Psalms 69:25 · Bible study
Psalms 69:25 Commentary: Imprecatory Prayer & Divine Justice
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
An examination of Psalm 69:25, its imprecatory nature, New Testament use in Acts 1:20 regarding Judas, and how Christians interpret calls for divine justice.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A prayer for God to make the dwellings of the wicked empty, removing all trace of their presence as an act of divine judgment.
- Key words: “Habitation” (Hebrew tirah, can mean fortress, palace, or encampment; Barnes) and “tents” (symbolizing the transient security of nomadic life).
- Main debate: Whether the imprecation is a personal prayer for vengeance or a prophetic pronouncement of judgment, especially given its New Testament application to Judas.
- Theological theme: Divine justice, God responds to the suffering of His people by judging those who oppose Him, yet the psalm moves toward hope and restoration.
- Best use: A text for studying biblical imprecation, the relationship between Old and New Testament judgment, and the tension between grace and justice.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents.
WEB World English Bible 2000
Let their habitation be desolate. Let no one dwell in their tents.
KJV King James Version 1769
Let their habitation be desolate; and let none dwell in their tents.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Let their habitation be desolate; Let none dwell in their tents.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
Their tower is desolated, In their tents there is no dweller.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Let their habitation be desolate; let there be no dweller in their tents.
Translations in other languages (9 available)
Sea su palacio asolado: en sus tiendas no haya morador.
A habitação deles seja desolada; e que não haja morador nas tendas deles;
Répands sur eux ta colère,
Ihre Wohnung müsse wüst werden, und sei niemand, der in ihren Hütten wohne.
Stort over hen Uw gramschap uit; en de hittigheid Uws toorns grijpe hen aan.
La loro dimora sia desolata, nessuno abiti nelle loro tende.
Wylij na nich rozgniewanie swoje, a popędliwość gniewu twego niech ich ogarnie.
願他們的住處 變為 荒場；願他們的帳棚 無人 居住。
Give their houses to destruction, and let there be no one in their tents.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Psalm 69:25 is a call for divine judgment. Barnes notes the Hebrew word for habitation can mean palace, castle, or encampment, and that the verse is quoted in Acts 1:20 regarding Judas. Calvin views the entire psalm as prophetic of Christ, noting its frequent New Testament use. Matthew Henry interprets the imprecation as a prophecy of the destruction of the Jewish nation, not a personal curse. Gill applies it specifically to Judas and the desolation of Jerusalem. The consensus holds that the verse functions as a prayer for God to enact justice against those who oppose His purposes, and its later use in Acts confirms this as a divine pronouncement rather than a personal vendetta.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Prophetic Pronouncement: The New Testament use in Acts 1:20 and the cross-references to Jerusalem’s destruction (Matthew 23:38) suggest a divinely ordained judgment, not a personal curse.
- Personal Imprecation: The immediate context of David’s suffering and his cry for deliverance (vv. 1–21) indicates a heartfelt plea for justice against specific enemies.
- Covenantal Curse: The language of desolation recalls treaty curses in the ancient Near East (Deuteronomy 28), invoking covenantal justice for those who break faith with God.
What is clear: The verse is quoted in Acts 1:20 as fulfilled in Judas's judgment, affirming that God’s justice is at work in history.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Nature of the imprecation | Most traditions agree the verse calls for God’s judgment on enemies and is quoted in Acts 1:20 regarding Judas. | Some (e.g., Matthew Henry) view it as a straightforward prophecy of judgment on the Jewish nation; others (e.g., Calvin) see it as a prayer mixed with prophecy, still applicable to the enemies of Christ. |
| New Testament application | All agree that Acts 1:20 applies this verse to Judas’s fate, showing divine judgment on his betrayal. | Catholic and Orthodox traditions may emphasize the apostolic interpretation as decisive for the verse’s meaning, while Protestant traditions often see it as one fulfillment among many, including the destruction of Jerusalem. |
| Ethical use for Christians | Christians agree that personal vengeance is forbidden (Rom 12:19), but they differ on whether imprecatory psalms can be prayed today. | Many Reformed and Evangelical Christians see them as models of crying out for God’s justice, not personal curses; some Anabaptist and peace church traditions discourage their use in public worship, preferring to apply them prophetically to God’s final judgment. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Psalm 69 belongs to the group of imprecatory psalms, where the psalmist cries out for God to bring judgment on enemies. The context of the psalm is David's suffering, whether from Saul's persecution or Absalom's rebellion (Calvin notes both possibilities). The language of “habitation” and “tents” reflects a semi-nomadic setting, where one's dwelling represented security and identity. Barnes points out that the Hebrew term tirah can refer to a fortress or a rural encampment, emphasizing that the curse targets the enemy’s entire sphere of safety.
In the larger biblical narrative, this verse is quoted in Acts 1:20 as applying to Judas Iscariot, linking the imprecation to the fate of Christ’s betrayer. Early Christians read the psalm as messianic prophecy, seeing its fulfillment in the rejection of Jesus by Jewish leaders. Cross-references such as Jeremiah 7:12, 14 and Matthew 23:38 connect the desolation of habitations to the destruction of the temple in AD 70, a historical event that many commentators (Henry, Gill) see as the ultimate outworking of these words. The imprecation thus moves from David’s personal experience to a prophetic announcement of covenantal judgment on those who oppose God and His anointed.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant manuscript variants for Psalm 69:25. The verse appears consistently across ancient witnesses, and commentators focus on its meaning and context rather than textual issues.
Reception History
From the early church onward, Psalm 69:25 was read in light of its New Testament application. Acts 1:20 cemented its identification with Judas Iscariot, making the verse a proof text for God’s judgment on the betrayer of Christ. Church fathers such as Augustine saw in it a warning about the desolation that follows rejection of Christ. During the Reformation, Calvin and others emphasized the psalm’s Christological dimension, reading the imprecations as David speaking in the person of Christ. In subsequent centuries, the verse has been cited in discussions of divine justice, often as a solemn reminder that sin leads to emptiness. Modern interpreters, aware of the ethical challenge of imprecation, have tended to treat the verse as a prophetic announcement or an expression of trust in God’s righteous judgment rather than a model for personal prayer.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Cry for Justice from Suffering, David’s enemies show inhuman cruelty (v. 21), and he appeals to God’s righteousness. The prayer for desolation is not personal vengeance but a plea for divine intervention (Barnes, Calvin).
- The Prophetic Word Fulfilled, Acts 1:20 applies this verse to Judas, showing that imprecations can be prophetic announcements of judgment. The same judgment echoes in the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 23:38, 24:2).
- The Turn to Hope, After the imprecations, the psalm ends with praise and confidence that God will save Zion (vv. 30, 36). Judgment is not the final word; restoration is promised for the humble who seek God.
Five-point outline
- Context of Suffering, David’s painful situation and the enemies’ heartlessness.
- Specific Curse on Habitations, The word “habitation” encompasses all forms of dwelling, from tents to palaces (Barnes).
- New Testament Lens, Application to Judas and the temple’s fall demonstrates that these are not merely emotional outbursts but Spirit-inspired prophecies (Henry).
- Ethical Consideration, How Christians understand imprecatory prayers today: they are models of crying out for God’s justice, not instructions for personal cursing.
- Resolution in Praise, The psalmist’s confidence in God’s deliverance leads to worship (vv. 30, 31), modeling trust in God’s ultimate justice.
Illustration hooks
- A person whose home has been devastated by betrayal or injustice feels the raw emotion of this verse and longs for God to set things right.
- The empty house of a traitor or corrupt leader, history is filled with places that became desolate after their owners’ downfall, like the ruins of ancient Jerusalem.
- A courtroom scene where the victim cries out for justice, trusting the judge to do what is right even when it takes time.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I reconcile this verse with Jesus’ command to love enemies?
- Does praying for God’s justice mean I am allowed to curse someone?
- What happened to Judas after he betrayed Jesus, and how does this verse connect?
Leading a Discussion
This verse can be difficult. It sounds harsh, but it appears in Scripture with a purpose. As we study it together, let’s consider how God’s justice and mercy work together, especially in light of the New Testament.
Discussion questions
- What picture of the enemies’ fate does this verse paint? Why would the psalmist ask for their habitations to become desolate? (Observation)
- Look at the surrounding verses (21, 28). What specific wrongs provoked this prayer? How does that affect your understanding? (Interpretation)
- Read Acts 1:16, 20. How does Peter use this verse to describe Judas’s end? What does that tell us about how early Christians viewed this psalm? (Interpretation)
- How do the cross-references to the temple’s destruction (Matthew 23:38, 24:2) broaden the meaning of this imprecation? (Interpretation)
- Some Christians see this as a prophecy of judgment, while others see it as a valid prayer for justice. What are the strengths of each view? (Application)
- How can a Christian today express a longing for justice without falling into personal hatred? What role does prayer play in that? (Application)
- How does the psalm’s ending (vv. 30, 36) offer hope after the harsh words of judgment? (Application)
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Kings 9:8 | Though this house is so high, yet everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss; and they will say, ‘Why has Yahweh done this to this land and to this house?’ |
| Isaiah 5:1 | Let me sing for my well beloved a song of my beloved about his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. |
| Isaiah 6:11 | Then I said, “Lord, how long?” He answered, “Until cities are waste without inhabitant, houses without man, the land becomes utterly waste, |
| Jeremiah 7:12 | “But go now to my place which was in Shiloh, where I caused my name to dwell at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. |
| Jeremiah 7:14 | therefore I will do to the house which is called by my name, in which you trust, and to the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I did to Shiloh. |
| Matthew 23:38 | Behold, your house is left to you desolate. |
| Matthew 24:1 | Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. |
| Matthew 24:2 | But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.” |
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
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes notes that the Hebrew word for "habitation" denotes any enclosed place of abode, whether a palace, castle, or nomadic camp. His key point is that the prayer asks for that dwelling to become vacant and forsaken, without specifying the type of home. The emphasis falls on total desolation and removal.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin reads Psalm 69 as a prophecy of Christ, not just a record of David's suffering. He points out that the New Testament quotes it at least seven times, showing that David, rejected and persecuted, was a clear type of the coming Messiah.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary insists that the imprecations in this passage are the Psalmist’s own words, not those of his enemies, since the pronouns remain consistent from the preceding verse. It also notes that “their habitation” should be read as “their encampment,” a nomad term reflecting Israel’s heritage, and that total family destruction was the worst Oriental terror.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes treat this as a direct imprecation: the psalmist calls for the enemies' homes to become completely deserted and uninhabited. The emphasis falls on total abandonment, not merely displacement but utter ruin with no one left to occupy the tents.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill expands the curse beyond Judas to include the entire Jewish leadership—princes, high priest, scribes, and Sanhedrin members. He notes the Hebrew word for "habitation" can mean palace or castle, so it covers their grand houses and especially the temple, all left desolate when Jerusalem was destroyed.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Psalm 69 is not directly Messianic because the psalmist admits his own folly and guilt. Instead, he sees it as typically prophetic: David's
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry reads these strong verses not as David's personal imprecations but as prophecies of judgment on the Jewish nation for rejecting Christ, fulfilled about forty years after His death. He points to the apostle Paul's use of the first two verses in Romans 11 to argue that the destruction of the temple and the Mosaic order was God's decisive vindication of the gospel and the setting aside of the ceremonial law.