Psalms 109:26-29 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Help me, O Lord my God But my hope is, that thou, my God, wilt seasonably interpose for my relief, and save me Out of my troubles; according to thy mercy That tender mercy which is wont to extend itself to those who have nothing else to depend upon. That they may know that this is thy hand Being convinced of the eminence, singularity, and strangeness of the work. Let them curse, but bless thou I can patiently bear their curses, as being causeless, and fully compensated by thy blessing. Or, rather, as the Hebrew, יקללו המה, jekalelu hemma, is literally rendered, They will curse; I expect nothing else from them; ואתה תברךְ, veatta tebareck, but thou wilt bless me, and all those that trust in thee; for, blessed is the man who trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. When they arise let them be ashamed Hebrew, קמו ויבשׁו, kamu vajeboshu, they have arisen, namely, have taken active measures against me; they shall be ashamed Disappointed of their wicked hopes and designs against me, and covered with their own confusion as with a mantle For that unexpected destruction which they have brought upon themselves. Observe, reader, if God bless us, we need not care who curseth us; for how can they curse whom God hath not cursed? Nay, whom he hath blessed? Numbers 23:28. Men's curses are impotent, God's blessings are omnipotent. And those whom men unjustly curse, may in faith expect and pray for God's blessing, his special blessing. When the Pharisees cast out the poor man for confessing Christ, Christ found him, John 9:35. When men, without cause, say all the ill they can of us, and wish all the ills they can to us, we may with comfort lift up our hearts to God in this petition: Let them curse, but bless thou.