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Psalm 109[a]

Prayer of a Person Falsely Accused

For the leader. A psalm of David.

I

O God, whom I praise, do not be silent,(A)
    for wicked and treacherous mouths attack me.
They speak against me with lying tongues;
    with hateful words they surround me,
    attacking me without cause.

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 109 A lament notable for the length and vehemence of its prayer against evildoers (Ps 109:6–20); the cry to God (Ps 109:1) and the complaint (Ps 109:22–25) are brief in comparison. The psalmist is apparently the victim of a slander campaign, potentially devastating in a society where reputation and honor are paramount. In the emotional perspective of the Psalm, there are only two types of people: the wicked and their poor victims. The psalmist is a poor victim (Ps 109:22, 31) and by that fact a friend of God and enemy of the wicked. The psalmist seeks vindication not on the basis of personal virtue but because of God’s promise to protect the poor.