Psalms 139:20 Commentary: Wicked Speech Against God

Psalm 139 is a Davidic psalm celebrating God’s omniscience and omnipresence. By verse 19 the tone shifts dramatically: the psalmist calls for God to slay the wicked and separates himself from them. This imprecatory language is rooted in a covenant context where the king, and the faithful community, defends God’s honor against those who openly defy Him. The enemies are not merely personal opponents but those who “rise up against” God (v. 21).

The verse contains several textual puzzles. The Hebrew יֹאמְרֻךָ can mean “they speak of you” or, if revocalized, “they rebel against you” (Cambridge Bible). The phrase נָשֻׂא לַשָּׁוְא “they lift up to falsehood” lacks an explicit object. Some ancient versions (LXX, Vulgate, Syriac) read “they take your cities in vain,” perhaps reflecting a different consonantal text (עריך for “your cities” instead of עָרֶיךָ “your enemies”). The Masoretic text has “your enemies,” which most modern translations follow. Targum and others interpret the lifting up as swearing falsely by God’s name. Keil and Delitzsch argue the object is supplied from the Decalogue (Ex. 20:7). The Geneva Bible offers: “being thine enemies are lifted up in vain,” linking the vanity to the enemies’ pride. These difficulties show the verse was already obscure to early translators, but the gravity of the sin remains plain.

The Hebrew text of this verse is widely considered difficult and possibly corrupt. The word עָרֶיךָ (“your enemies”) has this meaning in Aramaic but not in regular Hebrew (Cambridge Bible). The verb נָשֻׂא is spelled anomalously (with an aleph where a regular spelling would have א?). The object of “lift up” is missing; Keil and Delitzsch suggest it must be supplied from Exodus 20:7 (“take your name in vain”). The ancient versions give varied readings: Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic read “your cities,” implying a different original (עריך). The Masoretic text is the basis of most English translations. No major text-critical consensus exists, but the overall sense of irreverence is not in doubt.

Early Jewish interpretation, reflected in the Targum, understood the verse as condemning false swearing. The Septuagint’s reading “your cities” was adopted by Latin and Syriac traditions, connecting the verse to historical enemies seizing the land (Clarke). Christian interpreters from the Reformation onward focused on the sin of blasphemy: Calvin used the whole psalm to illustrate the reverent fear of God, while Matthew Henry applied the imprecation to zeal for God’s glory. Modern commentators often grapple with the textual problems while affirming the moral seriousness of misusing God’s name. The verse has been used in discussions of the third commandment and the ethics of imprecatory prayer.

Three-point outline

1. The Wicked Speak Against God, Their rebellion flows from the heart into words. The psalmist hears their blasphemy and calls it what it is.
2. They Misuse God’s Name, Whether by false oaths or empty claims, they treat His holy name as common. This is the root of covenant unfaithfulness.
3. The Psalmist Separates Himself, He refuses fellowship with those who defame God. His strong language is grief over dishonor to God, not personal malice.

Five-point outline

1. The character of the wicked: they speak wickedly against God.
2. The nature of that speech: it is calculated, purposeful (לִמְזִמָּה, “to a wicked purpose”).
3. The second sin: taking God’s name in vain, every form of irreverence.
4. The proper response: depart from them (v. 19), hate what God hates (v. 21).
5. The psalmist’s integrity: he invites God to search him (vv. 23-24) lest he unknowingly harbor the same evil.

Illustration hooks

• A courtroom scene: a witness swears on a Bible and then lies. That misuse of God’s name reflects a heart that does not fear Him.
• Social media where God’s name is used casually or mockingly. The psalmist’s response challenges us to consider our own words and company.
• A person who uses Christian language to cover greed or manipulation. Gill called this speaking of God “for wickedness.”

Questions your congregation is asking

• Is it okay to pray imprecatory psalms today? How do we reconcile this with loving our enemies?
• Does casual speech that uses “God” or “Jesus” as an exclamation count as taking His name in vain?
• How do I separate from the wicked without becoming self-righteous?

Psalm 139:20 sits in a prayer that begins with awe at God’s knowledge and ends with a plea for personal purity. The verse shows that true worship and integrity cannot coexist with approval of those who mock God. As you discuss, notice how the psalmist’s hatred is not private vengeance but a response to God’s honor.

Discussion questions

1. What does verse 20 tell us about the character of the “bloody men” the psalmist wants God to remove?
2. How does the third commandment (Exodus 20:7) help us understand “taking your name in vain” here?
3. Why does the psalmist connect his separation from the wicked with his own prayer to be searched by God (vv. 23-24)?
4. In what ways do people today “speak against God wickedly” while still claiming to be religious?
5. The verse contains textual ambiguities. How does the church determine meaning when the original text is uncertain?
6. How can we “hate what God hates” without harboring personal bitterness or becoming unloving?
7. What does this verse teach us about the importance of our speech about God, both in private and in public?