-Imprecations in the Psalms-
- Sam Storms
- Apr 13, 2007
- Series: Psalms
The following verses in the Psalms
present us with a very real problem:
Pss. 5:10; 6:10; 7:6; 9:19-20; 10:2,15;
17:13; 28:4; 31:17-18; 35:1,4-8,19,24-26; 40:14-15; 41:10; 54:5; 55:9,15; 56:7;
58:6-10; 59:5,11-14; 63:9-10; 68:1-2; 69:22-28; 70:2-3; 71:13; 79:6,10-12;
83:9-18 (cf. Judges 4:15-21; 5:25-27); 94:1-4; 97:7; 104:35; 109:6-19,29;
119:84; 129:5-7; 137:7-9; 139:19-22; 140:8-11; 141:10; 143:12.
There are more than just a few who believe
these "prayers" (if it is even legitimate to call them
"prayers") are beneath the dignity of the Christian and are not to be
viewed as examples for us to follow. They are, rather, the expressions of man's
sinful desire for vengeance on his enemies. For example,
these
"forms of expression are of such cold-blooded and malignant cruelty, as to
preclude entertaining the idea for a moment that they were inspired of
God" (John Owen [not the Puritan].
these psalms
"are not God's pronouncements of His wrath on the wicked; but are the
prayers of a man for vengeance on his enemies, just the opposite of Jesus'
teaching that we should love our enemies" (Halley's Bible Handbook).
"So with
this [Ps. 35] and other imprecatory psalms, they give us, not God's precept,
but man's defective prayers" (The Pulpit Commentary).
"The
hatred is there---festering, gloating, undisguised---and also we should be
wicked if we in any way condoned or approved it, or (worse still) used it to
justify similar passions in ourselves" (C. S. Lewis).
These prayers
of the psalmists "are indeed devilish" (C. S. Lewis).
Lewis's opinion
of Psalm 109 is even more to the point: "Psalm 109 is as unabashed a hymn
of hate as was ever written. The poet has a detailed programme for his enemy
which he hopes God will carry out. . . . What makes our blood run cold, even
more than the unrestrained vindictiveness, is the writer's untroubled
conscience. He has no qualms, scruples, or reservations; no shame. He gives
hatred free rein – encourages and spurs it on – in a sort of ghastly innocence.
He offers these feelings, just as they are, to God, never doubting that they
will be acceptable: turning straight from the maledictions to 'Deal Thou with
me, O Lord God, according unto Thy Name: for sweet is Thy mercy' (v. 20)."
These passages
are "the real and natural reactions to the experience of evil and pain,
and though the sentiments are in themselves evil, they are a part of the life
of the soul which is bared before God in worship and prayer" (Peter C.
Craigie).
"The
psalmist may hate his oppressor; God hates the oppression. Thus the words of
the psalmist are often natural and spontaneous, not always pure and good"
(Craigie).
In sum, Craigie
states bluntly that "these Psalms are not the oracles of God."
"Perhaps
there is no part of the Bible that gives more perplexity and pain to its
readers than this; perhaps nothing that constitutes a more plausible objection
to the belief that the psalms are the productions of inspired men than the
spirit of revenge which they sometimes seem to breathe and the spirit of
cherished malice and implacableness which the writers seem to manifest"
(Albert Barnes).
"To some
minds, these imprecatory psalms and passages are perhaps a more difficult
obstacle than any other in the way of a settled confidence in the Divine
inspiration of the Scriptures" (J. Sidlow Baxter)
Don’t try to
dismiss the problem by insisting such prayers are found only in the Old
Testament or that they reflect a sub-standard morality inappropriate to the NT
Christian. Both testaments present the same perfect and exalted standard for
life (cf.
Luke 10:10-16
Galatians 1:8;
5:12
1 Corinthians
16:21-22
2 Thessalonians
1:6-10
2 Timothy 4:14
Revelation 6:10
Revelation
19:1-2
And remember,
to pray “Thy kingdom come” (Matthew 6:10) is to invoke divine judgment on all
other kingdoms and all those who oppose the reign of God. "When we pray as
Jesus taught us, we cry out to God for His blessings upon His church and for His curses upon the kingdom of the
evil one" (James Adams, War
Psalms of the Prince of Peace, 52).
Jesus used
imprecatory language in Matthew 23:13,15,16,23,24,27,29, and especially 23:33.
See also his use of Ps. 41:8-10 in Matthew 26:23-24 as a pronouncement of God's
judgment on Judas.
Harry Mennega
pointed out that
"the New
Testament appears not in the least embarrassed with the Old Testament
imprecations; on the contrary, it quotes freely from them as authoritative
statements with which to support an argument. The New Testament not only quotes
passages which, though themselves not imprecations, are found in a Psalm with
an imprecatory section; but also, and this is more remarkable, it quotes with
approval the imprecations themselves" ("The Ethical Problem of the
Imprecatory Psalms," master's thesis, Westminster Theological Seminary,
1959, p. 38).
One example of
the latter is Peter's citation of the imprecatory section in Pss. 69 and 109 in
reference to Judas Iscariot: "For it is written in the book of Psalms,
'Let his homestead be made desolate, and let no man dwell in it'; and, 'His
office let another man take'" (Acts 1:20). "Peter is here quoting an
invocation of judgment and a curse against the betrayer of God's Anointed
One" (
What we read in
these OT Psalms are not emotionally uncontrolled outbursts by otherwise sane
and compassionate people. Imprecations such as those listed above are found in
high poetry and are the product of reasoned meditation (not to mention divine
inspiration!). They are calculated petitions, not spontaneous explosions of a
bad temper. Certainly there are examples in OT history and prose narrative of
actions and attitudes that are sinful and not to be emulated. But the psalms
are expressions of public worship to be modeled.
How, then, do
we explain them? And how do we reconcile them with the command of Jesus to love
our enemies (Matt. 5:44)? Let me make several suggestions that might help.
(1) We should
remember that in Deut. 27-28 the levites pronounce imprecations against
(2) These
prayers are not expressions of personal vengeance. In fact, most imprecations
are in psalms written by David,
perhaps the least vengeful man in the OT (consider his dealings with Saul,
Nabal, Absalom, Shimei, etc.; see especially 2 Sam. 24:12). David never asks
that he be allowed to “get even” with or “pay back” his enemies. His prayer is
that God would act justly in dealing
with transgressors. There is a vast difference between vindication and
vindictiveness. David’s passion was for the triumph of divine justice, not the
satisfaction of personal malice. The OT was as much opposed to seeking personal
vengeance against one's personal enemies as is the NT (see Exod. 23:4-5; Lev.
19:17-18).
(3) We also
must remember that imprecations are nothing more than human prayers based on
divine promises. One is simply asking God to do what He has already said He
will do (often repeatedly throughout the psalms themselves). For example, in
Matthew 7:21-23 Jesus declares that on the day of judgment He will say to
hypocrites, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” Is it wrong for us
to pray that Jesus do precisely that? Is it wrong for us to build a prayer on a
promise? “Oh, Lord, cause those to depart from you who do evil,” appears to be
a perfectly legitimate petition.
In this regard,
compare Pss. 35:5 with 1:4; 58:6 with 3:7; 35:8 with 9:15; and 35:26 with 6:10.
(4)
Imprecations are expressions provoked by the horror of sin. David prayed this
way because of his deep sensitivity to the ugliness of evil. Perhaps the chief
reason why he wasn’t bothered by prayers of imprecation and we are is that he
was bothered by sin and we aren’t! It is frightening to think that we can stand
in the presence of evil and not be
moved to pray as David did.
(5) The
motivation behind such prayers is zeal for God’s
righteousness, God’s honor, God’s reputation, and the triumph of God’s kingdom. Is our willingness to ignore
blasphemy and overlook evil due to a deficiency in our love for God and His
name? Could our reaction to the imprecatory psalms be traced to the fact that
we love men and their favor more than we love God and His?
(6) Another
factor to keep in mind is that David, being king, was God’s representative on
earth. Thus, an attack on David was, in effect, an attack on God. David’s
enemies were not his private opponents but adversaries of God. David’s ire is aroused because they “speak of you [God] with
evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord, and abhor those who rise up
against you” (Psalm 139:20-21; cf.
Psalm 5:10).
(7) The prayers
of imprecation are rarely, if ever, for the destruction of a specific individual
but almost always of a class or group, namely, “the wicked” or “those who
oppose Thee”.
(8) All such
prayers assume that the wicked are hardened and unrepentant. In other words,
the psalmist calls for divine judgment against them so long as they persist in their rebellion. We love our enemies by
praying for their repentance. But if they callously and consistently refuse,
our only recourse is to pray that God’s judgment be full and fair.
(9) It has also
been argued that it is in fact the Lord Jesus Christ himself who is praying
these psalms of imprecation. "David, by the Spirit of Christ in him,
speaks far beyond his own understanding and experience. He anticipates the
coming, suffering, deliverance, and exaltation of his Son and Lord – Jesus, the
Christ" (
"There
would, indeed be a great inconsistency if Christ had prayed in the same
circumstances and concerning the same persons, 'Destroy them,' and 'Forgive
them.' . . . It was fitting that when he was executing His great commission to
give His life a ransom for sinners He should offer a prayer that would reveal
His goodwill toward men, and would prove incontestably that He was
long-suffering, slow to anger, willing to forgive iniquity, transgression, and
sin. This, doubtless, and much more that cannot be dwelt on now may be found in
the prayer for forgiveness. But there comes a time, and there come circumstances,
when His long-suffering has an end, and when those who refuse to kiss the Son
must perish from the way when His wrath is kindled but a little. It is equally
fitting, then, that in His mediatorial character He should pray for their
destruction. The Psalms themselves present both sides of His mediatorial
character and work in these respects."
David knows
that he needs spiritual protection lest he “hate” God’s enemies for personal
reasons. That is why he concludes Psalm 139 with the prayer that God purify his
motive and protect his heart: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and
know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me
in the way everlasting” (vv. 23-24).
Therefore, when
David speaks of “hatred” for those who oppose God’s kingdom he is neither
malicious nor bitter nor vindictive, nor moved by self-centered resentment. But
he most certainly is jealous for
God’s name and firmly at odds with those who blaspheme.
Although it may
sound contradictory, we are to “love” those whom we “hate”. We love our enemies
by doing good to them (Luke 6:27). We love them by providing food when they are
hungry and water when they thirst (Romans 12:20). We love our enemies by
blessing them when they persecute and oppress us (Romans 12:14). We love them
by responding to their mistreatment with prayers for their salvation (Luke
6:28).
And yes, we are
to “hate” those whom we “love”. When they persistently oppose the
Our love is to
be the sort that cannot be explained in purely human terms. It isn’t enough
simply to refrain from retaliating. We are to bless and pray for those who do
us harm. I don’t know who said it, but I agree: To return evil for evil is
demonic. To return good for good is human. But to return good for evil is
divine!
That sentiment
is certainly Pauline! The apostle said as much when he told us not to seek
vengeance on those who do us dirty. However, many have misunderstood Paul, as
if he’s saying all vengeance is evil. But he says no such thing. The reason we
are not to seek vengeance is because God has said He will (Romans 12:19), and He can do a much better job of it than
we!
Enemy-love
means that instead of responding to evil with evil of our own we are to do
good. “In many cases,” says Dan Allender, “‘doing good’ is simply being
thoughtful and kind. It boils down to nothing more glamorous than pouring a cup
of coffee for someone or warmly greeting them at church and asking about their
weekend. Kindness is the gift of thoughtfulness (‘Let me look for ways I can
serve you’) and compassion (‘Let me know how I can enter your heart’).”
Paul tells us
that in loving our enemies we shall “overcome evil”. Dan Allender has explained
how this happens in his excellent book Bold
Love. He points out that when your enemy receives good for evil it both surprises and shames him, both of which have the potential to transform his
heart.
The enemy spews
out his venom expecting you to respond in kind. Part of the wicked pleasure he
derives from being an enemy comes from provoking you to act just as wickedly as
he does. “Goodness,” though, “trips up the enemy by foiling his battle plans.
The enemy anticipates compliance or defensive coldness, harshness, or
withdrawal. The last thing he expects is sustained kindness and steadfast
strength. Therefore, when evil is met with goodness, it is apt to respond with
either exasperated fury or stunned incredulity. Goodness breaks the spell the
enemy tries to cast and renders him powerless.”
Goodness,
empowered by God’s grace, might even open a crack in his hard-shelled heart.
Powerless to explain your response in terms of what he knows about human
behavior, he is led to acknowledge the life-changing presence of divine love in
and through you and your response to his malicious intent. Allender explains
the impact of this “turning the other cheek”:
“The enemy’s
real pleasure in striking out is the power he enjoys to intimidate and shame.
He enjoys inflicting the harm, to some degree, because it gives him a sense of
control and the fantasy of being like God. Turning one’s cheek to the assault
of the enemy demonstrates, without question, that the first blow was impotent
and shameful. What was meant to enslave is foiled. Like a boomerang, the harm
swoops around and smacks the back of the head of the one who meant harm. A
sorehead may, with the working of the Spirit of God, ask, ‘Why did I strike
that man?’ and eventually ask of the one hit, ‘Why didn’t you retaliate?’
Again, a measure of astonishment and curiosity is stirred, and the path toward
repentance becomes slightly less dim.”
Furthermore,
goodness shames the enemy. It forces him to look at himself rather than you.
When the light of kindness shines back in the face of darkness, the latter is
exposed for what it really is. Attention is diverted from the abused to the
abuser. The shame he feels upon being “found out” will either harden or soften
his heart.
In the very
early days of my ministry, I was interim pastor of a small church with a
history of internal problems. The tiny congregation stood on the brink of yet
another split. A congregational meeting was convened at which everyone was
given an opportunity to speak his or her mind.
I was young and
a bit uncertain of myself, but when the time came I rose to my feet and tried
to speak words of encouragement and unity. Suddenly, quite literally in
mid-sentence, I was loudly interrupted by a lady who proceeded to accuse me of
trying to “steal” the church for my own selfish gain. Unknown to her, or to
anyone else present, I had previously accepted an invitation to join the
pastoral staff at another church in the same city.
Her words were
sharp and cut deeply into my heart. I distinctly remember formulating in my
mind a plan of attack, to be launched as soon as she quit speaking. Were it not
for the grace of God I would have destroyed her (and perhaps, unwittingly,
myself as well). But the Spirit silenced my youthful impetuosity. As soon as
her verbal barrage ceased, I resumed my comments at precisely the point where I
left off. I did not respond to her accusations. I made no attempt at
self-defense. It was as if she had never said a word.
The outcome was
stunning. My refusal to engage her in the verbal gutter (a decision I attribute
wholly to God’s grace) served to both silence and shame her. By declining to
respond in kind, her baseless attack was exposed for what it was. Goodness
acted like a shield that caused her venom to ricochet back upon her own head.
My intent was not to humiliate or harm her in any way, but to lovingly compel
her to own up to the motivation of her heart. For the first time I understood
what Paul meant when he said, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is
thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning
coals on his head” (Romans 12:20).
“But Sam, you
don’t know who my enemies are. You
have no idea how vile and vengeful and irritating they can be. They take
advantage of my goodness, they are unfair, they exploit the fact that I’m a
Christian, they constantly embarrass me in front of others and lie about me
behind my back.”
I don’t doubt
for a moment that what you say is true. I’ve still got a few enemies like that
myself. But if Stephen could love those who viciously stoned him, what excuse
do we have for not loving people whose attack on us is admittedly far less
grievous?
And what of
Jesus himself? Did He not lovingly pray for His executioners even as they drove
iron spikes through His hands and feet? John Stott is surely on the mark: “If
the cruel torture of crucifixion could not silence our Lord’s prayer for his
enemies, what pain, pride, prejudice or sloth could justify the silencing of
ours?”
So, the next
time someone starts throwing stones in your direction, remember the words of
Peter:
“For it is
commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is
conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for
doing what is wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you
endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because
Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his
steps. ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they
hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no
threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter
2:19-23).