Bible Commentaries
Psalms 109

Verse 1

Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

God — The author and matter of all my praises.

Verse 4

For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.

Adversaries — They requite my love with enmity, as it is explained verse — 5.

Verse 6

Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.

A wicked man — Who will rule him with rigour and cruelty.

Satan — To accuse him; for this was the place and posture of accusers in the Jewish courts.

Verse 7

When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

Sin — Because it is not from his heart.

Verse 10

Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

Desolate places — Into which they are fled for fear and shame.

Verse 11

Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.

Catch — Heb. ensnare, take away not only by oppression but also by cunning artificers.

Stranger — Who hath no right to his goods.

Verse 17

As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

Delighted not — In desiring and promoting the welfare of others.

Verse 18

As 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.

Garment — Which a man wears constantly.

Like water — Water in the cavity of the belly, between the bowels, is almost certain death. And oil soaking into any of the bones, will soon utterly destroy it.

Verse 20

Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

That speak evil against my soul — With design to take away my life.

Verse 21

But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.

Is good — Above the mercy of all the creatures.

Verse 23

I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

When — Towards the evening, when the sun is setting.

The locust — Which is easily driven away with every wind.