Psalms 69:26 Meaning: The Sin of Adding to Another's Sorrow

Three key ideas shape this verse. The word “persecute” suggests a determined pursuit, not a single harsh word. The enemies are intentionally hunting someone who can barely stand. The word behind “wounded” carries the sense of a mortal blow. Commentators note it can mean “pierced” or “fatally struck.” The sufferer is already near death, yet they keep coming. And “tell of the sorrow” or “talk to the grief” means they speak about his trouble in a way that makes it worse. They gossip, they accuse, they assume the worst. Barnes describes it as adding to the sorrow instead of showing compassion. When we speak about someone’s hardship with a critical tone, we are doing exactly this. God calls His people to a different way. We are to bind up wounds, not reopen them.

Christians across traditions have read this verse with one voice against cruelty. Many Protestant commentators see it as part of David’s lament and also a prophecy of Christ. Barnes compares the enemies to Job’s friends who accused instead of comforted. Matthew Henry applies the verse to the Jewish leaders who persecuted Jesus, already smitten by God. Gill sees it as referring to the Messiah and the suffering of his followers. Catholic tradition has long read Psalm 69 as a messianic psalm, pointing to Christ’s passion. The thread is clear: whether we read this as David’s experience, a prophecy of Jesus, or both, the sin is the same. Adding to the grief of one already wounded by God is a serious injustice.

Some assume that because God Himself wounded the sufferer, the enemies were merely instruments of God’s justice. In fact, the verse condemns them precisely for persecuting one already wounded by God. Divine sovereignty does not remove human responsibility. God may allow affliction for His purposes, but that does not give us permission to pile on. Job’s friends made this same mistake, and God rebuked them. The enemies here are guilty because they chose cruelty instead of compassion.

Think of someone in your life right now who is going through a hard time. A friend who lost a job. A neighbor battling illness. A family member weighed down by grief. The temptation is to stay away or to whisper assumptions about why they are in that situation. This verse asks you to do the opposite. Draw near. Offer presence, not advice. Let your words bring comfort, not more pain. If they are already feeling the weight of God’s hand, do not be a weight yourself. Be the one who softens the blow, not the one who delivers it. Jesus knew what it was like to be wounded by God and abandoned by friends. He understands. He can teach us how to be with those who suffer.