Psalm 69 27

Psalm 69:27 kjv

Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.

Psalm 69:27 nkjv

Add iniquity to their iniquity, And let them not come into Your righteousness.

Psalm 69:27 niv

Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation.

Psalm 69:27 esv

Add to them punishment upon punishment; may they have no acquittal from you.

Psalm 69:27 nlt

Pile their sins up high,
and don't let them go free.

Psalm 69 verses

Psalm 69 27 Meaning

Psalm 69:27 is an imprecatory prayer, where the psalmist, suffering greatly for God's sake, asks God to deal justly with his enemies. The verse expresses a plea for divine judgment upon those who oppose him, which implies opposition to God and His purposes. "Add iniquity to their iniquity" means to charge their sins fully against them, allowing the consequences of their accumulated wickedness to fall upon them. It is not a request for God to cause them to sin more, but for Him to fully reckon their existing and persistent guilt. "And let them not come into thy righteousness" means to exclude them from God's saving and vindicating acts, His favor, His covenant blessings, or the realm where His divine justice operates to save. It is a prayer for their complete separation from divine grace and salvation.

Psalm 69 27 Context

Psalm 69 is a profound lament by David, where he expresses intense suffering at the hands of those who hate him without cause. It is a key messianic psalm, quoted in the New Testament to describe Christ's passion (e.g., Ps 69:4, 9, 21). The psalmist's distress is both physical and spiritual, describing himself as drowning and consumed by zeal for God's house. He pours out his complaint to God, lamenting his rejection by men, and affirming his loyalty to God. Verses 22-28 constitute a series of powerful imprecations, where the psalmist calls for divine retribution upon his enemies, expressing a desire for God's righteous justice to prevail. This prayer is for their punishment and exclusion, reflecting a deep plea for God's ultimate vindication against those who have wronged His servant and thereby, implicitly, God Himself.

Psalm 69 27 Word analysis

• Add (תֵּן - ten): This is the imperative form of the Hebrew verb נָתַן (natan), which means "to give" or "to place." In this imprecatory context, it conveys the idea of God actively allowing, imputing, or reckoning their guilt. It does not imply that God causes them to commit more sin, but rather that He counts their sins against them for judgment.
• iniquity (עָוֹן - ʿāwōn): This Hebrew term signifies "perversity," "guilt," or "punishment for sin." It encapsulates both the act of sin itself and the blameworthiness and penalty resulting from it. Here, the focus is on the burden of their accumulated guilt leading to their punishment.
• to their iniquity (עַל־עֲוֹנָם - ʿal-ʿăwōnām): The preposition עַל (ʿal) means "upon" or "in addition to." The suffix -ָם (-ām) means "their." This phrase intensifies the preceding "iniquity," signifying a cumulative effect. It expresses a desire for God to heap up or fully charge against them the full measure of their guilt, allowing the consequences of their multiple offenses to fall upon them in judgment. This is an expression of desire for the complete accounting of their persistent rebellion.
• and let them not come (וְאַל־יָבֹאוּ - wəʾal-yābōʾû): The conjunction וְ (wə) means "and," while אַל (ʾal) is a strong negative particle, expressing a prohibition or negative desire ("let them not"). יָבֹאוּ (yābōʾû) is from the verb בּוֹא (bōʾ), "to come." This is a definitive request for their exclusion or denial of entry into a specific state or place.
• into thy righteousness (בְּצִדְקָתֶךָ - bəṣidqātekā): The preposition בְּ (bə) means "in" or "into." צִדְקָתֶךָ (ṣidqātekā) means "Your righteousness," referring to God's attribute of being just and right, and crucially, His active saving intervention and vindication. In this context, "Thy righteousness" denotes God's saving power, His covenant faithfulness in defending His righteous ones, and the realm of His saving blessings. The prayer is that these adversaries be permanently excluded from receiving God's gracious intervention or being found in a state of favor with Him.

Psalm 69 27 Bonus section

• The imprecations in the Psalms are expressions of fervent prayer for divine justice rather than permission for believers to seek personal vengeance. They are an acknowledgment that only God possesses the right and wisdom to mete out ultimate judgment.
• The suffering of David in this psalm often finds a prophetic fulfillment in the suffering of Jesus Christ. While Christ did not curse His enemies, the ultimate rejection of Him by many did lead to their judgment and exclusion from the true Israel. This verse, though David's plea, prefigures the consequences of rejecting the Son.
• The hardening of hearts and piling up of guilt described implicitly in "add iniquity to their iniquity" resonates with other biblical narratives where God "gives over" people to their own sinful desires (e.g., Romans 1), which compounds their culpability.

Psalm 69 27 Commentary

Psalm 69:27, found within a collection of the most intense imprecatory psalms, is a direct appeal to God's sovereign justice. The psalmist, identifying deeply with the Lord's cause and suffering for it, pleads for divine retribution, not out of mere personal vengeance, but from a profound understanding that God is the righteous Judge of all. The petition "Add iniquity to their iniquity" is not a wish for God to prompt further sin, but a request for God to count and enforce the full spiritual and penal weight of their existing, obstinate wickedness upon them. It reflects a biblical understanding of sin's cumulative nature and the concept of judgment for increasing unrepentance.

Concurrently, "and let them not come into thy righteousness" is a plea for their complete separation from God's saving activity and redemptive blessings. "God's righteousness" here signifies His fidelity to His covenant, His acts of vindication, His gracious deliverance of the oppressed, and ultimately, His provision of salvation. To be denied entrance into this righteousness is to be denied reconciliation with God, to be excluded from His saving presence, and to forfeit any share in the inheritance of the blessed. This is the ultimate spiritual condemnation, echoing later New Testament declarations that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God. This verse encapsulates a belief in God's perfect justice, where the unrepentant ultimately face the full consequence of their actions and are forever alienated from His saving grace.