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For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
O God of my praise, do not be silent!
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For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me; they speak against me with lying tongues;
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with words of hatred they attack me and fight against me without cause.
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In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer.
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They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
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“Appoint a wicked man over him, and let an accuser stand at his right hand;
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when he is judged, let him come out guilty, and let his prayer become sin.
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Let his days be few; let another take his office.
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Let his children become fatherless, and his wife a widow.
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Let his children wander about and beg, and be driven from the ruins of their home.
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Let the creditor seize all that he has, and let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.
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Let there be none to extend kindness to him, and let there be none to show mercy to his fatherless children.
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Let his descendants be cut off, and let their name be blotted out in the next generation.
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Let the guilt of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
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Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
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Because he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.
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He loved to curse — let it come upon him; he did not delight in blessing — let it be far from him.
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He clothed himself with cursing as with his garment — let it soak into his body like water, and like oil into his bones;
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let it be to him like the garment he wraps around himself, like the belt that he always wears.
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May this be the reward from the LORD for my accusers, and for those who speak evil against me.”
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But you, O LORD, my Lord, deal with me for your name’s sake; deliver me because of your good steadfast love!
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For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me;
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I fade away like a shadow when it lengthens; I am shaken off like a locust.
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My knees give way because of fasting, and my body has become gaunt, without fat.
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I have become a reproach to them; when they see me, they shake their heads.
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Help me, O LORD my God; save me according to your steadfast love,
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so that they may know that this is Your hand, that You, O LORD, have done it.
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Though they curse, You will bless; let my adversaries be put to shame, but let Your servant rejoice.
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Let those who accuse me be clothed with disgrace, and let them be wrapped in their shame as in a robe.
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I will give great thanks to the LORD with my mouth, and I will praise Him among the multitude.
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For He stands at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those who condemn him.
🕊️🙏📖 Summary of Psalm 109 – “A Prayer Against Slander and a Cry for God’s Justice”
Psalm 109 is one of the imprecatory psalms — that is, a psalm of cries of wrath and curses against enemies.
The psalmist (David) experienced betrayal, slander, and cruel treatment from those he loved and helped.
Yet in the midst of it, he did not repay with his own hand, but entrusted justice to the Lord.
This psalm is a picture of the struggle of a righteous soul who has been betrayed, and also a cry that God would defend and repay injustice.
📌 1. Accusation, Betrayal, and Sorrow (verses 1–5)
➡️ David laments: his enemies returned love with hatred, slander, and deceit.
➡️ He says:
“In return for my love, they accuse me, though I pray for them.”
🎯 Love is not always answered with kindness, yet the righteous still pray for their enemies.
📌 2. Curses against Enemies (verses 6–20)
➡️ This is the harshest part of the psalm.
➡️ David asks that his accusers be judged: that they lose their office, that their children become fatherless, and that their blessings turn into a curse.
➡️ He asks that those curses become their clothing and their belt.
🎯 This section is not a model for revenge, but a cry for God’s justice from one who is truly oppressed.
📌 3. A Request for Help and Restoration (verses 21–29)
➡️ David acknowledges his weakness and suffering:
“I become a long shadow that vanishes when the sun goes down.”
➡️ He asks that God save for His own name’s sake.
➡️ He believes God will repay his enemies and lift up the oppressed.
🎯 Behind the strong cry, David still rests on God’s mercy.
📌 4. Closing Cry: A Promise to Praise the Lord (verses 30–31)
➡️ “I will give thanks to the LORD with my mouth aloud…”
➡️ He is sure that God will stand beside the poor and save them from the accuser.
🎯 When the world leaves us, God remains our defender.
📖 Main Lessons
- The righteous may suffer because of slander, even from those close to them
- Rather than taking revenge ourselves, leave judgment to God
- A cry for justice in prayer shows honesty of emotion and faith
- God does not only hear praise, but also the cry of a wounded heart
- Sincere faith still prays for enemies and waits for God’s defense
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
📖 Acts 1:20
➡️ Psalm 109:8 is quoted when choosing Judas’s replacement:
“Let another take his office.”
➡️ Judas Iscariot is the fulfillment of this prophecy — an example of a betrayer of the Messiah.
📖 Matthew 5:44 – “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
➡️ In line with Psalm 109:4 — “I prayed for them.”
📖 Romans 12:19 – “Vengeance is Mine, says the Lord.”
➡️ This psalm shows that entrusting justice to God is an act of faith, not weakness.
📖 Hebrews 4:15 – Jesus understands suffering because He Himself was betrayed, slandered, and handed over to death.
🕊️ “In return for my love, they accuse me.” – Psalm 109:4
🕊️ “I have become like a lengthening shadow that is gone.” – Psalm 109:23
🕊️ “Help me according to Your steadfast love.” – Psalm 109:26
🕊️ “He stands at the right hand of the poor…” – Psalm 109:31
