DAWN

     Explanation: In Psalm 109 the Psalmist cries out to God for deliverance from evildoers. It is ascribed in the title to David; and verse 8 is Messianic. Today's painting illustrates one of the curses David calls down upon the head of evildoers -- extreme poverty and desolation.

          [ THEMATICALLY AND CHRONOLOGICALLY RELATED SCRIPTURES: Acts 1:20. IMPRECATORY PSALMS: Psalm 5. Psalm 10. Psalm 17. Psalm 35. Psalm 58. Psalm 59. Psalm 69. Psalm 70. Psalm 79. Psalm 83. Psalm 109. Psalm 129. Psalm 137. Psalm 140. Messianic Psalms: Psalm 2. Psalm 8. Psalm 16. Psalm 22. Psalm 34. Psalm 35. Psalm 40. Psalm 41. Psalm 45. Psalm 68. Psalm 69. Psalm 89. Psalm 102. Psalm 109. Psalm 110. Psalm 118. ]

          [ CHRONOLOGY: GENERAL. Patriarchs (Traditional). Judges # 1. Judges # 2. Kings # 1. Kings # 2. Prophets # 1. Prophets # 2. NT # 1. NT # 2. NT # 3. ]

          [ MAPS: Maps # 1. Maps # 2. Maps # 3. Maps # 4. Maps # 5. ]

          [ COMMENTARIES, ETC: GENERAL: Bible Study Tools; Bible Hub: Study Light; Blue Letter Bible // PSALMS: Monergism: Precept Austin: The Treasury of David; John Gill; John Calvin - Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

          [ MUSIC: GENERAL: The Cyber Hymnal // PSALMS: Genevan Psalter (Instrumental). VARIOUS ARTISTS: Psalm 109 - #1. Psalm 109 - #2. ]

     The Psalm opens with comparisons and contrasts in the way words are used by himself, by God, and by his enemies. The Psalmist, perhaps David, begins by asking the God whom he praises not to be silent. He notes that the mouth of the wicked and the deceitful are opened against him; and they have spoken against him with a lying tongue. They surround him with words of hatred; and they fight against him without a cause. In spite of his love for them they are his adversaries. Yet, instead of retaliating, he gives himself to prayer. But they reward him evil for good and hatred for love (1-5).
     He asks that God will set a wicked man over his persecutor and that Satan would stand at his right hand. He asks that his adversary will be condemned and that his prayer will become sin. He asks that his days will be few and that another will take his office. He asks for affliction to come upon his widow and his children. He asks that the extortioner will plunder him. He asks that there will be no mercy for him or his family, that his posterity will perish, and that his name will be blotted out. He asks that he will pay for the sins of his fathers and for the sin of his mother. He asks that their memory will perish from the earth. Since his adversary showed no mercy, since he persecuted a poor and needy man, since he tried to slay one who was brokenhearted, and since he loved cursing, the Psalmist asks that cursing will come into his bowels like water, like oil into his bones, like a garment which covers him, and like a girdle which surrounds him continually. He asks that this will be the reward from the LORD of those who speak evil against his soul (6-20).
     Conversely, the Psalmist asks God for deliverance for his name's sake, in accord with his mercy, and on account of his many afflictions, which he enumerates. He is poor and needy. His heart is wounded within himself. He has declined like a shadow. He is tossed up and down like a locust. His knees are weak with fasting. His flesh fails. He is a reproach to others, and they shook their heads at him (21-25).
     He asks for help in accord with God's mercy so that his adversaries my know that God's hand has done it. He says, "Let them curse " as long as God will bless. He asks that when they arise they will be ashamed, but that he will rejoice. He asks that shame will cover them like a garment. But he will greatly praise the LORD; and he will do so, not alone, but in the midst of a multitude because God will stand at the right hand of the poor (like himself) and will save him from those who condemn his soul (26-31).

Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
² For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.
³ They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.
⁴ For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.
⁵ And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

⁶ Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
⁷ When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
⁸ Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
⁹ Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
¹⁰ Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
¹¹ Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
¹² Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
¹³ Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
¹⁴ Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
¹⁵ Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁶ Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.
¹⁷ As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
¹⁸ As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.
¹⁹ Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.
²⁰ Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

²¹ But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name's sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.
²² For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.
²³ I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.
²⁴ My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.
²⁵ I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.

²⁶ Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
²⁷ That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.
²⁸ Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
²⁹ Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.
³⁰ I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
³¹ For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.