Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha.
The verse stands in a later portion of the psalm that turns to speak of the psalmist himself in a setting distinct from the earlier verses. That closing section is reproduced with slight revisions as Psalm 70. It pictures David mocked with the derisive cry of aha by people who desired his shame, while God heard his cry, saw his tears, forgave his sins, and honored him in spite of their merciless reviling.
It is a prayer that those who taunt David and delight in his harm be turned back in shame and left desolate as the recompense of their shaming conduct. Such praying is not necessarily retaliatory, but expresses God's will against opposition to His cause, whether by spiritual enemies or by human enemies hostile to Israel and its ruler. The verse belongs to a prophetic portrayal of Christ's inner experience as He faced temptation and life-and-death struggles with the enemy, showing that He suffered under trial and therefore is able to help those who are tempted. The psalm as a whole is especially prophetic of Christ standing on behalf of humanity, so the message of the verse applies to believers.
The verse stands in a later portion of the psalm that turns to speak of the psalmist himself in a setting distinct from the earlier verses. That closing section is reproduced with slight revisions as Psalm 70. It pictures David mocked with the derisive cry of aha by people who desired his shame, while God heard his cry, saw his tears, forgave his sins, and honored him in spite of their merciless reviling.
It is a prayer that those who taunt David and delight in his harm be turned back in shame and left desolate as the recompense of their shaming conduct. Such praying is not necessarily retaliatory, but expresses God's will against opposition to His cause, whether by spiritual enemies or by human enemies hostile to Israel and its ruler. The verse belongs to a prophetic portrayal of Christ's inner experience as He faced temptation and life-and-death struggles with the enemy, showing that He suffered under trial and therefore is able to help those who are tempted. The psalm as a whole is especially prophetic of Christ standing on behalf of humanity, so the message of the verse applies to believers.