1 To the chief music-maker. Of David. A Psalm. God of my praise, let my prayer be answered; 2 For the mouth of the sinner is open against me in deceit: his tongue has said false things against me. 3 Words of hate are round about me; they have made war against me without cause. 4 For my love they give me back hate; but I have given myself to prayer. 5 They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love. 6 Put an evil man over him; and let one be placed at his right hand to say evil of him. 7 When he is judged, let the decision go against him; and may his prayer become sin. 8 Let his life be short; let another take his position of authority. 9 Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow. 10 Let his children be wanderers, looking to others for their food; let them be sent away from the company of their friends. 11 Let his creditor take all his goods; and let others have the profit of his work. 12 Let no man have pity on him, or give help to his children when he is dead. 13 Let his seed be cut off; in the coming generation let their name go out of memory. 14 Let the Lord keep in mind the wrongdoing of his fathers; and may the sin of his mother have no forgiveness. 15 Let them be ever before the eyes of the Lord, so that the memory of them may be cut off from the earth. 16 Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted. 17 As he took pleasure in cursing, so let it come on him; and as he had no delight in blessing, let it be far from him. 18 He put on cursing like a robe, and it has come into his body like water, and into his bones like oil. 19 Let it be to him as a robe which he puts on, let it be like a band which is round him at all times. 20 Let this be the reward given to my haters from the Lord, and to those who say evil of my soul. 21 But, O Lord God, give me your help, because of your name; take me out of danger, because your mercy is good. 22 For I am poor and in need, and my heart is wounded in me. 23 I am gone like the shade when it is stretched out: I am forced out of my place like a locust. 24 My knees are feeble for need of food; there is no fat on my bones. 25 As for me, they make sport of me; shaking their heads when they see me. 26 Give me help, O Lord my God; in your mercy be my saviour; 27 So that they may see that it is the work of your hand; that you, Lord, have done it. 28 They may give curses but you give blessing; when they come up against me, put them to shame; but let your servant be glad. 29 Let my haters be clothed with shame, covering themselves with shame as with a robe. 30 I will give the Lord great praise with my mouth; yes, I will give praise to him among all the people. 31 For he is ever at the right hand of the poor, to take him out of the hands of those who go after his soul.
Psalms · Bible in Basic English
Psalm 109 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Greek and Latin Bibles number most Psalms one lower than Hebrew and English Bibles.
Cross references (31)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 28:1; Psalm 83:1; Deuteronomy 10:21; Psalm 35:22–23; Isaiah 42:14
- 2 Psalm 52:4; Psalm 120:2–3; Proverbs 6:17; Psalm 31:13; Proverbs 12:19
- 3 Psalm 69:4; Psalm 35:7; Psalm 35:20; John 15:24–25; Psalm 88:17
- 4 Psalm 38:20; Psalm 35:7; Luke 23:34; Psalm 69:12–13; Psalm 55:16–17
- 5 Psalm 38:20; Proverbs 17:13; Psalm 55:12–15; Genesis 44:4; 2 Samuel 15:31
- 6 Zechariah 3:1; Matthew 5:25; Matthew 27:4; John 13:2; John 13:27
- 7 Proverbs 28:9; Proverbs 21:27; Proverbs 15:8; Galatians 3:10; Matthew 23:13
- 8 Acts 1:16–26; Psalm 55:23; Matthew 27:5
- 9 Exodus 22:24; Jeremiah 18:21; Lamentations 5:3
- 10 Psalm 37:25; Genesis 4:12–14; Isaiah 16:2; 2 Kings 5:27; Psalm 59:15
- 11 Job 5:5; Deuteronomy 28:33–34; Deuteronomy 28:50–51; Deuteronomy 28:29; Job 18:9–19
- 12 Psalm 137:8–9; James 2:13; Matthew 27:25; Luke 6:38; Isaiah 27:11
- 13 Proverbs 10:7; Psalm 37:28; Job 18:19; 1 Samuel 2:31–33; Psalm 21:10
- 14 Exodus 20:5; Nehemiah 4:5; Jeremiah 18:23; Isaiah 43:25; 2 Samuel 3:29
- 15 Psalm 34:16; Job 18:17; Psalm 90:8; Psalm 51:9; Isaiah 65:15
- 16 Psalm 34:18; James 2:13; Matthew 18:33–35; Psalm 37:14; 2 Samuel 16:11–12
- 17 Matthew 7:2; Proverbs 14:14; Psalm 59:12–13; Ezekiel 35:6; Psalm 52:4–5
- 18 Psalm 73:6; Numbers 5:22; Colossians 3:12; Matthew 27:3–5; 1 Peter 5:5
- 19 Psalm 109:29; Psalm 35:26; Psalm 132:18; Psalm 109:18
- 20 2 Timothy 4:14; Psalm 94:23; 1 Kings 2:44; Matthew 11:19; Psalm 110:5–6
- 21 Psalm 31:3; Psalm 69:16; Psalm 79:9–10; Psalm 25:11; Psalm 63:3
- 22 Psalm 40:17; Psalm 86:1; Psalm 102:4; 2 Corinthians 8:9; Psalm 22:6
- 23 Exodus 10:19; Job 14:2; 1 Chronicles 29:15; Psalm 102:10–11; Psalm 144:4
- 24 Psalm 32:3–4; Matthew 4:2; Psalm 22:14; Hebrews 12:12; Psalm 35:13–14
- 25 Psalm 22:6–7; Romans 15:3; Psalm 69:19–20; Psalm 69:9–12; Job 16:4
- 26 Psalm 119:86; Psalm 57:1; Psalm 69:13; Hebrews 5:7; Psalm 40:12
- 27 Job 37:7; 1 Kings 18:36–37; Exodus 8:19; Acts 4:16; Psalm 126:2
- 28 Numbers 23:20; John 16:22; Psalm 109:17; Hebrews 12:2; Numbers 22:12
- 29 Psalm 35:26; Psalm 132:18; Job 8:22; Jeremiah 20:11; Psalm 109:17–19
- 30 Psalm 111:1; Psalm 35:18; Psalm 22:22–25; Psalm 138:1; Psalm 116:12–18
- 31 Psalm 121:5; Psalm 16:8; Psalm 140:12; Psalm 73:23; Isaiah 54:17
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
I have not thought that the CVIII^th Psalm required an exposition; since I have already expounded it in the LVII^th Psalm, and in the LX^th, of the last divisions of which this Psalm consisteth.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
… Judas to be, after being separated from her Enthymesis, was restored or recalled [to her former position]; but Judas was deprived [of his office], and cast out, while Matthias was ordained in his place, according to what is written, "And his bishopric let another take." They ought therefore to maintain that the twelfth Æon was cast out of the Pleroma, …
63. "I am poor and needy," yet better am I while in secret groanings I displease myself, and seek for Thy mercy, until what is lacking in me be renewed and made complete, even up to that peace of which the eye of the proud is ignorant.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
O God, pass not over My praise in silence; for the mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of the deceitful, are opened against Me; they have spoken against Me with a treacherous tongue, they have compassed Me about also with words of hatred.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein; and, His bishoprick let another take;" --thus leading to the completion of the apostles, according to the words spoken by David.