Bible Commentaries
Psalms 109

Verses 1-31

This is a psalm full of interest. The singer is in a place of terrible suffering due to the implacable hostility of his foes. The passage containing the imprecations (vv. Psa 109:6-19 ) contains the singer’s quotation of what his enemies say about him, rather than what he says about them. In a translation published by the Jewish Publication Society of America, that fact is clearly shown. They render verses Psa 109:5 and Psa 109:20 thus:

“They repay me evil for good, And hatred for my love (saying) ...”

“This it is which mine enemies seek to obtain of the Lord, And those that speak evil against my life.”

This is extremely probable in view of the fact that the opening complaint is, “The mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me.” The singer complains, “For my love they are my adversaries” (which the translation already referred to gives as, “In return for my love they persecute me.”)

Taking this view of the psalm it is a sob, which is also a song. The circumstances are terrible. Perhaps there is nothing harder to bear than accusations which are untrue, and these were terrible things which they said, and horrible things they desired for him. But the heart pours out its complaint to God, and ends with a note of praise.