1 To him that excelleth. A Psalme of David. Holde not thy tongue, O God of my praise. 2 For the mouth of the wicked, and the mouth full of deceite are opened vpon me: they haue spoken to 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 friendship they were mine aduersaries, but I gaue my selfe to praier. 5 And they haue rewarded me euil for good, and hatred for my friendship. 6 Set thou the wicked ouer him, and let the aduersarie stand at his right hand. 7 Whe he shalbe iudged, let him be condemned, and let his praier be turned into sinne. 8 Let his daies be fewe, and let another take his charge. 9 Let his children be fatherlesse, and his wife a widowe. 10 Let his children be vagabonds and beg and seeke bread, comming out of their places destroyed. 11 Let the extortioner catch al that he hath, and let the strangers spoile his labour. 12 Let there be none to extend mercie vnto him: neither let there be any to shewe mercie vpon his fatherlesse children. 13 Let his posteritie be destroied, and in the generation following let their name be put out. 14 Let the iniquitie of his fathers bee had in remembrance with the Lord: and let not the sinne of his mother be done away. 15 But let them alway be before the Lord, that he may cut off their memorial from ye earth. 16 Because he remembred not to shew mercie, but persecuted the afflicted and poore man, and the sorowfull hearted to slay him. 17 As he loued cursing, so shall it come vnto him, and as he loued not blessing, so shall it be farre from him. 18 As he clothed himselfe with cursing like a rayment, so shall it come into his bowels like water, and like oyle into his bones. 19 Let it be vnto him as a garment to couer him, and for a girdle, wherewith he shalbe alway girded. 20 Let this be the rewarde of mine aduersarie from the Lord, and of them, that speake euill against my soule. 21 But thou, O Lord my God, deale with me according vnto thy Name: deliuer me, (for thy mercie is good) 22 Because I am poore and needie, and mine heart is wounded within me. 23 I depart like the shadowe that declineth, and am shaken off as the grashopper. 24 My knees are weake through fasting, and my flesh hath lost all fatnes. 25 I became also a rebuke vnto them: they that looked vpon me, shaked their heads. 26 Helpe me, O Lord my God: saue me according to thy mercie. 27 And they shall know, that this is thine hand, and that thou, Lord, hast done it. 28 Though they curse, yet thou wilt blesse: they shall arise and be confounded, but thy seruant shall reioyce. 29 Let mine aduersaries be clothed with shame, and let them couer themselues with their confusion, as with a cloke. 30 I will giue thankes vnto the Lord greatly with my mouth and praise him among ye multitude. 31 For he will stand at the right hand of the poore, to saue him from them that woulde condemne his soule.
Psalm 109 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (2)
- Greek and Latin Bibles number most Psalms one lower than Hebrew and English Bibles.
- Original 16th-century spelling.
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.