Psalms 109:5 · Bible study
Psalms 109:5 Commentary: Evil for Good, Hatred for Love
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore how this lament of ingratitude applies to David and Christ, and what it teaches about responding to betrayal with prayer.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The psalmist is repaid with evil for good and hatred for love, expressing unjust suffering and betrayal.
- Key words: “evil” (רָעָה), “good” (טוֹבָה), “hatred” (שִׂנְאָה), “love” (אַהֲבָה), the contrast highlights the injustice.
- Main debate: Whether the primary reference is David’s personal experience (e.g., Ahithophel’s betrayal) or a prophecy of Christ’s rejection.
- Theological theme: Innocent suffering, trust in God’s justice, and the proper expression of lament within the covenant community.
- Best use: A resource for preaching on betrayal, Christ’s passion, or the imprecatory psalms and their place in Christian prayer.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
WEB World English Bible 2000
They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
KJV King James Version 1769
And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And they set against me evil for good, And hatred for my love.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The Lord at thy right hand hath broken kings in the day of his wrath.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y pusieron contra mí mal por bien, y odio por amor.
Retribuíram o bem com o mal, e o meu amor com ódio.
Ils me rendent le mal pour le bien,
Sie beweisen mir Böses um Gutes und Haß um Liebe.
En zij hebben mij kwaad voor goed opgelegd, en haat voor mijn liefde.
Essi m’hanno reso male per bene, e odio per il mio amore.
Oddawają mi złem za dobre; a nienawiścią za miłość moję.
Господь одесную Тебя. Он в день гнева Своего поразит царей;
他們向我 以惡 報 善，以恨 報 愛。
They have put on me evil for good; hate in exchange for my love.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 109:5
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Psalm 109:5 expresses the psalmist's experience of being repaid evil for good and hatred for love. Barnes notes that this “often occurred in the life of David; it was constant in the life of the Saviour.” Calvin, Gill, and Matthew Henry all interpret the verse as describing causeless, ungrateful hostility. The Hebrew verb וַ/יָּ֘שִׂ֤ימוּ (“they have put”) carries the sense of setting something before someone, a deliberate exchange. Keil and Delitzsch observe that the perfects and aorists alternate, showing this is not a one-time offense but ongoing. The “love” here (אַהֲבָה) is the love the psalmist has shown, as in verse 4: “In return for my love, they are my adversaries.” Most commentators see David as the primary speaker, but they also read the psalm typologically as pointing to Christ, betrayed by a close associate (Judas) and repaid with hatred. Gill explicitly connects it to John 10:32: “Many good works have I shown you… for which of these do you stone me?” The verse thus functions as both personal lament and prophecy of Christ’s rejection.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- David’s personal lament: Connects the psalm to historical events like Ahithophel’s betrayal (2 Samuel 15–17) and similar language in Psalm 35:12.
- Prophetic of Christ: Acts 1:20 applies verse 8 to Judas; the whole psalm is read as foreshadowing Christ’s suffering and the judgment on his enemies.
- General model for the righteous sufferer: The psalm’s pattern of complaint, imprecation, and trust can be adapted by any believer facing unjust opposition.
What is clear: The verse expresses genuine anguish at being repaid with hatred and evil for love and good, and the psalmist entrusts his cause to God rather than seeking personal vengeance.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Imprecatory nature | The psalm is a prayer for God to act against enemies; it reflects a desire for justice. | Some Christians believe such imprecations are appropriate only for the Old Covenant context, while others see them as expressions of zeal that can be adapted in prayer for God's ultimate justice. |
| Typology of Christ | Christ is seen as the ultimate innocent sufferer who experienced betrayal and hatred for his love. | Whether the entire psalm, including the imprecations, applies directly to Christ, or only the lament sections. |
| Davidic authorship | The superscription attributes the psalm to David; this is accepted by most traditional commentators. | Some modern scholars question the historical accuracy of the superscription, suggesting the psalm may be later. |
| Application for believers | Believers may suffer unjustly and can bring their complaints to God in prayer. | Whether a Christian may pray the imprecations literally, or if they must be transformed into prayers for the enemy's repentance. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 109 is an individual lament, often classified as an imprecatory psalm. The superscription attributes it to David, though the specific setting is debated. Many connect it to the period of Absalom’s rebellion, when Ahithophel, David’s trusted counselor, joined the conspiracy (2 Samuel 15:12,31). This would explain the intensity of the betrayal: a friend repaying David’s love with hatred and evil for good. In the ancient Near East, reciprocity was a cornerstone of social ethics, repaying good with evil was a grave sin, breaking the covenant of loyalty. The psalmist’s language draws on this cultural expectation to heighten the injustice.
The phrase “rewarded me evil for good” parallels Psalm 35:12 and Genesis 44:4 (Joseph’s brothers). The psalm’s structure moves from complaint (verses 1, 5) to imprecation (verses 6, 20) to petition (verses 21, 31). Calvin sees David as a type of Christ, noting that Acts 1:20 applies part of this psalm to Judas. The Cambridge Bible notes that the hostility is “not only causeless, but aggravated by gross ingratitude.” This background shows why the psalmist feels such anguish and prays with boldness for deliverance and justice. The psalter as a whole validates lament as a proper response to injustice, even when that lament includes strong emotions.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Psalm 109:5. The Hebrew text is stable across available manuscript traditions, including the Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Reception History
Early Christian interpreters, following the apostle Peter’s use of Psalm 109 in Acts 1:20, saw the psalm as prophetic of Judas Iscariot. This reading dominated patristic and medieval exegesis. The Reformers, especially Calvin and Luther, emphasized the typological connection: David spoke as a type of Christ, so the psalm applies primarily to Christ’s rejection and Judas’s fate. Later Protestant commentators like Barnes and Gill continued this tradition while also acknowledging David’s personal context. In the modern period, scholars have focused more on the psalm’s original setting, often connecting it to Ahithophel’s betrayal, and on the ethical challenge of the imprecations. The verse itself has been sung in hymns of lament and used in liturgies for Good Friday, highlighting Christ’s suffering and the reality of undeserved rejection.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The reality of ungrateful betrayal. The psalmist receives evil for good and hatred for love, a direct inversion of covenant loyalty.
- The example of Christ, the innocent sufferer. Christ endured the same treatment from Judas and the Jewish leaders, yet he entrusted himself to God.
- The response of prayer and trust. The psalmist does not retaliate; he turns to God (v.4: “but I give myself unto prayer”). This models how believers can respond when wronged.
Five-point outline
- Injustice came without cause. The enemies fought “without a cause” (v.3). Their hostility was not provoked by the psalmist’s wrongdoing.
- Ingratitude deepened the wound. It is one thing to be attacked by an enemy; another to be repaid with hatred by those who received love.
- The psalmist refuses to take revenge. Instead of cursing or fighting back, he commits his cause to God in prayer.
- Christ bore this same betrayal. From Judas’ kiss to the crowd’s shouts, Jesus was repaid evil for good in the ultimate sense.
- God sees and will act. The surrounding imprecations show that the psalmist trusts God to bring justice in his time.
Illustration hooks
- A worker who goes the extra mile only to be passed over for promotion by a colleague who takes credit for their work.
- A parent whose child rejects their love and turns against them, spreading lies about their upbringing.
- A friend who confides a deep secret, only to have it used against them later in a conflict.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God allow people to repay my kindness with cruelty?
- How do I pray when I am filled with anger, like the psalmist seems to be?
- Is it wrong to ask God to judge those who have hurt me deeply?
Leading a Discussion
This verse invites us to examine how we respond when our love is met with hatred. The psalmist does not pretend to be unhurt; he brings his pain honestly to God. As a group, reflect on the following questions, moving from what the text says to what it means for your lives.
Discussion questions
- What does the verse say about the actions of the psalmist’s enemies? Restate it in your own words.
- Why is being repaid evil for good more painful than simple enmity? Think of a time this happened to you or someone you know.
- How does verse 4 (“I give myself unto prayer”) shape the way we read this complaint? What does it tell us about the psalmist’s character?
- In what ways did Jesus experience this same treatment? Use the cross-references (e.g., Psalm 35:12, John 10:32) to support your answer.
- The psalm later includes imprecations (verses 6, 20). How can we reconcile the psalmist’s raw desire for justice with Jesus’ command to love our enemies?
- What does this verse teach us about the nature of God? Is God indifferent to injustice, or does he see and care?
- How might this passage encourage someone who feels betrayed by a friend, spouse, or church leader today? What specific hope does it offer?
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 44:4 | When they had gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said to his steward, “Up, follow after the men. When you overtake them, ask them, ‘Why have you rewarded evil for good? |
| II Samuel 15:12 | Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. The conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom. |
| II Samuel 15:31 | Someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” David said, “Yahweh, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” |
| Psalms 35:7 | For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me. Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul. |
| Psalms 35:12 | They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul. |
| Psalms 38:20 | They who give evil for good are also adversaries to me, because I follow what is good. |
| Psalms 55:12 | For it was not an enemy who insulted me, then I could have endured it. Neither was it he who hated me who raised himself up against me, then I would have hidden myself from him. |
| Psalms 55:15 | Let death come suddenly on them. Let them go down alive into Sheol. For wickedness is among them, in their dwelling. |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws attention to the Hebrew expression behind "rewarded evil for good," which literally means "placed against me." He then observes that this kind of ingratitude was a constant experience for David and for Christ, and remains common for faithful people today, so believers should not be surprised when it happens to them.
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
Cambridge Bible notes that the Psalmist's enemies are not only attacking without cause, but their hostility is made worse by ingratitude. They have repaid his good deeds with harm, turning kindness into grounds for persecution. This makes their opposition both unreasonable and deeply personal.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note draws attention to the sheer injustice of being repaid with evil for good and hatred for friendship. This is not a vague complaint but a specific charge of ingratitude and cruelty from those who owed kindness.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill specifies that the "good" Christ gave was his sound teaching and healing miracles, while the "love" was his mission to seek and save the lost. Yet the people repaid him with evil and hatred, refusing to let him rule over them.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch reads "God of my praise" to mean the God whom the psalmist has always had reason to praise and who will again prove praiseworthy. They stress that the psalmist, refusing personal vengeance, makes his very prayer a commitment of his cause to God. The commentators also note the Hebrew grammar shows it is the psalmist's own love—not love owed him—that his enemies have repaid with hatred.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads this psalm as typico-prophetical, not Messianic: the enemy prefigures Judas Iscariot, not David as a type of Christ. He argues the fearful imprecations are a righteous prayer for divine judgment, though they reveal a spirit not entirely free from carnal passion.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry focuses on David's striking title "God of my praise." He takes it to mean the God in whom David glories and from whom every reason for praise comes, which implies that since all good gifts are from God, all praise must return to him. David appeals to this God not to keep silent but to judge his cause.