer them to prosper for a while, surely thou wilt slay them at last." Now observe, 1. The reason why God will punish them, because they daringly affront him and set him at defiance (Psa 139:20): They speak against thee wickedly; they set their mouth against the heavens (Psa 73:9), and shall be called to account for the hard speeches they have spoken against him, Jde 1:15. They are his enemies, and declare their enmity by taking his name in vain, as we show our contempt of a man if we make a by-word of his name, and never mention him but in a way of jest and banter. Those that profane the sacred forms of swearing or praying by using them in an impertinent irreverent manner take God's name in vain, and thereby show themselves enemies to him. Some make it to be a description of hypocrites: "They speak of thee for mischief; they talk of God, pretending to piety, but it is with some ill design, for a cloak of maliciousness; and, being enemies to God, while they pretend friendship, they take his name in vain; they swear falsely." 2. The use David makes of this prospect which he has of the ruin of the wicked. (1.) He defies them: "Depart from me, you bloody men; you shall not debauch me, for I will not admit your friendship nor have fellowship with you; and you cannot destroy me, for, being under God's protection, he shall force you to depart from me." (2.) He detests them (Psa 139:21, Psa 139:22): "Lord, thou knowest the heart, and canst witness for me; do not I hate those that hate thee, and for that reason, because they hate thee? I hate them because I love thee, and hate to see such affronts and indignities put upon thy blessed name. Am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee, grieved to see their rebellion and to foresee their ruin, which it will certainly end in?" Note, Sin is hated, and sinners are lamented, by all that fear God. "I hate them" (that is, "I hate the work of them that turn aside," as he explains himself, Psa 101:3) "with a sincere and perfect hatred; I count those that are enemies to God as enemies to me, and will not have any intimacy with them," Psa 69:8.
III.He appeals to God concerning his sincerity, Psa 139:23, Psa 139:24.
1. He desires that as far as he was in the wrong God would discover it to him. Those that are upright can take comfort in God's omniscience as a witness of their uprightness, and can with a humble confidence beg of him to search and try them, to discover them to themselves (for a good man desires to know the worst of himself) and to discover them to others. He that means honestly could wish he had a window in his breast that any man may look into his heart: "Lord, I hope I am not in a wicked way, but see if there be any wicked way in me, any corrupt inclination remaining; let me see it; and root it out of me, for I do not allow it." 2. He desires that, as far as he was in the right, he might be forwarded in it, which he that knows the heart knows how to do effectually: Lead me in the way everlasting. Note, (1.) The way of godliness is an everlasting way; it is everlastingly true and good, pleasing to God and profitable to us, and will end in everlasting life. It is the way of antiquity (so some), the good old way. (2.) All the saints desire to be kept and led in this way, that they may not miss it, turn out of it, nor tire in it.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
3 surviving comments on this verse. Each one is dated, so this reads as a timeline rather than a list.
Select a marker to jump to its quote. Markers stagger vertically where authors wrote within a few decades of each other.
Yet, it is not hard for us, if we wish it, to take up a love for justice and a hatred for iniquity. God has advantageously given all power to the rational soul, as that of loving, so also that of hating, in order that, guided by reason, we may love virtue but hate vice. It is possible at times to use hatred even praiseworthily. “Have I not hated them, O Lord, that hated you and pined away because of your enemies? I have hated them with a perfect hatred.”
And then He tells what meanwhile, during this whole time when He already has risen, and remains still with the Father, He suffers by the intermixture of sinners in His Body, the Church, and by the separation of heretics. "If Thou, O God, shall slay the sinners (since You shall say in Your thought, Depart from Me, you men of blood), they shall receive in vanity their cities" (ver. 19-20). The words seem to be connected in this order; "If Thou, O God, shall slay the sinners, they shall receive in vanity their cities." Thus are sinners slain, because, "having their understandings darkened, they are alienated from the life of God." [Ephesians 4:18] For on account of elation they lose confession, and so they are slain, and in them is fulfilled what Scripture says, "Confession perishes from the dead, as from one that is not." [Sirach 17:28] And so "they receive in vanity their cities," that is, their vain peoples, who follow their vanity; when, puffed up by the name of righteousness, they persuade men to burst the bond of unity, and blindly and ignorantly follow them, as being more righteous....But now the Body of Christ, the Church, says, Why do the proud speak falsely against me, as though I were stained by other men's sins, and so, by separating themselves, "receive in vanity their cities"? "Have not I hated those who hated You, Lord?" [Psalm 139:21]. Why do those who are worse themselves require of me to separate myself in body as well as spirit from the wicked, so as to root up the wheat, together with the tares, before the time of harvest, that before the time of winnowing I lose my power of enduring the chaff; that before all the different sorts of fishes are brought to the end of the world, as to the shore, to be separated, I tear the nets of peace and unity? Are the sacraments which I receive, those of evil men? Do I; by consent, communicate in their life and deeds?...But where is, "Love your enemies"? Is it because He said "yours," not "God's"? "Do good to them that hate you." [Matthew 5:44] He says not, "who hate God." So he follows the pattern, and says, "Have not I hated those who hated You; Lord?" He says not, "Who have hated me." "And at Your enemies did I waste away." "Yours," he said, not "mine." But those who hate us and are enemies unto us, only because we serve Him, what else do they but hate Him, and are His enemies. Ought we then to love such enemies as these? Or do not they suffer persecution for God's sake, to whom it is said, "Pray for them that persecute you"? Observe then what follows. "With a perfect hatred did I hate them" [Psalm 139:22]. What is, "with a perfect hatred"? I hated in them their iniquities, I loved Your creation. This it is to hate with a perfect hatred, that neither on account of the vices thou hate the men, nor on account of the men love the vices. For see what he adds, "They became mine enemies." Not only as God's enemies, but as his own too does he now describe them. How then will he fulfil in them both his own saying, "Have not I hated those that hated You, Lord," and the Lord's command, "Love your enemies"? How will he fulfil this, save with that "perfect hatred," that he hate in them that they are wicked, and love that they are men? For in the time even of the Old Testament, when the carnal people was restrained by visible punishments, how did Moses, the servant of God, who by understanding belonged to the New Testament, how did he hate sinners when he prayed for them, or how did he not hate them when he slew them, save that he "hated them with a perfect hatred"? For with such perfection did he hate the iniquity which he punished, as to love the manhood for which he prayed.
I also ask and beg of you to expound for me what [Paul] says to the Romans, for I admit I have very poor sight for this opinion of the apostle about the Jews, where he says, “As concerning the gospel, indeed they are enemies for your sake, but as touching the election they are most dear for the sake of the ancestors.” How can these same ones be enemies for our sake, now that we former Gentiles have become believers, as if Gentiles could only believe if the Jews had refused to believe? Is not God the one Creator of all, “who will have all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth,” and was he not able to gain both without dispossessing one for the other? Second, “most dear for the sake of the ancestors”: how or why this “most dear,” if they do not believe and if they continue to be enemies of God? “O God,” he says, “have I not hated them that hated you and pined away because of your enemies? I have hated them with a perfect hatred.” Certainly, I think the Father’s voice speaks to his Son by the prophet in the same psalm where he spoke on behalf of believers: “But to me your friends, O God, are made exceedingly honorable; their dominions are exceedingly strengthened.” How can it be profitable for their salvation to be “most dear to God for the sake of the ancestors” when salvation is acquired only through the faith and grace of Christ? What good does it do them to be loved, when they are inevitably to be damned because of their unbelief, because they have fallen away from the faith of the prophets and of the patriarchs, their ancestors, and have become enemies of the gospel of Christ? If they are most dear to God, how shall they be lost? And if they do not believe, how can they fail to be lost? If they are loved for the sake of the ancestors, without any merit of their own, why will they not be saved for the sake of the ancestors, too? “And if, Noah, Daniel and Job shall be in the midst thereof, they shall not deliver the wicked children: they shall be delivered.”
Continue studying Psalms 139:21 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 139:21 encapsulates the psalmist's fervent declaration of unwavering loyalty to the LORD, expressing a deep alignment of his own emotions with God's righteous opposition to those who actively hate and defiantly rebel against Him. This passionate statement, emerging from a profound meditation on God's intimate knowledge and sovereign presence, serves as a crucial bridge, demonstrating the psalmist's response of zeal for God's honor and a righteous indignation against anything that stands in direct defiance of His holy nature, before inviting divine scrutiny of his own heart.
Context
Literary Context
Psalms 139:21 is strategically situated within a psalm that profoundly explores the awe-inspiring attributes of God, particularly His omnipresence and omniscience. The preceding verses, Psalms 139:1-18, are a magnificent hymn of adoration, marveling at God's intimate knowledge of the psalmist's every thought, word, and path, and His intricate design in creation. Following this contemplation of divine majesty and personal intimacy, the psalmist transitions from worship to a powerful declaration of allegiance. Verses 19-22, including our focus verse, serve as a bridge, illustrating the psalmist's appropriate response to such a holy and all-knowing God: a passionate rejection of God's enemies and a fervent desire for divine judgment upon the wicked. This intense declaration then sets the stage for the psalm's concluding prayer in Psalms 139:23-24, where the psalmist humbly invites God to search his own heart, ensuring his motives are pure and his alignment with God's perfect will is complete.
Historical & Cultural Context
Composed likely during the Davidic era, this psalm reflects the covenantal worldview of ancient Israel, where the lines between personal and divine enemies were often blurred. In this cultural context, "enemies" of God were not merely personal adversaries of the psalmist but were understood as those who actively opposed God's covenant, His chosen people, and His righteous rule. Such opposition was viewed as a direct affront to God's honor and a grave threat to the moral and social order He established. The concept of "hatred" in this setting, particularly when directed at those who "hate God," often signifies a strong moral aversion, a profound rejection of their ungodly ways, and an alignment with divine justice rather than personal malice. Kings like David, as God's anointed, were expected to uphold God's law and defend His honor, making such declarations of loyalty to God's cause fitting for a leader of Israel. The psalmist's sentiment echoes the broader biblical theme that God Himself is opposed to evil and injustice, as seen in passages like Psalms 7:11, which describes God as a righteous judge who is angry with the wicked every day.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several foundational themes within Psalms 139 and the broader biblical narrative. Firstly, it powerfully expresses Loyalty and Zeal for God, demonstrating the psalmist's profound devotion to the LORD, a devotion so intense that it manifests as a righteous indignation towards anyone who actively rebels against God. Secondly, it illuminates the theme of Hatred of Evil, Not People. The "hatred" expressed (Hebrew: sânêʼ) is not personal malice or a desire for vengeance against individuals, but rather a strong moral aversion to actions, rebellion, and enmity towards God, signifying a complete rejection of their unrighteous ways. Similarly, being "grieved" (Hebrew: qûwṭ) implies a deep disgust, vexation, or loathing at active opposition to the Divine, reinforcing the psalmist's unwavering alignment with God's moral standards. Lastly, the verse underscores the theme of Alignment with Divine Justice, reflecting a fervent desire to be on God's side, mirroring God's own opposition to evil and injustice. This righteous indignation is a reflection of God's own character, who is holy and just, and cannot tolerate evil, as articulated in Habakkuk 1:13.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root signifies to hate personally, to be an enemy or foe, or to be odious. In the context of Psalms 139:21, it conveys a profound moral aversion and strong opposition rooted in principle, rather than mere personal dislike or vindictiveness. The psalmist is not expressing a private vendetta but a deep-seated rejection of those who actively and deliberately set themselves against God, aligning his own heart's disposition with God's righteous judgment against evil and rebellion.
Derived from the verb "to be" (הָיָה), this is the self-Existent or Eternal One, the covenant name of God, Jehovah. It emphasizes God's unchanging, sovereign, and covenantal nature, the God who is and always will be. The psalmist's direct address to "O LORD" highlights that his "hatred" and "grief" are not arbitrary or self-serving personal feelings but are deeply rooted in his relationship with and reverence for the holy, eternal God, whose honor and authority are being assailed by His enemies.
This primitive root means to cut off, and figuratively, to detest, be grieved, or loathe oneself. Here, it conveys a profound feeling of loathing, disgust, or vexation. The psalmist is not merely sad or disappointed, but deeply troubled and repulsed by the active rebellion and opposition against God, indicating a strong emotional and moral response to such defiance. It suggests a visceral rejection of their ways and a passionate desire for God's righteousness to be upheld.
Verse Breakdown
"Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee?"
This is a powerful rhetorical question, functioning as an emphatic declaration. The psalmist is unequivocally affirming his deep-seated aversion and moral opposition to those who are God's adversaries. The "hatred" here is not personal malice but a righteous indignation and principled opposition to their rebellion against the holy God. It signifies a profound alignment of the psalmist's will and emotions with God's own righteous judgment against evil and unrighteousness.
"and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?"
This second rhetorical question serves to reinforce the first through synonymous parallelism, intensifying the psalmist's sentiment. To be "grieved" (or "loathe," "detest" as some translations render it) signifies a deep disgust, vexation, and moral revulsion. "Those that rise up against thee" refers to active rebels, those who defiantly challenge God's authority, sovereignty, and moral order. The psalmist is expressing his utter repugnance for such defiance, indicating a complete solidarity with God's perspective on righteousness and rebellion, and a desire for God's justice to prevail.
Literary Devices
Psalms 139:21 employs several powerful literary devices to convey the psalmist's intense emotion and unwavering loyalty to God. The primary device is the Rhetorical Question, used twice ("Do not I hate them...?" and "am not I grieved...?"). These are not questions seeking information but emphatic declarations, designed to underscore the psalmist's absolute conviction and the self-evident nature of his stance. They serve to heighten the emotional impact, inviting the listener to affirm the psalmist's righteous indignation. Secondly, there is clear Parallelism, specifically Synonymous Parallelism, between the two clauses. "Hate them... that hate thee" and "grieved with those that rise up against thee" convey essentially the same idea through different but reinforcing expressions, amplifying the psalmist's profound aversion to God's enemies. The phrase "rise up against thee" also implies a degree of Personification of rebellion, giving it an active, almost physical, posture of defiance against God. The intensity of the psalmist's feelings can also be seen as a form of Hyperbole, an exaggeration for rhetorical effect, emphasizing the depth of his commitment to God's cause and his utter rejection of anything that opposes divine holiness.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Psalms 139:21 presents a powerful theological statement about the nature of righteous indignation and unwavering loyalty to God. It highlights that a profound love for God naturally entails a strong aversion to that which actively opposes Him. This "hatred" is not a call to personal vindictiveness or malicious animosity against individuals, but a moral and spiritual alignment with God's own opposition to sin, rebellion, and injustice. It recognizes that God, being perfectly holy and just, cannot tolerate evil. The psalmist's emotion reflects a zealous concern for God's honor and a passionate desire for His righteousness to prevail. While the New Testament calls believers to love their enemies, this Old Testament passage reminds us that such love does not negate a profound hatred for the evil that ensnares them and dishonors God. It challenges believers to cultivate a heart that grieves over sin and stands firmly against all that opposes God's truth and goodness, mirroring God's own character and His abhorrence of evil.
Reflection and Application
Psalms 139:21 challenges us to deeply examine the authenticity and depth of our own loyalty to God. If we truly love the LORD and are awestruck by His omniscience and omnipresence, as the psalmist was in the preceding verses, then our hearts should instinctively grieve and recoil from anything that actively opposes His holy character and righteous will. This does not mean harboring personal animosity towards individuals, but rather cultivating a profound and principled hatred for sin, injustice, and every form of rebellion against God. It calls us to discern clearly between the sinner, whom God loves and seeks to redeem, and the sin, which God utterly abhors. Our "hatred" should be directed at the spiritual forces of evil, the destructive nature of sin, and the systems of injustice, prompting us to stand for truth and righteousness in a world that increasingly defies God. This verse encourages us to pray, like the psalmist in the following verses, for God to search our hearts, ensuring our motives are pure and our zeal is for His glory alone, free from personal vengeance or self-righteousness, aligning our affections with His.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
How does this verse reconcile with Jesus' command to love enemies?
Psalms 139:21 expresses a righteous indignation against those who actively hate and rise up against God, reflecting a zeal for God's honor and a hatred for evil itself, not a personal vendetta against individuals. Jesus' command to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (as seen in Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:28) does not negate the biblical imperative to hate evil itself. Rather, it refines it: we are to hate the sin, which is an affront to God and destructive to humanity, but love the sinner, who is made in God's image and is a candidate for redemption and reconciliation. The psalmist's "hatred" is a moral revulsion for rebellion against God, a desire for God's justice to be upheld, not a personal, malicious animosity towards individuals.
Is it okay for Christians to "hate" anything?
Yes, Christians are indeed called to hate certain things. The Bible consistently portrays God as hating evil, injustice, pride, falsehood, and anything that defiles or dishonors Him (e.g., Proverbs 6:16-19). Therefore, to be aligned with God's character and His moral purity, believers should also hate what God hates. This is a righteous hatred directed at sin, rebellion, and anything that dishonors God, rather than a personal, malicious hatred directed at people. As Romans 12:9 powerfully states, "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good." This verse perfectly encapsulates the balance: genuine love for God and goodness necessitates a profound abhorrence (a strong hatred) for evil.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Psalms 139:21, with its raw expression of righteous indignation against those who oppose God, finds its ultimate fulfillment and perfect embodiment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the psalmist expresses a human, albeit righteous, hatred for God's enemies, Jesus perfectly demonstrated this divine attribute without blemish or personal sin. He displayed profound zeal for His Father's house, even to the point of cleansing the temple with righteous anger, overturning tables and driving out those who defiled His Father's sanctuary (John 2:13-17). He also pronounced severe woes upon the hypocritical religious leaders who actively opposed God's truth and hindered others from entering the kingdom (Matthew 23:13-36). Yet, uniquely, Jesus simultaneously embodied perfect love for sinners, even those who were His enemies and actively sought His demise. He came not to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17). On the cross, Christ became the ultimate expression of God's hatred for sin, bearing its full wrath upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21), thus disarming the powers and authorities that "rise up against" God (Colossians 2:15). Through His sacrifice, He transformed the very nature of enmity, offering reconciliation and peace to those who were once God's enemies (Romans 5:8-10). Thus, Jesus perfectly reconciles the divine hatred of sin with the divine love for the sinner, providing the means for all who once "rise up against" God to instead become His beloved children and co-heirs.