Psalm 109 18

Psalm 109:18 kjv

As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.

Psalm 109:18 nkjv

As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, So let it enter his body like water, And like oil into his bones.

Psalm 109:18 niv

He wore cursing as his garment; it entered into his body like water, into his bones like oil.

Psalm 109:18 esv

He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones!

Psalm 109:18 nlt

Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing,
or the water he drinks,
or the rich food he eats.

Psalm 109 verses

Psalm 109 18 Meaning

Psalm 109:18 vividly describes the fate of the one who delights in cursing: it becomes an intrinsic part of them. The cursing they utter is likened to a garment they wear, symbolizing its deliberate adoption and outward display. Furthermore, it penetrates their inner being like water and oil, illustrating its deep absorption, pervasiveness, and corruption from within, affecting their very core. This imagery conveys a profound consequence, where the destructive words chosen by the enemy turn inward to consume their own spirit and foundation.

Psalm 109 18 Context

Psalm 109 is one of the "Imprecatory Psalms," where the psalmist (traditionally David) prays for God's judgment upon his enemies. The broader context depicts the psalmist as being severely slandered, falsely accused, and unjustly persecuted by wicked men. He pleads for divine intervention, asking God to deliver him from their malicious lies and return their evil intentions upon their own heads. Verse 18 is a vivid continuation of this imprecation, specifically wishing that the enemies' own love for cursing would boomerang upon them and corrupt them entirely, much like a poison consumed or a stain that seeps into one's very essence. The Psalm serves as a cry for God's perfect justice in the face of profound injustice and verbal assault, distinguishing between human vengeance and divine retribution.

Psalm 109 18 Word analysis

• He clothed himself with cursing: (לָבַשׁ קְלָלָה - lāvaš qelālāh)

  • lāvaš (לָבַשׁ): To put on, wear, be clothed. Signifies an intentional, habitual act. It implies a voluntary embracing of cursing, not something merely accidental or external. It becomes part of one's identity.
  • qelālāh (קְלָלָה): A curse, malediction. The evil speech or pronouncement against another.
  • Words-group analysis: This phrase powerfully signifies that the individual chose to make cursing their characteristic. It is not something inflicted upon them, but a behavior they donned like apparel. This emphasizes responsibility and active engagement in wickedness.

• as with a garment: (כַמַּד - kammadd)

  • kammadd (כַמַּד): Like a garment, clothing. Mad often refers to a distinct or customary dress.
  • Words-group analysis: This simile reinforces the idea of intentionality, familiarity, and how easily one can slip into such a behavior. A garment is worn externally but chosen by the wearer, becoming visible to all.

• and it entered into his body like water: (וַתָּבֹא בְקִרְבּוֹ כַמָּיִם - wattāvō bəqirbō kammāyim)

  • wattāvō (וַתָּבֹא): And it entered, it came in. Suggests infiltration and absorption.
  • bəqirbō (בְקִרְבּוֹ): Into his body, within him, into his innermost part. Qerev refers to the inward part, the midst, or the vital organs.
  • kammāyim (כַמָּיִם): Like water. Water is pervasive, finding every crack and crevice, easily absorbed.
  • Words-group analysis: This imagery shifts from an external choice (garment) to an internal saturation. The cursing isn't just outer behavior; it seeps into their very essence, affecting their thoughts, motivations, and spiritual being.

• and like oil into his bones: (וְכַשֶּׁמֶן בַּעֲצָמוֹתָיו - wəḵaššemen ba‘aṣāmōtāv)

  • wəḵaššemen (וְכַשֶּׁמֶן): And like oil. Oil is known for its ability to penetrate deeply, lubricate, and persist. It can also signify anointing, but here it's defilement.
  • ba‘aṣāmōtāv (בַּעֲצָמוֹתָיו): Into his bones. Bones are the deepest, most foundational parts of the body, signifying the very core of one's being, their constitution, their strength, or even their soul.
  • Words-group analysis: This final, even more profound, simile depicts the ultimate and deepest permeation. Oil penetrating bones suggests a permanent and fundamental corruption. It reaches beyond the surface, beyond the organs, down to the very marrow and structure of the person, poisoning them from within.

Psalm 109 18 Bonus section

The imagery in this verse serves as a powerful theological statement about the self-destructive nature of consistent evil. It's not necessarily a direct action by God that inflicts new suffering, but a natural and just consequence that He allows or orchestrates. The chosen act of clothing oneself with curses and allowing them to penetrate deep within highlights the moral truth that character is shaped by choices and ultimately defines destiny. This concept resonates throughout Scripture, where integrity brings blessing, and corruption, particularly verbal malice, brings internal decay. This verse stands as a stark warning against allowing a spirit of malice or bitter speech to take root in one's life.

Psalm 109 18 Commentary

Psalm 109:18 presents a chilling illustration of divine retribution based on the principle of poetic justice: those who embody wickedness will be consumed by it. The psalmist's imprecation is not merely a wish for vengeance, but a prophetic declaration of the inevitable spiritual consequences for those who habitually curse others. The initial image of cursing as a "garment" speaks to a deliberate, almost fashionable, adoption of malice. It’s a chosen identity. The subsequent similes of "water" and "oil" depict a progressively deeper internalization. Water infiltrates swiftly and widely, while oil saturates profoundly, reaching the "bones"—the very core and strength of one's existence. This signifies that the curse is not just a word uttered but a toxic essence that integrates into the individual's character, motives, and health, eroding them from within. It implies that a life lived by speaking evil ultimately poisons the speaker, making their own words their undoing. The enemy's own malevolence becomes their punishment, a manifestation of God's perfect justice ensuring that the seed sown bears its appropriate bitter fruit.