Psalm 109 7

Psalm 109:7 kjv

When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

Psalm 109:7 nkjv

When he is judged, let him be found guilty, And let his prayer become sin.

Psalm 109:7 niv

When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayers condemn him.

Psalm 109:7 esv

When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin!

Psalm 109:7 nlt

When his case comes up for judgment,
let him be pronounced guilty.
Count his prayers as sins.

Psalm 109 verses

Psalm 109 7 Meaning

Psalm 109:7 is a powerful imprecation, a fervent plea to God for justice against a deceitful and wicked adversary. It asks that when this enemy undergoes a legal examination or divine trial, he is not merely found to be mistaken but demonstrably guilty and condemned. Furthermore, it seeks a chilling outcome: that even his prayers, instead of being heard and leading to mercy, would be reckoned as sin, intensifying his transgression and revealing the depth of his spiritual rebellion or hypocrisy before God.

Psalm 109 7 Context

Psalm 109 is a highly charged imprecatory (cursing) psalm, one of the most intense in the Psalter. David, the author, expresses deep distress and calls upon God to execute divine justice against his personal enemies, who have persecuted him with malicious lies, hatred, and betrayal, returning evil for his good. This specific verse (Ps 109:7) falls within a series of escalating curses (vv. 6-19) that the Psalmist utters against "the wicked" and "the adversary." The immediate context paints a picture of extreme treachery, where the enemies have opened "lying and malicious mouths" against the Psalmist (v. 2), surrounded him with "words of hatred" (v. 3), and rewarded him "evil for good" (v. 5). The legal language employed throughout this section (e.g., "judged," "guilty," "witness") reflects a fervent desire for the heavenly court to convene and render a definitive verdict against his oppressors. This is not mere personal vengeance, but a call for God's righteous character to be vindicated in the face of flagrant injustice, typical of a king who represents God's justice on earth and cries out for divine intervention when earthly systems fail or are corrupted.

Psalm 109 7 Word analysis

• When he is tried (בְּהִשָּׁ֣פְטוֹ - bəhiššaphto):
  • Derived from the Hebrew verb שָׁפַט (shaphat), meaning "to judge," "to govern," "to contend," or "to decide."
  • Signifies a formal legal process or divine reckoning, where an accused person faces a judicial inquiry. It implies scrutiny and examination, not just a casual encounter.
  • The Psalmist invokes the concept of God as the ultimate Judge, demanding a righteous verdict.
• let him be found guilty (יֵצֵ֣א רָשָׁ֑ע - yeṣē’ rāšāʿ):
  • Yeṣē’ (יֵצֵ֣א) means "he goes out," implying a pronouncement or emergence from a trial.
  • Rāšāʿ (רָשָׁ֑ע) is a potent Hebrew term for "wicked," "guilty," "ungodly," or "condemned." It’s not just "not innocent" but definitively culpable in a moral and legal sense.
  • This phrase strongly requests an unequivocal condemnation, confirming his wickedness as a matter of divine judgment.
• and let his prayer (וּתְפִלָּתֹ֖ו - uṯfīlāṯōw):
  • From the Hebrew noun תְּפִלָּה (t’phillāh), meaning "prayer," "intercession."
  • It refers to a specific act of worship or communication directed towards God, usually with a request or petition.
• become sin (לַחֲטָאָֽה׃ - laḥăṭāʾâ):
  • From the Hebrew noun חַטָּאָה (ḥaṭṭāʾâh), meaning "sin," "offering for sin," "guilt," or "punishment."
  • This is the most striking and severe part of the verse. It means his supposed act of righteousness (prayer) is so tainted by his depravity that it transforms into an act of further transgression. Instead of seeking repentance or favor, his prayer itself is offensive to God, demonstrating hypocrisy or deepening his condemnation. It becomes an act that "misses the mark" in the most profound way, making him even more liable for divine wrath.
• Words-group Analysis:
  • "When he is tried, let him be found guilty": This sequence emphasizes a legal, courtroom scenario where the expectation is not simply exposure but full and irrefutable conviction based on the evidence of his actions. It’s a prayer for clear justice.
  • "and let his prayer become sin": This phrase expresses the ultimate rejection and an inversion of sacred expectation. Prayer, a means of seeking grace, becomes an amplifier of guilt, highlighting the adversary's total spiritual depravity or the depths of God's rejection of the unrepentant heart. It suggests that even his "righteous" acts are actually an abomination.

Psalm 109 7 Bonus section

The intensity of imprecatory psalms like Psalm 109 highlights the Old Testament understanding of God's character as both loving and absolutely just, capable of wrath against profound evil. For a righteous individual, even a king like David, to cry out such curses, it reveals a profound belief that God is actively involved in earthly affairs, vindicating the oppressed and bringing justice upon the oppressor. It also touches upon the Messianic shadow, as Psalm 109 is often cited in the New Testament concerning Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:20), whose betrayal led to Jesus's crucifixion and his subsequent judgment, providing a divine fulfillment to the curse in the life of Christ's betrayer. This indicates that while deeply personal to David, these imprecations often carry prophetic weight for the ultimate triumph of righteousness over wickedness, echoing Christ's victory over the powers of darkness.

Psalm 109 7 Commentary

Psalm 109:7 encapsulates the Psalmist's deep cry for God's ultimate justice against an unrepentant and treacherous enemy. It moves beyond a general desire for punishment to a precise, almost surgical request for divine judgment within a legal framework. The request "When he is tried, let him be found guilty" employs judicial language, indicating a desire for a public and undeniable declaration of the adversary's inherent wickedness by God Himself. This implies a thorough investigation by the Divine Judge, culminating in an inevitable and just condemnation.

The profound intensity of the verse culminates in the request that "his prayer become sin." This is a stark portrayal of divine rejection. For an act normally considered righteous and a means of approaching God—prayer—to be rendered as "sin" signifies an extreme level of unrighteousness in the individual. It implies that the adversary's heart is so estranged from God, so filled with deceit and wickedness, that even their attempts at spiritual communication are tainted and viewed as an offense. This reflects the biblical principle that God turns away from the prayers of the wicked (Prov 15:8; 28:9; Isa 1:15), not because God is unwilling to hear, but because the unrepentant heart, full of injustice and malice, corrupts even acts of piety. Such "prayer" becomes hypocritical, an affront, or an attempt to manipulate divine favor, further confirming guilt rather than seeking absolution. This intense curse serves as a strong warning about the nature of a righteous God who cannot be mocked, and to whom external religious acts are meaningless without a truly contrite heart and genuine adherence to His ways. It underscores God's commitment to exposing and punishing deep-seated evil.