Psalms 109 — with JFB Commentary
The King James text with the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown commentary (1871, public domain) directly beneath the verses it explains. Verses without a JFB note stand alone.
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1Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
PSALM 109
Psa 109:1-31. The writer complains of his virulent enemies, on whom he imprecates God's righteous punishment, and to a prayer for a divine interposition in his behalf appends the expression of his confidence and a promise of his praises. This Psalm is remarkable for the number and severity of its imprecations. Its evident typical character (compare Psa 109:8) justifies the explanation of these already given, that as the language of David respecting his own enemies, or those of Christ, it has respect not to the penitent, but to the impenitent and implacable foes of good men, and of God and His cause, whose inevitable fate is thus indicated by inspired authority.
1. God of my praise--its object, thus recognizing God as a certain helper. Be not silent (compare Psa 17:13; 28:1).
2For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
2. For the mouth ... opened--or, "They have opened a wicked mouth"
against me--literally, "with me," that is, Their intercourse is lying, or, they slander me to my face (Mt 26:59).
3They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
3. (Compare Psa 35:7; 69:4).
4For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
4-5. They return evil for good (compare Psa 27:12; Pr 17:13).
I give myself unto prayer--or literally, "I (am) prayer," or, "as for me, prayer," that is, it is my resource for comfort in distress.
5And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
4-5. They return evil for good (compare Psa 27:12; Pr 17:13).
I give myself unto prayer--or literally, "I (am) prayer," or, "as for me, prayer," that is, it is my resource for comfort in distress.
6Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
6. over him--one of his enemies prominent in malignity (Psa 55:12).
let Satan stand--as an accuser, whose place was the right hand of the accused (Zec 3:1, 2).
7When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
7. The condemnation is aggravated when prayer for relief is treated as a sin.
8Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
8. The opposite blessing is long life (Psa 91:16; Pr 3:2). The last clause is quoted as to Judas by Peter (Ac 1:20).
office--literally, "charge," Septuagint, and Peter, "oversight" [1Pe 5:2].
9Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
9-10. Let his family share the punishment, his children be as wandering beggars to prowl in their desolate homes, a greedy and relentless creditor grasp his substance, his labor, or the fruit of it, enure to strangers and not his heirs, and his unprotected, fatherless children fall in want, so that his posterity shall utterly fail.
10Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
9-10. Let his family share the punishment, his children be as wandering beggars to prowl in their desolate homes, a greedy and relentless creditor grasp his substance, his labor, or the fruit of it, enure to strangers and not his heirs, and his unprotected, fatherless children fall in want, so that his posterity shall utterly fail.
11Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
12Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
13Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
13. posterity--literally, "end," as in Psa 37:38, or, what comes after; that is, reward, or success, or its expectation, of which posterity was to a Jew a prominent part.
14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
14-15. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered, &c.--Added to the terrible overthrow following his own sin, let there be the imputation of his parents' guilt, that it may now come before God, for His meting out its full consequences, in cutting off the memory of them (that is, the parents) from the earth (Psa 34:16).
15Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
14-15. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered, &c.--Added to the terrible overthrow following his own sin, let there be the imputation of his parents' guilt, that it may now come before God, for His meting out its full consequences, in cutting off the memory of them (that is, the parents) from the earth (Psa 34:16).
16Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.
16. Let God remember guilt, because he (the wicked) did not remember mercy.
poor and needy ... broken in heart--that is, pious sufferer (Psa 34:18; 35:10; 40:17).
17As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
17-19. Let his loved sin, cursing, come upon him in punishment (Psa 35:8), thoroughly fill him as water and oil, permeating to every part of his system (compare Nu 5:22-27), and become a garment and a girdle for a perpetual dress.
18As 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.
17-19. Let his loved sin, cursing, come upon him in punishment (Psa 35:8), thoroughly fill him as water and oil, permeating to every part of his system (compare Nu 5:22-27), and become a garment and a girdle for a perpetual dress.
19Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
17-19. Let his loved sin, cursing, come upon him in punishment (Psa 35:8), thoroughly fill him as water and oil, permeating to every part of his system (compare Nu 5:22-27), and become a garment and a girdle for a perpetual dress.
20Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
20. Let this ... reward--or, "wages," pay for labor, the fruit of the enemy's wickedness.
from the Lord--as His judicial act.
21But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.
21-22. do ... for me--that is, kindness.
wounded--literally, "pierced" (Psa 69:16, 29).
22For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
21-22. do ... for me--that is, kindness.
wounded--literally, "pierced" (Psa 69:16, 29).
23I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
23. like the shadow--(Compare Psa 102:11).
tossed up and down--or, "driven" (Ex 10:19).
24My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
24-25. Taunts and reproaches aggravate his afflicted and feeble state (Psa 22:6, 7).
25I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
24-25. Taunts and reproaches aggravate his afflicted and feeble state (Psa 22:6, 7).
26Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
26-27. Let my deliverance glorify Thee (compare Psa 59:13).
27That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.
26-27. Let my deliverance glorify Thee (compare Psa 59:13).
28Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
28-31. In confidence that God's blessing would come on him, and confusion and shame on his enemies (Psa 73:13), he ceases to regard their curses, and anticipates a season of joyful and public thanksgiving; for God is near to protect (Psa 16:8; 34:6) the poor from all unrighteous judges who may condemn him.
29Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
28-31. In confidence that God's blessing would come on him, and confusion and shame on his enemies (Psa 73:13), he ceases to regard their curses, and anticipates a season of joyful and public thanksgiving; for God is near to protect (Psa 16:8; 34:6) the poor from all unrighteous judges who may condemn him.
30I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
28-31. In confidence that God's blessing would come on him, and confusion and shame on his enemies (Psa 73:13), he ceases to regard their curses, and anticipates a season of joyful and public thanksgiving; for God is near to protect (Psa 16:8; 34:6) the poor from all unrighteous judges who may condemn him.
31For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.
28-31. In confidence that God's blessing would come on him, and confusion and shame on his enemies (Psa 73:13), he ceases to regard their curses, and anticipates a season of joyful and public thanksgiving; for God is near to protect (Psa 16:8; 34:6) the poor from all unrighteous judges who may condemn him.