1 TO THE OVERSEER. A PSALM OF DAVID. O God of my praise, do not be silent, 2 For the mouth of wickedness, and the mouth of deceit, || They have opened against me, || They have spoken with me—A tongue of falsehood, and words of hatred! 3 They have surrounded me about, || And they fight me without cause. 4 For my love they oppose me, and I—prayer! 5 And they set against me evil for good, || And hatred for my love. 6 Appoint the wicked over him, || And an adversary stands at his right hand. 7 In his being judged, he goes forth wicked, || And his prayer is for sin. 8 His days are few, another takes his oversight, 9 His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow. 10 And his sons wander continually, || Indeed, they have begged, || And have sought out of their dry places. 11 An exactor lays a snare for all that he has, || And strangers spoil his labor. 12 He has none to extend kindness, || Nor is there one showing favor to his orphans. 13 His posterity is for cutting off, || Their name is blotted out in another generation. 14 The iniquity of his fathers || Is remembered to YHWH, || And the sin of his mother is not blotted out. 15 They are continually before YHWH, || And He cuts off their memorial from earth. 16 Because that he has not remembered to do kindness, || And pursues the poor man and needy, || And the struck of heart—to slay, 17 And he loves reviling, and it meets him, || And he has not delighted in blessing, || And it is far from him. 18 And he puts on reviling as his robe, || And it comes in as water into his midst, || And as oil into his bones. 19 It is to him as apparel—he covers himself, || And he girds it on for a continual girdle. 20 This [is] the wage of my accusers from YHWH, || And of those speaking evil against my soul. 21 And You, O Lord YHWH, || Deal with me for Your Name’s sake, || Because Your kindness [is] good, deliver me. 22 For I [am] poor and needy, || And my heart has been pierced in my midst. 23 I have gone as a shadow when it is stretched out, || I have been driven away as a locust. 24 My knees have been feeble from fasting, || And my flesh has failed of fatness. 25 And I have been a reproach to them, || They see me, they shake their head. 26 Help me, O YHWH my God, || Save me, according to Your kindness. 27 And they know that this [is] Your hand, || You, O YHWH, You have done it. 28 They revile, and You bless, || They have risen, and are ashamed, || And Your servant rejoices. 29 My accusers put on blushing, and are covered, || Their shame [is] as an upper robe. 30 I thank YHWH greatly with my mouth, || And I praise Him in the midst of many, 31 For He stands at the right hand of the needy, || To save from those judging his soul.
Psalms · Literal Standard Version
Psalm 109 Literal Standard Version
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.