The Most Avoided Messianic Psalm (9): “Add Iniquity Unto Their Iniquity” (Psalm 69:26-28) by Rev. Angus Stewart
I. The Theory That It Refutes
II. The Meaning of the Prayer
III. The Grounds of the Imprecations
Psalm singing: 83:1-4, 16-18; 37:1-7; 130:1-8; 69:23-28
Scripture reading: Psalm 69:14-29

John Gill on Psalm 69:26: “For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten ... Meaning the Messiah, who was not only smitten and scourged by men, but was stricken and smitten of God; according to his determinate counsel and foreknowledge, and agreeably to his will and plea sure; with the rod of his justice for the satisfaction of it; for the sins of his people, whose surety he was. Him the Jews followed with reproaches and calumnies; pursued after his life, and persecuted him unto death; and which was the cause of their ruin and destruction; see 1 Thess. 2:15; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded; or, ‘of thy wounded ones’; not wounded by him, but wounded for his sake, on his account, and for their profession of faith in his son Jesus Christ. These, as they were led to the slaughter, had trial of cruel mockings, which aggravated their sufferings, and were very grieving to them; especially such talk as reflected upon their dear Redeemer, for whose sake they were put to death."
John Calvin on Psalm 69:28: “As then David desires that the vengeance of God may be manifested, he very properly speaks of the reprobation of his enemies in language accommodated to our understanding; as if he had said, O God! reckon them not among the number or ranks of thy people, and let them not be gathered together with thy Church; but rather show by destroying them that thou has rejected them; and although they occupy a place for a time among thy faithful ones, do thou at length cut them off, to make it manifest that they were aliens, though they were mingled with the members of thy family.”


Psalm 83:1-4, 16-18
1 KEEP not, 0 God, we thee entreat,
0 keep not silence now :
Do thou not hold thy peace, O God,
and still no more be thou.
2 For, lo, thine enemies a noise
tumultuously have made ;
And they that haters are of thee
have lifted up the head.
3 Against thy chosen people they
do crafty counsel take;
And they against thy hidden ones
do consultations make.
4 Come, let us cut them off, said they,
from being a nation,
That of the name of Isr’el may
no more be mention.
16 Their faces fill with shame, O Lord,
that they may seek thy name.
17 Let them confounded be, and vex’d,
and perish in their shame:
18 That men may know that thou, to whom
alone doth appertain
The name JEHOVAH, dost most high
o’er all the earth remain.

Psalm 37:1-7
1 FOR evil-doers fret thou not
thyself unquietly ;
Nor do thou envy bear to those
that work iniquity.
2 For, even like unto the grass,
soon be cut down shall they;
And, like the green and tender herb,
they wither shall away.
3 Set thou thy trust upon the Lord,
and be thou doing good ;
And so thou in the land shalt dwell,
and verily have food.
4 Delight thyself in God ; he’ll give
thine heart’s desire to thee.
5 Thy way to God commit, him trust,
it bring to pass shall he.
6 And, like unto the light, he shall
thy righteousness display;
And he thy judgment shall bring forth
like noon-tide of the day.
7 Rest in the Lord, and patiently
wait for him: do not fret
For him who, prosp’ring in his way,
success in sin doth get.

Psalm 130:1-8
1 LORD, from the depths to thee I cry’d.
2 My voice, Lord, do thou hear:
Unto my supplication’s voice
give an attentive ear.
3 Lord, who shall stand, if thou, O Lord,
should’st mark iniquity?
4 But yet with thee forgiveness is,
that fear’d thou mayest be.
5 I wait for God, my soul doth wait,
my hope is in his word.
6 More than they that for morning watch,
my soul waits for the Lord;
I say, more than they that do watch
the morning light to see.
7 Let Israel hope in the Lord,
for with him mercies be ;
And plenteous redemption
is ever found with him.
8 And from all his iniquities
he Isr’el shall redeem.

Psalm 69:23-28
23 Let thou their eyes so darken’d be,
that sight may them forsake;
And let their loins be made by thee
continually to shake.
24 Thy fury pour thou out on them,
and indignation;
And let thy wrathful anger, Lord,
fast hold take them upon.
25 All waste and desolate let be
their habitation;
And in their tabernacles all
inhabitants be none.
26 Because him they do persecute,
whom thou didst smite before;
They talk unto the grief of those
whom thou hast wounded sore.
27 Add thou iniquity unto
their former wickedness;
And do not let them come at all
into thy righteousness.
28 Out of the book of life let them
be raz’d and blotted quite;
Among the just and righteous
let not their names be writ.