Psalms 109:18

109:18 He made cursing a way of life, ¹ 

so curses poured into his stomach like water

and seeped into his bones like oil. ² 

Psalms 109:29

109:29 My accusers will be covered ³  with shame,

and draped in humiliation as if it were a robe.

Psalms 109:1

Psalm 109 ⁴ 

For the music director, a psalm of David.

109:1 O God whom I praise, do not ignore me! ⁵ 

Psalms 5:5

5:5 Arrogant people cannot stand in your presence; ⁶ 

you hate ⁷  all who behave wickedly. ⁸ 

[109:18]  ¹ tn Heb “he put on a curse as [if it were] his garment.”

[109:18]  ² tn Heb “and it came like water into his inner being, and like oil into his bones.” This may refer to this individual’s appetite for cursing. For him cursing was as refreshing as drinking water or massaging oneself with oil. Another option is that the destructive effects of a curse are in view. In this case a destructive curse invades his very being, like water or oil. Some who interpret the verse this way prefer to repoint the vav (ו) on “it came” to a conjunctive vav and interpret the prefixed verb as a jussive, “may it come!”

[109:29]  ³ tn Heb “clothed.” Another option is to translate the prefixed verbal forms in this line and the next as jussives (“may my accusers be covered with shame”).

[109:1]  ⁴ sn Psalm 109. Appealing to God’s justice, the psalmist asks God to vindicate him and to bring severe judgment down upon his enemies.

[109:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “do not be deaf.”

[5:5]  ⁶ tn Heb “before your eyes.”

[5:5]  ⁷ sn You hate. The Lord “hates” the wicked in the sense that he despises their wicked character and deeds and actively opposes and judges them for their wickedness. See Ps 11:5.

[5:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “all the workers of wickedness.”