Psalms 109:16 · Bible study
Psalms 109:16 Commentary: The Sin Behind the Imprecations
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
An analysis of Psalm 109:16, where the wicked’s refusal of mercy and persecution of the brokenhearted poor justify the imprecatory prayers that follow.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The enemy’s failure to show covenant mercy and active persecution of the vulnerable is the stated reason for the imprecatory curses.
- Key words: ḥesed (loyal mercy), rāḏap̄ (pursue/persecute), ‘ānî (poor/afflicted), evyôn (needy), nikeh lēvāv (brokenhearted).
- Main debate: Whether the curses are David’s personal imprecation, a prophetic oracle against Judas/Jewish leaders, or a pattern for all believers facing injustice.
- Theological theme: Divine justice is the answer to covenant failure; God defends those who are broken and powerless.
- Best use: To teach that God’s judgment is not arbitrary but is a just response to real evil, especially against the vulnerable.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
For he never thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and brokenhearted, even to their death.
WEB World English Bible 2000
because he didn’t remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man, the broken in heart, to kill them.
KJV King James Version 1769
Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Because he remembered not to show kindness, But persecuted the poor and needy man, And the broken in heart, to slay them.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Because that he hath not remembered to do kindness, And pursueth the poor man and needy, And the smitten of heart--to slay,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Because he remembered not to shew kindness, but persecuted the afflicted and needy man, and the broken in heart, to slay him.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Por cuanto no se acordó de hacer misericordia, y persiguió al hombre afligido y menesteroso y quebrantado de corazón, para matar lo.
Porque ele não se lembrou de fazer o bem; ao invés disso, perseguiu ao homem humilde e necessitado, e ao de coração quebrado, para o matar.
Parce qu’ il ne s’ est pas souvenu d’ exercer la miséricorde,
darum daß er so gar keine Barmherzigkeit hatte, sondern verfolgte den Elenden und Armen und Betrübten, daß er ihn tötete.
Omdat hij niet gedacht heeft weldadigheid te doen, maar heeft den ellendigen en den nooddruftigen man vervolgd, en den verslagene van hart, om hem te doden.
perch’egli non si è ricordato d’usar benignità, ma ha perseguitato il misero, il povero, il tribolato di cuore per ucciderlo.
Przeto, że nie pamiętał, aby czynił miłosierdzie, ale prześladował człowieka nędznego i ubogiego,a tego,który był serca utrapionego, chciał zamordować.
因為 他不 想 施 恩，卻逼迫 困苦 窮乏 的和傷 心 的人，要把他們治死。
Because he had no mercy, but was cruel to the low and the poor, designing the death of the broken-hearted.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 109:16
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators from diverse traditions agree that verse 16 supplies the moral foundation for the curses in the preceding and following verses. The enemy “did not remember to show kindness” (the Hebrew ḥesed, covenant loyalty) and instead persecuted the poor, needy, and brokenhearted, seeking their death. Barnes notes this describes a man who is “severe, harsh, unjust, unfeeling,” and who aims to “put the finishing stroke to all” by crushing the already afflicted. Gill and Matthew Henry connect this directly to Judas Iscariot, pointing to Judas’s failure to show mercy to Christ and the poor (John 12:6). Calvin and the Cambridge Bible stress that the singular enemy may be the ringleader of a group, and that the psalm as a whole is typologically fulfilled in Christ and his betrayer. The consensus: the verse is the reason the speaker invokes divine retribution, the enemy’s choices have sealed his own fate.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Imprecatory petition for justice: The psalmist speaks as a wronged individual asking God to act against an enemy who has shown no mercy.
- Prophetic prediction: Peter’s use of Psalm 109:8 in Acts 1:20 suggests the curses are Spirit-inspired predictions of Judas’s fate.
- Typological of Christ and his enemies: Calvin and others argue David is a type of Christ, so the verse applies to Christ’s suffering and the judgment on his persecutors.
What is clear: The verse describes real sin: refusing mercy and persecuting the vulnerable—and this sin is the stated reason for the judgment that follows.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose of the verse within the psalm | Verse 16 provides the moral justification for the imprecations: the enemy refused mercy and persecuted the poor. | Some see it as the psalmist's personal complaint (David); others read it as a messianic prophecy about Judas and the Jewish leaders. |
| Identity of 'the poor and needy' | They are individuals in distress whom the enemy targetted. | Is it specifically David himself (the speaker), or does it refer to the Messiah as the representative sufferer? Or could it be any righteous sufferer? |
| Christian use of imprecatory psalms | The verse shows that God hates oppression and defends the weak. | Should Christians still pray these words? Some say they express a holy longing for justice that believers may still use when facing evil; others argue they are superseded by Christ's command to love enemies. |
| Whether the curses are retributive or redemptive | The curse arises from the enemy's own actions (reaping what was sown). | Some view the curses as purely retributive punishment; others see them as a warning that can still lead to repentance, since God's judgments are always just. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 109 is an imprecatory psalm attributed to David. It follows a three-part structure: complaint (vv. 1, 5), imprecation (vv. 6, 20), and prayer for deliverance with thanksgiving (vv. 21, 31). Verse 16 sits at the hinge between the list of curses and the reasoning behind them, introduced by “because” (ya‘an). In ancient Israel, the poor, needy, and brokenhearted enjoyed special divine protection; Torah law repeatedly forbade oppressing them (Ex. 22:22, 24; Deut. 15:7, 11). To persecute such a person “even to death” was not only a crime against society but a direct offense against God, who identifies himself as the defender of the weak.
The historical setting may be David’s flight from Absalom, with Ahithophel as the chief betrayer (2 Sam. 16, 17). The grammar shifts abruptly from plural enemies (vv. 2, 5) to a singular ringleader (vv. 6, 20), whom many commentators take to be the type of Judas. The verb rāḏap̄ (“persecuted”) carries the sense of relentless pursuit, like a hunter chasing prey. And the rare Polel form lemmôtēt (“to put to death”) underlines the agonizing, finished intention of the enemy (Keil & Delitzsch). These details paint a picture of deliberate, unrelenting cruelty, the very opposite of the ḥesed God requires. The psalmist is not merely venting; he is appealing to the covenant Judge to act in accordance with the enemy’s own choices.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries and lexical data note no significant textual variants for Psalm 109:16. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscript traditions, and the translations (KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, Darby, WEB) agree on the core meaning. The only minor differences involve rendering lemmôtēt as “to slay” or “to put to death,” but this does not affect the sense.
Reception History
From the early church onward, Psalm 109 was read through a christological lens. The New Testament quotes verse 8 (“Let another take his office”) as fulfilled in Judas’s replacement by Matthias (Acts 1:20). This shaped the entire psalm’s reception: by the 4th century, Athanasius and others saw the imprecations as prophetic judgments on Christ’s betrayers. In the Reformation, Calvin and Luther maintained the typological reading, applying the curses to the enemies of the gospel. Matthew Henry (18th century) and Adam Clarke (19th) followed this tradition, linking verse 16 specifically to Judas’s failure to show mercy to Jesus. In the modern period, many readers struggle with the imprecatory psalms, yet the verse continues to comfort those who suffer oppression, affirming that God sees and will bring justice. Hymns of lament and prayers for justice have drawn on this verse to give voice to the abused.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The memory of mercy lost. The enemy “did not remember to show kindness.” Ḥesed is the loyal, covenant love that God shows and expects his people to show. Forgetting it leads to inhumanity.
- The attack on the broken. He persecuted the poor, needy, and brokenhearted, those already suffering. This is sin in its most predatory form: kicking the wounded.
- The justice that will come. Because of this sin, the curse is not arbitrary but deserved. The imprecation arises from the nature of the crime.
Five-point outline
- The indictment: “he did not remember”, a failure of covenant memory.
- The sin: refusal to show ḥesed, mercy as a deliberate choice.
- The target: the poor, needy, and brokenhearted, those God specially defends.
- The method: persecution to the point of death, total hostility.
- The consequence: the curse that matches the crime, what he sowed, he reaps.
Illustration hooks
- A schoolyard bully who picks on a child already struggling with family trouble. The bully didn’t just start a fight; he targeted someone weak and kept going until the child was emotionally crushed.
- A manager who withholds support from an employee in crisis, then pressures them until they resign. The failure of kindness becomes active persecution.
- Online mobs that pile on a person already in disgrace, amplifying shame rather than offering the mercy they would want for themselves.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I pray Psalm 109 if Jesus tells me to love my enemies?
- Does God really see my suffering when someone treats me like this?
- What does it mean to show ḥesed in a world that rewards getting ahead?
Leading a Discussion
Psalm 109 is one of the “imprecatory psalms” that can unsettle modern readers. But verse 16 gives the key: the curses are not random rage; they are a plea for justice grounded in the enemy’s actual behavior. This small group study helps you explore how God’s heart for the vulnerable shapes the whole psalm.
Discussion questions
- Read Psalm 109:16 aloud. What does this verse tell you about the character of the enemy?
- The Hebrew word ḥesed (translated “kindness” or “mercy”) means loyal, covenant love. Why does the psalmist say the enemy “did not remember” it? What does forgetting mercy look like in daily life?
- Who are “the poor and needy” and “the broken in heart” in your community today? How would you know if someone was being persecuted “even to death” in a non-physical sense?
- Verse 16 is the justification for the imprecations (curses) in verses 6, 15. In your view, is this a prayer for personal revenge, or an appeal for God’s justice? Why?
- How does Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:44 (“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”) relate to a psalm that asks God to judge enemies?
- What does this verse teach us about God’s character? How does God respond when the weak are crushed?
- Is there a situation in your life where you need to trust God’s justice instead of taking revenge? How might this psalm help you turn that over to God?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 42:21 | They said to one another, “We are certainly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he begged us, and we wouldn’t listen. Therefore this distress has come upon us.” |
| II Samuel 16:11 | David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my son, who came out of my bowels, seeks my life. How much more this Benjamite, now? Leave him alone, and let him curse; for Yahweh has invited him. |
| II Samuel 16:12 | It may be that Yahweh will look on the wrong done to me, and that Yahweh will repay me good for the cursing of me today.” |
| II Samuel 17:1 | Moreover Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Let me now choose twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David tonight. |
| II Samuel 17:2 | I will come on him while he is weary and exhausted, and will make him afraid. All the people who are with him will flee. I will strike the king only, |
| Job 19:2 | “How long will you torment me, and crush me with words? |
| Job 19:3 | You have reproached me ten times. You aren’t ashamed that you attack me. |
| Job 19:21 | “Have pity on me. Have pity on me, you my friends, for the hand of God has touched me. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the persecution of Christ as the poor and needy man was fueled by diabolical malice. He insists that ordinary human principles cannot account for the opposition to Jesus, since all justice and mercy were abandoned in pursuit of his death.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes portrays the wicked man as utterly devoid of compassion, harsh and unjust toward those already destitute and crushed by sorrow. Such a man seeks to deliver the final blow, driving the brokenhearted to the grave. However hard it is to justify the psalmist's feelings, Barnes affirms that the punishment invoked is exactly what such cruelty deserves.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists this psalm is not merely about David but prophetically about Christ and His enemies, with the curses pointing to the judgment that fell on the Jewish nation for rejecting Him. David's personal grievances become a pattern for how the faithful, as members of Christ, cry out to God for justice.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes how the psalmist, overwhelmed by the enormity of the enemies' ingratitude, abruptly shifts into a passionate prayer for retribution. The change from plural to singular language likely singles out the chief offender, the real leader bearing the guilt for the gang's actions.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The commentator points out that this person failed to remember showing mercy and instead actively persecuted the poor and afflicted, even hunting down the sorrowful to kill them. The sin is not merely neglect but deliberate cruelty against those already suffering.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill identifies the lack of mercy in this verse with Judas and the Jews who showed no compassion toward Christ. He sees the "poor and needy man" as Christ himself, who was betrayed and persecuted to death. The "broken in heart" is Christ, whose heart was shattered by their cruel treatment.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB identifies the "poor and needy" and "broken in heart" as the pious sufferer, not an ordinary pauper. The wicked man's refusal to show mercy to such a godly person is why the psalmist asks God to hold him accountable for his guilt.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stress that the curse in this passage is not a wish but the inevitable result of the wicked man’s own choice and actions. He who refused to show kindness after receiving it brings the doom upon himself; the curse penetrates his very bones as oil, and his sin is satanic, beyond forgiveness.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues this psalm is best understood typico-prophetically: the enemy is a type of Judas, not the speaker as a type of Christ. This view explains the fierce imprecations as prophetic announcement of divine judgment, not mere carnal passion, while still acknowledging a human element in the language.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads these harsh curses not as David's personal revenge but as a devout, prophetic imprecation against Christ's enemies, especially Judas. He stresses that David speaks from holy zeal for God, singling out a ringleader whose deliberate betrayal made his sin greater than Pilate's.