Psalms 109
109
Prayer of a Person Falsely Accused
1For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
2O God, whom I praise, do not be silent,#Ps 35:22; 83:1.
for wicked and treacherous mouths attack me.
They speak against me with lying tongues;
3with hateful words they surround me,
attacking me without cause.
4In return for my love they slander me,
even though I prayed for them.
5They repay me evil for good,
hatred for my love.#Ps 35:12; 38:21; Prv 17:13; Jer 18:20.
II
6Appoint an evil one over him,
an accuser#An accuser: Hebrew satan, a word occurring in Jb 1–2 and Zec 3:1–2. In the latter passage Satan stands at the right hand of the high priest to bring false accusations against him before God. Here the accuser is human. to stand at his right hand,
7That he may be judged and found guilty,
that his plea may be in vain.
8May his days be few;
may another take his office.#Acts 1:20.
9May his children be fatherless,
his wife, a widow.#Ex 22:23; Jer 18:21.
10May his children wander and beg,
driven from their hovels.
11May the usurer snare all he owns,
strangers plunder all he earns.
12May no one treat him with mercy
or pity his fatherless children.
13May his posterity be destroyed,#Ps 21:11; Prv 10:7.
their name rooted out in the next generation.
14May his fathers’ guilt be mentioned to the Lord;
his mother’s sin not rooted out.#Ex 20:5.
15May their guilt be always before the Lord,#Ps 90:8.
till their memory is banished from the earth,#Ps 34:16.
16For he did not remember to show mercy,
but hounded the wretched poor
and brought death to the brokenhearted.
17He loved cursing; may it come upon him;
he hated blessing; may none come to him.
18May cursing clothe him like a robe;
may it enter his belly like water,
his bones like oil.
19May it be near as the clothes he wears,
as the belt always around him.
20#May this be the reward…from the Lord: the psalmist prays that God ratify the curses of Ps 109:6–19 and bring them upon the wicked.May this be the reward for my accusers from the Lord,
for those speaking evil against me.
III
21But you, Lord, are my Lord,
deal kindly with me for your name’s sake;
in your great mercy rescue me.
22For I am poor and needy;
my heart is pierced within me.
23Like a lengthening shadow I am gone,
I am shaken off like the locust.
24My knees totter from fasting;#Ps 69:11–13.
my flesh has wasted away.
25I have become a mockery to them;
when they see me, they shake their heads.
26Help me, Lord, my God;
save me in your mercy.
27Make them know this is your hand,
that you, Lord, have done this.
28Though they curse, may you bless;
arise, shame them, that your servant may rejoice.
29Clothe my accusers with disgrace;
make them wear their shame like a mantle.
30I will give fervent thanks to the Lord;
before a crowd I will praise him.#Ps 111:1.
31For he stands at the right hand of the poor
to save him from those who pass judgment on him.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Psalm 109
109
Help Me, O Lord My God
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
1 # See Ps. 28:1 Be not silent, O #Deut. 10:21; [Ps. 71:6; Jer. 17:14]God of my praise!
2For wicked and #Ps. 52:4deceitful mouths are opened against me,
speaking against me with lying tongues.
3They encircle me with words of hate,
and attack me #See Ps. 69:4without cause.
4In return for my love they #Ps. 38:20 accuse me,
but I #[Ps. 69:13]give myself to prayer.#109:4 Hebrew but I am prayer
5So they #See Ps. 35:12reward me evil for good,
and hatred for my love.
6 # For ver. 6-15, see Ps. 35:4-8; 69:22-28 Appoint a wicked man #[1 Chr. 21:1; Zech. 3:1] against him;
let an accuser stand #Job 30:12at his right hand.
7When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;
let his #Prov. 28:9; [Prov. 15:8; 21:27]prayer be counted as sin!
8May his #[Ps. 55:23] days be few;
may #Cited Acts 1:20 another take his #Num. 4:16; [1 Chr. 24:3]office!
9May his #Ex. 22:24children be fatherless
and his wife a widow!
10May his children #[Gen. 4:12]; See Ps. 59:15 wander about and beg,
# [Ps. 37:25] seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit!
11May #[Deut. 28:43, 44]the creditor seize all that he has;
may #[Deut. 28:43, 44]strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
12Let there be none to #[Ps. 36:10] extend kindness to him,
nor any to #[Job 5:4]pity his fatherless children!
13May his #See Ps. 21:10 posterity be cut off;
may his #Prov. 10:7name be blotted out in the second generation!
14May #Ex. 20:5 the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,
and let not the sin of his mother be #Neh. 4:5; Jer. 18:23blotted out!
15 # [Ps. 90:8] Let them be before the Lord continually,
that he may #Ps. 34:16cut off the memory of them from the earth!
16For he did not remember to show kindness,
but pursued #ver. 22; Ps. 40:17 the poor and needy
and #See Ps. 34:18the brokenhearted, to put them to death.
17 # [Prov. 14:14; Ezek. 35:6] He loved to curse; let curses come#109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text curses have come upon him!
He did not delight in blessing; may it be far#109:17 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it is far from him!
18He #[ver. 29; Ps. 73:6] clothed himself with cursing as his coat;
may it #[Num. 5:22]soak#109:18 Revocalization; Masoretic Text it has soaked into his body like water,
like oil into his bones!
19May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,
like a belt that he puts on every day!
20May this be the reward of my #ver. 6, 29accusers from the Lord,
of those who speak evil against my life!
21But you, O God my Lord,
deal on my behalf #[Jer. 14:7]; See Ps. 23:3 for your name’s sake;
because your #Ps. 69:16; [Ps. 63:3]steadfast love is good, deliver me!
22For I am #ver. 16poor and needy,
and my heart is stricken within me.
23I am gone like #See Ps. 102:11 a shadow at evening;
I am #Ex. 10:19; [Neh. 5:13; Job 38:13]shaken off like a locust.
24My knees are weak #Ps. 35:13 through fasting;
my #[Job 16:8]body has become gaunt, with no fat.
25I am #Ps. 22:6; 69:19 an object of scorn to my accusers;
when they see me, they #See Ps. 22:7wag their heads.
26 #
Ps. 119:86
Help me, O Lord my God!
Save me according to your steadfast love!
27Let them #[Job 37:7]know that this is your hand;
you, O Lord, have done it!
28 # [2 Sam. 16:12] Let them curse, but you will bless!
They arise and are put to shame, but #[Isa. 65:14]your servant will be glad!
29May my accusers be #ver. 18; See Job 8:22 clothed with dishonor;
may they #Ps. 71:13; [Ps. 35:26]be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!
30With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
I will #[Ps. 22:25]praise him in the midst of the throng.
31For he stands #ver. 6; See Ps. 16:8at the right hand of the needy one,
to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.
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