Charles Ellicott Commentary Psalms 109:6

"Set thou a wicked man over him; And let an adversary stand at his right hand." — Psalms 109:6 (ASV)

Set thou a wicked man over him. This rendering is abundantly confirmed by Leviticus 26:16; Numbers 4:27; Numbers 27:16; Jeremiah 15:3; and Jeremiah 51:27, against Hitzig’s proposed “Pronounce against him—guilty,” which also would only anticipate Psalm 109:7. (Compare also the noun “office” in Psalm 109:8, from the same verb.) The wish expressed is that the persons indicated may fall into the hands of an unscrupulous judge.

If, however, we are to think of the divine judgment, then this clause must be taken as exactly parallel to the next: “Appoint a wicked man against him.” Here the imprecatory part of the psalm begins, and it has been ingeniously argued that the whole of it (Psalms 109:6–20) is a quotation, giving, not the psalmist’s curse on his foes, but theirs on him. Such quotations, without any introductory words, are common, and the theory is tenable, but improbable.

Satan. This is by no means a proper name here, though the Septuagint and Vulgate have diabolus. The use of the same word in Psalm 109:4; Psalms 109:20; and Psalm 109:29 is decisive in giving it the general meaning “adversary” (as in margin) here, even though it is without the article. Satan is used for the tempting angel in 1 Chronicles 21:1, and in Zechariah 3:1 we find the same post, “at the right hand,” assigned to the accuser. An unscrupulous judge and an adversary as accuser—these are the substance of this imprecation.