Psalm 109: Beware of Evil Men

Psalm 109 is yet another appeal for help (vv. 1–5).

David asks that his enemies be punished for their evil actions (vv. 6–20).

He has endured without retaliating (Matthew 5:11), and he asks God to intervene on his behalf. He ends by thanking God for the deliverance he is sure will occur (Psalm 109:21–31).

“The kindness of the psalmist to his enemies was requited by more severe hatred on their part. The greatest demonstration of love toward enemies was seen in Christ, the Son of God (see Rom. 5:7–10). There never was love manifested like His. Despite the manifestation of this love He was betrayed and crucified. Yet in His dying agony His love for His enemies lost none of its ardor as He prayed, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34).” Apparently, one instigator is leading those spreading vicious lies about David.

David calls upon God to ignore the prayers of this individual because he believes him to be truly unrepentant and only seeks to escape punishment (Psalm 109:7).

Surely God cannot accept such a prayer (Proverbs 28:9; Isaiah 1:15)! Children often cannot escape their parents’ bad example and follow their footsteps into sin (Psalm 109:10). David would punish this man’s children, but he wants additional justice.

He wants this scoundrel to lack offspring (v. 13).

As the Israelites placed great value on family cohesion and the continuance of the family unit, childlessness would be catastrophic for this individual.

Inevitably, this man’s evil actions will rebound upon his own family.

Feeling helpless (vv. 22–25), David places his entire faith in the merciful Lord he serves (vv. 26, 27). “The psalm closes with the joyous prospect that after the suffering will come the glory, after the cross, the crown.” “What matters whether we are cursed by wicked men as long as we know that the blessing of Heaven is resting upon us?” “Once to every man and nation / Comes the moment to decide, / In the strife of truth with falsehood, / For the good or evil side.”