John Gill Commentary Psalms 109

Hold not your peace
Or be not as a deaf or dumb man, or like one that turns a deaf ear and will give no answer; so the Lord seems to his people when he does not give an immediate answer to their prayers, and does not arise to help them; he seems to have forsaken them, and to stand at a distance from them; nor does he avenge them of their enemies; it is the Messiah, as man, that puts up this petition, and it agrees with (Psalms 22:2) .

O God of my praise ;
worthy of all praise, because of the perfections of his nature, and for the mercies he bestows; and is and ought to be the constant object of the praise of his people, and was the object of the praise of Christ; see (Psalms 22:22Psalms 22:55) , who praised him for his wonderful formation as man, having such a holy human nature, so suitable to his divine Person, and so fit for the service of his people; for his preservation from his enemies, and the deliverance of him from death and the grave, by his resurrection; for hearing his petitions, and for the special grace bestowed on his people; see (Psalms 139:14) (Psalms 118:21Psalms 118:22) (John 11:41John 11:42) (Matthew 11:25Matthew 11:26) .

Or, "O God of my glorying ^F23 "; in whom he gloried, of whom he boasted; as he often with exultation spoke of him as his God and Father: or, "the God that praises me"; for his praise was not of men, but of God, who by a voice from heaven declared him his beloved Son, in whom he was well pleased, (Matthew 3:17) (17:5) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F23: (ytlht) "gloriationis meae", Cocceius; "de quo glorior", so some in Vatablus.

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful
are opened against me
Or "of deceit" ^F24 itself; most wicked and very deceitful men, who sometimes flattered and pretended friendship, as the Jews did to Christ, when they designed ill against him; though at other times their mouths were opened, and they poured out their calumnies and reproaches very freely and largely; traducing his person, and aspersing his character as a wicked man; blaspheming his miracles, as if done by the help of the devil; charging his doctrine with novelty, falsehood, and blasphemy; loading him with invidious names, as Samaritan, madman, &c; representing him as an enemy to the state, as a seditious person, and a disturber of the nation's peace.

particularly their mouths were opened against him when they called for his crucifixion, and would have no denial; and especially when he was on the cross, where they gaped upon him with their mouths, and poured out their scoffs and jeers at him; see (Psalms 22:14) .

They have spoken against me with a lying tongue ,
false witnesses rose up against him, and laid things to his charge he knew nothing of, and which they could not prove, (Matthew 26:59–61) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F24: (hmrm yp) "os doli", Vatablus, Cocceius; "os fraudis", Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth.

They compassed me about also with words of hatred
They surrounded him as he hung on the cross, and expressed their malice and hatred against him; then was he enclosed with these spiteful snarling dogs, and encompassed by them as with so many bees, who everyone left their sting in him, (Psalms 22:16) (118:12) .

And fought against me without a cause :
they were of an hostile spirit, enemies and enmity itself against him; fought against him both with words and blows, with their tongues and with their fists; sought his life, and at length took it away; he was attacked by the body of the Jewish nation, and by the whole posse of devils.

And all this without any cause or just reason: he gave them no occasion for this enmity and malice, and opposition to him; and it was in the issue without effect, it was in vain and to no purpose; for though they gained their point in putting him to death, yet he rose again a triumphant Conqueror over them all.

For my love they are my adversaries
For the love that Christ showed to the Jews; to their bodies, in going about and healing all manner of diseases among them; to their souls, in preaching, the Gospel to them in each of their cities; and for the love he showed to mankind in coming into the world to save them, which should have commanded love again; but instead of this they became his implacable adversaries: they acted the part of Satan; they were as so many Satans to him, as the word signifies.

But I give myself unto prayer ;
or "I am a man of prayer" ^F25 ; as Aben Ezra and Kimchi supply it; so he was in the days of his flesh, (Hebrews 5:7) , he was constant at it, and fervent in it; sometimes a whole night together at it:

his usual method was, when at Jerusalem, to teach in the temple in the daytime, and at night to go to the mount of Olives, and there abide and pray, (Luke 6:12) (21:37) (22:44) . This was the armour he alone made use of against his enemies, when they fought against him, and acted the part of an adversary to him; he betook himself to nothing else but prayer; he did not return railing for railing, but committed himself in prayer to God, who judgeth righteously, (1 Peter 2:23) , yea, he prayed for those his adversaries: and so Aben Ezra and Kimchi interpret it, that he was a man of prayer for them, and prayed for them; as it is certain Christ did, when he was encompassed by his enemies, and they were venting all their spite and malice against him, (Luke 23:34) .

FOOTNOTES:

• F25: (hlpt ynaw) "et ego vir orationis", Pagninus, Gejerus.

And they have rewarded me evil for good
For the good words and sound doctrine he delivered to them; for the good works and miracles he wrought among them, to the healing of them; see (John 10:32) .

And hatred for my love ;
he came to seek and save that which was lost, and yet they hated him, and would not have him to rule over them, (Luke 19:10Luke 19:14) .