Embrace the Word for Friday, August 28, 2026
FOR AN AUDIO VERSION CLICK HERE
Psalm 109 is a call for justice. David describes the treacherous attack that he is facing and appeals to the LORD to act on his behalf. This sort of plea by David as he faced treacherous attacks from his enemies was frequent in Books 1 and 2 of the Psalter. David has an awareness that the anticipated king from the Davidic line will face similar hostile experiences and need to live with a deep dependance upon the LORD. As with Psalm 108, as well as Psalm 110, Psalm 109, which forms a trio of Davidic Psalms, all draw from past experiences that David faced, but their focus is future. The new David will gather the people whom the LORD redeems into the Land (Psalm 108), and the new David will rule and reign over all without rivals (Psalms 110). Psalm 109 speaks of the betrayal that the new David will face, but is quick to anticipate a complete vindication. Psalm 109 begins with a prayer that describes the betrayal that David is facing (109:1-5), then records the extended request of what David wants done to his betrayer and why (109:6-20), which is followed up with a request for his rescue (109:21-29), and a vow of praise (109:30-31).
Psalm 109 opens with a plea to the LORD: “Be not silent, O God of my praise!” (109:1). With a play on words that will be evident shortly, David pleads with the LORD to say something, that is, to respond and do something about the matter that he is bringing before the LORD. The phrase “O God of my praise” suggests that while David feels great urgency with the matter that he is bringing before the LORD, he also has a sense of confidence that he will soon be praising the LORD for how He deals with the matter before him. David moves to identify the matter at hand: “For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause” (109:2-3). David has been betrayed and a significant portion of the attack against him has been verbal—“wicked and deceitful mouths” have been deployed against David as his betrayers were “speaking against me with lying tongues,” and driven by “words of hate.” The connection can now be seen between David’s request that the LORD not be verbally silent, but quickly respond? David has been caught in the crossfire of violent verbal attacks that were “without cause.” David is the object of slanderous accusations that are wickedly untrue and maliciously hateful. David’s attackers were his friends (or, so he thought): “In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love” (109:4-5). What thing had David done for his friends to turn on him? David loved them and had done good to them. But in exchange for the loving good that David showed them, they showed evil hatred to him. And how did David respond to their evil hatred? David prayed for them. Actually the language is very intentional and focused: he gave himself “to prayer.” This could suggest that David prayed for them or that he prayed for himself, but it seems reasonable to suggest that David gave himself and his situation to the LORD in prayer. Thus, David would have prayed for himself and his attackers.
What David does next is express a somewhat long statement of what he wishes, that is prays, will be done to his treacherous attacker. Whereas verses 2-5 describe David’s attackers in a plural form, verses 6-20 speaks primarily in the singular form. This could mean that David is simply lumping all his betrayers together and praying for them as though they are one, or it is more likely that David is zeroing in on his archenemy, perhaps the ringleader. What David requests is intense: “Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand at his right hand. When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin! May his days be few; may another take his office! May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow! May his children wander about and beg, seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children! May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation! May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth!” (109:6-15). David’s betrayers were accusing Him, so he begins his request for someone to be raised up to accuse the accuser. The imagery throughout is of a courtroom and a prosecutor who will argue for a verdict of guilt against the one who has betrayed David, but perhaps most importantly that a severe sentence of justice be administered upon the betrayer. David asks that his betrayer have a short life, be quickly replaced, that his children be orphans and his wife a widow. David further prays that his children will feel the brunt of their father’s ill-responsibility as the betrayer’s shady financial and business dealings catch up with him, even though that will mean misfortune on the whole family. David presses further and prays that no mercy is shown to the betrayer’s family and that even his entire family line will come to an end. Finally, David wishes that the only thing that will exist concerning his betrayer is a memory that the LORD will visit “the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation” (See Exodus 34:7).
This sobering and even scalding prayer need not be read as an out of control diatribe of an angry man with a personal vendetta. Perhaps the intensity of David’s prayer is shocking because we lack complete categories of justice—particularly the justice of God. Any and all who set themselves against the LORD will face judgment, have short lives, do great harm to their families, and beyond. The fact of the matter is that David’s prayer merely restates God’s own justice back to Him. Speaking to the members of the Old Covenant community, the LORD declared: “And as the LORD took delight in doing you good and multiplying you, so the LORD will take delight in bringing ruin upon you and destroying you. And you shall be plucked off the land that you are entering to take possession of it” (See Deuteronomy 28:63). In particular, the severity of false accusations was stressed by the intensity of its punishment: “The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you” (See Deuteronomy 19:18-19). But even to the New Covenant community, the writer of Hebrews warned: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (See Hebrews 10:31). Certainly, more careful consideration must be undertaken as we grasp the need to love our enemies and pray for them (See Matthew 5:43-48), and at the same time ask God to act justly (See Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19-21).
As David has prayed for justice concerning his betrayer, he now presses that matter further by asking that the punishment fit the crime: “For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death. He loved to curse; let curses come upon him! He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him! He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones! May it be like a garment that he wraps around him, like a belt that he puts on every day! May this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD, of those who speak evil against my life!” (109:16-20). Before some notions of sorrow be felt towards David’s betrayer, David explains why such justice expressed in verses 6-15 was deserved. The betrayer did not show any kindness, but rather persecuted the afflicted, the needy, and the brokenhearted. Rather than care for such people and defend them, he harmed them. David’s betrayer loved to curse and did not desire to bless. So it would be fair that curses fall on him and blessings be kept far away. David simply prays for just recompense. We should keep in mind what is made explicit elsewhere: if the wicked betrayer were to truly repent, of course there is mercy and forgiveness (See Psalm 83:16-18). However, the assumption here in Psalm 109 is that no repentance would be sought, therefore, the justice that David prays for is the clear-headed outlook.
David then turns his prayer focus from his betrayer onto himself: “But you, O GOD my Lord, deal on my behalf for your name’s sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! For I am poor and needy, and my heart is stricken within me. I am gone like a shadow at evening; I am shaken off like a locust. My knees are weak through fasting; my body has become gaunt, with no fat. I am an object of scorn to my accusers; when they see me, they wag their heads” (109:21-25). David confesses the state that he is in as a result of his betrayer’s actions. David knows that the LORD loves him and will see him through this situation, but he has been gravely affected by all that has unfolded against him. His heart has been stricken, he feels poor and needy, he has been disgraced by his false accusers. But David knows where his help comes: “Help me, O LORD my God! Save me according to your steadfast love! Let them know that this is your hand; you, O LORD, have done it! Let them curse, but you will bless! They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad! May my accusers be clothed with dishonor; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak!” (109:26-29). In the midst of feeling all the weight and burden from the difficulties and distresses of a betrayal, David entrusts himself to the LORD. The LORD is his God and so David pleas to Him for help. In fact, David wants all to see that it would be the LORD who intervenes on his behalf. David knows that as painful as his betrayer’s curse is, the LORD’s blessing upon him would be greater. When the LORD blesses, David knows that he will be filled with gladness. In contrast, when the LORD intervenes, David knows that his treasonous attackers will face shame and dishonor. With such confidence in the LORD, David closes with voicing praise: “With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng. For he stands at the right hand of the needy one, to save him from those who condemn his soul to death” (109:30-31). Many may turn against him in betrayal, but David gratefully knows who who is at his right hand.
As we reflect on Psalm 109, we can consider the betrayal of Jesus. The betrayal against David is echoed in Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. The Apostle Peter, as he helped guide the early church in the aftermath of selecting a replacement for Judas, said: “In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry…For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “‘May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’; and “‘Let another take his office’” (See Acts 1:15-17,20; with quotes from Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8). Judas, one of the twelve disciples, betrayed Jesus. Like David, who was hated “without cause” (109:3), so too was Jesus (See John 15:25). As David was mocked (109:25), so too was Jesus (See Matthew 27:39). But as Jesus suffered mistreatment, so too will His followers: “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (See 1 Peter 2:21-23). While Christ’s followers are not called to engage in acts of personal revenge, we are to entrust our desires for justice to the LORD, who will act on behalf of His people in due time: “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (See Romans 12:17-19).
That’s all for Embrace the Word for Friday, August 28, 2026. I look forward to being back with you for the Monday, August 31, 2026 episode of Embrace the Word as we take a look at Psalm 110.