For he never thought to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and brokenhearted, even to their death. For he never thought to show kindnessThis phrase highlights a heart hardened against compassion, reflecting a broader biblical theme of the wicked's lack of mercy. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, kindness (Hebrew: "chesed") was a covenantal loyalty expected among God's people. The absence of kindness here contrasts with God's character, who is often described as merciful and gracious ( Exodus 34:6). This lack of kindness is a hallmark of the wicked, as seen in Proverbs 21:10, where the wicked have no compassion. but pursued the poor and needy
The pursuit of the poor and needy indicates a deliberate and aggressive action against those who are vulnerable. In biblical law, the poor and needy were to be protected and provided for (Deuteronomy 15:11). This pursuit is a direct violation of God's commands and reflects a societal injustice that prophets like Amos and Isaiah frequently condemned. The poor and needy are often seen as under God's special care, and their oppression is a serious offense (Psalm 72:4). and brokenhearted
The brokenhearted are those who are crushed in spirit, often due to oppression or personal loss. In the Psalms, God is depicted as close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18), offering comfort and healing. The mention of the brokenhearted here underscores the depth of the wicked's cruelty, as they target those who are already suffering. This phrase also foreshadows the ministry of Jesus, who proclaimed His mission to bind up the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61:1, Luke 4:18). even to their death
The ultimate consequence of this relentless pursuit is death, highlighting the severity of the wicked's actions. In biblical terms, death is not only a physical end but can also signify spiritual separation from God. This phrase echoes the fate of the wicked as described in Proverbs 11:19, where pursuing evil leads to death. It also serves as a stark contrast to the life-giving nature of God's kingdom, where the righteous find refuge and life (Psalm 16:11). Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidTraditionally attributed as the author of Psalm 109, David is expressing a deep lament and plea for justice against his adversaries. 2. The Wicked ManThe subject of David's imprecation, characterized by his lack of kindness and pursuit of the vulnerable. 3. The Poor and NeedyRepresents those who are marginalized and oppressed, whom the wicked man targets. 4. The BrokenheartedIndividuals who are emotionally or spiritually crushed, further victimized by the wicked. 5. GodThe ultimate judge and deliverer whom David appeals to for justice and vindication. Teaching Points The Call to KindnessAs followers of Christ, we are called to show kindness and mercy, especially to the poor and needy. This reflects God's heart and stands in stark contrast to the behavior of the wicked man. The Danger of HardheartednessThe wicked man's actions serve as a warning against allowing our hearts to become hardened towards the suffering of others. We must guard against indifference and actively seek to support those in need. God's Justice and CompassionWhile the wicked may seem to prosper temporarily, God's justice will ultimately prevail. We can trust in His timing and continue to advocate for the oppressed. Reflecting Christ's MissionOur lives should mirror Christ's mission to heal the brokenhearted and uplift the downtrodden. This involves practical acts of service and advocacy for justice. The Power of Prayer in AdversityLike David, we can bring our grievances and the injustices we witness to God in prayer, trusting Him to act on behalf of the oppressed. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the behavior of the wicked man in Psalm 109:16 contrast with the biblical call to show kindness and mercy? 2. In what ways can we actively support the poor, needy, and brokenhearted in our communities today? 3. How does understanding God's justice and compassion influence our response to witnessing injustice? 4. What practical steps can we take to ensure our hearts remain compassionate and not hardened towards the suffering of others? 5. How can prayer be a powerful tool in addressing the injustices we see around us, as demonstrated by David in this Psalm? Connections to Other Scriptures Proverbs 14:31This verse highlights the importance of kindness to the poor, contrasting the wicked man's behavior in Psalm 109:16. Isaiah 61:1Speaks of God's mission to bind up the brokenhearted, offering a divine counter to the wicked man's actions. Matthew 5:7Jesus' teaching on mercy underscores the absence of mercy in the wicked man's life. James 1:27Emphasizes pure religion as caring for the needy, contrasting the wicked man's pursuit of the vulnerable. Luke 4:18Jesus' mission statement aligns with God's heart for the oppressed, opposing the wicked man's actions. People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Afflicted, Broken, Brokenhearted, Broken-hearted, Cruel, Death, Designing, Despondent, Didn't, Heart, Hounded, Kill, Kindness, Lovingkindness, Low, Mercy, Needy, Persecuted, Poor, Pursued, Pursueth, Ready, Remember, Remembered, Shew, Slay, SmittenDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 109:16 5801 brokenness
5809 compassion, human
5972 unkindness
8291 kindness
8713 discouragement Psalm 109:6-20 6040 sinners Library Psalm. Cix. 21. ; Micah, vi. 9
Psalm. cix. 21.; Micah, vi. 9. Sweet is Thy mercy, O my God! When humbled at Thy feet, I learn the lessons of Thy rod, Thy mercy, Lord, is sweet. For Thou dost not in wrath chastise, But when I go astray, "Return," a voice behind me cries, "Walk here;--this is the way." Impatient of Thine easy yoke, If heedless yet I roam, Some sharp affliction, with a stroke Of kindness, warns me home. That godly sorrow then I feel, Which nothing can control, Until the hand that wounded, heal, That bruised me, …
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and HymnsIf Anyone Shall Say that Jesus as Man is Only Energized by the Word Of...
If anyone shall say that Jesus as man is only energized by the Word of God, and that the glory of the Only-begotten is attributed to him as something not properly his: let him be anathema. Notes. Nestorius. VII. If any one says that the man who was formed of the Virgin is the Only-begotten, who was born from the bosom of the Father, before the morning star was (Ps. cix., 3) [256] , and does not rather confess that he has obtained the designation of Only-begotten on account of his connection with …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils First Antiphon and Psalm
Third Tone (a ending) Chanter Dum esset rex Choir in accubitu suo, nardus mea dedit odorem suavitatis. Alleluia. Dixit Dominus (Psalm 109) 1. Dixit Dominus, Domino meo: Sede a dextris meis: 2. Donec ponam inimicos tuos, scabellum pedum tuorum. 3. Virgam virtutis tuae emitte Dominus ex Sion: dominare in medio inimicorum tuorem. 4. Tecum principium in die virtutis tuae in splendoribus sanctorum: ex utero ante luciferum genui te. 5. Juravit Dominus, et non paenitebit eum: Tu es sacerdos in aeternum …
Various—The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book Prayer
But I give myself unto prayer.' Psa 109: 4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Fourteenth Day. Endurance in Contradiction.
"Who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself."-- Heb. xii. 3. What endurance was this! Perfect truth in the midst of error; perfect love in the midst of ingratitude and coldness; perfect rectitude in the midst of perjury, violence, fraud; perfect constancy in the midst of contumely and desertion; perfect innocence, confronting every debased form of depravity and guilt; perfect patience, encountering every species of gross provocation--"oppressed and afflicted, He opened not His mouth!" …
John R. Macduff—The Mind of Jesus Ninth Day for God's Spirit on Our Mission Work
WHAT TO PRAY.--For God's Spirit on our Mission Work "The evangelisation of the world depends first of all upon a revival of prayer. Deeper than the need for men--ay, deep down at the bottom of our spiritless life, is the need for the forgotten secret of prevailing, world-wide prayer." "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul. Then when they had fasted and prayed, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed."--ACTS …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession Bunsen's Biblical Researches.
When geologists began to ask whether changes in the earth's structure might be explained by causes still in operation, they did not disprove the possibility of great convulsions, but they lessened necessity for imagining them. So, if a theologian has his eyes opened to the Divine energy as continuous and omnipresent, he lessens the sharp contrast of epochs in Revelation, but need not assume that the stream has never varied in its flow. Devotion raises time present into the sacredness of the past; …
Frederick Temple—Essays and Reviews: The Education of the World A Discourse of Mercifulness
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7 These verses, like the stairs of Solomon's temple, cause our ascent to the holy of holies. We are now mounting up a step higher. Blessed are the merciful . . '. There was never more need to preach of mercifulness than in these unmerciful times wherein we live. It is reported in the life of Chrysostom that he preached much on this subject of mercifulness, and for his much pressing Christians to mercy, he was called of many, the alms-preacher, …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 How Intent the Ruler Ought to be on Meditations in the Sacred Law.
But all this is duly executed by a ruler, if, inspired by the spirit of heavenly fear and love, he meditate daily on the precepts of Sacred Writ, that the words of Divine admonition may restore in him the power of solicitude and of provident circumspection with regard to the celestial life, which familiar intercourse with men continually destroys; and that one who is drawn to oldness of life by secular society may by the aspiration of compunction be ever renewed to love of the spiritual country. …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great The Water of Life;
OR, A DISCOURSE SHOWING THE RICHNESS AND GLORY OF THE GRACE AND SPIRIT OF THE GOSPEL, AS SET FORTH IN SCRIPTURE BY THIS TERM, THE WATER OF LIFE. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.'--Revelation 22:17 London: Printed for Nathanael Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1688. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Often, and in every age, the children of God have dared to doubt the sufficiency of divine grace; whether it was vast enough to reach their condition--to cleanse …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
It was the very busiest road in Palestine, on which the publican Levi Matthew sat at the receipt of "custom," when our Lord called him to the fellowship of the Gospel, and he then made that great feast to which he invited his fellow-publicans, that they also might see and hear Him in Whom he had found life and peace (Luke 5:29). For, it was the only truly international road of all those which passed through Palestine; indeed, it formed one of the great highways of the world's commerce. At the time …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 109:16 NIVPsalm 109:16 NLTPsalm 109:16 ESVPsalm 109:16 NASBPsalm 109:16 KJV
Psalm 109:16 Commentaries
Bible Hub |
