Psalm 109:17-18?

Question

What are your thoughts on this passage of scripture?

He loved to pronounce a
curse-
may it come on him;
he found no pleasure in
blessing-
may it be far from him

He wore cursing as his
garment;
it entered into his body like
water,
into his bones like oil.

Answer 1

As a man speaks so is he.

Answer 2

When someone ignores God and decides He isn't important, then they won't see anything wrong with cursing or blasphemy. The psalmist wrote of the ungodly man who "loved to pronounce a curse. ... He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water" (Psalm 109:17-18). Cursing may also be a sign of anger or hatred, which isn't honoring to God.

Answer 3

It would be more helpful to read the entire psalm, especially the first few verses...

"Do not keep silent, O God of my praise! For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful have opened against me; they have spoken against me with a lying tounge..." - Psalm 109: 1-2

Based on language and grammar, the "he" you find in verses 17-18 refer to the "wicked" in verse 2. That is why in verse 21...

"But You, O God the Lord, deal with me for Your name's sake; because your mercy is good, deliver me..." - Psalm 109: 21

Answer 4

Psa 109:17 Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; and he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him.
Psa 109:18 He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment, and it came into his inward parts like water, and like oil into his bones. Let it be unto him as the raiment

David was praying for protection from and punishment for his enemies by the hand of God. The verses you cite here describe a particular enemy at that time - possibly King Saul. (from Notes by A. Barnes - a commentary)

From C. H. Spurgeon: Devotional

“But I give myself unto prayer.” — Psalm 109:4

Lying tongues were busy against the reputation of David, but he did not defend himself; he moved the case into a higher court, and pleaded before the great King himself. Prayer is the safest method of replying to words of hatred. The Psalmist prayed in no cold-hearted manner, he gave himself to the exercise—threw his whole soul and heart into it—straining every sinew and muscle, as Jacob did when wrestling with the angel. Thus, and thus only, shall any of us speed at the throne of grace. As a shadow has no power because there is no substance in it, even so that supplication, in which a man’s proper self is not thoroughly present in agonizing earnestness and vehement desire, is utterly ineffectual, for it lacks that which would give it force. “Fervent prayer,” says an old divine, “like a cannon planted at the gates of heaven, makes them fly open.” The common fault with the most of us is our readiness to yield to distractions. Our thoughts go roving hither and thither, and we make little progress towards our desired end. Like quicksilver our mind will not hold together, but rolls off this way and that. How great an evil this is! It injures us, and what is worse, it insults our God. What should we think of a petitioner, if, while having an audience with a prince, he should be playing with a feather or catching a fly?
Continuance and perseverance are intended in the expression of our text. David did not cry once, and then relapse into silence; his holy clamour was continued till it brought down the blessing. Prayer must not be our chance work, but our daily business, our habit and vocation. As artists give themselves to their models, and poets to their classical pursuits, so must we addict ourselves to prayer. We must be immersed in prayer as in our element, and so pray without ceasing. Lord, teach us so to pray that we may be more and more prevalent in supplication.

Answer 5

Psalm 109 is a prayer of punishment for the wicked, particularly for those who persecute the poor and needy. God loves the poor and needy, and in his word he has guaranteed that he will be reconciled with them, and that vengeance will be enacted up those who cause the poor and needy distress.

Answer 6

The NKJV reads:

17 As he loved cursing, so let it come to him;
As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.
18 As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment,
So let it enter his body like water,
And like oil into his bones.

This Psalm is David's plea to God to avenge what his enemies were doing to him. At verse 17, David asks God to curse his enemies, since they loved to curse him; and to withhold blessings, since they withheld them from him. At verse 18, David uses a metaphor to describe his enemies, who "clothed" themselves with curses for David. As such, David asks God to let these curses seep into his enemies like water or oil.

I hope this helps.

Answer 7

Yes the writer is talking about his enemies, read the whole chapter, and I would sugged KJV.

Answer 8

that speaking evils will hurt you more than trying to help someone. it gets into your bones and causes cancer and various disease.

Answer 9

i think it is a very profound passage which teaches u to live positively and without malice or hate.

Answer 10

Yarr that David was some poet.


I be proud of my ancestor