Psalms 109:1

PSALM 109

THE MOST TERRIBLE PSALM IN THE WHOLE PSALTER

We do not intend the title we have given this psalm to be disrespectful or critical. It is only that the bitter imprecations of this psalm appear to us as wholly antithetical to the true spirit of Christianity.

There was certainly a glimpse of this same bitter spirit that appeared in the lives of two of the blessed apostles, namely, "The Sons of Thunder," that is, "Boanerges" (Mark 3:17). These, of course, were James and John the sons of Zebedee.

The glimpse referred to is recorded in Luke 9:52ff. The apostles went before Jesus into a village of the Samaritans to prepare the way for Jesus, but the Samaritans did not receive him. James and John immediately asked, "Lord wilt thou that we bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?" However, Jesus turned and rebuked them, and said, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them" (Luke 9:55,56 KJV). In the light of what Jesus said on that occasion, we cannot believe that our Lord would have concurred in the bitter imprecations of this psalm.

As Addis said, "These are further from the spirit of Christianity than anything else in the whole Psalter."[1] Kidner cautioned us that, "These things are written for our learning, not for our imitation."[2]

All kinds of devices have been proposed by which scholars attempt to soften the bitterness of these words. We shall enumerate some of these, none of which appear to us as acceptable interpretations: (a) Rhodes understood the "enemies of the psalmist" to be the speakers in Psalms 109:21-31, not the psalmist.[3] (b) Jones speaks of those who consider the psalm a prophetic depiction of the maledictions heaped upon Christ by his enemies, and (c) of those who attribute the imprecations as the words of Christ, instead of the words of David.[4] (d) Chrysostom stated that, "The imprecations are a prophecy in the form of a curse."[5]

"All such devices," as Maclaren said, "Are too obviously makeshifts. It is far better to recognize the discordance between the temper of the psalmist and that enjoined by Christ than to try to cover it over."[6]

That there is indeed an impassable gulf between the spirit of the Old Testament and that of New Testament was categorically stated by Christ himself, touching on this very point of one's attitude toward his enemies.

"Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: but I say unto you, Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 5:43-45).

According to the superscription, this is "A Psalm of David"; and there is no dependable information that casts any doubt on it. Rawlinson judged this assignment to be "not inappropriate,"[7] also suggesting that the enemies here imprecated might have been Saul, Doeg, Ahithophel, or Shimei, along with their retainers and followers.

The date of the psalm, therefore, must have been at some point during the life of David, certainly not in the vicinity of 80 B.C. (according to Addis). The psalm was included in the LXX version about 250 B.C.

There are three divisions of the psalm. (1) A description of David's enemies (Psalms 109:1-5); (2) a prayer for the punishment of those who had wronged him, citing especially one of them (Psalms 109:6-20); and (3) a prayer for the sufferer's own deliverance, including a promise of thanksgiving (Psalms 109:21-31).

Psalms 109:1-5

DESCRIPTION OF DAVID'S ENEMIES

"Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

For the mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me:

They have spoken unto me with a lying tongue.

They have compassed me about with words of hatred,

And fought against me without a cause.

For my love they are my adversaries:

But I give myself unto prayer.

And they have rewarded me evil for good,

And hatred for my love."

The enemies of David are described here as deceitful liars (Psalms 109:1-2). They are wicked men who hate him (Psalms 109:2-3). They are carrying on a vendetta against him and are returning hatred for his love, rewarding him evil for the good he has done them (Psalms 109:4-5).