Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 109:4
For my love they are my adversaries: but I [give myself unto] prayer.
4. In return for my love they behave as adversaries unto me,
Though I (gave myself unto) prayer.
Their hostility is not merely gratuitous ( Psa 109:3); it is an actual return of evil for good. The Heb. word for ‘adversaries’ is characteristic of this Psalms , vv20, 29; cp. Psa 109:6: elsewhere in the Psalter only in Psa 38:20; Psa 71:13. It may mean not ‘enemies’ in general, but ‘accusers,’ opponents in a court of law. For the forcible idiom I ( was) prayer cp. Psa 120:7, “I am peace”; Psa 110:3, “Thy people are freewill offerings.” The A.V., But I give myself unto prayer, retained in R.V., takes the meaning to be that in his need he commits his cause to God (cp. Psa 69:13). But the parallel passage in Psa 35:13 is decidedly in favour of supposing that his prayers for them in past times are meant, and this explanation suits the context best. To these prayers he refers as the proof of his love, the good for which they are now ( Psa 109:5) requiting him with evil.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For my love … – As a recompence for my love; or, this is the return which I get for all the expressions of my love to them. The enemies referred to were those whom he had treated kindly; to whom he had done good. This is not uncommon in the world. It was illustrated in an eminent degree in the life of the Saviour.
But I give myself unto prayer – literally, I – prayer; that is, I am all prayer; I continually pray. This may mean, either, that he bore these trials with a meek spirit, and did not allow these things to disturb his devotions; or, more probably, that he prayed constantly for them; he desired their good, and sought it from above.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 109:4
But I give myself unto prayer.
The universal suitability of prayer
This is the great resource of Gods children. Observe the disjunctive particle but with which the text begins. Let others do this or that (he would say), but I give myself unto prayer, or, as it stands in the original, But I–prayer; as though he meant to imply that prayer was everything to him;–I have no other resource, and I need none. What shall we do, asks the pious parent, to secure our children, who will soon be beyond the control of parental authority, and will have to encounter the snares of a world which lieth in wickedness? Give yourselves unto prayer. Let us take another case; namely, the feelings and anxieties of the junior touching the senior members of the household. Here I desire to speak a word in favour of family prayer. Give yourselves unto prayer, as Abraham did, who wherever he went, there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord. The opening of the new year calls for a review of the past, and that review is fraught with matter for humiliation. Be humbled: yet let not humiliation take the gloomy and unbelieving character of despondency. And in order to prevent this, give yourself unto prayer. (T. E. Hankinson, M.A.)
Constancy in prayer
When a pump is frequently used, but little pains are necessary to have water; the water pours out at the first stroke, because it is high. But if the pump has not been used for a long time, the water gets low, and when you want it you must pump a long while, and the water comes only after great effort. It is so with prayer; if we are instant in prayer, every little circumstance awakens the disposition to pray, and desires and words are always ready. But if we neglect prayer it is difficult for us to pray, for the water in the well gets low. (Felix Neff.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 4. For my love they are my adversaries] In their behalf I have performed many acts of kindness, and they are my adversaries notwithstanding; this shows principles the most vicious, and hearts the most corrupt. Many of the fathers and commentators have understood the principal part of the things spoken here as referring to our Lord, and the treatment he received from the Jews; and whatever the original intention was, they may safely be applied to this case, as the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th verses are as highly illustrative of the conduct of the Jewish rulers towards our Lord as the following verses are of the conduct of Judas; but allowing these passages to be prophetic, it is the Jewish state rather than an individual, against which these awful denunciations are made, as it seems to be represented here under the person and character of an extremely hardened and wicked man; unless we consider the curses to be those of David’s enemies. See Clarke on Ps 109:20.
But I give myself unto prayer] vaani thephillah; “And I prayer.” The Chaldee: vaana atsalley, “but I pray.” This gives a good sense, which is followed by the Vulgate, Septuagint, AEthiopic, Arabic, and Anglo-Saxon. The Syriac, “I will pray for them.” This, not so correctly; as dreadful imprecations, not prayers, follow. But probably the whole ought to be interpreted according to the mode laid down, Ps 109:20. The translation and paraphrase in the old Psalter are very simple: –
Trans. For that thyng that thai sulde hafe lufed me, thai bakbited me; bot I prayed.
Par. That is, that sulde haf lufed me for I was godson, and thai bakbited me sayande, in Belzebub he castes oute fendes; bot I prayed for thaim.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
For my love they are my adversaries; they requite my love and good will with enmity and mischief, as it is explained, Psa 109:5.
But I give myself unto prayer, Heb. but I prayer, i.e. I am a man of prayer, or I betake myself to prayer. Thus I peace is put for I am for peace, as we render it, Psa 120:7; and thy bread for the men of thy bread, or that eat thy bread, Ob 7. The sense is, Whilst they reproach and curse me, I pray either,
1. For them, as he did, Psa 35:13; or,
2. For myself: I did not render unto them evil for evil, but quietly committed myself and my cause to God by prayer, desiring him to plead my cause against them; and I had no other refuge.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4, 5. They return evil for good(compare Psa 27:12; Pro 17:13).
I give myself unto prayerorliterally, “I (am) prayer,” or, “as for me, prayer,”that is, it is my resource for comfort in distress.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For my love they are my adversaries,…. For the love that Christ showed to the Jews; to their bodies, in going about and healing all manner of diseases among them; to their souls, in preaching, the Gospel to them in each of their cities; and for the love he showed to mankind in coming into the world to save them, which should have commanded love again; but instead of this they became his implacable adversaries: they acted the part of Satan; they were as so many Satans to him, as the word signifies.
But I give myself unto prayer; or “I am a man of prayer” y; as Aben Ezra and Kimchi supply it; so he was in the days of his flesh, Heb 5:7, he was constant at it, and fervent in it; sometimes a whole night together at it: his usual method was, when at Jerusalem, to teach in the temple in the daytime, and at night to go to the mount of Olives, and there abide and pray, Lu 6:12. This was the armour he alone made use of against his enemies, when they fought against him, and acted the part of an adversary to him; he betook himself to nothing else but prayer; he did not return railing for railing, but committed himself in prayer to God, who judgeth righteously, 1Pe 2:23, yea, he prayed for those his adversaries: and so Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it, that he was a man of prayer for them, and prayed for them; as it is certain Christ did, when he was encompassed by his enemies, and they were venting all their spite and malice against him, Lu 23:34.
y “et ego vir orationis”, Pagninus, Gejerus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
4 On account of my love they have been opposed to me (296) The Psalmist had already solemnly declared, that his adversaries, unprovoked by any injury inflicted upon them by him, and without any just cause, became, through mere diabolical rage, his most implacable foes. Here he confirms the truth of that declaration by saying, that he had been their friend. For there is far more merit in showing kindness to an enemy than simply abstaining from doing that which is evil. And from this we may perceive, that the influence of Satan must be awfully powerful when he takes the hearts of men captive at his will. For nothing can be more unnatural than to hate and cruelly persecute those who love us. To love he also adds deeds of kindness, meaning, that it was his aim to secure their good will by outward acts of beneficence.
(296) “This expression,” says Hengstenberg, “finds its full truth in Christ. Christ’s love to man was daily manifested by his miraculous healing all the infirmities of the body, which was returned by man’s hatred of Him, as displayed in his general conduct.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(4) For my love . . .i.e., in return for my love I give myself unto prayer. For a concise expression of the same kind as I prayer, see Psa. 120:7, I peace. Of course the psalmist means, that in the face of all the taunts and reproaches of his maligners, he simply and naturally has recourse to prayer, and, as the context seems to indicate, prayer for them.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4, 5. For my love Instead of “my love,” or instead of returning love for “my love,” they are my adversaries. And so, Psa 109:5. This “rewarding evil for good and hatred for love” is the purest diabolism. Psa 109:3-5 set forth the true moral relation of David to his enemies, both as to past conduct and present feelings, and have an essential bearing on the import and true spirit of the psalm. It is impossible to construe the psalm in the spirit of personal hate or vindictiveness. But the higher application is to Christ and his persecutors.
But I give myself unto prayer Literally, But I prayer; that is, “But I am wholly prayer.” Furst. I use no other means of vindication or defence. The form is intensive, as in Psa 120:7, “I peace” I am wholly given to peace. The hatred of the psalmist’s foes is not of to-day or of yesterday, but of old, and of years past.” Canon Cook.
Psa 109:4. For my love, &c. While I pray for them, they in return for my love falsely accuse me. Green.
Psa 109:4 For my love they are my adversaries: but I [give myself unto] prayer.
Ver. 4. For my love they are mine adversaries ] Heb. they satanically hate me. To render evil for evil is brutish, but to render evil for good is devilish.
But I give myself to prayer I give myself unto prayer = I [am all] prayer. Compare Psa 120:7 “I [am all] peace”. As here in verses: Psa 109:1-5 and verses: Psa 109:21-27.
For my: Psa 35:7, Psa 35:12, Psa 38:20, 2Sa 13:39, Joh 10:32, 2Co 12:15
but I: Psa 55:16, Psa 55:17, Psa 69:12, Psa 69:13, 2Sa 15:31, 2Sa 15:32, Dan 6:10, Luk 6:11, Luk 6:12, Luk 23:34
Reciprocal: Gen 37:18 – conspired Num 20:6 – they fell Jdg 9:18 – are risen Jdg 12:1 – Wherefore 1Sa 8:6 – prayed 1Sa 15:11 – he cried 1Sa 19:4 – because his works 2Sa 10:4 – and shaved 1Ch 19:4 – took David’s 2Ch 24:22 – remembered Job 16:20 – poureth Job 19:19 – they whom Pro 17:13 – General Jer 18:19 – Give Jer 18:20 – evil Jer 43:3 – to deliver Mic 7:7 – I will look Mar 1:35 – General Mar 3:6 – Pharisees Mar 14:32 – while Luk 9:28 – into Luk 20:43 – General Luk 24:44 – in the psalms Joh 11:53 – put Joh 11:57 – had Rom 12:12 – continuing Col 4:2 – Continue
109:4 For my love they are my adversaries: {b} but I [give myself unto] prayer.
(b) To declare that I had no other refuge, but you, in whom my conscience was at rest.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes