Bible Dictionaries
Imprecation, Imprecatory Psalms

Holman Bible Dictionary

Act of invoking a curse. In the Imprecatory Psalms the author calls for God to bring misfortune and disaster upon the enemies (Psalm 5:1; Psalm 11:1; Psalm 17:1; Psalm 35:1; Psalm 55:1; Psalm 59:1; Psalm 69:1; Psalm 109:1; Psalm 137:1; Psalm 140:1 ). These Psalms are an embarrassment to many Christians who see them in tension with Jesus' teaching on love of enemies (Matthew 5:43-48 ). It is important to recall the theological principles that underlie such Psalms. These include: (1) the principle that vengeance belongs to God (Deuteronomy 32:35; Psalm 94:1 ) that excludes personal retaliation and necessitates appeal to God to punish the wicked (compare Romans 12:19 ); (2) the principle that God's righteousness demands judgment on the wicked (Psalm 5:6; Psalm 11:5-6 ); (3) the principle that God's covenant love for the people of God necessitates intervention on their part (Psalm 5:7; Psalm 59:10 ,Psalms 59:10,59:16-17 ); and (4) the principle of prayer that believers trust God with all their thoughts and desires. See Blessing and Cursing .