Psalm 109:21-23

New Catholic Bible

Footnotes

1. Psalm 109:21 The poem seems to begin again at this point. The poor man once again invokes God, reveals his distress, asks for health, cries out his imprecations, and promises to give thanks. It is the rhythm of the prayer of a persecuted person. It testifies to a conviction: in the time of God’s judgment, the evil one will return in defeat to the world of darkness where he willed to swallow up everything, but the righteous will obtain access to the glory of the Lord.
2. Psalm 109:21 For your name’s sake: see note on Ps 5:12. The Lord’s kindness is one of his most defining attributes (see notes on Pss 5:8; 6:5; Ex 34:6; see also Pss 25:10-11; 69:17; 79:8-9; 86:15; 103:8; Num 14:18; Joel 2:13). Kindness is also the love of the covenant between the Lord and his people, and it includes the sentiments that are found in each (grace and love on the part of the Lord and piety on the part of the faithful). It specifically refers to all that God promised to his people (see Deut 7:9, 12) through the Davidic dynasty (see Ps 89:25, 29, 34; 2 Sam 7:15; Isa 55:3).
3. Psalm 109:22 Poor and needy: see note on Ps 22:27. Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
4. Psalm 109:23 I am fading away: the psalmist’s illness draws the scorn of enemies (see note on Ps 5:10). Like an evening shadow: similar to Ps 102:12. Shaken off like a locust: allusion to the custom of brushing locusts off the plants in order to kill them on the ground. Another translation possible is: “swept away like a locust,” an image similar to Job 30:22; in Palestine a strong wind sometimes ends a plague of locusts by blowing them out into the sea (see Ex 10:19; Joel 2:20).