God of My Praise

God of my praise, don’t remain silent,

Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;

The psalm begins by calling God the God of my praise and asking him not to stay silent. The speaker's enemies are talking, and he needs God to answer.

Also read Jeremiah 17:14, Psalm 35:22-23, Deuteronomy 10:21, Isaiah 42:14

for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me.They have spoken to me with a lying tongue.

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.

The attack is made with words: the mouth of the wicked, the mouth of deceit and a lying tongue. Words used as weapons run through the whole psalm.

Also read Psalm 120:2-3, Jeremiah 9:3, Acts 6:13, Proverbs 15:28

They have also surrounded me with words of hatred,and fought against me without a cause.

They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause.

Also read 1 Samuel 26:18, Psalm 35:7, 2 Samuel 15:12, Psalm 22:12

In return for my love, they are my adversaries;but I am in prayer.

For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.

The speaker gave love and got hostility back. His response is a short statement: but I am in prayer. The King James Version reads "but I give myself unto prayer".

Also read Psalm 35:7, Luke 23:34, Daniel 6:10, 2 Samuel 13:39

They have rewarded me evil for good,and hatred for my love.

And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

Also read Genesis 44:4, 2 Samuel 15:12, Psalm 38:20, Psalm 55:12-15

Set a wicked man over him.Let an adversary stand at his right hand.

Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.

The curses begin here, and the text changes from they to he, a single opponent. The first request is that a wicked man be set over him and an adversary stand at his right hand.

Also read Matthew 5:25, John 13:2, Zechariah 3:1, John 13:27

When he is judged, let him come out guilty.Let his prayer be turned into sin.

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

Also read Galatians 3:10, 2 Samuel 15:7-8, Proverbs 28:9, Isaiah 66:3

Let his days be few.Let another take his office.

Let his days be few; and let another take his office.

Let his days be few, and let another take his office. It is one line in a longer curse, running from verse 6 to verse 19, which asks that the man lose both his life and his position.

Also read Psalm 55:23, Acts 1:16-26, Matthew 27:5

Let his children be fatherless,and his wife a widow.

Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

The curse reaches his family: let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. The verse follows directly from the wish in verse 8 that his days be few.

Also read Exodus 22:24, Lamentations 5:3, Jeremiah 18:21

Let his children be wandering beggars.Let them be sought from their ruins.

Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

Also read Isaiah 16:2, Genesis 4:12-14, 2 Samuel 3:29, Job 24:8-12

Let the creditor seize all that he has.Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.

Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.

Also read Job 5:5, Deuteronomy 28:33-34, Deuteronomy 28:50-51, Job 18:9-19

Let there be no one to extend kindness to him,neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children.

Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.

Also read Matthew 27:25, Isaiah 13:18, Psalm 137:8-9, James 2:13

Let his posterity be cut off.In the generation following let their name be blotted out.

Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

Also read Psalm 37:28, Psalm 21:10, 1 Samuel 2:31-33, Isaiah 14:20-22

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the LORD.Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out.

Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

Also read 2 Kings 9:27, 2 Kings 8:27, Jeremiah 18:23, Isaiah 43:25

Let them be before the LORD continually,that he may cut off their memory from the earth;

Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Also read Isaiah 65:15, Deuteronomy 32:34, Hosea 7:2, Psalm 109:13

because he didn’t remember to show kindness,but persecuted the poor and needy man,the broken in heart, to kill them.

Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

Also read Genesis 42:21, Psalm 10:2, Matthew 5:7, Matthew 18:33-35

Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him.He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him.

As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

A reason is given. He loved cursing and it came to him, and he did not delight in blessing, so it stayed far from him. The psalm presents the curses as his own choices coming back to him.

Also read Revelation 16:6, 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11, Psalm 59:12-13, Ezekiel 35:6

He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment.It came into his inward parts like water,like oil into his bones.

As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.

Also read Matthew 26:24, Job 20:20-23, Numbers 5:22, Matthew 27:3-5

Let it be to him as the clothing with which he covers himself,for the belt that is always around him.

Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

Also read Psalm 35:26, Psalm 132:18, Psalm 109:29, Psalm 109:18

This is the reward of my adversaries from the LORD,of those who speak evil against my soul.

Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD, and of them that speak evil against my soul.

Also read Psalm 94:23, Mark 9:39, Luke 19:27, 2 Samuel 17:23

But deal with me, GOD the Lord, for your name’s sake,because your loving kindness is good, deliver me;

But do thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake: because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.

The psalm turns from the enemy to God. The speaker asks God to deal with him for the sake of God's name and to deliver him, because God's loving kindness is good.

Also read Psalm 36:7-9, Psalm 25:11, Psalm 86:5, Psalm 23:3

for I am poor and needy.My heart is wounded within me.

For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

Also read Psalm 102:17-20, Matthew 8:20, 2 Kings 4:27, Psalm 86:1

I fade away like an evening shadow.I am shaken off like a locust.

I am gone like the shadow when it declineth: I am tossed up and down as the locust.

Also read Exodus 10:13, James 4:14, Psalm 144:4, 1 Chronicles 29:15

My knees are weak through fasting.My body is thin and lacks fat.

My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.

Also read Matthew 4:2, Psalm 102:4-5, Psalm 22:14, 2 Corinthians 11:27

I have also become a reproach to them.When they see me, they shake their head.

I became also a reproach unto them: when they looked upon me they shaked their heads.

Also read Psalm 35:15-16, Hebrews 13:13, Psalm 69:9-12, Psalm 22:6-7

Help me, LORD, my God.Save me according to your loving kindness;

Help me, O LORD my God: O save me according to thy mercy:

Help me, LORD my God, save me according to your loving kindness. The whole request rests on God's character.

Also read Psalm 69:13, Hebrews 5:7, Psalm 119:86, Psalm 69:16

that they may know that this is your hand;that you, LORD, have done it.

That they may know that this is thy hand; that thou, LORD, hast done it.

Also read 1 Samuel 17:46-47, Exodus 8:19, Psalm 17:13-14, Job 37:7

They may curse, but you bless.When they arise, they will be shamed,but your servant shall rejoice.

Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.

They may curse, but you bless. The speaker sets God's blessing against human cursing, and expects his accusers to be shamed while he rejoices.

Also read Numbers 23:20, John 16:22, Numbers 22:12, 2 Samuel 16:10-13

Let my adversaries be clothed with dishonor.Let them cover themselves with their own shame as with a robe.

Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.

Also read Psalm 140:9, Psalm 109:17-19, Daniel 12:2, Psalm 35:26

I will give great thanks to the LORD with my mouth.Yes, I will praise him among the multitude.

I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.

He promises to give great thanks to the LORD aloud and to praise him among the multitude. Public praise answers public accusation.

Also read Psalm 107:32, Psalm 116:12-18, Psalm 9:1, Psalm 71:22-23

For he will stand at the right hand of the needy,to save him from those who judge his soul.

For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

The psalm ends with a picture that reverses verse 6. There an adversary was to stand at the opponent's right hand. Here God stands at the right hand of the needy to save him.

Also read Psalm 68:5, Psalm 109:16, Psalm 16:8, Proverbs 22:22-23