Psalm 109 5

Psalm 109:5 kjv

And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

Psalm 109:5 nkjv

Thus they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.

Psalm 109:5 niv

They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship.

Psalm 109:5 esv

So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

Psalm 109:5 nlt

They repay evil for good,
and hatred for my love.

Psalm 109 verses

Psalm 109 5 Meaning

Psalm 109:5 expresses the psalmist's profound lament and deep grievance over receiving malevolence and enmity in return for his acts of kindness and affection. It articulates the pain of unrequited goodwill, where deliberate good deeds are met with destructive intent, and sincere love is repaid with active hatred, signifying a complete inversion of natural and righteous reciprocity.

Psalm 109 5 Context

Psalm 109 is a highly emotional imprecatory psalm, primarily attributed to David, expressing the deepest anguish and appealing to God for justice against malicious and treacherous adversaries. The psalmist faces severe slander, baseless accusations, and personal attacks from those who have perverted their gratitude. Verse 5 encapsulates the core complaint: a righteous individual, characterized by beneficence and affection, is repaid with hostility and malicious harm. Historically, David experienced such betrayal throughout his life, from King Saul's persistent attempts to kill him despite his loyal service, to Absalom's rebellion and Ahithophel's treachery, or other unnamed slanderers who spread falsehoods. This verse thus speaks from a context of profound personal suffering caused by intense human wickedness, establishing the ground for the strong pleas for divine judgment that follow in the psalm.

Psalm 109 5 Word analysis

• Thus they have rewarded me (shillemu / שׁלמו): From the root shalem, meaning "to be complete," "to pay back," or "to repay." In this context, it signifies a deliberate act of retribution or repayment. It is not an accidental oversight but a conscious requital, emphasizing the intentionality behind the enemies' actions.
• evil (ra'ah / רעה): This Hebrew word encompasses a wide range of meanings including "bad," "wickedness," "harm," "calamity," "misfortune," or "misery." Here, it points to harmful, malevolent, and morally corrupt actions. It denotes active harm or malicious intent.
• for good (tov / טוב): Signifies "good," "pleasant," "beneficial," "excellent," or "right." It refers to the psalmist's positive deeds, kindness, and inherent benevolence. The pairing with "evil" highlights the perversion of justice and gratitude, where what should have yielded a positive return is met with its diametrical opposite.
• and hatred (sin'ah / שׂנאה): This word expresses intense dislike, enmity, or active animosity. It's not passive indifference but a deep-seated, active ill-will that fuels hostile actions.
• for my love (ahavah / אהבה): This refers to affection, devotion, kindness, and a benevolent disposition. It points to the psalmist's positive emotional connection and actions of care towards those who are now his adversaries.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "Thus they have rewarded me evil for good": This phrase describes a perverse exchange. The inherent good offered by the psalmist was deliberately "paid back" with evil. It signifies an inversion of righteousness, where positive acts are met with harm, and a just recompense is twisted into unjust infliction. This deliberate requital of malice for kindness underlines profound ingratitude and deep depravity on the part of the adversaries. It is an active undoing or perversion of the principle of fair return.
• "and hatred for my love": This reinforces and particularizes the first phrase, emphasizing the personal and emotional dimension of the betrayal. It specifies the "evil" received as intense "hatred," and clarifies the "good" offered as sincere "love." It paints a picture of relational malignancy, where the most vulnerable aspect of human interaction—genuine affection and care—is reciprocated with active enmity. This shows not only ingratitude but also a destructive malevolence directed precisely against a loving disposition. The parallel structure highlights the direct, perverse opposition.

Psalm 109 5 Bonus section

The profound inversion described in Psalm 109:5 — "evil for good, and hatred for my love" — serves as a poignant biblical example of humanity's fall from grace, revealing the deep-seated spiritual enmity that can manifest against God's representatives or against any expression of pure good. It also carries a significant typological dimension, strongly foreshadowing the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He, the embodiment of ultimate "good" and "love" to humanity, was indeed "rewarded" with the ultimate "evil" and "hatred." This divine experience informs how believers can view their own unjust suffering, finding solace that their pain aligns with that of Christ Himself, rather than being an anomaly. The verse subtly serves as a polemic against human perversity and a declaration of the necessity of divine justice, demonstrating that only God can adequately address such a radical departure from righteousness, unlike any human court.

Psalm 109 5 Commentary

Psalm 109:5 vividly articulates the heart-wrenching experience of undeserved suffering, where benevolence is met with malice. The psalmist, presumed to be David, describes a situation where his good deeds and sincere love are not only unappreciated but actively opposed with evil and hatred. This verse sets the stage for the imprecatory pleas that follow, grounding the severe judgments in the extreme injustice experienced. It speaks to a fundamental breach of trust and reciprocity, portraying enemies so consumed by depravity that they distort the natural order of human interaction. This theme finds a powerful echo in the life of Jesus Christ, who perfectly exemplified love and goodness, only to be repaid with the ultimate act of hatred—crucifixion—by those He came to save. While the Old Testament psalmist appeals for divine judgment in a personal, retributive sense, the New Testament call is for believers to overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21) and to love their enemies (Mt 5:44), demonstrating a deeper expression of God's redemptive love in the face of such injustice, yet still resting in His ultimate sovereignty to enact righteous judgment. Practically, this verse acknowledges the pain of such betrayal, whether in familial relationships, friendships, or broader societal interactions, and teaches believers to cast their burden upon a just God, who sees and will ultimately right all wrongs, even as they are called to live by Christ's example of love.