Psalms 109:2

Psa 109:2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

Ver. 2. For the mouth of the wicked] There is nothing more easy than to wag a wicked tongue.

They have spoken against me with a lying tongue] But with so much impudence as if it were a very truth. Socrates in his Apology, My lords, said he to the judges, I know not how you have been affected with mine accusers’ eloquence, while you heard them speak. For mine own part, I assure you that I, whom it toucheth not, was almost drawn to believe that all they said, though against myself, was true, when they scarce uttered one word of truth.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Psa 109:2-4. The mouth of the wicked, and the mouth of the deceitful — Of those who add hypocrisy and perfidiousness to their malice; are opened against me — They speak against me freely, boldly, and publicly, without any fear or shame. They have spoken against me — Hebrew, אתי, itti, to, or with me, as this particle commonly signifies; with a lying tongue — With deep dissimulation, and professions of friendship and kindness: or, against me, with calumnies, or false and malicious reports. They compassed me with words of hatred — Which, though covered with specious pretences, proceeded from deep malice and hatred, and were designed to work my destruction. Without a cause — Without any just provocation given by me. For my love they are my adversaries — They requite my love and goodwill with enmity and mischief, Psa 109:5; but I give myself unto prayer —

Hebrew, ואני תפלה, vaani tephillah, but I prayer, that is, I am a man of prayer. Thus, I peace, is put for, I am for peace, as we render it, Psa 120:7. The sense here is, While they reproach and curse me, I pray, either, 1st, For them, as Psa 35:13; or, 2d, For himself: I do not render unto them evil for evil, but quietly commit myself and my cause to God by prayer, desiring him to plead my cause against them.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. (Psa 109:2) For a wicked mouth and a mouth of deceit they have opened; they have spoken against me with a tongue of falsehood. Compare Psa 35:11; Psa 55:3. The subject of the first verb is his enemies, and not the nouns preceding, as the verb translated open is elsewhere always active. Against me, literally with me, implying that they charged him falsely to his face, a circumstance remarkably fulfilled in Christ. See Mat 26:59.

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Psalms Translated and Explained (1850) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 2. The mouth of the wicked and - the deceitful are opened against me] Many persons are continually uttering calumnies against me. Thou knowest my heart and its innocence; vindicate my uprightness against these calumniators.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2 Because the mouth of the wicked David here very plainly declares, that he was the more solicitous to obtain help from God, in consequence of justice not being found among men. And though it is probable that he was rashly and furiously assailed, nevertheless, he complains that the mouth of deceit and fraud had been opened against him, and that he was surrounded with false tongues. Whence, to those who were ignorant of his real situation, there would appear to be some plausible pretext for his being loaded with reproaches, so much so indeed, that he would not be able to evade the charge of criminality.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(2) Of the deceitful.—Properly, as in margin, of deceit; consequently, to make the two expressions alike, it is proposed to read, instead of “mouth of the wicked” (properly, of a wicked man), “mouth of wickedness.” In any case the best English equivalent will be, “a wicked mouth and a deceitful mouth.” “A blow with a word strikes deeper than a blow with a sword” (Whichcote).

Spoken against me.—Rather (comp. Psa_12:3), talked with me.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. For a wicked man’s mouth, yea a mouth of deceit, have they opened against me:

They have spoken with me with a tongue of falsehood.

It would be easy to smooth the style of the first line by reading ‘a mouth of wickedness’ for ‘a wicked man’s mouth’; it is only a question of vowel points in the Heb.: but the Versions support the reading of the Massoretic text, and it points at once to the leader of the gang, who has been set on by his fellows to compass the Psalmist’s ruin. The phrase they have spoken with me (R.V. to me, marg. against me) seems to be used in a forensic sense as in Psa_127:5. His enemies—there is no need to explain to God who are meant by ‘they’—are scheming to effect his ruin by groundless charges supported by false witness. The word for falsehood is that used in Exo_20:16, and frequently in Proverbs (Pro_6:19, &c.) of false witness.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me,.... Or "of deceit" (x) 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 Psa 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, Mat 26:59.

(x) "os doli", Vatablus, Cocceius; "os fraudis", Gejerus, Michaelis; so Ainsworth.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful - literally, “The mouth of wickedness, and the mouth of deceit.” This acquaints us with the nature of the wrong which had been done him. It was slander; undeserved reproach.

Are opened against me - Margin, “have opened;” that is, have opened themselves.

They have spoken against me with a lying tongue - They have accused me of things which are not true; they have made false charges against me. David, as has not been uncommon with good people, was called repeatedly to this trial.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Of the deceitful; of those who add hypocrisy and perfidiousness to their malice.

Are opened; they speak freely, boldly, and publicly, without any fear or shame.

Against me; or, to or with me, as this particle commonly signifies.

With a lying tongue; either,

1. With calumnies, or false and malicious reports. Or,

2. With deep dissimulation and professions of friendship and kindness.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Ver. 2. For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me. Wicked men must needs say wicked things, and these we have reason to dread; but in addition they utter false and deceitful things, and these are worst of all. There is no knowing what may come out of mouths which are at once lewd and lying. The misery caused to a good man by slanderous reports no heart can imagine but that which is wounded by them: in all Satan's armoury there are no worse weapons than deceitful tongues. To have a reputation, over which we have watched with daily care, suddenly bespattered with the foulest aspersions, is painful beyond description; but when wicked and deceitful men get their mouths fully opened we can hardly expect to escape any more than others.

They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. Lying tongues cannot lie still. Bad tongues are not content to vilify bad men, but choose the most gracious of saints to be the objects of their attacks. Here is reason enough for prayer. The heart sinks when assailed with slander, for we know not what may be said next, what friend may be alienated, what evil may be threatened, or what misery may be caused to us and others. The air is full of rumours, and shadows impalpable flit around; the mind is confused with dread of unseen foes, and invisible arrows. What ill can be worse than to be assailed with slander,

"Whose edge is sharper than the sword, whose tongue

Out venoms all the worms of Nile"?

Ver. 2. For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me. Speak, says Arnobius, to thine own conscience, O man of God, thou who art following Christ; and when the mouth of the wicked and deceitful man is opened concerning thee, rejoice and be secure; because while the mouth of the wicked is opened for thy slander in the earth, the mouth of God is opened for thy praise in heaven. Lorinus.

Ver. 2-3. Note, first, the detractor opens his mouth, that he may pour forth his poison, and that he may devour his victim. Hence, David says, "the mouth of the wicked is opened against me." Note, secondly, the detractor is talkativeThey have spoken, etc. The mouth of the detractor is a broken pitcher leaking all over. Note, thirdly, detraction springs from hatred, "they compassed me about also with words of hatred." In Greek, ekuklwoan me, ie., as in a circle they have enclosed me. St. Climacus says, "Detraction is odii partus, a subtle disease, a fat but hidden leech which sucks the blood of charity and after destroys it." Lorinus.

Ver. 2-5. The mouth of the wicked, etc.

Vicedeformed

Itself, and ugly, and of flavour rank

To rob fair Virtue of so sweet an incense

And with it to anoint and salve its own

Rotten ulcers, and perfume the path that led

To death, strove daily by a thousand means:

And oft succeeded to make Virtue sour

In the world's nostrils, and its loathly self

Smell sweetly. Rumour was the messenger

Of defamation, and so swift that none

Could be the first to tell an evil tale.

It was Slander filled her mouth with lying words;

Slander, the foulest whelp of Sin. The man

In whom this spirit entered was undone.

His tongue was set on fire of hell; his heart

Was black as death; his legs were faint with haste

To propagate the lie his tongue had framed

His pillow was the peace of families

Destroyed, the sigh of innocence reproached,

Broken friendships, and the strife of brotherhoods.

Yet did he spare his sleep, and hear the clock

Number the midnight watches, on bis bed

Devising mischief more; and early rose

And made most hellish meals of good men's names.

Peace fled the neighbourhood in which he made

His haunts; and, like a moral pestilence,

Before his breath the healthy shoots and blooms

Of social joy and happiness decayed.

Fools only in his company were seen,

And those forsaken of God, and to themselves

Given up. The prudent man shunned him and his house

As one who had a deadly moral plague. Robert Pollok.

Ver. 2. Slander. Its causewickedness and malice. Its instrumentsdeceit and lies. Its frequencyJesus and the saints slandered. Its punishment. Our resort when tried by itprayer to God.

Psalms 109:3*

Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful; literally, of deceit the abstract for the concrete. Are opened against me; literally, hare they opened upon me (Kay, Cheyne, Revised Version). They have spoken against ms with a lying tongue. (comp. Psa_27:12 Psa_35:11) Calumny and misrepresentation are ever the portion of the children of God. David was calumniated by Saul, (1Sa_22:7-13) by Absalom, (2Sa_15:3, 2Sa_15:4) by Shimei, (2Sa_16:8) and others. One more perfect than David was even more calumniated. (Mat_11:19 Mat_12:24 Mat_26:61 Luk_23:2, etc.)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the mouth of a wicked man Ishmael.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.