Psalm 109 – Be Not Silent
In Psalm 109 – be not silent, David asks God to not remain silent in the face of the adversity he is facing. Some may say it would have been better if David had remained silent himself, as we shall see.
Psalm 109
Psalm 109 is an imprecatory psalm, a psalm that calls down curses on one’s enemies. Entitled: To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David, it was meant to be sung.
It begins with words of praise. The writer, David, is under attack. He calls upon God to not be silent.
“My God, whom I praise, do not remain silent,
for people who are wicked and deceitful have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues.
With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.
In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.” (1-5)
In response to the attack, David affirms that he is a man of prayer (4). “David’s response was proper, even using a New Testament understanding. The following lines are filled with bitter wishes that form something of a prophecy of doom against these enemies. Yet David did nothing to bring this doom against these enemies. That was God’s work, not his own. As for David, he would give himself to prayer and leave it with the LORD.” (https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-109/)
Curses Against Enemies
Then David curses those who attack him, the first curse being that they receive a wicked leader. “Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy.” (6a)
“When David prophesied doom over his enemy, he began with the wish that in judgment his enemies would be ruled by a wicked man. Ungodly leadership is a form of God’s judgment upon a people.” (https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-109/)
Unfortunately, there is no lack of examples of wicked leaders in the world. It truly is a curse.
A long list of curses follows this initial curse.
“Let an accuser stand at his right hand.
When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him.
May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership.
May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
May his children be wandering beggars; may they be driven from their ruined homes.
May a creditor seize all he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
May no one extend kindness to him or take pity on his fatherless children.
May his descendants be cut off, their names blotted out from the next generation.
May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord; may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
May their sins always remain before the Lord, that he may blot out their name from the earth.” (6b-15)
The curses against his children are many and powerful, reflecting the strong connection between multiple generations. “That deep, profoundly human bond accounts [along with passed down behavior and consequences] for the ancient legal principle of ‘punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation’ (see Exodus 20:5…)” (Psalm 109 – United Church of God)
Giving Back What He Got
Besides all he did against David, his accuser was on unkind man. He loved to curse others. Some commentators say that David was simply reflecting his accusers curses back on him – giving back what he got.
“For he never thought of doing a kindness, but hounded to death the poor and the needy and the brokenhearted.
He loved to pronounce a curse—may it come back on him.
He found no pleasure in blessing—may it be far from him.
He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.
May it be like a cloak wrapped about him, like a belt tied forever around him.
May this be the Lord’s payment to my accusers, to those who speak evil of me.” (16-20)
All reasons to cry out to God against this person.
By God’s Hand
David ends the psalm with a repeat of his request and affirming God’s role in saving him.
“Help me, Lord my God; save me according to your unfailing love.
Let them know that it is your hand, that you, Lord, have done it.
While they curse, may you bless; may those who attack me be put to shame, but may your servant rejoice.
May my accusers be clothed with disgrace and wrapped in shame as in a cloak.
With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord; in the great throng of worshipers I will praise him.
For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save their lives from those who would condemn them.” (26-31)
“It was very important to David that his enemies and all who looked on him knew that his rescue was from God’s hand; the LORD had done it. He didn’t want deliverance only for his own sake, but also for the glory of God.” (https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-109/)
While God remained silent, David still gave the glory to God.
What David Got Right
In all of David’s anger, he did not sin.
“There are two things right about what David does here. One, David does not seek revenge himself. He’s not asking God to help him get even. He asks God to do it. David will not do it. He leaves it in God’s hands, that’s the assumption of the psalm.
Two, David does not talk to others about his enemy either, he is not asking other people to make this right. He takes it straight to God, and asks God to make it right.” (Psalm 109 – The Angry Psalm)
David relies on God alone.
To Speak or Be Silent?
The question of whether to speak or remain silent remains a significant one. When in doubt, the wise remain silent. Yet other times you need to speak out. David felt the need to speak out against his enemy. But amid all his trouble and his anger, David does not sin. He leaves judgment to God.
And God, despite all of David’s pleas, does not speak. God remains silent. God listens to all of David’s troubles and angry rants till David has spent his rage and ends in praise. Like a loving parent, God listens without judgment, allowing David to release his anger. Through it all, God remains present, but silent.
God stays silent until we are ready to listen. In his anger, David couldn’t listen. When we are angry, it can be hard to quiet ourselves enough to listen. In those situations, when listening to a friend’s anger, often the best course is to remain silent until they have had a chance to vent their anger. And sometimes they come up with their own solution to their problem. Other times, venting is enough.
Psalm 109 – Be Not Silent
In Psalm 109 – be not silent, David wants God to speak out, but God remains silent. There are times when we need to speak, and times when we need to remain silent. Blessed are those who know the difference!
When confronted with the question whether to speak or be silent, do you follow the example of David, or God?
(For another take on this Psalm, see Psalm 109 – Expletive Deleted.)
This post is part of a series of blog posts on the Psalms. Sign up to follow this blog and receive a free copy of Still Dancing, the second book in my Dancing through Life Series. click here to sign up
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