Psalm 109 - Prayer for divine vengeance

This psalm is a prayer for judgement on a particular individual who has betrayed David. Verse 8 was cited by Peter in Acts 1 as a reason for replacing Judas with another apostle. At the least, Peter regarded the words of this psalm as containing a guiding principle for action regarding the position that Judas had relinquished by his actions.

Some may wonder whether the sentiments of the psalm are appropriate in light of New Testament statements in which we are to forgive those who oppose us and not take vengeance on those who attack us. David does not personally take vengeance – he asks God to act, and Paul confirms the correctness of this response when he reminded the Romans not to take vengeance because that response belongs only to God (Rom. 12:19).

There is a difference between responding to individual wrongs and wrongs done to the state. A Christian tax collector may tell a person who owes him money to forget about it, but he cannot behave in that way when working for the Inland Revenue.

The situation in the psalm describes treason against the government. Given that it was God’s choice of government, it was a great sin to work against it. The sin was made worse by the fact that the man had rebelled against a righteous king (vv. 1-5), a ruler who was marked by love and prayer, and who had not done anything to justify the plottings against him.

David wanted justice to take place (vv. 6-7) and for the punishment to reflect the crime, which was death for the man and trouble for his family (vv. 8-13). At that time, there was the practice of corporate responsibility in which if the head was guilty of a crime the clan was also punished, as was seen in the earlier case of Achan when he disobeyed God’s command (Judg. 7:19-24). Indeed, there is a hint in verse 14 that family background was at least partly to blame for the man’s actions. The family line should come to an end (v. 15).

The wicked man’s character is described in verses 16-17, and a link is made between his sinful attitudes and his sins of omission concerning the needy (vv. 18-20). Those sins would reap what they had sowed, and David knew about that connection, so he used it in his prayer concerning the man.

In contrast to that man, David was different. He depended on the Lord and had no confidence in himself. Indeed, circumstances had made him a broken man internally and physically (vv. 21-24). His physical state drew scorn from his opponents (v. 25). Therefore he turned for help to his faithful God, the One with whom he was in covenant. By the Lord giving him blessing, the opponents would know that God was on his side. He was God’s special servant and when he was blest they would be dishonoured for their false accusations (vv. 26-29).

David knew that the Lord would hear his prayer. Therefore he anticipated once again taking part in the temple services along with the multitudes who would gather there. He knew that he could depend on God for deliverance and restoration (vv. 30-31).

David had a role in God’s kingdom that others opposed. At this time, he was deprived of human help, but even then he was not alone because God was with him. He knew that his God would yet work everything for his good.