Seventh-day Adventist Bible CommentaryPsalms 109

Hold not thy peace. The enemies were slandering the psalmist and mocking his God. David knew his Lord so intimately and his confidence was so deep that he boldly asked his Friend to break the silence and to speak.

Lying tongue. False witnesses support the unfounded accusations against the psalmist. It is hard to endure lying reports, but we are admonished to rejoice when all manner of evil is spoken of us falsely for Christ’s sake (Matt. 5:11).

Words of hatred. Compare Jer. 18:18.

Unto prayer. Rather than retaliate, the psalmist gave himself to prayer and intercession. Happy is the man who can find refuge from every trial and false accusation in the secret place of communion with God.

For my love. The kindness of the psalmist to his enemies was required by more severe hatred on their part. The greatest demonstration of love toward enemies was seen in Christ, the Son of God (see Rom. 5:7–10). There never was love manifested like His. Despite the manifestation of this love He was betrayed and crucified. Yet in His dying

agony His love for His enemies lost none of its ardor as He prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

Wicked man over him. God often permits a wicked tyrant to control a sinful people.

Let his prayer become sin. Literally, “his prayer shall become sin.” The verb here used is a simple future, as distinguished from the form specifying a wish. The prayer of the wicked does not proceed from true penitence, but from sorrow for the results of the sin. Such prayers God cannot accept (see Prov. 28:9; Isa. 1:15).

Let his days be few. The Hebrew allows the alternate translation, “his days will be few” (see on v. 7). Office. Heb. pequddah, signifying the office of the overseer. This verse was cited by Peter as a sanction for filling the place of Judas by the election of another apostle (see Acts 1:20).

Fatherless. In this world of sin “it is inevitable that children should suffer from the consequences of parental wrongdoing” (PP 306; see on Joshua 7:15). Conversely, the Lord is gracious to the offspring of the righteous and extends mercy to their succeeding generations (Ex. 20:6).

Extortioner. One who puts out his money to usury. He is here represented as demanding everything that his debtor possesses.

To extend mercy. That is, to make mercy continue or last. While it is true that the Lord’s love is everlasting (see Jer. 31:3), there comes an end to the pleadings of the Holy Spirit and to the extending of mercy to ungrateful sinners (see Gen. 6:3).

Generation following. The Israelite, with his strong sense of family solidarity, looked forward to his name living on in his descendants. The extinction of the family name was considered a terrible calamity (see on Gen. 38:8).

Let it come. Here, as in v. 7, the fate of the wicked is expressed, not so much in the form of a wish, but in the simple historical form, as the inevitable result of the decision that the wicked have pronounced upon themselves by their conduct.

Reward. Those who despite God’s love and His grace bring a curse upon themselves. Their punishment is a reward for their actions, the inevitable result of their own choice.

Shadow. When the day declines, the shadow lengthens till it vanishes in the descending darkness. Tossed up and down. Better, “shaken off.” The psalmist feels as helpless as the poor locust.

Help me. In the concluding section of the psalm, the cry for help is renewed, and the psalmist casts himself wholly upon the mercy of God. The psalm closes with the joyous prospect that after the suffering will come the glory, after the cross, the crown.

Bless thou. What matters whether we are cursed by wicked men as long as we know that the blessing of Heaven is resting upon us?

Clothed with shame. Sin always brings shame and disgrace (see Gen. 3:7–11).

Praise him. We should praise the Lord publicly. He is ever at our side to help us and to save us from those enemies who are seeking to destroy us.