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The Song of the Slandered
Psalm 109 is a prayer-poem from someone attacked by lies and hatred. It moves from complaint, to severe judgement words against an enemy, to a fresh plea for help, and ends with confidence that Yahweh stands with the needy.
Understanding the passage
Read these words in context
Within this psalm, the speaker calls God “my praise” and asks him not to stay silent. He describes being slandered, opposed without cause, and repaid with evil for love. In the middle, the poem speaks severe judgement words against an adversary, then the speaker asks Yahweh to save him because divine loving kindness is good.
Psalms 109:1–31Main takeaway
This psalm shows a suffering person bringing pain and a longing for justice to Yahweh, while ending in trust that Yahweh helps the needy.
Explore the poem and its images
Open a card to explore the full explanation and its Bible references.
01A cry against lying enemiesThe psalm opens with urgency: “don’t remain silent”. The trouble is mainly verbal. Wicked and deceitful mouths speak lies, hatred surrounds the speaker, and opposition comes “without a cause”.
Explanation
The psalm opens with urgency: “don’t remain silent”. The trouble is mainly verbal. Wicked and deceitful mouths speak lies, hatred surrounds the speaker, and opposition comes “without a cause”. Instead of replying in the same way, the speaker says, “I am in prayer”, making prayer the response to slander.
02Severe judgement words within the poemVerses 6 to 20 use repeated “let” language to ask for judgement on an adversary. The words are severe, including guilt, loss of office, and the ruin of the adversary’s household.
Explanation
Verses 6 to 20 use repeated “let” language to ask for judgement on an adversary. The words are severe, including guilt, loss of office, and the ruin of the adversary’s household. The psalm presents these as prayer-poetry, not instructions for learners to speak harm. The stated reason is that this person did not show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy.
03The speaker’s weakness and appealAfter the judgement section, the psalm turns back to the speaker’s own need. He asks Yahweh the Lord to act “for your name’s sake” and because divine loving kindness is good.
Explanation
After the judgement section, the psalm turns back to the speaker’s own need. He asks Yahweh the Lord to act “for your name’s sake” and because divine loving kindness is good. He describes himself as poor, needy, wounded, fading, weak, thin, and a reproach. This is a desperate prayer for rescue.
04Confidence, praise, and Yahweh’s placeThe ending asks that people would recognise Yahweh’s hand. Human curses are set against God’s blessing.
Explanation
The ending asks that people would recognise Yahweh’s hand. Human curses are set against God’s blessing. The speaker expects shame for adversaries, joy for God’s servant, and public praise to Yahweh. The final picture answers the earlier courtroom language: Yahweh stands at the right hand of the needy to save him from hostile judges.
Questions to explore
Pause, look back at the verses and talk together.
01What kind of attack troubles the speaker most at the start of the psalm?
Look for the repeated references to mouths, lying, hatred, and words rather than physical weapons.
02What reason does the psalm give for the strong judgement language in the middle?
Read the explanation beginning with “because” and notice how the adversary treated the poor, needy, and broken in heart.
03How does the final verse answer the earlier fear of accusation and judgement?
Compare the adversary standing at someone’s right hand with Yahweh standing at the right hand of the needy.
Read the Bible passage
World English Bible ClassicScripture quotation · Public domain
Psalms 109:1–31
1God of my praise, don’t remain silent,
2for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.
3They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.
4In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer.
5They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6Set a wicked man over him. Let an adversary stand at his right hand.
7When he is judged, let him come out guilty. Let his prayer be turned into sin.
8Let his days be few. Let another take his office.
9Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins.
11Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.
12Let there be no one to extend kindness to him, neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children.
13Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Yahweh. Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15Let them be before Yahweh continually, that he may cut off their memory from the earth;
16because he didn’t remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them.
17Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him.
18He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones.
19Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself, for the belt that is always around him.
20This is the reward of my adversaries from Yahweh, of those who speak evil against my soul.
21But deal with me, Yahweh the Lord, for your name’s sake, because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;
22for I am poor and needy. My heart is wounded within me.
23I fade away like an evening shadow. I am shaken off like a locust.
24My knees are weak through fasting. My body is thin and lacks fat.
25I have also become a reproach to them. When they see me, they shake their head.
26Help me, Yahweh, my God. Save me according to your loving kindness;
27that they may know that this is your hand; that you, Yahweh, have done it.
28They may curse, but you bless. When they arise, they will be shamed, but your servant shall rejoice.
29Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor. Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
30I will give great thanks to Yahweh with my mouth. Yes, I will praise him among the multitude.
31For he will stand at the right hand of the needy, to save him from those who judge his soul.