Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 109:26
Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
26. Cp. Psa 31:16.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
26 31. Repeated prayers for help, ending with calm assurance that the end of suffering is at hand.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Help me, O Lord my God … – Stand by me; interpose.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
26, 27. Let my deliveranceglorify Thee (compare Ps 59:13).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Help me, O Lord my God,…. Jehovah the Father is here addressed, who is the God of Christ, as Christ is man; who formed him, supported him, and glorified him; and whom Christ loved, believed in, obeyed and prayed unto; nor did he pray to a God that could not hear, but to one that was able to save him from death: as a divine Person he needed no help, being the mighty God, the most Mighty, the Almighty: but as man he did, being encompassed about with infirmities; and as Mediator help was promised him, he expected it, and he had it,
Ps 89:21.
O save me according to thy mercy; or “kindness”; as before in
Ps 109:21 from sufferings, and out of them; from death and the grave, as he was; or his people by him, who are saved not by works of righteousness, but according to the mercy of God, Tit 3:5.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The cry for help is renewed in the closing strophe, and the Psalm draws to a close very similarly to Ps 69 and Ps 22, with a joyful prospect of the end of the affliction. In Psa 109:27 the hand of God stands in contrast to accident, the work of men, and his own efforts. All and each one will undeniably perceive, when God at length interposes, that it is His hand which here does that which was impossible in the eyes of men, and that it is His work which has been accomplished in this affliction and in the issue of it. He blesses him whom men curse: they arise without attaining their object, whereas His servant can rejoice in the end of his affliction. The futures in Psa 109:29 are not now again imprecations, but an expression of believingly confident hope. In correct texts has Mem raphatum . The “many” are the “congregation” (vid., Psa 22:23). In the case of the marvellous deliverance of this sufferer the congregation or church has the pledge of its own deliverance, and a bright mirror of the loving-kindness of its God. The sum of the praise and thanksgiving follows in Psa 109:31, where signifies quod , and is therefore allied to the recitativum (cf. Psa 22:25). The three Good Friday Psalms all sum up the comfort that springs from David’s affliction for all suffering ones in just such a pithy sentence (Psa 22:25; Psa 69:34). Jahve comes forward at the right hand of the poor, contending for him (cf. Psa 110:5), to save (him) from those who judge (Psa 37:33), i.e., condemn, his soul. The contrast between this closing thought and Psa 109:6. is unmistakeable. At the right hand of the tormentor stands Satan as an accuser, at the right hand of the tormented one stands God as his vindicator; he who delivered him over to human judges is condemned, and he who was delivered up is “taken away out of distress and from judgment” (Isa 53:8) by the Judge of the judges, in order that, as we now hear in the following Psalm, he may sit at the right hand of the heavenly King. … ! (1Ti 3:16).
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
26 Help me, O Jehovah! The prophet repeats his prayer, because the more we are assailed by the subtilty and deceit of Satan, the more necessary is it for us to strive more ardently, and display the greater boldness. We may, indeed, have the full assurance of God being propitious towards us, yet when he delays to manifest it, and when the ungodly slander us, it must be that various doubts which keep intruding themselves upon us arise in our minds. Hence, it is not without reason that David, in order that he might withstand such attacks, places himself under the protection of that God who, according to his mercy and goodness, helps his people in their time of need. He implores that deliverance may be extended to him, not by ordinary means, but by the peculiar and special display of God’s power, so that his enemies may stand abashed, and not dare to open their mouths; and we know that God sometimes secretly grants succor to his servants, while, at other times, he stretches out his hand in such a visible manner, that the ungodly, though they shut their eyes, are constrained to acknowledge that there is divine agency connected with their deliverance. For as his enemies had exalted themselves against God, so it was his desire, after they shall have been subdued, to exult over them in the name of God. In cherishing this desire, he has no wish to procure for himself the renown of being valiant in war, but that God’s power may be displayed, that no flesh may glory in his sight. The words may also be viewed as referring both to his deliverance from his enemies, and to his affliction; his desire being to attribute his deliverance mainly to the grace of God; because, in opposing the hand of God to fortune and to all human means of deliverance, it is plainly his intention that God should be recognised as the alone author of it. This deserves to be carefully considered by us, for however anxious we are to be delivered by the hand of God, yet there is scarcely one among a hundred who makes the manifestation of God’s glory his chief end; that glory for which we ought to have a greater regard than for our own safety, because it is far more excellent. Whosoever then is desirous that the ungodly may be constrained to acknowledge the power of God, ought the more carefully to take heed to the help of God which in his own case he experiences; for it would be most absurd to point out the hand of God to others, if our minds have not recognised it.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Psa 109:26 Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:
Ver. 26. Help me, O Lord ] Prayer, like those arrows of deliverance, must be multiplied, as our trouble is lengthened and lieth on.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 109:26-29
26Help me, O Lord my God;
Save me according to Your lovingkindness.
27And let them know that this is Your hand;
You, Lord, have done it.
28Let them curse, but You bless;
When they arise, they shall be ashamed,
But Your servant shall be glad.
29Let my accusers be clothed with dishonor,
And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.
Psa 109:27 This is a typical OT role reversal motif. The psalmist wants to be vindicated by YHWH in the presence of his enemies (cf. Psa 23:5).
Psa 109:28 Your servant The noun servant (BDB 713) can be used of
1. a slave
2. subjects of a king
3. worshipers (cf. Deu 32:36; Deu 32:43)
4. Levite singers (cf. Psa 113:1; Psa 134:1; Psa 135:1)
5. Israel (cf. Isa 41:8-9)
6. BDB 714, #6, suggests the usage here is simply a polite address to God (cf. Psa 19:11; Psa 19:13; Psa 27:9; Psa 31:16; Psa 35:27; Psa 69:17; Psa 143:2)
7. NASB Study Bible (p. 856) sees it as a reference to the Davidic Messiah (cf. Psa 78:20; Isa 42:1)
8. special title for leaders
a. Abraham – Gen 26:24
b. Isaac – Psa. 24:14
c. Jacob – Eze 28:25; Eze 37:25
d. Moses – Num 12:7; Deu 34:5
e. Joshua – Jos 24:29 (after his death)
f. David – 2Sa 3:18; 2Sa 7:5; 2Sa 7:8; 2Sa 7:26
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
Psa 109:26-29
Psa 109:26-29
“Help me, O Jehovah my God;
Oh save me according to thy lovingkindness:
That they may know that this is thy hand;
That thou Jehovah hast done it.
Let them curse, but bless thou:
When they arise, they shall be put to shame,
But thy servant shall rejoice.
Let mine adversaries be clothed with dishonor,
And let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.”
“That they may know that thou hast done it” (Psa 109:27). Dahood connected this with what he called, “The miracle that David had requested in Psa 109:21.
“Let them curse, but bless thou” (Psa 109:28). “The psalmist here appears no longer disturbed, since he feels confident of divine assistance after his prayers in Psa 109:26-27.”
“Cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe” (Psa 109:29). McCaw gave the meaning here as a plea that the public dishonor of the psalmist’s enemies, “Would be as plain to everyone as their outer clothing.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 109:26-27. The finest sentiment in this paragraph is the motive the Psalmist expresses for asking the Lord to help him. It is that the people might know that He was the one doing the work. David was longing for relief from his troubles, but he wanted the Lord to have the glory for it.
Psa 109:28. Curse and bless are opposite terms as used in this place. The first means to wish evil and the second to wish good. Ashamed and rejoice also are used as opposite ideas. If the good wishes of the Lord were brought to pass it would confuse (make ashamed) the enemy, but would cause the Psalmist to rejoice.
Psa 109:29. The thought in this verse is the same as that in the preceding one. The writer expresses it in figures as he did in v. 18, those of articles of clothing.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Help: Psa 40:12, Psa 119:86, Heb 5:7
save me: Psa 57:1, Psa 69:13, Psa 69:16
Reciprocal: Psa 25:7 – according Jer 15:15 – remember
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 109:26-29. Help me, O Lord my God But my hope is, that thou, my God, wilt seasonably interpose for my relief, and save me Out of my troubles; according to thy mercy That tender mercy which is wont to extend itself to those who have nothing else to depend upon. That they may know that this is thy hand Being convinced of the eminence, singularity, and strangeness of the work. Let them curse, but bless thou I can patiently bear their curses, as being causeless, and fully compensated by thy blessing. Or, rather, as the Hebrew, , jekalelu hemma, is literally rendered, They will curse; I expect nothing else from them; , veatta tebareck, but thou wilt bless me, and all those that trust in thee; for, blessed is the man who trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. When they arise let them be ashamed Hebrew, , kamu vajeboshu, they have arisen, namely, have taken active measures against me; they shall be ashamed Disappointed of their wicked hopes and designs against me, and covered with their own confusion as with a mantle For that unexpected destruction which they have brought upon themselves. Observe, reader, if God bless us, we need not care who curseth us; for how can they curse whom God hath not cursed? Nay, whom he hath blessed? Num 23:28. Mens curses are impotent, Gods blessings are omnipotent. And those whom men unjustly curse, may in faith expect and pray for Gods blessing, his special blessing. When the Pharisees cast out the poor man for confessing Christ, Christ found him, Joh 9:35. When men, without cause, say all the ill they can of us, and wish all the ills they can to us, we may with comfort lift up our hearts to God in this petition: Let them curse, but bless thou.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
109:26 Help me, O LORD my God: O {o} save me according to thy mercy:
(o) The more grievously Satan assailed him, the more earnest and instant was he in prayer.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
David called on Yahweh to save him from the distress in which he found himself-in a way that would teach his enemies that God had delivered him. This would vindicate David, and all he stood for, in their sight. Again he asked God to shame his accusers and thereby signal divine disapproval of their opposition to God’s righteous servant. David concluded with a confident assertion that God would indeed vindicate him. This would result in the psalmist thanking and praising the Lord.
Believers can pray for the vindication of righteousness with good precedent in the psalms. With the light of later revelation, we understand better than David did, that God will not always vindicate the godly in this life, but He will do so eventually (Deu 32:35; Rom 12:19; et al.; cf. Act 17:30-31; Rev 7:17; Rev 21:4). In David’s day and in ours, God normally vindicates the righteous before they die, but His decision to postpone vindication often makes it appear that He is unjust (cf. Job). David’s "bottom line" concern in this psalm was the vindication of God Himself (Psa 109:31), but he also wanted relief from his oppressors. [Note: See E. Calvin Beisner, Psalms of Promise, pp. 161-82. See also Thomas L. Constable, "The Doctrine of Prayer" (Th.D. dissertation, Dallas Theological Seminary, 1969), pp. 12-13.]
David did what we should do: he turned his enemies over to God. We can pray that God will punish the wicked because He has promised to do so, but we should also ask Him to bring them to salvation (e.g., corrupt politicians, crooked business men, drug dealers, terrorists, et al.). Peter applied Psa 109:8 to Judas Iscariot (Act 1:20), to whom Jesus had previously extended grace.