Psalms 109

David complaineth of his false accusers, which requited him evil for good, wishing by Prophetical inspiration act kind of mischief, to the obdurate and their generation, and praying to God for salvation and deliverance out of his great misery, with promise of thankfulness.

1. A Psalm of David, [See Psalms 4:1.] for the chief song-master. O God of my praise, [thou that art the matter and subject of my songs of praise, and that givest me abundant cause of praising thee continually; as Exod.15.2.] be not silent. [but answer me, and hear my prayer, and help me, that it may appear indeed, thou hast heard me. So likewise Psalms 28:1. and 35.22. and 39.13. and 83.2.]

2. For the mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of guile, [i.e. the deceitful mouth, whereby is understood a false deceitful man] are opened against me; they have spoken with me with a false tongue. [those deceitful countiers of Saul, namely, and others like them; by whom are typified the enemies of our Saviour Christ, and especially Judas.]

3. And they have surrounded me with hateful words, [With words which proceeded of meer hate and spleen against me. Hebr. With words of hate] yea, they have warred against me without cause.

4. For my love, [viz. For the love and affection which I bore unto them] they stand against me: but I was (continually in) prayer. [Hebr. But I the prayer: Others, but I (was a man) of prayer. i.e. I gave my self to prayer. So we have it Psalm 120. I peace, and Obad 7. Thy bread, for such as eat thy bread; as if the Prophet had said here, Praying to God was my onely fence and refuge, I have made use of no unlawful means against them. See Psal.35.v.13.]

5. And they have laid me up evil for good, and hate for my love.

6. Put a wicked over him, [i.e. give charge and power to a hard severe man over him, to force and vex him, as he did to others] and the Satan [or adversary. See Job the Adversary may have an Accuser, continually charging and informing against him before the Judge; so as the Devil dealt with Job] stand at his right hand: [that is, overcome him in judgement by continual urging and pressing: Others, take it thus; Let Satan stand at his right hand, viz. To resist him, so that he shall not be able to make use of his right hand; that is, be hindered and troubled still to expedite and dispatch his affairs: See Zach.3.1. But below, v.31. this phrase is taken for securing and protecting.]

7. When he is judged, let him go forth guilty: [That is, let him be founded, held and condemned for a wicked man. See Numb.35.on v.31.] and let his prayer be for sin. [that is, let him not be reprieved nor pardoned by the Judge, for no entreaty, after that he is condemned once, and let him rather fare the worse for it, and his request utterly refused as an unjust thing. Or, here may be understood the prayer which he maketh to God at any time, that God namely would reject it, as merely hypocritical.]

8. Let his days be few, [The days namely, of his life. See Psalm 55.24.] another take his office, [or charge, inspection, ministry, administration. These words of David are to be applied to Judas, whose office or ministry was given away to Mathias, Acts 1:20.]

9. Let his children become fatherless, [This is one of the curses of the law, Exod.22.24. Jer.18.21.] and his wife a widow.

10. And let his children swarve about here and there, [Heb. Swarving about, swarve about] and beg and seek (the necessity) out of their desolate places. [others, because of their desolation, that is to say, because their own lands and dwellings are desolate.]

11. Let the Creditor (or, debt summoner) [i.e. he to whom he is indebted; or, else you may understand here by the debt-summoner, the distrainer, executor] seize on all he hath, [Hebr. Ensnare, etc. i.e. get or bring into his snare, power, arrest, or sequestration] and let the strangers make prey of his labour. [i.e. that which he hath gotten and heaped together with toil and labour. See Job 20.on v.18.]

12. Let him have none to stretch forth kindness (over him) and there be none to pity his Orphanes.

13. Let his posterity be extirpated: [Others, his last, or his end. See the Annot. Psalm 37.on v.37.] let their name be blotted out, [or wiped out, worn out. Psalm 37.onv.28.] in the second generation: [that is, in the generation, which is to succeed himself, that same wicked man.]

14. The iniquity of his fathers be had in remembrance with the LORD, [i.e. the LORD plague, and punish him, not onely for his own sins, but also for those of his forefathers, and here the Prophets hath respect to the threatening of the second Commandment, Exod.20.5.] and the sin of his mother be not blotted out. [i.e. God punish him likewise for his mothers sin, as before for his fathers.]

15. Let them be continually before the LORD: [viz. Those iniquities and sins mentioned in the former verse] and let him (God) extirpate their remembrance from the earth [viz. The remembrance of his father and mother. The contrary hereof is promised to the godly, Psalms 41:3. and 112.6.]

16. Because that he remembered not to do kindness, but persecuted the afflicted and the needy man: and the smitten (or dismayed) diseased of heart, for to kill (him)

17. Because he loved the curse, let it come upon him: [i.e. since he took such pleasure and delight in cursing others, and halest the curse upon his own neck by his wickedness] and having had no delight to the blessing, [to wish a blessing to others, and that they might live godly, for to be blessed: Compare with this place, Prov.8.36.] let it be far from him. [the blessing namely.]

18. And let him be cloathed with the curse as with a garment, and let the same go into the inmost of him, as the water, and as the oil into his bones.

19. Let that he unto as a garment, (wherewith) he covereth himself, and for a girdle, wherewith he girdeth himself continually. [He prayeth that the curse the wished to others, may cleave to him continually.]

20. Let this be the wages [Heb. The work or labour, i.e. the wages for work or labour, as Levt.19.13. Job 7:2. Isa.49.4. Ezek.29.20.] of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of those that speak evil against my soul. [which traduce and reproach me.]

21. But thou O LORD Lord, make it with me, [Or, do well by me. Compare Psalms 47:5. and 119.65.] for thy Names sake: because thy kindness is good, deliver me.

22. For I am miserable and needy, and my heart is wounded thorough in the inmost of me; [As if he said; I am in such straight and anguish, as these are, that received a mortal wound in their heart.]

23. I pass along like a shadow, when it enclineth [When it is ready to vanish with the going down of the sun. See the Annot.Psalm 102.on v.12.] I am driven about [Heb. Shaken forth] like a Grasshopper. [which hath no nest nor abiding place, but is hopping an skipping continually from place to the other. See Nah.3.17. and Job 39:23. Or, which is hurried and scattered about by the wind, Exod.10.19.]

24. My knees stager of fasting, and my flesh is made lean, so that there is no fat in it. [Hebr. From the fat, i.e. for want of fat. So Jer.4.9. from the fruits, that is, for want of the fruits, Gen.18.28. for fire, i.e. for want of fire, 1 Cor.7.v.2. for whoredom, i.e. for the avoiding of whoredom.]

25. Yet am I a reproach unto them: [i.e. they abuse and jeere me, instead of having compassion with my misery] when they see me, they shake their head. [in token of scorn and contempt. See the Annot.2. Kings 19.21. See likewise Psalms 22:8. Job 16:4. Matth.27.39,40. Mark 15,29.]

26. Help me, LORD my God, save me according to thy kindness.

27. That they may know, this is thine hand: [That the deliverance which thou shewest me, is come from thy hand, O God] that thou LORD hast done it.

28. Let them curse, but bless thou, let them arise: [viz. Against me] but let them be ashamed: yet let thy servant rejoice.

29. Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame: [See the Annot. Job 9.on v.2.] and may they cover themselves with their confusion, [viz. Which they have brought upon themselves by their wickedness] as with a cloak.

30. I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth, [i.e. publicly, with Large expressions, and great affection;] and I will praise him in the midst of many: [or, of the mighty, or great ones.]

31. For he shall stand as the right hand of the needy: [i.e. He shall protect, defend and assist him. See above, v.6. and Psalms 16:8. Acts 2:25.] (to save him) from those that judge his soul [i.e. him.]