What does Psalm chapter 109 mean?

Certain psalms contain requests for God to harshly punish an enemy. These are labeled "imprecatory." Examples include Psalms 5, 10, 109, 17, 58, 59, 70, 79, 83, 129, 137, and 140. Most of those include a few imprecatory statements. Psalm 109, along with others such as Psalms 35 and 69, are more detailed in their imprecation. These songs record the heartfelt anguish of psalmists but don't necessarily indicate that the Lord granted those requests. It's possible that this psalm is labeled "of David" because of its style. No specific event is mentioned, but David certainly experienced his share of hardships and challenges.

The psalmist—probably David—begins with an appeal for God to act. He notes the abuse he suffers under his enemies. This includes malicious lies, slander, hateful words, and unjustified aggressions (Psalm 109:1–3).

Those sins are especially heinous because the psalmist has attempted to show love to those aggressors. His commitment to the Lord is shown in his attitude towards prayer. The Hebrew phrase in this psalm can be translated very literally as "but I am prayer." Rather than responding with violence or angry words, the psalmist chooses to rely on God's power (Psalm 109:4–5).

Next comes a relatively long series of misfortunes. These are the judgments the psalmist hopes the Lord will bring on slandering, lying enemies. The writer wishes them to be maliciously accused and convicted and that their prayers will be rejected. He prays for these wicked liars to lose their status and importance; this statement was noted by the apostles (Acts 1:20) while selecting a replacement for Judas (Psalm 109:6–8).

In an especially bitter turn, the psalmist asks for God to bring disaster on his enemies' families, as well. By praying that they lose father and husband, this effectively asks God to deliver the death penalty. The next section provides reasons why the writer feels this is justified (Psalm 109:16). Piling on, the writer wants the remaining family to be treated with coldness and hostility, with others condemning them for sin and shame, until the family line ends and the world forgets them. And yet, the psalmist hopes that God will forever remember their sins (Psalm 109:9–15).

Now the psalmist notes specific crimes committed by these enemies—or possibly by a single, especially wicked one. The antagonist was cruel to the disadvantaged, bringing them death instead of care. This opponent was verbally abusive and hateful towards others. The psalmist here prays that these curses and cruelties would turn back on the enemy and overwhelm them (Psalm 109:16–20).

The psalmist then explains what his enemies' attacks have done. His wealth and health are suffering. He feels shame because of their slandering. The song ends with a series of statements summarizing the rest of the song: a request for help, pleas for judgment on the enemy, and a promise to praise the Lord for His anticipated response (Psalm 109:21–31).