Psalm 109 (108):24Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Anyone who diligently examines the Acts of the Apostles will discern that this Psalm makes a prophetic reference to Christ; it is clear from what is written, "Let his days be short, and let another take his office," which pertains to Judas, the traitor of Christ. While Peter's context may appear ambiguous, it chiefly concerns the Church that he symbolically represents due to his leadership among the disciples, as noted in the remark, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 16:19). Thus, Judas serves as a symbol for those Jews who stood opposed to Christ, bearing enmity towards Him in their time and continuing this lineage of malice. From these individuals and this nation, we gain a clearer understanding, not only of the Psalms we read, but also of the more direct references to Judah himself.

The Psalm opens with the words, "O God, be not silent to my praise; for the mouth of the wicked, yea, the mouth of the wicked is opened against me" (Psalm 107:1). This suggests that the condemnation pronounced by the deceitful is unfounded, while the acknowledgment of praise granted by God is genuine. Indeed, God is truthful, but every human being is a liar (Romans 3:4), as no man is considered truthful except through the voice of God. The highest form of praise belongs to the only begotten Son of God, revealing Him as He is. This truth was not made visible until His frailty was shown, concealing His virtue when the wicked spoke against Him. This is evidenced by the expression that the deceitful's tongues have been opened, as it denotes hatred masked by deception that erupts into hostile speech.

"They have spoken against me with lying tongues" (Psalms 108:2) encapsulates this dynamic, particularly when they deceptively praised Him as a virtuous Teacher. In another passage, it is recorded, "And they that praise me together swear against me." Their outcry, "Crucify Him, crucify Him" (John 19:6), accompanies their utterances of hatred; they utilized treacherous flattery to disguise their animosity. Just as the faithful love Christ without reservation, so too the wicked hate Him freely; the righteous pursue truth selflessly, while the corrupt seek out evil. As secular writers note, a thoroughly evil man possesses cruelty without any provocation.

Instead of loving me, they belittled me (Psalm 107:3). This can be categorized into six interpersonal conduct types that are easily memorable: (1) responding with good to evil, (2) refraining from retaliation with evil, (3) responding appropriately to good, (4) retaliating with evil for evil, (5) failing to engage positively with good, and (6) responding poorly to good with evil. The first two belong to the righteous, with the first being preferable; the last two pertain to the wicked, the last being the most grievous; while the middle two involve individuals that are neither hot nor cold, with the first leaning towards righteousness and the second towards malevolence. This distinction is crucial in Scripture. Our Lord exemplified repaying good for evil, justifying the ungodly (Romans 4:5), as seen when He was crucified and prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

After indicating, "Instead of loving me, they belittled me," he continues: "But I gave myself to prayer." He did not specify what he prayed for, but it is self-evident he was referring to himself. The ridicule He faced was a belittlement by those who crucified Him, mocking Him as if they had bested Him. From the Cross, He intercedes, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do," demonstrating that while they reciprocated evil for good in their malice, He returned good for the evil they inflicted.

Thus, divine wisdom instructs us, through our Lord's example, that when we sense ingratitude from others—where good is met with evil—we must turn to prayer. He intercedes for those rebelling against Him in their despair or struggle for faith; however, our primary concern is for ourselves, seeking grace and strength from God to overcome our internal urges for vengeance when we are wronged, in presence or absence.

He then notes, "Thus have I been repaid evil for good" (Psalm 107:4). When considering the nature of this evil, its purpose becomes apparent: hatred, he asserts, is the response to my goodwill. This encapsulates their grave transgression. How could the persecutors harm Him who chose to sacrifice Himself willingly? Yet this very hatred becomes the most profound offense by the persecutor, even if the sufferer offers himself as an atonement. He clarifies the meaning of "Instead of love for me," as they were obligated to love, not merely as a duty, but in response to His love. This echoing love is captured in the Gospel, "How often have I gathered your children together, and you would not" (Matthew 23:37).

He then prophesies the repercussions they will face for this wickedness, articulating their fate as if intending it from a perspective of vengeance. Some, misinterpreting this style of prophecy, wrongly assume that hatred brings about further hatred, and that an evil will yields more evil. In reality, it is rare to comprehend how the punishment of the wicked satisfies the accuser, who seeks to extinguish his hatred; while the judge, possessing a just soul, punishes sins rightly. The accuser repays evil for evil, yet the judge, through punishment, administers justice to the unjust; and what is just is inherently beneficial. Thus, He punishes from a motivation rooted in justice—goodness—rather than from pleasure in another's misfortune, which would be inherently evil.

"Set the wicked ruler over him; and let Satan be at his right hand" (Psalm 108:5). The focus has shifted from many to one. This directly pertains to the traitor Judas, who according to Scripture in the Acts of the Apostles, was to face the proper penalty (Acts 1:20). This denotes placing a wretched man over him, alongside the one explicitly mentioned thereafter: "And let Satan be at his right hand." Consequently, he who refused to yield to Christ merited having the adversary assigned to him, becoming subservient to the devil.

Moreover, it is expressed of those who, prioritizing worldly pleasures over God, refer to the materially blessed as having their right hand iniquitous.

"When he is judged, let him be condemned, and let his prayer be turned into sin" (Psalm 107:6). Prayer holds righteousness only through Christ, whom he betrayed through his trespass; yet prayer not made in Christ neither expiates sin nor merely transforms into sin. One might wonder in what context Judas could have prayed such that his prayer became sin. Possibly it was as he contemplated betraying the Lord, for at that moment, he could no longer pray through Christ. Had he sought forgiveness after his betrayal, there would have been hope for mercy; otherwise, despair should lead to his end, as he hung himself in his sorrow.

"Let his days be short" (Psalm 108:7). The "days" refer to those few days within his apostleship, ending as it did in his transgression and demise before Christ's Passion. When questioned how this would reconcile with the sacred total of twelve, which Christ intentionally established with His first Apostles, it immediately follows: "Let another take his office." This indicates that he is to be punished justly, and the total should be increased.

"Let his children be orphans, and his wife a widow" (Psalm 108:8). Following his death, both his offspring were left without a father, and his spouse without a husband. "Let his children be wanderers, and be led away, and ask for their bread" (Psalm 107:9). In describing these wanderers, he refers to those lost and helpless. Allow them to be driven from their homes—expanding upon his earlier statement, "Let them be carried away." The following verses clarify the circumstances surrounding his widow and offspring.

"Let the extortioner search all his possessions, and let strangers spoil his labor" (Psalm 108:10). Allow there to be no helper (Psalm 107:11): implying that there is no guardian for his children, making them unworthy of sympathy.

To the extent that even orphans, though guardian-less, may grow amidst mourning and hardship, he states, "Let his posterity be destroyed"; and in the next generation, let his name cease to exist (Psalm 108:12), indicating that his lineage should bear no further fruit and fade rapidly.

But what follows? "Let the wickedness of his fathers be remembered before the eyes of the Lord, and let the sin of his mother not be blotted out" (Psalm 108:13). This necessitates interpretation regarding whether the sins of his ancestors will be revisited upon him. For those who have been transformed in Christ are not visited by the sins of previous generations, as they cease to be sons of the wicked unless they replicate their actions (Ezekiel 18:4, 20). Moreover, the statement about punishing the sins of the fathers upon the children (Exodus 20:5) indicates they hate God as their forebears did; thus, just as the good may extinguish the consequences of their crimes through virtue, so do the wicked inflict upon themselves the collective burdens of their predecessors.

"Let them always be against the Lord" (Psalm 108:14) refers to being seen in God's eyes. This line has been variously rendered as "Let them always be before the Lord" or others as "Let them always be in sight of the Lord," as indicated elsewhere, "Thou hast shown our wrongs before thee." The term "always" suggests that this grievous offense shall remain unforgiven in both earthly and eternal realms. "Let the memory of them, that is, of his father and mother, disappear from the face of the earth," signifies that which is remembered through generational continuity will vanish from existence, as prophesied here—because Judah himself and his descendants, a reminder of his parents, were eradicated in one brief generation.

This occurs due to their failure to show mercy (Psalm 108:15)—either toward Judah or the people as a whole. The phrase "remembered not" likely pertains to the people. By executing Christ, they could have recalled their transgression and shown mercy towards His followers, whom they had unjustly persecuted. This sentiment precedes, "They persecuted the poor and needy" (Psalm 108:16). This may also relate to Judas, for the Lord humbled Himself from His riches so that we could be enriched by His poverty (2 Corinthians 8:9). How should "beggar" be understood if not in light of His request of the Samaritan woman, "Give Me a drink" (John 4:7), or His expression from the cross, "I thirst" (John 19:28)? The reference to "persecuting the poor and the beggar" surely highlights the Savior as the object of the accusations from Judas, who sought to kill Him, as some translations state, signifying His inner wounds; a phrase typically invoked when regretfully reflecting on past sins.

Take heart, fasting monk, for even the Lord observed this practice. I maintain that a monk draws strength from his fasting; and when he finds his knees weakened by it, he is truly at his most powerful. ‘And my flesh was changed by the oil.’ I understand the challenge and will strive for a literal interpretation to prepare the listeners: the letters themselves provide a foundation for my thoughts. It is commendable to fast and to shun worldly pleasures. Before I reach a deeper spiritual insight, I will focus on the letters. He who claims that he does not partake of oil is stepping away from other delights. I mention this because the Psalmist declares, ‘And my flesh was changed by the oil.’ I will present a different interpretation of this. Nevertheless, this is what he conveyed.

My knees grow tired from fasting, and my body has become transformed for the sake of oil; for I did not dwell in comfort and satisfaction but instead lived a life marked by simplicity and strict discipline. The testimony to this comes from those who were chosen as His sacred disciples, along with the barley loaves they carried and the clusters they washed their hands with when in need. However, Simmachus interpreted the phrase "my flesh is changed for oil's sake" in this manner: my flesh has been altered due to not being cleansed.

My knees grow tired from fasting, and my body has changed due to the absence of oil. He states that my knees are weary from fasting because our Lord Christ led a life of simplicity and practiced strictness, neglecting personal care and maintaining a forty-day fast with only barley loaves. Additionally, as noted by Theodoret, His disciples washed their own ears out of hunger, even though at times He chose to partake of better fare. He indicates that my flesh was transformed by suffering and deprivation, lacking oil and the use of ointment, since the ancients typically used oil to cleanse their bodies. Simmachus rendered it this way: My flesh was altered by refraining from anointing.

Consider Christ, as the prophet depicts Him, whose "knees are weary from fasting" (Psalm 108:24). Indeed, fasting will provide you with a sweetness and sustenance greater than that of a feast.

The initial words have a range of interpretations. Some connect them to devout practices, asserting that David was as committed to fasting as he was to prayer. Others interpret them in light of essential needs, noting that David, while evading the wrath of his adversaries and taking refuge in caves, endured significant deprivation from hunger. However, it appears to us that these signs denote profound grief. David, witnessing death continually before him, had ample reason to shun food and drink; it is well acknowledged that to a sorrowful heart, every meal becomes distasteful, and existence itself loses its vitality. The subsequent phrase complements this sentiment: “My flesh is wasted away for the sake of oil. For to a sorrowful heart, the bones will be dried up” (Proverbs 17:22).

At the conclusion of the law, which is Christ the Lord (Rom. 10:4), this psalm was divinely inspired for David by the Holy Spirit. In it, from severe afflictions and deep anguish, he denounces his oppressors with harsh oaths, seeking divine assistance. The imagery of David's foes reflects the enemy and traitor of Christ the Savior—the vile Judas, along with other ungrateful Jews and all who have persecuted Christ and His Church, to whom the prophet announces harsh judgment. The Passion of Christ is celebrated here, in which He Himself called out to God the Father, ‘Now glorify Me, Father.’ The voice of the sinner, that is, the devil; the mouth of the flatterer, Judas, concerning the betrayal of the innocent Christ.