Psalm 109 Verse-by-Verse

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Welcome to the Verse-by-Verse Notes for Psalm 109!

The Verse-by-Verse Notes present scholarly, exegetical materials (from all layers of analysis) in a verse-by-verse format. They often present alternative interpretive options and justification for a preferred interpretation. The Verse-by-Verse Notes are aimed at consultant-level users.

The discussion of each verse of this psalm includes the following items.

1. A link to the part of the overview video where the verse in question is discussed.
2. The verse in Hebrew and English.
3. An expanded paraphrase of the verse.
4. A grammatical diagram of the verse, which includes glosses for each word and phrase.
5. A series of notes on the verse, which contain information pertaining to the interpretation of the psalm (e.g., meaning of words and phrases, poetic features, difficult grammatical constructions, etc.).

Introduction

Before presenting the Verse-by-Verse Notes for this psalm, it will be helpful to give a brief introduction to the psalm as a whole. The following six items are especially helpful for an initial orientation to the psalm.

1. Poetic structure
2. Content and background
3. Legal imagery
4. Speech acts and emotions
5. Theme of speech
6. The speaker of vv. 6-19

Poetic Structure

The following visual gives a more detailed depiction of the poetic structure of Ps 109.

• After an introductory line (v. 1), which helps frame the entire psalm (cf. vv. 30-31), the psalm divides into two main parts: vv. 2-20; vv. 21-31. The first part (vv. 2-20) further divides into two smaller parts: vv. 2-5; vv. 6-20. Thus, the psalm has two or three main parts, depending on the level from which it is viewed. Many scholars agree on this basic structure—a three-section division (vv. 1/2-5; vv. 6-20; vv. 21-31), with the strongest break occurring between the second and third sections. Calvin, for example, writes, "This psalm consists of three parts. It begins with a complaint; next follows an enumeration of various imprecations; and then comes a prayer with an expression of true gratitude." Van der Lugt, however, objects to this structure, claiming it is based on thematic aspects "at the cost of major structural features which are provided by its internal evidence." But as the present analysis will demonstrate, this structure is based securely on both thematic and formal features of the text.
• The thematic features are clear. As Calvin writes, the first section (vv. 2-5, following the introductory v. 1) is a "complaint"; the second section (vv. 6-20) is "an enumeration of various imprecations"; and the third section is "a prayer with an expression of true gratitude."
• Formal features in the text support this three-fold division.
  • Verse 20 begins with the demonstrative pronoun "this" (זֹאת), referring to vv. 6-19. Thus, the psalmist himself effectively groups these verses into a unit. This section is further distinguished by the thorough use of 3ms language, beginning in v. 6 ("appoint... against him...") and ending in v. 19 ("may it be for him..."). Verse 20 is a summary tacked on at the end.
  • Verses 2-5 are characterized by 3mp language (in contrast to the 3ms language of vv. 6-19).
  • The final section (vv. 21-31) begins with "but you" (וְאַתָּה)—marking a shift in discourse topic from the psalmist's accusers (vv. 2-20) to YHWH (vv. 21-31).
  • Patterned repetitions in the text further support this identification of the structure.
    • The first and second sections have similar beginnings: "wicked" (רָשָׁע) in v. 2a and v. 6a.
    • The second and third sections (or, the two main sections of the psalm) have similar endings: v. 20b: "me" (נַפְשִׁי); v. 31b: "him" (נַפְשׁוֹ). Note also that these are the only clauses to include all three of the psalm's main participants (YHWH, the psalmist, and the accusers).
    • There is a clear inclusio binding together the first two sections (vv. 1-20) and reinforcing the strong break between vv. 1-20 and vv. 21-31. Note the repetition of "accusers" (שׂטנים), "speak" (דבר), and "evil/wrong" (רע) in v. 20 and vv. 2-5.
    • There is an inclusio binding together the second section (vv. 6-20): "accuse" (שׂטן).
    • The grouping together of vv. 21-31 is further supported by the repetition of the vocatives that begin the two sub-sections of this unit: vv. 21-25 begin with "YHWH Lord" (יְהוִה אֲדֹנָי); and vv. 26-31 begin with "YHWH my God" (יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי).
    • The two main sections of the psalm (vv. 2-20; vv. 21-31) each begin with long six-word lines—the two longest lines in the psalm.
• Thus, thematic features and formal features are not in conflict. Rather, both kinds of features work in concert to make the structure clear.

Content and Background

Psalm 109 is an appeal to YHWH for justice. The psalm assumes a situation in which (1) people enter into a covenant with David, and each party invokes curses on themselves if they should break the covenant; and (2) the people falsely accuse David of covenant unfaithfulness and seek his death. In response, (3) David appeals to YHWH for justice (=Ps 109). In his prayer, he looks forward to a time when (4) YHWH will rescue him from death and vindicate him, and (5) he will publicly praise YHWH for his salvation. Finally, (6) YHWH will punish each of his accusers with the covenant curses that they invoked upon themselves. This "Story Behind" Ps 109 can be visualized as follows.

The following background ideas are especially helpful for making sense of the psalm:

• A covenant is a relationship between two parties, solemnized by oaths and based on "loyalty" (חֶסֶד). When making a covenant, the two parties would invoke curses (קְלָלָוֹת) on themselves in the case of their failure to be loyal (see e.g., Deut 27-28).
• Oftentimes, these curses included the extinction of one's family line, which is the worst possible thing that can happen to someone.
• The making of a covenant and the invoking of covenant oaths/curses were often accompanied by rituals to solemnize the event and symbolize the nature of the curses (cf. Gen 15; Jer 32:18; COS 2.82). It appears that putting on clothes, drinking water or beer, and rubbing oil on oneself (see Ps 109:18) sometimes had a part in oath-taking ceremonies.
• People who are falsely accused of something, including the violation of a covenant, can take their case to a judge (cf. Deut 25:1).
• Because YHWH is "the judge of all of the earth" (Gen 18:25), those who are innocent yet falsely accused and/or falsely convicted can appeal to him for vindication (cf. Pss 5, 7, 17, 35, etc.).

For more information on the nature of cursing and the identification of the curse in Ps 109 as a covenant curse, see below on Imprecation (vv. 6-20).

Legal Imagery

The controlling image in the psalm is the image of a courtroom (מִשְׁפָּט).

• YHWH plays multiple parts in the courtroom scene. He is the judge who is called to give a verdict (cf. v. 1) and execute the punishment (cf. vv. 6-20). He also plays the part of the loyal friend who stands at the psalmist's right side (v. 31) and defends his innocence (cf. "help" in v. 26).
• The psalmist's enemies are his accusers (שׂטן), accusing him of wrongdoing (vv. 2-5) and seeking the death penalty for him (cf. v. 31). They are described as "false" witnesses (cf. v. 2).
• The psalmist is the defendant who claims that he is innocent and that it is his accusers who are guilty of wrongdoing (vv. 2-5, 16-20).

In his book Reestablishing Justice (1994), Bovati argues that the typical legal process in ancient Israel unfolded in three main stages: (1) Beginning, (2) Development, (3) Conclusion. The "Beginning" stage happens when a person begins the dispute (רִיב) by making an accusation. The dispute then "develops" in two possible ways: (2a) either the accused confesses his guilt or (2b) the accused maintains his innocence. If he confesses his guilt, then the accuser can grant pardon (leading to reconciliation), or he can refuse to grant pardon (leading to a tribunal [מִשְׁפָט] or war). If, however, the accused protests the accusation and maintains his innocence, then the accuser can drop the accusation (leading to reconciliation), or he can persist in his accusation (leading to a tribunal [מִשְׁפָט] or war). The following visual summarizes this process:

In Ps 109, the accused (i.e., the psalmist) protests his innocence, and the accusers persist in their accusation. Thus, in the psalm, it is as though two parties stand before YHWH's tribunal (מִשְׁפָּט).

Speech Acts and Emotions

In terms of speech acts, the psalm has four parts:

1. Appeal (vv. 1-5)
2. Curse (vv. 6-20)
3. Petition (vv. 21-27)
4. Profession (vv. 28-31)

The emotions expressed by the psalmist are mostly negative, though the tone becomes more positive (hopeful and confident) towards the end of the psalm. The following visual maps the emotions in the psalm along two main axes (negative-positive, activation-deactivation):

The psalmist most clearly reveals his emotional/affectual state in vv. 22-25 (cf. v. 16).

• • In v. 22, he says that his "heart" (לֵב), the "seat of feelings and emotions," is "in anguish" (חָלַל), i.e., in a state of "strong fear and distress, compared to the state of mind of a woman in labor; often accompanied by physical side-effects, like writhing, and trembling." Then in v. 23, he uses two images that further convey his anguish.
  • In v. 24, having just described his emotional state, he moves to describe his physical state: he is extremely weak.
  • In v. 25, he describes his social state: he is an object of scorn to his enemies. That is, his enemies seek "to arouse an emotion of shame" in him.
  • In v. 16, he describes himself as "afflicted and poor and disheartened." The last of these terms refers to a "state in which humans lack confidence."
• These same emotions which are explicit later in the psalm are implicit in the preceding verses (vv. 1-21). And, in addition to these emotions, other emotions implicit in the first half of the psalm include:
  • alarm (see the metaphorical description of his enemies as a surrounding army in v. 3; cf. Judg 20:41; 1 Sam 28:21)
  • indignation and perhaps betrayal (see in vv. 2-5 the psalmist's emphasis on the baseless and unjust nature of his enemies' attacks; they accuse him for no reason, even though he has loved them and always prayed for them)
  • hate (cf. the explicit association of hatred with the imprecation in Ps 139:19-22)
• Verse 21, which appeals to YHWH's loyalty and describes it as "good" also introduces a note of hope.
• In vv. 28-31, the emotional tone shifts to one of confidence. Note how the psalmist in these verses, convinced of YHWH's loyalty, describes his future vindication. Note also how these verses begin: "let them curse all they want!" (v. 28a).

The following visual integrates speech acts and emotions (red = negative emotion, blue = positive emotion):

The following visual shows how the psalmist's thoughts, feelings, and actions relate to each other:

Theme of Speech

As the poetic structure visual above shows, Ps 109 is framed by references to speech ("mouth" and "praise" in vv. 1-2 and vv. 30-31). This repetition touches on one of the characteristic features of Ps 109: the theme of speech.

• Psalm 109 begins with words belonging to the semantic domain of "speech." Notice the use of "praise" (v. 1), "stay silent" (v. 1), "mouth" (v. 2), "speak" (v. 2), "tongue" (v. 2), "words" (v. 3), "accuse" (v. 4), and "prayer" (v. 4). Similarly, the psalm ends more words belonging to this semantic domain: "curse" (v. 28), "bless" (v. 28), "acknowledge" (v. 30), "mouth" (v. 30), and "praise" (v. 30). The repetition of the word "mouth" (vv. 2, 30) and the root "praise" (vv. 1, 30) at the beginning and end of the psalm are especially noteworthy. Furthermore, in both the beginning and end of the psalm, the SPEECH-related words involve all three of the psalm's main characters—the psalmist, YHWH, and the psalmist's enemies.

• These framing repetitions highlight the theme of speech in Ps 109. In fact, the whole story of Ps 109 can be told in terms of the characters' speech.
  • The enemies open their "mouths" (v. 2) against the psalmist, bringing baseless accusations against him (vv. 4-5) and calling down curses on him (v. 28). It is as though they make war against him, "surrounding" him with words as would an army with their weapons (v. 3).
  • In defense, the psalmist arms himself, as it were, with his own words, calling on YHWH to curse his enemies and rescue him (=Ps 109). In contrast to his enemies whose mouths are full of lies, his mouth is full of sincere prayer and praise (vv. 1, 4, 30).
  • Initially, YHWH appears to be silent (v. 1), but following the psalmist's prayer, he is sure to respond by uttering a blessing (v. 28) that will override and overpower the curse of the enemies.
• The following visual shows how the psalm's main participants relate to one another in terms of their speech:

The Speaker of vv. 6-19

The biggest interpretive issue in this psalm is the question of the speaker in vv. 6-19. In the past, most interpreters have assumed that the speaker in these verses is the psalmist who is cursing his enemies. In recent centuries (and especially in recent decades), it has become increasingly popular to view vv. 6-19 as a quotation in which the psalmist's accusers are speaking and cursing the psalmist. See The Speaker of Ps 109:6-19 for an in-depth discussion. In short, we conclude that the speaker of vv. 6-19 is probably the psalmist (without any quotation of his enemies). The main reasons for this conclusion are as follows:

1. The psalmist is clearly the speaker in vv. 1-5 and vv. 20-31. In the absence of any clear indication of an additional speaker, it is best to assume that he remains the speaker for vv. 6-19 as well.
2. Verse 20, which functions as a kind of postscript to vv. 6-19, makes clear that the psalmist is the one calling on YHWH to bring the curses of vv. 6-19 upon his accusers. See The Meaning of Ps 109:20.
3. Some of the descriptions of the individual in vv. 6-19 (especially vv. 16-19) against whom the prayer is aimed match the descriptions of the enemies in vv. 1-5, 20ff.
4. Psalm 109 closely resembles Psalm 69, and in Psalm 69, which contains a similar curse, the psalmist is clearly the speaker.
5. Peter's quotation of Ps 109 in Acts 1:20 appears to assume that the psalmist is the speaker and that the imprecation in vv. 6-19 is directed against a wicked individual.

The strongest argument for the view that vv. 6-19 are a quotation is the fact that the person being cursed in vv. 6-19 is singular ("he, his him"), whereas, outside of this section, the psalmist consistently refers to his enemies as a plural group (vv. 2-5, 20-21-31). If the psalmist is the speaker, as we have argued, then how can we explain the consistent use of the singular vv. 6-19? Scholars who take our position usually resort to one of two explanations (both of which are proposed, e.g., by Calvin).

1. The use of the singular in vv. 6-19 is a way of referring to each of the them individually.
2. The singular in vv. 6-19 refers to a specific individual among them, perhaps the leader or perhaps one who had been especially close to the psalmist.

Both explanations have parallels elsewhere in the Psalms.

• In Ps 7, the psalmist faces plural enemies (v. 7: צוֹרְרָי), but the description in vv. 15-17 is singular. In light of the reference to "Cush the Benjaminite" in the superscription, the singular in vv. 15-17 probably refers to Cush, the leader, or perhaps the most notorious of the enemies.
• In Ps 35, the psalmist consistently refers to his enemies in the plural (vv. 1-7, 11-16, 19-21, 24-26), but in v. 8, he switches to the singular. The context makes it clear that the singular and plural have the same referent ("they hid their net... the net that he hid"): vv. 7-8—"For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life. Let destruction come upon him when he does not know it! And let the net that he hid ensnare him; let him fall into it—to his destruction!" (ESV).
• Psalm 55 speaks of enemies in the plural (vv. 4, 16) but then focuses on a specific individual who had been the psalmist's close friend (vv. 14-15, 21-22).
• Psalm 69 (which is similar to Ps 109 in many respects) consistently uses plural forms (vv. 5, 15, 19-20, 22-29) without any shift to singular.

The first explanation seems the most likely—the use of the singular in vv. 6-19 is a way of referring to each of the them individually. The three main reasons for this conclusion are as follows:

1. Verse 20 summarizes vv. 6-19 by saying, "This is what my accusers have earned from YHWH..." In other words, according to v. 20, the curse in vv. 6-19 is the payment/wage of the psalmist's accusers (plural)—each and every one of them. See The Meaning of Ps 109:20.
2. Apart from the use of the singular in vv. 6-19, there is no other evidence within the psalm for seeing a specific individual, whether a leader or a friend (cf. Pss 7; 55).
3. The switch from plural to singular as a means of individualizing the imprecation has a clear parallel in Ps 35:8.

Similar examples of number shifting occur frequently in the second person. E.g.,.

• First Samuel 15:6. "Then Saul said to the Kenites (הַקֵּינִי), 'Go, depart; go down (לְכוּ סֻּרוּ רְדוּ) from among the Amalekites (עֲמָלֵקִי), lest I destroy you with them (אֹסִפְךָ עִמּוֹ). For you showed (וְאַתָּה עָשִׂיתָה) kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.' So the Kenites departed (וַיָּסַר קֵינִי) from among the Amalekites" (1 Sam 15:6, ESV).
• Deuteronomy. "In Deuteronomy, it is the people as a whole that is addressed alternately in the singular as well as the plural (thus, in reference to the same participant). This ‘numeruswechsel’ in Deuteronomy has an intensifying effect: Israel is addressed anew at the points where the plural changes to the singular... And... the extent to which the singular or the plural address forms are preferred correlates strongly with the content of the passage. Thus, when Israel is addressed about its history, for example in ch. 1-4 (or is given commands for the immediate future in the new land, for example in 12:1-12), the address forms tend to be plural. But when the subject matter is cultic or ritual (particularly when the commandments are detailed), most of the address forms are singular."

According to de Regt, this kind of number shifting has an "intensifying and personalising effect." The same can be said for the shift in Ps 109. The singular makes the description that much more vivid.

At the same time, the singular is also more natural, given the personal nature of some of the events described in this section: e.g., "may his wife become a widow... may a creditor seize his property... may his mother's sin not be wiped out." These would sound somewhat strange as plurals: "may their wives become widows... may creditors seize their property... may the sins of their mothers not be wiped out", etc.). The punishment is so personal (i.e., having to do with each individual's family and property) that a singular description is most appropriate.

The fourth of the Psalms of Solomon (preserved in Greek, but probably originally written in Hebrew) offers a striking analogy to Ps 109. It is a curse against "hypocrites" that has a long section in which an individual hypocrite is cursed ("he... him"), and this section is bracketed by references to hypocrites in the plural: "May God remove from the devout those who live in hypocrisy... His words are deceitful... He devastated a house... He is satiated with lawless actions... Let his part be disgrace... may his life be in pain and poverty... May his old age be in lonely childlessness... May the flesh of those who try to impress people be scattered by wild animals and the bones of criminals (lie) dishonored in the sun. Let crows peck out the eyes of the hypocrites...They have not remembered God...May he banish them from the earth" (Psalms of Solomon 4:6-22).

Accusation (vv. 1-5)

In vv. 1-5, the psalmist appeals to YHWH, as the judge of all the earth, to hear his case and take action (v. 1). He then states his case before YHWH, establishing his innocence and the guilt of his accusers (vv. 2-5). The section is titled "accusation," because it is in this section that the psalmist both describes the accusations of his enemies and presents accusations against his enemies.

In terms of poetic structure, these verses consist of an introductory line (v. 1) followed by three small chiasms (v. 2; v. 3; vv. 4-5).

Introductory line (v. 1)
God whom I praise, do not stay silent!
Chiasm (v. 2)
 their wicked and deceitful mouths 
   against me
     they have opened.
     They have spoken
   with me
  with lying tongues.
Chiasm (v. 3)
 And with hateful words,
   they have surround me
   and they have fought against me 
 for no reason.
Chiasm (vv. 4-5)
 In exchange for my love
   they accuse me
     —though I am devoted to prayer—
   and they give me wrong in exchange for good 
 and hate in exchange for my love.

v. 1

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
ss	לַ֭מְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִ֣ד מִזְמ֑וֹר	For the director. By David. A psalm.
1	אֱלֹהֵ֥י תְ֝הִלָּתִ֗י אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃	God whom I praise, do not stay silent!

Expanded Paraphrase

For the director. By David. A psalm.

God whom I have always praised, I am appealing to you, as the judge of all the earth, for vindication. Hear my case and take action on my behalf. Please do not stay silent and inactive. I have not been silent but have always praised you, and if you rescue me, I will praise you once more.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The psalmist begins by addressing YHWH as the God whom I praise (אֱלֹהֵי תְהִלָּתִי) (so NIV, NLT, and NET), or, as Jerome translated the phrase, "God who is worthy of my praise." By alluding to his own "praise," the psalmist is saying, in effect, "I have not been silent towards you. Instead, I have always praised you. And because I have not been silent towards you, do not be silent towards me! Take action for me, and I shall praise you again (cf. v. 30)!"
• The opening vocative "God whom I praise" is clause-initial, as vocatives often are at the beginning of psalms. The initial position of the vocative at the beginning of a psalm—perhaps the unmarked position—might reflect the discourse function of the clause-initial vocative to signal the beginning of a conversational turn.
• The verb translated stay silent (תֶּחֱרַשׁ) refers to an "action by which humans or deities purposely refrain from responding, either with words or with actions." In this case, the psalmist wants YHWH to act on his behalf (cf. vv. 21, 26), so "to be silent" means "to refrain from action." The choice of a word from the semantic domain of "communication" creates a contrast between the speech desired from YHWH and the unjust, hateful speech of the psalmist's enemies (vv. 2-5). "YHWH, please don't remain silent, because my accusers sure aren't!"
• The context assumes that YHWH is currently "silent >> inactive." Thus, we have glossed the verb as stay silent (cf. NIV: "do not remain silent").
• The appeal for YHWH to take action in v. 1 presumes a (metaphorical) legal setting. People who are falsely accused of something (cf. v. 2) take their case to a judge (cf. Deut 25:1), and YHWH is "the judge of all of the earth" (Gen 18:25). The judge's job is to acquit the innocent and condemn the guilty. Since these activities are verbal in nature, for a judge to "be silent" is for him to neglect his duty—to ignore the situation. Compare Ps 35:22-23 which uses similar legal language—"You have seen, O Lord; be not silent (אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַשׁ)! O Lord, be not far from me! Awake and rouse yourself for my vindication (לְמִשְׁפָּטִי), for my cause (לְרִיבִי), my God and my Lord! Vindicate me (שָׁפְטֵנִי), O Lord, my God, according to your righteousness (כְצִדְקְךָ), and let them not rejoice over me!" (ESV)
• According to Bovati, the prototypical legal process in ancient Israel consisted of the following steps: The process begins with "the controversy" (רִיב), which consists of (1) an accusation, (2) a response, and, possibly (3) a conclusion. If, however, the controversy cannot be resolved between the two parties, then it goes before a judge. The judgment consists of (1) the start of the trial, (2) the debate, and (3) the end of the trial.

v. 2

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
2a	כִּ֤י פִ֪י רָשָׁ֡ע וּֽפִי־מִ֭רְמָה עָלַ֣י פָּתָ֑חוּ	For they have opened their wicked and deceitful mouths against me.
2b	דִּבְּר֥וּ אִ֝תִּ֗י לְשׁ֣וֹן שָֽׁקֶר׃	They have spoken with me with lying tongues.

Expanded Paraphrase

Here is why I need you to act: For people with whom I am in a covenant relationship are falsely accusing me of breaking the covenant, and they are seeking my death. They are falsely accusing me of failing to show loyalty and keep my covenant promises to love them and seek their well-being. They have opened their wicked and deceitful mouths against me. They are false witnesses who have spoken against me and who contend with me with lying tongues.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The discourse marker for (כִּי) in v. 2 grounds the preceding request for YHWH to not be silent. The scope of this discourse marker extends through v. 5. In other words, vv. 2-5 give the reasoning for why YHWH should "not be silent >> refrain from action" (v. 1).
• The grammar of v. 2a—they have opened their wicked and deceitful mouths against me—is difficult and open to debate. It also has significant implications for how the rest of the psalm is interpreted. Therefore, it is worth discussing in some detail.
  • In the first place, it is not clear whether the two-fold occurrence of the word "mouth" (פִי) is the subject or the object of the verb "opened" (פָּתָחוּ). Some interpreters, including the ancient translations, appear to interpret it as the subject: "Wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me" (ESV). The problem with this view is that the qal verb פתח ("to open") is almost always transitive. Thus, some who hold this view argue that the verb should be revocalized as a qal passive perfect (פֻתָחוּ) or emended to a qal passive participle (פָּתוּחַ) or to a niphal (נִפְתָּחוּ). The simplest approach, however, is the follow the Masoretic vocalization and read פָּתָחוּ as a qal active (transitive) with "mouth...mouth" as the compound direct object. "To open one's mouth" (פָּתַח פֶּה) is a common expression (see e.g., Pss 38:14; 39:10; 78:2). Hence, the syntax should probably be read as follows: "they [impersonal subject] have opened their wicked and deceitful mouths against me."
  • Secondly, interpreting the compound noun phrase "wicked and deceitful mouths" (פִי רָשָׁע וּפִי מִרְמָה) as the direct object of the verb raises an additional issue, because the phrase "to open a mouth" can mean either "to open one's own mouth" or "to open the mouth of another." In the case of the former, the verse would be saying: "For people... have opened their mouths" (NIV, cf. NJPS). In the case of the latter, it would be saying: "they have opened a... mouth against me," i.e., "they have appointed someone to accuse me." The latter only occurs in extraordinary situations and always with God as the subject. The former occurs more frequently and seems more likely in this context. The fact that the object "mouth" (פִּי) is singular does not mean that it refers to a single "mouth." Rather, with the plural subject, it is plural in sense: "their mouths."
  • Closely related to the previous issue is the question of whether the substantival adjective wicked (רָשָׁע) (lit.: "wicked person") refers to a single "wicked person" (i.e., "the mouth of a wicked person") or whether it represents a figurative way of saying "a mouth such as belongs to the 'wicked'" (i.e., "a wicked mouth"). Most ancient interpreters understood it as referring to a single "wicked person." Bar Hebraeus identified this individual as Antiochus Epiphanes, Rashi as Esau, and early Christian interpreters as Judas Iscariot (cf. Acts 1:20). In light of the parallel phrase "mouth of deceit" (>>deceitful mouth) along with the fact that the rest of the other descriptions of the enemy in vv. 1-5 are plural, "mouth of a wicked person" is probably a figurative way of saying "a mouth such as belongs to the 'wicked.'"
• The unusual word order in v. 2a (object-noun ["mouth"] — prepositional phrase — verb) is part of a larger poetic pattern. Notice that the following clause (v. 2b) mirrors this order: verb — prepositional phrase – noun ("tongue"). The following verse (v. 3) has a similar chiastic structure, and so do vv. 4-5. See above.
• In the legal context, the expression they have spoken with me (דִּבְּרוּ אִתִּי) probably has a more technical meaning. Elsewhere the expression דּבֵּר את simply means "speak with (someone)." In legal contexts such as we have in Ps 109, however, it seems to have the more specific meaning "contend with." See, for example, Ps 127:5: "They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents (כִּֽי־יְדַבְּר֖וּ אֶת־אֹויְבִ֣ים) in court" (NIV; cf. Jer 12:1).
• In the phrase lying tongues (לְשׁוֹן שָׁקֶר), the word "lying" (שָׁקֶר) is the same word used elsewhere to describe false witnesses (e.g., Exod 20:16, Deut 19:15-21).

v. 3

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
3a	וְדִבְרֵ֣י שִׂנְאָ֣ה סְבָב֑וּנִי	And they have surrounded me with hateful words,
3b	וַיִּֽלָּחֲמ֥וּנִי חִנָּֽם׃	and they have fought against me for no reason.

Expanded Paraphrase

And like a besieging army they have surrounded me with hateful words, and they have fought against me with their words for no reason. Contrary to their accusations, I have been a loyal covenant partner to them.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The verbs surrounded (v. 3a) and fought (v. 3b) introduce the image of warfare into the psalm, implying the metaphor "Litigation is Warfare." The following table explores the significance of this metaphor.

• The word order in v. 3 creates another chiasm that parallels the chiasm in v. 2: a. "with hateful words" b. "they surround me" // b. "they fight against me" a. "for no reason." See above.
• The phrase hateful words (דִבְרֵי שִׂנְאָה) is probably an adverbial accusative: "with words of hatred they surround me" (NIV). Falsely accusing someone (see v. 2) is an expression of hatred (cf. Pss 35:19; 38:20-21; 69:5).
• Similarly, the pronominal suffix on the verb they have fought (וַיִּלָּחֲמוּנִי) is probably not the direct object but an adverbial: against me. The verb נלחם (niphal) always takes a prepositional phrase to indicate the person against whom one fights.

v. 4

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
4a	תַּֽחַת־אַהֲבָתִ֥י יִשְׂטְנ֗וּנִי	In exchange for my love they accuse me
4b	וַאֲנִ֥י תְפִלָּֽה׃	—though I am devoted to prayer—

Expanded Paraphrase

I have loved them; I have sought their well-being. And it is In exchange for my love that they accuse me—though I am devoted to prayer, and I would always pray for their well-being. "When they were sick—I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning" (Ps 35:13-14, ESV)—

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The verb accuse (שׂטן) occurs only six times in the Old Testament, and three of them are in this psalm (vv. 4, 20, 29). Translations disagree on whether the verb means "oppose" (GNT) or, more specifically, "accuse" (NIV, ESV, CSB, NLT, NET). Normally, the root שׂטן (also שׂטם) "describes various forms of disputes and hostility between people," and so it has the more general meaning of "oppose." But in the specific legal context of Ps 109, "the adversaries are accusers who are taking the accused to court... The root שׂטן can thus also be translated 'accuse' in vv. 4, 20, 29." The verb often appears in the context of warfare, and its legal use here probably assumes the metaphor "Litigation is warfare" (see note on previous verse).
• The yiqtol form of the verb "accuse" in v. 4 probably implies gnomic, habitual semantics: "they accuse, they keep accusing." Alternatively, the yiqtol form could imply habitual action in the past: "they have been accusing me."

• The prepositional phrase in exchange for my love (תַּחַת אַהֲבָתִי) is fronted for marked focus. It is as though the psalmist says, "Not only are they accusing me for no good reason (vv. 2-3), but they are accusing me in exchange for my love! Not only are their words wholly unwarranted; they are the exact opposite of what I deserve!" The construct chain "my love" probably means "the love that I have shown to them."
• The clause in v. 4b—though I am devoted to prayer (וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּה) (lit.: "and I am prayer")—has been interpreted in a variety of ways. See The Meaning of Ps 109:4b for a detailed discussion. In short, we agree with the ancient versions who interpreted this clause as a statement about the psalmist's past prayers on behalf of his enemies: "though I am devoted to prayer" >> "even though I would always pray for them." This view works well in the context. In the parallel line (v. 4a), the psalmist focuses on the love that he had shown to those who are now accusing him: "it is in exchange for my love that they keep accusing me" (see also v. 5). In this context, it makes sense to understand the b-line of v. 4 (וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּה) as a reference to a concrete expression of the psalmist's past love for his enemies: "in exchange for my love, i.e., even though I would always pray for them." The statement has a remarkable parallel in Ps 35 (which is similar to Ps 109 in many other respects): "Malicious witnesses rise up... They repay me evil for good (רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה)... But I (וַאֲנִי), when they were sick—I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed (וּתְפִלָּתִי) with head bowed on my chest. I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning" (Ps 35:13-14, ESV).

v. 5

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
5a	וַיָּ֘שִׂ֤ימוּ עָלַ֣י רָ֭עָה תַּ֣חַת טוֹבָ֑ה	and they give me wrong in exchange for good
5b	וְ֝שִׂנְאָ֗ה תַּ֣חַת אַהֲבָתִֽי׃	and hate in exchange for my love.

Expanded Paraphrase

and yet they give me wrong in exchange for the good I have done to them, and they show me hate in exchange for my love.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The phrase translated they give me (alternatively, "they repay me," NIV, NET, CSB, cf. NLT, ESV, KJV, CEV, GNT) is, literally, "they place on me" (see e.g., Gen 22:6). Given the context (vv. 4-5) and other parallels in the Psalter (e.g., Ps 35:12; Ps 38:21), the expression must mean something like "they give/repay me." See, for example, Gen 21:14, where "placing on her shoulder" (שָׂ֧ם עַל‏־שִׁכְמָ֛הּ) is an act of "giving to her" (וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֶל).
• The wayyiqtol verb and they give (וַיָּשִׂימוּ) in v. 5 probably continues the habitual semantics of the yiqtol in v. 4.

Imprecation (vv. 6-20)

The second main section of the psalm (vv. 6-20) consists of two subsections: (1) the curse (vv. 6-15), (2) the rationale for the curse (vv. 16-20).

(For a discussion of the identity of the speaker in vv. 6-19, see above on The Speaker of vv. 6-19.)

A "curse" (קְלָלָה) refers to an "[action] by which humans or deities consign other humans or deities or inanimate objects to death, damage, or destruction." Cursing someone is an (implicit, or sometimes explicit) appeal to God to execute justice, to avenge some wrong that has been committed. If the curse was justified, then God would "utter a judgment and permit the actualization of the condemnation. It would have effect." If the curse was not justified, then God would not bring it about. Cursing does not imply an intent to seek and enact personal vengeance. In fact, cursing is the very opposite of this. It rather implies giving up personal vengeance and committing one's case to God to whom vengeance belongs (cf. Deut 32:35). See, for example, what David says to Saul in 1 Sam 24:11-12: "See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you" (NIV).

"All curses seek one goal: death. Even though the realization of this goal can be articulated in a wide variety of ways, the harm in a curse generally operates within a range of increasing effects." Curses can involve three different grades of injury: (1) a difficult life that eventually ends in death (e.g., Gen 3:17), (2) a painful, premature death (e.g., Jer 18:21), (3) extinction. Regarding this third grade of injury (extinction), Kitz writes, "The greatest degree of harm found in curses is extinction. These anathemas are designed to eliminate all hope for the continuance of life. Although such maledictions have a single injury in mind, death, the harm itself is expansive in scope. The amplification in these curses tends to occur in the multiplication of the targets rather than an intensification of the malediction’s harm as we have seen above in curses that emphasize a strenuous life or a premature death." The curse in Ps 109 involves this third and highest grade of injury: extinction.

Curses can be either conditional or unconditional. An unconditional curse "solicits the divine realm to harm a particular target without provision." A conditional curse, by contrast, solicits the divine realm to harm a particular target only if that person violates the terms of some agreement (e.g., a covenant). On the surface, the curse in Ps 109 appears unconditional. On further study, however, it appears that the curse in Ps 109 is actually a covenant curse—an appeal to YHWH to effectuate a previously invoked conditional curse. There are three main reasons for this conclusion:

1. The reason for the curse is, according to v. 16, "because he was not mindful to show loyalty" (חֶסֶד), which makes the most sense in a covenantal context (Covenants are relationships based on "loyalty").
2. Verse 18 says that the person put on the curse like a garment, drank it like water, and rubbed it onto his skin like oil. These three images (garment, water, oil) are associated with the kind of formal oath-taking rituals that were involved in the initiation of covenants (See note on v. 18).
3. Covenant curses often include the extinction of one's family line. Such an extreme curse would only be fitting for the most egregious of crimes, e.g., the violation of a covenant.

vv. 6-15

Verses 6-15 constitute the curse proper. As discussed above, the curse is a covenant curse calling for the complete extinction of those who are guilty of covenant violation. As the following visual shows, the curse is structured as a chiasm (based mostly on lexical repetition):

• The A-A' parts of the chiasm (vv. 6-7, 14-15) are about guilt—the guilt of the accuser (vv. 6-7) and the guilt of his ancestors (vv. 14-15).
• The B part of the chiasm is about the man's death and changes of status that result, and the B' part of the chiasm is about the destruction of the man's posterity.
• The middle C part of the chiasm is a graphic description of the financial devastation that results from the man's death and which leads to the extinction of his family line. Because there is no one to step in and care for his family (cf. v. 12), they are forced to aimlessly wander about begging for food and shelter.

John Chrysostom helpfully gives a summary of what the curse consists of: "Do you see the number of the curses? If you do not mind, however, I shall sum them up from the beginning. Let him fall into the hands of evil people, he is saying, let him be accused, overcome by them, condemned, sentenced to an untimely death, deprived of his position, and may he see it transferred not to his offspring but to some others. May his wife perish, and his family suffer need and orphanhood, and beg for their livelihood, be condemned, driven out of every place, deprived of any assistance, escaping God's favor, reaching no haven or refuge. May their names be cancelled from the earth, may they perish ingloriously..."

v. 6

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
6a	הַפְקֵ֣ד עָלָ֣יו רָשָׁ֑ע	Appoint a wicked person against him,
6b	וְ֝שָׂטָ֗ן יַעֲמֹ֥ד עַל־יְמִינֽוֹ׃	and may an accuser stand at his right!

Expanded Paraphrase

They are the ones who have broken the covenant! And so they deserve to experience the covenant curses they invoked on themselves when they entered into a covenant with me. YHWH, bring the curses to pass! May it happen to each and every one of them: Appoint a wicked person against him to accuse him of wrongdoing in the same way that he has accused me, and may the appointed wicked person, an accuser, stand at his right side, the place where an accuser stands in court when he is making his accusations!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• It is not clear whether the wicked person (רָשָׁע) in v. 6a is the same participant as the "accuser" in the following line or is a distinct figure, e.g., a judge. The GNT, for example, says "Choose some corrupt judge to try my enemy" (GNT). If the "wicked person" is a corrupt judge, then the prepositional phrase עָלָיו in the a-line would mean "over him," implying authority over the accused. If, however, the "wicked person" is coreferential with the "accuser" in the b-line, then the preposition would mean "against" (ESV, NLT; cf. NIV: "to oppose"). Given the nature of parallelism as expressing one thought across two lines, it seems best to interpret the "wicked person" and the "accuser" as referring to the same person. As Baethgen writes, "The wicked person (רָשָׁע) in v. 6a is identical to the accuser (שָׂטָן) in v. 6b... רָשָׁע and שָׂטָן form a single idea..."
• The word accuser (שָׂטָן) is the nominal form of the verb that occurred in v. 4 (and which occurs again in vv. 20, 29). Some translations interpret this noun in v. 6 (שָׂטָן) as a proper noun: "Satan" (KJV; cf. Jerome iuxta Hebr.). But the psalmist is praying for YHWH to do to his enemies exactly what his enemies are trying to do to him (cf. the punishment for false witnesses in Deut 19:16-19). So, the word שׂטן must have the same meaning in v. 6 as it does in vv. 4, 20, 29.
• The fronting of "accuser" in the b-line creates a chiasm: (a) Appoint against him (b) a wicked person. (b) And an accuser, (a) let him stand at his right.
• In a formal legal setting, accusers stand at the right side of those whom they accuse. See especially Zech 3:1—"Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him" (Zech 3:1, ESV).

v. 7

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
7a	בְּ֭הִשָּׁ֣פְטוֹ יֵצֵ֣א רָשָׁ֑ע	When he is judged, may he come away guilty,
7b	וּ֝תְפִלָּת֗וֹ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַֽחֲטָאָֽה׃	and may his prayer become a sin!

Expanded Paraphrase

Then, when he and the accuser go to court to settle the matter, and he is judged, i.e., the case is decided by a judge, may he come away guilty, and when he appeals to you for vindication, may his prayer become a sinful act in your eyes, so that you refuse to listen to him.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The infinitival phrase when he is judged (בְּהִשָּׁפְטוֹ) appears first in the clause as a frame setter, introducing the legal context in which the verse should be understood. Accordingly, the expression translated may he come away guilty (יֵצֵא רָשָׁע) probably means "to come out a guilty person" >> "to be found guilty." "The verb יצא suggests the conclusion of proceedings and has the purpose—via the terms linked to it—of indicating the kind of verdict passed by the judge."
• In this legal context, the word prayer (תְּפִלָּה) refers specifically to a prayer to God for vindication (cf. Pss 4:2; 17:1). The noun phrase "his prayer" (תְפִלָּתוֹ) is fronted for marked topic: "and as for his prayer..." The existence of "his prayer" is inferable from the context since a person who is found guilty (v. 7a) might be expected to appeal to YHWH for vindication (cf. Ps 17). We might paraphrase the clause, "And when he is found guilty, he will try to appeal to you for vindication. When he does, may his appeal (his prayer) be regarded as a sinful act!" For the prayer to become a sin (i.e., be regarded as sinful), cf. Prov 28:9: "God detests the prayers of a person who ignores the law" (NLT).
• Most translations interpret the yiqtol verbs in v. 7 as jussives: "...let him be condemned... let his prayer become sin" (KJV). The NET note argues that, because the verb in the b-line is a long yiqtol (תִּהְיֶה) and not a short yiqtol (תְּהִי, cf. v. 19), the b-line is probably indicative, and so the parallel clause in the a-line is probably also indicative: "When he is judged, he will be found guilty. Then his prayer will be regarded as sinful" (NET). The verse would thus describe the outcome of the events requested in v. 6. But this interpretation is not well-founded. When in the second position, it is normal for an expected volitional form to assume a long yiqtol form and yet keep the semantics of a volitional. The volitional interpretation best fits the context of this section (vv. 6-15), which is characterized by volitionals.

v. 8

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
8a	יִֽהְיֽוּ־יָמָ֥יו מְעַטִּ֑ים	May his days be few!
8b	פְּ֝קֻדָּת֗וֹ יִקַּ֥ח אַחֵֽר׃	May someone else take his position!

Expanded Paraphrase

May he receive the death penalty so that his days become few! May he die, so that someone else takes his position of leadership!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The yiqtol verbs in this verse—May...be (יִהְיוּ) and May...take (יִקַּח)——are morphologically ambiguous in terms of their modality (so also the verbs in vv. 9-11, 13, 14a, 15a). Nevertheless, most translations agree that these verbs are jussives. The jussive modality that predominates this section (vv. 6-15) is explicit in the opening imperative (v. 6a), the short yiqtol forms in vv. 12-13, and the use of the negative adverb אַל in v. 14b.
• Most translations interpret פְּקֻדָּתוֹ as the man's position (so NLT, NJPS), "office" (ESV), "job" (CEV, GNT, NET), or "place of leadership" (NIV). SDBH defines it as "a certain responsibility or position of authority with regards to an object, a group of people, or an entire land or nation." Other interpreters think that it refers to the man's possessions. But financial devastation and the confiscation of the man's goods are the theme of the following section (vv. 10-11). The current section (vv. 8-9), by contrast, is about the man's death (v. 8a) and the resultant changes in status: his children become orphans, his wife becomes a widow, and someone else takes his job.
• The noun phrase "his position" (פְּקֻדָּתוֹ) is probably fronted as the topic of the clause ("and as for his position..."). Alternatively, the fronting in this clause might be purely poetic.

v. 9

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
9a	יִֽהְיוּ־בָנָ֥יו יְתוֹמִ֑ים	May his children become fatherless,
9b	וְ֝אִשְׁתּוֹ אַלְמָנָֽה׃	and his wife [become] a widow!

Expanded Paraphrase

May he die, such that his children become fatherless, and his wife [becomes] and remains a widow with no one to marry her and care for the family!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• That his wife would not only become a widow but also remain a widow is implicit in the request of v. 9b. In ancient Israel, there were ways in which a widow could remarry and have children in the name of her deceased husband "so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel" (Deut 25:5-6). In this case, however, the curse implies that there will be no family member to marry his widow and preserve his name.

v. 10

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
10a	וְנ֤וֹעַ יָנ֣וּעוּ בָנָ֣יו וְשִׁאֵ֑לוּ	And may his children aimlessly wander from their ruins
10b	וְ֝דָרְשׁ֗וּ מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃	and beg and plead!

Expanded Paraphrase

And, having no father and no one else to care for the family, and having nowhere to turn for help, may his children aimlessly wander from their ruins, the ruins of their father's property, and beg and plead for food from everyone that they happen to bump into.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• It makes the most sense to read this verse according to the principle of vertical grammar, i.e., the prepositional phrase from their ruins (מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶם) in the second line modifies the verb phrase aimlessly wander (נוֹעַ יָנוּעוּ) in the first line. The NJPS translation nicely captures this interpretation of the verse: "May his children wander from their hovels, begging in search of [bread]." Translations that render the second line as "May they be driven from their ruined homes" (NIV, cf. NLT, GNT) are following a variant reading in the Septuagint (ἐκβληθήτωσαν, from יְגֹרְשׁוּ or גֹרשׁוּ). But the Greek translator (or an earlier Hebrew scribe) is probably just trying to make sense of a difficult text. The reading of the Masoretic Text is the more difficult reading, and it not only makes sense when understood according to the principle of vertical grammar, but it also results in a chiasm: (a) "may they aimlessly wander" (b) "and beg" (b') "and plead" (a') "from their ruins."
• The infinitive absolute aimlessly (נוֹעַ) probably specifies "the intensity or extreme nature" of their wandering.
• The verb translated and beg (וְשִׁאֵלוּ) usually occurs in the qal stem (שָׁאַל), but here it occurs in the piel stem (שִׁאֵל, only elsewhere in 2 Sam 20:18). Similarly, the verb translated and plead (וְדָרְשׁוּ) appears to be in the poel stem (only here for this verb). The Masorah Parva in the Leningrad Codex notes that the qametz vowel in וְ֝דָרְשׁ֗וּ is "חטף" and that this precise form occurs only here in the OT. Given the rarity of these verbs, it is difficult to determine their meaning based on usage.
  • The Septuagint translates the first verb (שִׁאֵלוּ) as "let them beg." This translation both works well in the context and with the known (pluractional) function of the piel stem: "to ask >> to ask repeatedly (i.e., to beg)."
  • The precise meaning of the second verb (וְדָרְשׁוּ) is more difficult to determine, though it is likely synonymous with שִׁאֵלוּ in the a-line. SDBH says, "meaning unsure; possibly: = action by which humans request other humans for a hand-out." In the qal stem, the verb usually means "seek" or "search." Thus, several translations render the verb here as "seek" or "search" and supply the direct object "food." Zenger supplies the direct object "a home." Barthélemy suggests that the poel form of the verb has the intensive meaning "to beg" or "to plead."
• The verbs beg and plead probably continue the volitional semantics of the preceding yiqtol-jussive verb (יָנוּעוּ). When weqatal follows a volitional form (imperative, jussive, or cohortative), it often continues the volitional semantics and expresses "a consequent (logical and/or chronological) situation to a situation represented by [the] volitive form."

v. 11

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
11a	יְנַקֵּ֣שׁ נ֭וֹשֶׁה לְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֑וֹ	May a lender seize everything belonging to him,
11b	וְיָבֹ֖זּוּ זָרִ֣ים יְגִיעֽוֹ׃	and may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor!

Expanded Paraphrase

Now that the man is dead, he is unable to earn money and pay his debts. And since he is abandoned by his friends and relatives, there is no one to pay his debts for him. So, May a lender, the lender to whom the father owed money, seize everything belonging to him, and may strangers, people outside of his family to whom he owed debt, plunder the fruits of his labor!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The description of the lender seizing the man's property can be illustrated by the similar scene in 2 Kgs 4:1: "Now the wife of one of the sons of the prophets cried to Elisha, 'Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that your servant feared the Lord, but the creditor has come to take my two children to be his slaves'" (ESV).
• The phrase translated the fruits of his labor (יְגִיעוֹ) (so NIV) refers to "what he has worked for" (CSB, cf. GNT), i.e., his property.

v. 12

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
12a	אַל־יְהִי־ל֭וֹ מֹשֵׁ֣ךְ חָ֑סֶד	May he have no one to maintain loyalty,
12b	וְֽאַל־יְהִ֥י ח֝וֹנֵ֗ן לִיתוֹמָֽיו׃	and may his fatherless children have no one to show them mercy!

Expanded Paraphrase

May he have no one to maintain loyalty to him after his death by caring for his family, and may his fatherless children have no one to show them mercy and provide for them financially!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The word loyalty (חֶסֶד) occurs four times in this psalm (vv. 12, 16, 21, 26) and refers to a "state in which humans or deities are committed towards fulfilling their obligations and show that by their actions."
  • In v. 12, it refers specifically to someone caring for the man's children, i.e., showing חֶסֶד to the deceased by taking care of his orphaned children. Cf. 2 Sam 9:1—"David asked, 'Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness (חֶסֶד) for Jonathan’s sake?'" (2 Sam 9:1, NIV).
  • In v. 16, it refers to the man's failure to fulfill his relational obligations to his friend, the psalmist. Whereas the psalmist loved him, did good to him, and regularly prayed for his well-being (vv. 4-5), the man responded with hate, harm, and curses (vv. 2-5, 16-18).
  • In vv. 21, 26, it refers to YHWH's loyalty towards the psalmist. If the psalmist is identified as "David" (see v. 1), then this "loyalty" should be understood in the context of YHWH's covenant to David (cf. 2 Sam 7).

v. 13

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
13a	יְהִֽי־אַחֲרִית֥וֹ לְהַכְרִ֑ית	May his posterity be doomed to destruction!
13b	בְּד֥וֹר אַ֝חֵ֗ר יִמַּ֥ח שְׁמָֽם׃	May their name be wiped out in the next generation!

Expanded Paraphrase

May his posterity be doomed to certain destruction! May their family name be wiped out in the next generation!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The phrase translated be doomed to destruction (יְהִי...לְהַכְרִית), a copular verb (היה) complemented by a lamed infinitive construct phrase, must mean something like "to fall prey to destruction." According to Jenni, היה + lamed + infinitive construct can communicate "necessity." Hence: "May his posterity be doomed to destruction" instead of simply, "May his posterity be destroyed."
• The plural suffix on "name," i.e., their name (שְׁמָם) refers to the members of his family. The NLT helpfully translates the phrase as "his family name" (NLT, cf. NEB: "their name"). The NIV has "their names" (plural), but the verse seems to be talking about the single name of the entire family.
• The expression translated next generation (דוֹר אַחֵר) (lit.: "another generation") occurs in Judges 2:10 and Joel 1:3. In the latter passage, it refers to "the next generation" and probably has the same meaning here: "may his family name be blotted out in the next generation" (NLT). This phrase is fronted before the verb, probably for marked focus. In other words, the point of this particular request is not just that his posterity would be wiped out (v. 13a), but that they would be wiped out soon, i.e., in the next generation (v. 13b).

v. 14

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
14a	יִזָּכֵ֤ר ׀ עֲוֺ֣ן אֲ֭בֹתָיו אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה	May his ancestors' iniquities be brought to YHWH's remembrance,
14b	וְחַטַּ֥את אִ֝מּ֗וֹ אַל־תִּמָּֽח׃	and may his mother's sin not be wiped away!

Expanded Paraphrase

Do not show mercy to the man's family for the sake of his ancestors! Rather, May his ancestors' iniquities be brought to YHWH's remembrance—for YHWH "will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation" (Exod 34:7, ESV)— and may his mother's sin not be wiped away!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The expression may...be brought to YHWH's remembrance is a round-about-way of saying "may the Lord remember" (GNT). The 3ms impersonal/passive language is characteristic of most of the curse section. Throughout the curse, YHWH's agency is implicit and only becomes explicit in the very last line (v. 15b).
• To "not remember" a past iniquity is to pardon it, whereas to "remember" a past iniquity is to refuse to pardon it.
• Although the word עֲוֺן is singular (lit.: "iniquity"), it probably does not refer to a specific iniquity. The fact that it is in construct with a plural phrase ("his ancestors") suggests that it should be understood as a collective: "the collective iniquity of his ancestors >> their iniquities."
• The fronting of the noun phrase his mother's sin (חַטַּאת אִמּוֹ) makes a chiasm with the previous line:

        a. "may be brought to remembrance"

            b. "his ancestors' iniquities"

            b. "his mother's sin"

        a. "may it not be wiped out"

v. 15

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
15a	יִהְי֣וּ נֶֽגֶד־יְהוָ֣ה תָּמִ֑יד	May they always be before YHWH,
15b	וְיַכְרֵ֖ת מֵאֶ֣רֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃	so that he destroys their memory from the earth!

Expanded Paraphrase

May they, i.e., their sins, always be before YHWH, so that he remembers their sins and executes justice, meaning no sin goes unpunished and wickedness perishes: so that he destroys their memory from the earth! May each of my accusers, who has not prized covenant loyalty but wantonly broken covenants, experience the curses of those covenants: death and extinction of their family line!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The weyiqtol verbal form (וְיַכְרֵת) implies purpose-result semantics: so that he destroys. Some translations revocalize the hiphil verb as a niphal (וְיִכָּרֵת), which requires analyzing the phrase "their memory" (זִכְרָם) as the grammatical subject instead of the direct object. See, for example, the NIV: "and may his name disappear from human memory." Both vocalizations are plausible.

vv. 16-20

The conjunction יַעַן אֲשֶׁר ("because") introduces the rationale for the preceding imprecations. As Jenkins writes, "Verses 16-19 are the charge sheet: they tell the history and character of the accused, and end by showing that the sentence being asked for (vv. 8-15 [or, 6-15]) is fitting for him (v. 19)."

The repetition of the root זכר ("memory, remember, be mindful") in vv. 14-16 binds vv. 16-20 to the previous section (vv. 6-15) and underscores the justness of the curse. Each of the accusers deserves to be completely forgotten (vv. 6-15) because each of them forgot to show loyalty (vv. 16-20). The punishment fits the crime (cf. v. 20).

v. 16

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
16a	יַ֗עַן אֲשֶׁ֤ר ׀ לֹ֥א זָכַר֮ עֲשׂ֪וֹת חָ֥סֶד	Because he was not mindful to show loyalty,
16b	וַיִּרְדֹּ֡ף אִישׁ־עָנִ֣י וְ֭אֶבְיוֹן	and he persecuted someone afflicted and poor
16c	וְנִכְאֵ֨ה לֵבָ֬ב לְמוֹתֵֽת׃	and disheartened to finish him off.

Expanded Paraphrase

This curse of extinction (vv. 6-15), the covenant curse that each of them invoked upon themselves when making the covenant, is completely warranted, Because he, i.e., each of my accusers, was not mindful to keep the covenant and show loyalty to me. He has neglected his covenant obligations, and instead of showing covenant loyalty and treating me as a friend, he did the opposite: he persecuted me, someone afflicted and poor and disheartened to finish him off.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• On the keyword loyalty (חָסֶד), see the note on v. 12.
• The fixed word pair afflicted and poor (עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן) (cf. v. 22) describes someone who is oppressed, who is suffering some kind of persecution and has no one to depend upon except YHWH. In this verse, the phrase refers to the psalmist who is being persecuted and falsely accused (vv. 1-5, 16) and who has no one to help him but YHWH (vv. 21-31).
• The psalmist describes himself as disheartened (נִכְאֵה לֵבָב) (so NET). Other translations say "brokenhearted" (NIV, NLT, ESV, NEB) or "crushed in spirit" (NJPS). The word נִכְאֵה refers to a "state in which humans lack confidence." The "heart" (לֵבָב) is the "seat of feelings and emotions."
• The word translated finish...off (מוֹתֵת) is a relatively rare word for killing. It is used to refer to David killing (an already injured) Goliath with a sword (1 Sam 17:51), Abimelech's armor-bearer killing (an already injured) Abimelech (Judg 9:54), the Amalekite killing (an already injured) Saul (2 Sam 1:9-10), and Jonathan's armor-bearer killing those whom Jonathan has already injured (1 Sam 14). In these examples, the patient is already in the process of dying. Hence, the gloss "finish off" is more accurate than merely "kill."

v. 17

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
17a	*וַיֶּאֱהַ֣ב קְ֭לָלָה *וּתְבוֹאֵ֑הוּ	And he loves cursing, and so it will come upon him,
17b	וְֽלֹא־חָפֵ֥ץ בִּ֝בְרָכָ֗ה *וְתִרְחַ֥ק* מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃	and he takes no pleasure in blessing, and so it will stay far from him.

Expanded Paraphrase

And he has unjustly called down curses on me. Apparently, he loves cursing, and so it is only fitting that the covenant curses will come upon him, and he does not bless me as he ought to. Apparently, he takes no pleasure in blessing, and so it is only fitting that the covenant blessings will stay far from him.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The verbs translated and so it will come upon him (וּתְבוֹאֵהוּ) and and so it will stay far from him (וְתִרְחַק) could also be translated as "and it has come upon him" and "and it has distanced itself from him" (cf. NET, NLT) depending on how the Hebrew consonantal text is vocalized. Our preferred understanding of the verbs vocalizes them as weyiqtols, following the Septuagint and most modern translations (cf. KJV, ESV, NIV, NJPS, GNT, NRSV). Translations that have past tense verbs vocalize these verbs as wayyiqtols (וַתְּבוֹאֵהוּ...וַתִּרְחַק), following the Masoretic text. The weyiqtol vocalization assumed by the Septuagint makes the most sense in the context. For a curse to "come" (בוא) means for it to take effect. Thus, the wayyiqtol form וַתְּבוֹאֵהוּ would have to be "understood in such a way that the psalmist is mentally transported into the future and looks back from here." Yet there is no clear indication (apart from the verb form in question) that the text should be read in this way. The text makes more sense if the form is vocalized as a weyiqtol (וּתְבוֹאֵהוּ). The parallel verb about blessing should be similarly vocalized (וְתִרְחַק).

v. 18

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
18a	וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ קְלָלָ֗ה כְּמַ֫דּ֥וֹ	And he put on a curse like his garment,
18b	וַתָּבֹ֣א כַמַּ֣יִם בְּקִרְבּ֑וֹ	and it went inside him like water
18c	וְ֝כַשֶּׁ֗מֶן בְּעַצְמוֹתָֽיו׃	and into his body like oil.

Expanded Paraphrase

Making a covenant involves swearing oaths, and the swearing of oaths is usually accompanied by rituals to solemnize the event and symbolize the nature of the curses. When we made our covenant, we each put on clothes, drank water, and rubbed oil into our skin to symbolize the latent presence and potential destruction of the covenant curses on our bodies and on our children. And so he voluntarily put on a curse like his garment, and it went inside him like water when he drank the water and into his body like oil when he rubbed it into his skin.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The three images for the curse in this verse (garment... water... oil) are found in some Ancient Near Eastern texts about oath-taking rituals. It appears that, when swearing an oath, the person swearing would, in some cases, drink water and rub oil on themselves as part of an oath-taking ritual. The water and oil symbolized the latent power of the conditional curse, which would be effectuated if the person did not keep their oath. In Ps 109, the images function as stereotypical elements of an oath-taking ritual. The point the psalmist is making in vv. 16-19 is that his accusers are guilty of breaking their oath, and so they deserve to have the covenant curses come upon them.
  • See, for example, the following Hittite text from ca. 1200-1180 BC: "[Just as] these curses [are]... in the beer that you drink..., [in the same way] let it convey [these curses] into (your) heart. [Just as] you rub yourself down with oil, in the same [way] let these curses be rubbed down onto [you]! Just as you continually put on a garment, in the same way put on these curses!"
  • See also the Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon: "Just as bread and wine enter the intestines so, may they (the gods) let this oath enter your intestines and into the intestines of your sons and daughters... Just as (this) oil enters your flesh so may they make this oath enter your flesh, the flesh of your brothers, your sons and daughters."
  • We see a trace of this practice in the Old Testament: "Then let the priest make the woman take the oath of the curse, and say to the woman, ‘the Lord make you a curse and an oath among your people, when the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your body swell. May this water that brings the curse pass into your bowels and make your womb swell and your thigh fall away.’ And the woman shall say, ‘Amen, Amen’" (Num 5:21-22).

v. 19

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
19a	תְּהִי־ל֭וֹ כְּבֶ֣גֶד יַעְטֶ֑ה	May it be for him like clothes [that] he wears,
19b	וּ֝לְמֵ֗זַח תָּמִ֥יד יַחְגְּרֶֽהָ׃	and [may it become] a belt [that] he always puts on!

Expanded Paraphrase

Now that he has broken the covenant, activate the covenant curse that is latent within him! May it be for him like clothes [that] he wears, that go with him wherever he goes and follow his every movement, and [may it become] a belt [that] he always puts on!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The verb [that] he wears (יַעֲטֶה) in v. 19a is an asyndetic relative clause. See, for example, the ESV: "May it be like a garment that he wraps around him" (ESV). The last two words of the b-line, [that] he always puts on (תָּמִיד יַחְגְּרֶהָ) are probably also an asyndetic relative clause: "like a belt that he puts on every day!" (ESV). The adverb "always" (תָּמִיד) is fronted in the relative clause, probably for marked focus. The curse will be something that he carries with him always, every day.
• There is a subtle shift in the verse from being like (כְּ) clothes that he wears (v. 19a) to becoming ([היה] + ל) a belt that he always puts on. This shift, in addition to the adverb "always" in the b-line, has an intensifying effect.

v. 20

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
20a	זֹ֤את פְּעֻלַּ֣ת שֹׂ֭טְנַי מֵאֵ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה	This is what my accusers, those who speak evil against me,
20b	וְהַדֹּבְרִ֥ים רָ֝֗ע עַל־נַפְשִֽׁי׃	have earned from YHWH.

Expanded Paraphrase

This curse is not something that I arbitrarily wish upon my accusers. Rather, this is what my accusers, those who speak evil against me, have earned from YHWH. As a matter of justice, YHWH must pay them the wage for which they have worked.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• This verse is difficult to interpret in a number of ways, and it is critical for a proper understanding of the psalm. See The Meaning of Ps 109:20 for a detailed discussion of the issues. The main conclusions are restated here:
  • The manuscript evidence strongly supports reading the consonants שטני מאת יהוה. There is some disagreement about the proper word division (שטני מאת יהוה vs שטנים את יהוה), but the word division in MT makes the most sense.
  • If we read מֵאֵת יְהוָה with MT, then it is best to understand this phrase as modifying פְּעֻלַּת and indicating YHWH as the agent or source of the פְּעֻלָּה: from YHWH. This interpretation corresponds to the normal usage of מֵאֵת. Attempts to understand מֵאֵת in any other way do not have strong support.
  • If we understand מֵאֵת יְהוָה to mean that YHWH is the agent or source of the פְּעֻלָּה, then it makes the most sense to understand פְּעֻלַּת in a retributive sense: "the punishment [lit.: wage] for my accusers" >> what my accusers... have earned. This meaning of the phrase corresponds well with similar usage in the Hebrew Bible.
  • The mood of the clause in v. 20 is probably indicative ("is" vs. "may... be"), since clauses of this type are typically indicative, and since this meaning works well in the context.

Vindication (vv. 21-31)

Several words and roots occurring in v. 16 (the beginning of one section [vv. 16-20]) are repeated here in at the beginning of this section (vv. 21-22). These repetitions include:

1. עשׂה ("show," "take action")
2. חֶסֶד ("loyalty")
3. עָנִי ("afflicted")
4. וְאֶבְיוֹן ("and poor")
5. לב ("heart")

These five words occur in the same sequence in both v. 16 and vv. 21-22.

Among these repeated words/roots, the word "loyalty" (חֶסֶד) is especially prominent, occurring again at the beginning of the next section (vv. 26-31). In v. 16, the word "loyalty" (חֶסֶד) occurs with reference to the psalmist's accusers, who have failed to show loyalty (v. 16). In v. 21 and v. 26, it occurs with reference to YHWH, whose loyalty—in contrast to the accusers' loyalty—is "good" (v. 21b) and forms the basis of his plea for rescue (vv. 21, 26) (The word חֶסֶד also occurs in v. 12, though in this instance, the word does not occur at the beginning of a section as in vv. 16, 21, 26, and so its use here is somewhat disassociated from the pattern in vv. 16-31).

When viewed as a unit, these three final sections (vv. 16-31) also begin and end in a similar way—with the construction lamed + infinitive construct: "to finish him off" (לְמוֹתֵת, v. 16) and "to save him" (לְהוֹשִׁיעַ, v. 31). These two constructions resemble one another in that (1) they represent two of the three lamed + infinitive constructs in the psalm (cf. the other one in v. 13a); (2) they both lack direct objects (lit. "to finish off" and "to save"); (3) they both have to do with life and death respectively.

The following visual summarizes these features:

The repetition of words/roots in v. 16 and vv. 21-22 has a structural effect: the similarities mark the beginnings of new sections (vv. 16-20; vv. 21ff). The repetition of "loyalty" (חֶסֶד) in v. 26, together with other structural elements, marks the beginning of yet another section (vv. 26-31). The repetitions also give cohesion to the psalm as a whole, connecting vv. 16-20, which otherwise belong closely with vv. 2-15, to vv. 21-31. Verses 16-20 thus function as a seam, binding the two sections of the psalm, or as a janus, pointing both backwards and forwards.

The repetitions also bring one of the main themes of the psalm into focus: YHWH's loyalty in contrast to human loyalty. The numerous lexical connections between v. 16 and vv. 21-22 underscore this contrast. Humans—many of them at least—are not trustworthy, and their propensity to break covenant results in death (לְמוֹתֵת, v. 16). By contrast, YHWH's loyalty is "good," i.e., "reliable" (v. 21b), leading to life and salvation (לְהוֹשִׁיעַ, v. 31). YHWH is a loyal covenant partner who can always be trusted, even when no one else can.

vv. 21-25

This subsection consists of (1) a plea for YHWH to take action and rescue the psalmist (v. 21), grounded in (2) a vivid description of the psalmist's miserable condition (vv. 22-25). In vv. 22-25, he lists different aspects of his being that are suffering: "as for my heart..." (v. 22), "as for my knees..." (v. 24a), "as for my body..." (v. 24b), "as for me (i.e., my whole person, specifically in terms of my existence in relation to others)..." (v. 25). Each of these subjects is fronted before the verb and thereby marked for topic.

v. 21

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
21a	וְאַתָּ֤ה ׀ יְה֘וִ֤ה אֲדֹנָ֗י עֲֽשֵׂה־אִ֭תִּי לְמַ֣עַן שְׁמֶ֑ךָ	But you, YHWH, Lord, take action for me, for the sake of your name!
21b	כִּי־ט֥וֹב חַ֝סְדְּךָ֗ הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃	Because your loyalty is good, rescue me!

Expanded Paraphrase

But you, YHWH, Lord, do not be silent! Instead, take action for me and rescue me from the threat of my accusers. Do this for the sake of your name! For you and I are also in a covenant relationship, and if you do not show loyalty to me, your reputation will be damaged. Because your covenant loyalty is good and reliable, unlike the 'loyalty' of my accusers, rescue me!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The words But you, YHWH, Lord (וְאַתָּה יְהוִה אֲדֹנָי) mark a major shift in the psalm. Up to this point, the topic of the discourse has mostly been the psalmist's enemies (vv. 2-20). In this verse, however, the topic shifts away from the enemies and their deserved punishment to YHWH and his desired acting on the psalmist's behalf. The (pre-verb, pre-vocative) phrase "but you" (וְאַתָּה) marks the transition. There is a strong contrast between the psalmist's enemies who failed to show loyalty (v. 16) and YHWH whose loyalty is "good" (v. 21).
• For the phrase your loyalty (חַסְדְּךָ), see the note on v. 12 and the note on vv. 21-31.

v. 22

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
22a	כִּֽי־עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְי֣וֹן אָנֹ֑כִי	For I am afflicted and poor,
22b	וְ֝לִבִּ֗י חָלַ֥ל בְּקִרְבִּֽי׃	and my heart is in anguish inside me.

Expanded Paraphrase

I need you to rescue me, For I am afflicted and poor, and my heart is in anguish inside me. I am afraid and distressed to my very core.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• For the phrase afflicted and poor (עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן), see the note on v. 16.
• The verb translated in anguish (חָלַל) is difficult. Some translations have "pierced" (NRSV), "stricken" (ESV), or "wounded" (NIV, KJV, CSB), from the root חלל). But for this meaning, we would have expected the polal stem, not the qal, which, with the possible exception of Ps 77:11, is otherwise unattested for this root. The nearly identical clause in Ps 55:5—לִ֭בִּי יָחִ֣יל בְּקִרְבִּ֑י ("my heart is in anguish within me")—suggests that the verb חָלַל in Ps 109 has a similar meaning to the verb יָחִיל in Ps 55. On this basis, some scholars propose emending the text in Psalm 109, for example, to חֹלַל (so BHS). But this kind of interchange among weak roots (e.g., חלל/חיל) is common in Hebrew. As the forthcoming Oxford Grammar of Biblical Hebrew states, "One specific root may be used in the qatal form, whereas another root may be used for the yiqtol form." In this case, יחיל is used in the yiqtol form (Ps 55), and חלל is used in the qatal form (Ps 109). The following definition by SDBH (for חִיל) would therefore apply to the word in Ps 109: "state in which humans experience strong fear and distress, compared to the state of mind of a woman in labor; often accompanied by physical side-effects, like writhing, and trembling."

v. 23

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
23a	כְּצֵל־כִּנְטוֹת֥וֹ נֶהֱלָ֑כְתִּי	Like a shadow when it is stretched out, I have faded.
23b	נִ֝נְעַ֗רְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃	I have been shaken off like a locust.

Expanded Paraphrase

My death is imminent. Like a shadow when it is stretched out in the evening when the sun is setting, I have faded and I am about to disappear entirely into the night. Just as people harvest locusts by shaking them out of trees in the cold morning hours when they are unable to fly away, so I have been shaken off like a locust and, unable to escape, I am about to be devoured.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The psalmist describes himself in this verse using two images: (1) a shadow, and (2) a locust. Both images emphasize the fact his death is imminent. In terms of syntax, the verse is arranged as a chiasm:

        a. "like a shadow..."

            b. "I have faded"

            b. "I have been shaken off"

        a. "like a locust"

• The phrase when it is stretched out (כִּנְטוֹתוֹ) refers to the lengthening of a shadow in the late afternoon, as the sun is setting. Thus, as the NET Bible helpfully explains, "He is like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness." The phrase (כְּצֵל־כִּנְטוֹתוֹ) is probably fronted as a frame setter, introducing the controlling image according to which this clause is to be understood. The following story triangle depicts this recurring sequence of events.

• The verb translated I have faded (נֶהֱלָכְתִּי) occurs only here in the OT (in the niphal stem). Yet most lexicons and modern translations agree that it means something like "fade" or "vanish." The Septuagint has "I am erased", and Jerome has "I am taken away." The Targum has, "I am diminished." In the qal stem, the verb הלך can be a euphemism for death ("pass away"). It can also describe the "walking" of a shadow.
• The Bible uses a number of words for "locust," and אַרְבֶּה is "the commonest and most general word."
• The verb I have been shaken off (נִנְעַרְתִּי) is rare, occurring (in the niphal stem) only here and in Job 38:13. The corresponding qal verb can refer to trees shaking off their leaves (Isa 33:10). Thus, the verb here probably means "shaken off." It could be, as Zenger explains, that "The petitioner was/is shaken off a garment to the ground like an annoying bug, to be trodden underfoot." Thus, some translations say, "brushed off" (NLT) or "tossed aside" (CEV). It is more likely, however, that the images allude to the practice of harvesting locusts by shaking them out of trees in the early morning hours when they are stiff and still. This meaning works well in the context: the psalmist is completely helpless, and his destruction is imminent, like a locust that has just been shaken from a tree and is about to be consumed. The following story triangle depicts this recurring sequence of events.

v. 24

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
24a	בִּ֭רְכַּי כָּשְׁל֣וּ מִצּ֑וֹם	My knees have faltered from fasting,
24b	וּ֝בְשָׂרִ֗י כָּחַ֥שׁ מִשָּֽׁמֶן׃	and my body has become gaunt, without any fat.

Expanded Paraphrase

I have been praying to you, YHWH, for help. And, as I pray, I have been fasting. My knees have faltered from fasting, and my body has become gaunt, without any fat.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• People fast to express sorrow and a desire for answered prayer. See, for example, 2 Sam 12:16, which says, "David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground" (NIV).
• The verb has become gaunt (כָּחַשׁ, qal) is another rare verb in a series of rare verbs in these verses, occurring only here in the OT. The Aramaic cognate verb כחשׁ occurs several times in the Babylonian Talmud with the meaning "to become weak, deteriorate." This meaning works well in the context: in the previous line (v. 24a), he describes his fasting, and in this line (v. 24b), the verb כחשׁ (with the subject "body") is modified by the prepositional phrase "without any fat" (מִשָּׁמֶן). Thus, the ESV translates the line, "My body has become gaunt, with no fat." See also the more idiomatic translation of the GNT: "I am nothing but skin and bones." Compare the similar description in Ps 22:18: "I can count all of my bones."
• The min preposition in the phrase translated without any fat (מִשָּׁמֶן) is a privative min ("away from" >> "without").

v. 25

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
25a	וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ הָיִ֣יתִי חֶרְפָּ֣ה לָהֶ֑ם	And I have become an object of scorn to them.
25b	יִ֝רְא֗וּנִי יְנִיע֥וּן רֹאשָֽׁם׃	When they see me, they shake their heads.

Expanded Paraphrase

And I have become an object of scorn to them, i.e., to my accusers, who see my suffering and conclude that I am helpless, as good as dead, and that you will not rescue me. When they see me, they shake their heads and mock me, saying things like "He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” (Ps 22:9, ESV).

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The sequence of yiqtol verbs in v. 25b—When they see me, they shake (יִרְאוּנִי יְנִיעוּן)—is a serial verb construction; the two verbs express immediately consecutive actions. Thus, most English translations render the first clause as subordinate: "when they see me, they shake their heads" (NIV, NLT, NET, cf. ESV, CEV).

vv. 26-31

The psalmist here makes one final plea for YHWH to help and rescue him. In response to his public vindication (vv. 26-29), he will publicly praise YHWH in the midst of many people (v. 30). The verb "save" (הוֹשִׁיע) frames this section (vv. 26, 31).

v. 26

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
26a	עָ֭זְרֵנִי יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑י	Help me, YHWH, my God!
26b	ה֭וֹשִׁיעֵ֣נִי כְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃	Save me according to your loyalty,

Expanded Paraphrase

Help me, YHWH, my God! Save me according to your covenant loyalty,

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The vocative YHWH, my God (יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי) in v. 26 has a poetic structural function, introducing vv. 26-31 as a section parallel with vv. 21-25. In terms of word order, the vocative is clause-final, probably for the sake of discourse continuity. (A long clause initial-vocative in the middle of a main section [vv. 21-31] would mark too strong a break.)
• In a legal context, help (עזר) refers to "a successful intervention by the defender. Just as the action of an accuser is a sort of threat that tends to become a condemnation, so the action of a defender—by bringing out the accused's innocence and the accuser's lying—tends to decide the juridical conflict favourably."

v. 27

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
27a	וְֽ֭יֵדְעוּ כִּי־יָ֣דְךָ זֹּ֑את	so that they know that this is your doing;
27b	אַתָּ֖ה יְהוָ֣ה עֲשִׂיתָֽהּ׃	[that] you, YHWH, have done it.

Expanded Paraphrase

and make my salvation so clear and obvious so that they know that this, my rescue, is your doing; [that] you, YHWH, have done it. Make it clear to everyone, especially my accusers, that I am in the right and they are in the wrong. Vindicate me, YHWH!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The weyiqtol verbal form (וְיֵדְעוּ) following the imperatives in the previous verse probably indicates purpose-result semantics: so that they know.
• The phrase translated your doing (יָדְךָ) (so NLT) is, literally, "your hand" (NIV, ESV). "Hand" is figurative for action (metonymy). The phrase "your doing" is fronted for marked focus: "that they may know that this is your doing." Similarly, the overt pronoun in v. 27 ("you" [אַתָּה], which is not obligatory, but has been added for pragmatic effect and is fronted before the verb and the vocative) has the same function: "[Let them know that] you, YHWH, (you and no other), are the one who is responsible for helping me." In other words, the psalmist says that YHWH (and YHWH alone) will get the credit for saving him. Implicitly, the psalmist is saying, "if you save me, then people will recognize your power and praise you! (cf. v. 30)."
• Because the clause in the second line—[that] you, YHWH, have done it (אַתָּ֖ה יְהוָ֣ה עֲשִׂיתָֽהּ)—is synonymous with the clause in the first line—"this is your doing" (יָדךָ זֹּאת)—both clauses should be understood as part of what the enemies come to "know" as the result of YHWH's action. In other words, the second clause, like the first, is probably an embedded clause.

v. 28

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
28a	יְקַֽלְלוּ־הֵמָּה֮ וְאַתָּ֪ה תְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְ	Let them curse! But you will bless.
28b	קָמַי* יֵבֹשׁוּ* וְֽעַבְדְּךָ֥ יִשְׂמָֽח׃	Those who have risen up against me will come to shame, but your servant will rejoice.

Expanded Paraphrase

Let them curse all they want! But it won't have any effect. Though they curse me and ask you to bring the curses onto me, you will bless me and rescue me from them. When it becomes clear to everyone that I am in the right and that my accusers are in the wrong, then Those who have risen up against me to accuse me will come to public shame, but I, your servant, will rejoice.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• There are three instances of marked word order in v. 28 that function to highlight contrasts: "Let them (non-obligatory pronoun) curse! But you (fronted non-obligatory pronoun) will bless. As for those who have risen up against me (fronted constituent), they will come to shame, but as for your servant (fronted constituent), I will rejoice."
• The clause-initial position of the verb Let them curse! (יְקַֽלְלוּ) implies jussive semantics. The NLT does a good job rendering this line: "Then let them curse me if they like, but you will bless me!"
• A curse depends on God for its effect. If the curse is illegitimate, then God might respond instead with blessing. See, for example, 2 Sam, 16:11-12: "David said to Abishai and to all his servants, 'Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today'" (ESV).
• There is a textual problem in the second half of the verse. Some translations, following the Septuagint, revocalize and emend the text to read קָמַי יֵבֹשׁוּ: Those who have risen up against me will come to shame. This reading makes for a stronger correspondence with the a-line: (a) let them curse (b) but you will bless // (a') those who have risen up against me come to shame (b') but your servant will rejoice.
• The verb risen up (קום) is sometimes used to refer to the judicial initiative taken by an accuser (i.e., getting up to speak). As Bovati writes, "The verb קום may be considered typical of a speech at a trial."
• Shame (בושׁ) often has a forensic connotation: "may my accusers be shown to be in the wrong", "let me not be shown to have been in the wrong to have trusted in you", "may my enemies admit to having been mistaken (always culpable) in their estimate of me."

v. 29

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
29a	יִלְבְּשׁ֣וּ שׂוֹטְנַ֣י כְּלִמָּ֑ה	My accusers will be clothed in dishonor
29b	וְיַעֲט֖וּ כַמְעִ֣יל בָּשְׁתָּֽם׃	and wear their shame like a robe.

Expanded Paraphrase

My accusers will be clothed in dishonor and wear their shame like a robe so that their shame is visible to everyone as a marker of their social status.

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• It is unclear whether the yiqtol verbs in v. 29 are indicative ("they will be clothed...") or jussive ("may they be clothed..."). The fact that the immediately preceding (vv. 28b) and following (v. 30) clauses are indicative supports an indicative reading of the clauses in v. 29. Furthermore, the tone of vv. 28-31 is one of confident expectation, not petition. Whereas in vv. 6-15, the psalmist prays for his enemies' destruction, in vv. 28-31, he confidently expresses the assurance that his enemies will come to shame (v. 29). He, by contrast, will praise YHWH for his deliverance (v. 30).

v. 30

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
30a	א֘וֹדֶ֤ה יְהוָ֣ה מְאֹ֣ד בְּפִ֑י	I will fully acknowledge YHWH with my mouth,
30b	וּבְת֖וֹךְ רַבִּ֣ים אֲהַֽלְלֶֽנּוּ׃	and I will praise him in the midst of many people.

Expanded Paraphrase

Whereas their mouths were filled with falsehood and deceit, my mouth will be filled with your praise! I will fully acknowledge YHWH with my mouth, and I will praise him in the midst of many people. I will tell everyone about what he has done for me!

Grammatical Diagram

Notes

• The fronting of the prepositional phrase in the midst of many people (בְתוֹךְ רַבִּים) in v. 30b creates a chiasm:

        a. "I will fully acknowledge YHWH"

            b. "with (ב) my mouth"

            b. "in (ב) the midst of many people"

        a. "I will praise him"

v. 31

v.	Hebrew	Close-but-Clear
31a	כִּֽי־יַ֭עֲמֹד לִימִ֣ין אֶבְי֑וֹן	For he stands at a poor person's right,
31b	לְ֝הוֹשִׁ֗יעַ מִשֹּׁפְטֵ֥י נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃	to save him from those who condemn him to death.

Expanded Paraphrase

For he always stands at a poor person's right, at the side of the innocent sufferer, to save him from those who try to condemn him to death.

Grammatical Diagram

See diagram for previous verse.

Notes

• The discourse marker for (כִּי) in v. 31 introduces the reasoning behind the psalmist's commitment to praise in v. 30.
• YHWH is described as one who (generally, habitually) stands at a poor person's right. The language and imagery recall v. 6: "May an accuser stand at his right." But whereas standing at a person's right in v. 6 implied accusation, here it implies commitment and help (cf. v. 26). According to Bovati, "Someone who takes an active part in a debate, and takes a person's side, formally stands by that person—as a party—and falls under the same judgment."
• The phrase translated those who condemn him to death (שֹׁפְטֵי נַפְשׁוֹ) is, more literally, "judge his life" or "render a judgment on his life," but here it "appears to have the otherwise unattested meaning 'condemn to death.'"

Legends

Grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

Grammatical Term	Definition	Diagram	Example
Clausal Additions
Subject	The subject performs the action of the active verb or receives the action of a passive verb. With intransitive verbs	Indicated at the beginning of the main clausal line, and followed by a vertical line that crosses over the main clause line (separating the subject from the predicate).
Direct Object	Object that receives the direct action of a (transitive) verb	Indicate with a vertical line up from main clausal line
Predicate adjective/ Subject complement	A word used with a linking verb (ex. "to be"), renaming or restating the subject. Can be a whole prepositional phrase.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line. It can be on a stand if it is an embedded clause.
Object Complement	Word following a direct object to state what it has become.	Indicate with a vertical slanted line up from the main clausal line.
Infinitives	Can be subject, adverbial, or an infinitive construct.	Indicate with double vertical lines that cross the main clausal line. If used adverbially (ie. an embedded clause), place on a stand.
Participles	A verbal noun/adjective that can be used in three positions: (1) substantival; (2) attributive; (3) predicative.	Indicate with a round vertical line. Substantival participles are placed on a stand (they are embedded). Attributive participles are placed with a rounded line underneath what is modified.
Modifiers
Adjectives	A word modifying a noun to indicate quality, quantity, extent, or differentiating something from something else.	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Adverbs	A word that modifies a verb, adverb, adjective, prepositional phrase, clause, or sentence to express a relation (ex. manner, quality, or time).	Indicate with a slanted line down from what is modified.
Construct relationships	Construction can express many different relationships between two (or more) nouns. English grammarians call this construction a ‘Construct’ (our term) or ‘Genitive’ phrase; Hebrew grammarians call it smīḵūt (סְמִיכוּת).	Indicate with a stair-step down from the modified word/clause/phrase.
Prepositional phrases	A phrase that consists of a preposition and its object and has adjectival or adverbial value	Indicate with a slanted vertical line connecting to a new clause.
Connectives	(1) Coordinating conjunctions join together words or word groups of equal grammatical rank (2) Subordinating conjunctions join a main clause and a clause which does not form a complete sentence by itself.	Indicate with a dashed line down from a vertical line marker.
Embedded clause	A clause inside another clause which can include substantival participles, adverbial infinitives, and prepositional phrases.	Indicate using stilts.
Particles
Subordinating particle	Indicates a dependent clause.	Indicate with a dashed line down from the antecedent to the pronoun.
Apposition	A word that is functioning as an explanatory equivalent as another in the sentence	Place on a line apart from the diagram but next to the word it is the equivalent of with an equal sign in between.
Vocative	Indicating a person being addressed (usually with a 2nd person verb)	Place on a line apart from the diagram next to the '()' indicating the gapped subject an equal sign in between.

Master Diagram

Shapes and colors on grammatical diagram

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

	Prepositional phrase	Construct chain	Construct chain within a prepositional phrase	Phrase-level waw	Article and כֹּל
Diagram Shading
Definition	- A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition plus its object. The phrase usually modifies the clause or another constituent in the clause.	- A construct chain, also called a 'genitive phrase', is a grammatical encoding of the relationship 'A of B,' in which A is a phonologically modified noun (in the construct state), and B is a phonologically unmodified noun (the absolute state).	- Some construct chains occur within prepositional phrases	- A waw conjunction can join units of all sizes. Phrase level waw join units at the word or phrase level (i.e., below the level of the clause).	- Definite articles tell you something about the identifiability or inclusiveness about the word it is attached to - כֹּל is a quantifier that tells you about the scope of a word it is attached to

Expanded paraphrase

For legend, click "Expand" to the right

• Close but Clear (CBC) translation
• Assumptions which provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences

Bibliography

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Footnotes

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