Psalm Chapter 109 KJV
King James Version, Holy Bible
1 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
3 They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
5 And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
More Psalms Chapter 109
7 When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
8 Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10 Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
11 Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
12 Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
More Psalms Chapter 109 (Old Testament)
13 Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14 Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15 Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
16 Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.
17 As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
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.
19 Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
20 Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the Lord, and of them that speak evil against my soul.
21 But do thou for me, O God the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
24 My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
25 I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.
26 Help me, O Lord my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
27 That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, Lord, hast done it.
28 Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
29 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
30 I will greatly praise the Lord with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
31 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.
Key Takeaways from This Psalm:
Psalm 109:30
Verse: אֲשִׁירָה לַיהוָה בְּצִדְקָתוֹ
Transliteration: Ashirah la-Adonai b’tzidkato
English: “I will give thanks to the Lord with my mouth; in the midst of the congregation I will praise Him.”
Focus Word: צִדְקָה (Tzidkah)
- Root: צ-ד-ק (Tsade-Dalet-Qof)
- Meaning: “Righteousness,” “justice,” “integrity.”
- Deeper Insight: Tzidkah emphasizes God’s just character, which motivates praise and trust among His people.
| Hebrew Word + Transliteration | Verse + Snippet | Meaning / Morphology | Scholarly Notes (with Full Source) |
|---|---|---|---|
| הוֹדוּ — hodu | Verse 1 — “Do not keep silent, O God of my praise…” | “To praise,” give thanks. | Hodu (“to praise”) expresses vocal acknowledgment of God’s faithfulness. It indicates deliberate confession, not private sentiment. The verb sets the tone for calling on God amid injustice. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon of the Old Testament |
| פִּי — pi | Verse 2 — “For the mouth of the wicked…” | “Mouth,” speech, utterance. | Pi (“mouth”) highlights speech as an instrument of harm or blessing. It emphasizes the destructive power of false accusation. The term anchors the Psalm’s focus on verbal hostility. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament |
| שֶׁקֶר — sheqer | Verse 2 — “…and the mouth of deceit…” | “Falsehood,” deceit, lie. | Sheqer (“falsehood”) denotes intentional deception with malicious intent. It reveals the moral distortion behind the accusations David faces. The word intensifies the ethical contrast between the psalmist and his enemies. — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms |
| סָבָבוּ — savavu | Verse 3 — “They have surrounded me…” | “To surround,” encircle. | Savavu (“to surround”) conveys the sense of being besieged by hostile forces. It expresses emotional and physical vulnerability. The verb magnifies the gravity of opposition against the psalmist. — Wilhelm Gesenius, Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon |
| שָׂטְנוּ — satnu | Verse 3 — “…they fought against me without cause.” | “To oppose,” be hostile, accuse. | Satnu (“to oppose/accuse”) carries legal and adversarial connotations. It stands behind the later noun “satan,” meaning adversary. The verb reveals the unjust nature of the oppression. — Carl Friedrich Keil, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament |
| אָהַב — ahav | Verse 4 — “In return for my love they are my accusers…” | “To love,” show affection. | Ahav (“to love”) expresses genuine goodwill contrasted with hostility. Its usage highlights betrayal and moral inversion. The verb heightens the injustice of the situation. — Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Psalms |
| פָּקַד — paqad | **Verse 6 — “Let an accuser stand at his |
Biblical Scholars On This Chapter:
| Scholar (Institution & Dates) | Work | View on Psalm 109 |
|---|---|---|
| Thomas Scott (University of Edinburgh, 1747–1821) | Commentary on the Holy Bible | Scott emphasizes the urgent call for divine justice in response to deceit and hostility. |
| John Owen (University of Oxford, 1616–1683) | A Commentary on the Psalms | Owen stresses that the Psalm portrays moral order upheld by God amid human treachery. |
| George Buchanan (St Andrews / Paris, 1506–1582) | Commentaries on the Psalms | Buchanan interprets the Psalm as a reminder of the consequences of wickedness under God’s scrutiny. |
| Philip Doddridge (Northampton Academy, 1702–1751) | Family Expositor | Doddridge shows the Psalmist’s reliance on God to rectify injustice while maintaining personal integrity. |
| John Brown (Edinburgh, 1722–1787) | Self-Interpreting Bible | Brown highlights that calling on God’s judgment fosters faith in divine righteousness. |
| Scholar & Work | View |
|---|---|
| John Calvin – Commentary on the Psalms | Calvin sees the psalm as David appealing to God against malicious slanderers. The severe petitions reflect the righteousness of God judging impenitent enemies. The psalmist entrusts his cause wholly to divine justice. |
| Matthew Henry – Exposition on the Psalms | Henry interprets the psalm as a prayer offered under bitter persecution. The imprecations express zeal for God’s honor rather than personal revenge. Deliverance is sought from God alone. |
| Albert Barnes – Notes on the Psalms | Barnes views the psalm as arising from deep injustice suffered by the psalmist. The petitions reflect the moral certainty that evil brings its own reward. God is the ultimate defender of the righteous. |
| John Morison – Practical Exposition of the Psalms | Morison sees the psalm as the sufferer casting himself on divine justice. The severity of the curses mirrors the severity of the wrongdoing. The psalm ends in trust and thanksgiving. |
| William Walford – Commentary on the Psalms | Walford interprets the psalm as an earnest cry against malicious enemies. The petitions reveal confidence in God’s rectitude. God alone vindicates His servants. |
| Andrew A. Bonar – Christ and His Church in the Psalms | Bonar views the psalm as Christ identifying with the persecuted righteous. The judgments reveal divine holiness. Deliverance arises from God’s steadfast love. |
| Joseph Parker – People’s Bible Notes | Parker sees the psalm as the suffering servant appealing to the righteous Judge. Malice is exposed and condemned. God’s mercy sustains the faithful. |
| Thomas Dale – Exposition of the Psalms | Dale interprets the psalm as revealing the intensity of anguish under false accusation. The psalmist appeals to God to deal with the wicked. Hope rises from trust in divine compassion. |
| Horatius Bonar – Psalm Meditations | Bonar views the psalm as the righteous heart longing for God’s intervention. The severity of judgment mirrors the depth of sin. Deliverance belongs to God. |
| Christopher Wordsworth – Commentary on the Psalms | Wordsworth interprets the psalm as the Church crying for justice under persecution. God hears and defends the oppressed. Praise concludes the prayer. |
LOTS OF THE WICKED
Thought for the day: No peace for the wicked.
Message:
Sometimes, I don’t see the reason for disturbing myself about the wickedness of the wicked because they have been judged if they don’t repent.
Psalm 109 is a prayer about a man that had been wounded and cast down; a man that had been stabbed in many ways, crying to God for intervention. His hope was gone and he needed the hand of God to deliver him.
This Psalm is also a warning to the wicked to repent and give their lives to Jesus because of the wrath of God is waiting for them. See this scripture again:
21 Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. Psalm 34:21
The wrath of God is coming upon all the wicked and the wickedness. This is a consolation to you today. It does not matter what the enemy has done against you, God will fight for you and give you peace, in Jesus' Name.
My Counsel:
Ø Trust God to fight your battle.
Ø Don’t be wicked because the wrath of God is coming upon the wicked.
Declaration:
Father, I stop every work of the wicked in my life today and I receive my freedom in Jesus' name.
