Psalms 109:1

Hold not thy peace,.... Or be not as a deaf or dumb man, or like one that turns a deaf ear and will give no answer; so the Lord seems to his people when he does not give an immediate answer to their

Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise - (cf. Psalms 109:30.) Thou hast heretofore given me continual reason to praise thee; do not now withhold thy word of power in my behalf (cf.

Psalms 109 THE It is sufficiently evident from the body of this Psalm, that it was composed by David when he was in a state of persecution, either by Saul or by Absalom; and that amongst and above all the rest of his enemies he takes very particular notice of, and breaks forth into vehement expressions of anger against one particular person which whether it were Doeg or Ahithophel is not certain, nor at all necessary to know. But as David was, and very well knew himself to be, a type of Christ, and consequently his enemies did typify or represent the enemies of Christ, and this particular adversary of his did represent some singular and eminent enemy of Christ, which though David might not, yet the Spirit of God which indited this Psalm did, know to be Judas, and accordingly directed all these bitter invectives and imprecations against him, who deserved and received far worse punishments for his monstrous wickedness than all which are here mentioned. And that he was the person principally aimed at in this Psalm, will seem very probable to him who considers David’ s mild and merciful temper even towards his enemies, which he both professed in words in this very book, as ,14, and practised in deeds, as ,11 19:22,23, and withal the severity of these imprecations, reaching not only to the persons of his enemies but to their children, who yet by the law of God were not to suffer for their parents’ sins, . David, complaining of his false accusers, who requited him evil for good, devoteth them and their children to all misery and oblivion, , because of their unmercifulness and cruelty, ; showeth his great affliction, prayeth for deliverance, and promiseth thankfulness, . Hold not thy peace; do not neglect me, but take notice of my extreme danger and misery, and deliver me, which thou canst do by the speaking of one word. O God of my praise; the author and matter of all my praises; who hast given me continual occasion to praise thee, whom I have used to praise, and will praise whilst I live; do not therefore now give me occasion to turn my praises into lamentations.

Psalms 109:1 « To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. » Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;A Psalm of David] Written by him, usque adeo terribili et horrifica oratione, saith Beza, in such terrible terms, as the like is not to be found in Holy Scripture; wherefore it is to be read and used with very great judgment, and not as those miscreants of whom Faber writeth, Quod more magico clam murmurabant hune Psalmum per modum execrationis in eorum hostes, that after a conjuring fashion they muttered out this psalm, by the way of curse upon their enemies. Ver. 1. Hold not thy peace] But plead my cause, clear mine innocence. O God of my praise] The object of my praises, or thou that keepest up my credit, as a witness, judge, and avenger of mine integrity.

(1) God of my praise.—That is, God to whom as covenant God it was a privilege to make tehillah. (See Deuteronomy 10:20-21, where Jehovah is said to be “the praise” of those who “swear by His name.” Comp. also Psalms 106:2-3, and Note, and Psalms 33:1. Perhaps “God of my glory or boast” would more nearly give the force of the original. The psalmist prays that Jehovah’s silence may not make his confident glorifying in the covenant promises vain.

PSALM CIX The psalmist speaks against his inveterate enemies, 1-5. He prays against them, and denounces God's judgments, 6-15. The reason on which this is grounded, 16-20. He prays for his own safety and salvation, using many arguments to induce God to have mercy upon him, 21-31. NOTES ON PSALMS CIX The title of this Psalm, To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, has already often occurred, and on it the Versions offer nothing new. The Syriac says it is "a Psalm of David, when the people, without his knowledge, made Absalom king; on which account he was slain: but to us (Christians) he details the passion of Christ." That it contains a prophecy against Judas and the enemies of our Lord, is evident from Acts 1:20. Probably, in its primary meaning, (for such a meaning it certainly has,) it may refer to Ahithophel. The execrations in it should be rendered in the future tense, as they are mere prophetic denunciations of God's displeasure against sinners. Taken in this light, it cannot be a stumbling-block to any person. God has a right to denounce those judgments which he will inflict on the workers of iniquity. But perhaps the whole may be the execrations of David's enemies against himself. See on Psalms 107:20. Ahithophel, who gave evil counsel against David, and being frustrated hanged himself, was no mean prototype of Judas the traitor; it was probably on this account that St. Peter, Acts 1:20, applied it to the case of Judas, as a prophetic declaration concerning him, or at least a subject that might be accommodated to his case. Verse 1. Hold not thy peace] Be not silent; arise and defend my cause.

1–5. The Psalmist appeals to God to interpose and defend him from his persecutors, whose hostility is not only causeless, but aggravated by gross ingratitude.

Hold not thy peace - That is, Speak for my defense - as if God had looked with unconcern on the wrongs which were done to him. See the notes at Psalms 83:1. O God of my praise - The God whom I praise; whom I worship and adore.

1. Hold not thy peace—Be not a silent witness of my wrongs. God of my praise—Taken in the genitive, for the object of “my praise,” the fundamental passage is Deuteronomy 10:21. Compare Jeremiah 17:14.