For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten; and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded.
The verse describes sufferers whom God Himself has struck and wounded, left to sink under reproach and shame while cruel enemies hound them and add to their pain. Spoken first of David, it foresees Christ, in whom David personified the coming One bearing the sins of the world. In Him it was fulfilled when men betrayed, condemned, mocked and crucified the smitten of God and talked to the grief of His wounding. Its stern context is predictive, declaring God's just retribution upon the incorrigibly wicked who despise His goodness and persecute His own. Others taught that not every line of the psalm belongs literally to Christ, but that such words may also be appropriated wherever a later life runs parallel to David's.
Psalm's Prophetic Subject
Psalm 69 prophetically presents Christ through David, who personifies Him and foresees and feels His experience, with its petitions prefiguring experiences and circumstances in Jesus' life. It describes the experience through which the Saviour passed, specifically His experience when the sins of the world rested upon Him. It helps reveal His inner suffering and struggle with the enemy beyond the outward triumphant events, showing why He can succor those who are tempted. Its prayers show that people in distress may pray with assurance that God hears them, and His triumph is a triumph won for His children as well.
Verse 26 itself foretells His persecution and suffering, when men persecuted the One God had smitten and added to the grief of the wounded. It is prophecy fulfilled in His betrayal, condemnation, and crucifixion.
The burden relates primarily to David and finally and antitypically to Christ, with portions quoted in the New Testament as fulfilled in Him, though not every verse of the psalm can be applied to Christ. It has a literal application to Christ where the New Testament expressly so states, but not every part applies literally to Him. A prophecy may apply partly to what is immediately before the reader and partly to what is remote, partly in an accommodated sense and partly literally, since a rigid rule that one accommodated text makes the whole accommodated or one literal text makes the whole literal would make Christ a sinner.
The verse can also be applied by appropriation when a later history runs parallel to David's, and not only as direct fulfillment of prediction. As zeal for God's house can consume a Christian, so such a one can take upon himself the reproaches of those who reproach God just as David did. Both appropriated quotations and fulfillments of predictions are fulfillments of Scripture, but not in the same sense. By contrast, as held by those on the other side of the discussion, the verse is not a prediction about Jesus but a simple record of David's own experience of being persecuted and grieved. On that showing it applies to Jesus no more than to anyone else today whose history happens to touch David's at points such as being hated without a cause.
Suffering the Verse Depicts
The verse depicts one whom God has smitten and wounded passing weary hours while sorrows roll and deep waters come into the soul. He sinks in deep sorrow and trembles in fear, with reproach and bitter shame filling an aching heart. He is forsaken by all who bear a brother's name with none fulfilling a brother's part, while persecuting enemies still reproach and mock his falling tears and weeping. In that condition he prays for God to hasten relief, not to let enemies rejoice, to darken the pathway of their choice, and to turn all their joy to grief.
It unveils Christ's inner suffering and struggles with the enemy that lie behind the outward triumphant events, and in this is seen why He is able to succor those who are tempted. It shows Him suffering affliction, wounded, persecuted and mocked in His grief, as one who bore human infirmities and suffering, including sickness. Its prayers teach that people in distress may pray with assurance that God hears them, and that Christ's triumph is a triumph won for His children as well.
Judgment on Persecutors Foretold
Psalm 69:26 stands with Psalm 109 and Psalm 137 among the cursing psalms, whose stern language is not vindictive revenge at odds with a benevolent heart. Those words are typical of the tribulation that falls upon the enemies of the church, and they are predictive rather than spiteful. They simply declare the retributive providence and justice of a sin-hating God against sinners, and they give no incitement to cruelty.
The verse belongs to a prophecy concerning the fate of the incorrigibly wicked. Because such persons have despised God's goodness to the utmost, they will reap the harvest they have sown.
David in the psalm personifies Christ, and its petitions prefigure experiences and circumstances in the life of Jesus. In that setting the psalm's plea that enemies be blotted out of the book of the living applies to Christ's enemies. It includes Lucifer and his followers, whose names were erased after their revolt in heaven.
The verse describes sufferers whom God Himself has struck and wounded, left to sink under reproach and shame while cruel enemies hound them and add to their pain. Spoken first of David, it foresees Christ, in whom David personified the coming One bearing the sins of the world. In Him it was fulfilled when men betrayed, condemned, mocked and crucified the smitten of God and talked to the grief of His wounding. Its stern context is predictive, declaring God's just retribution upon the incorrigibly wicked who despise His goodness and persecute His own. Others taught that not every line of the psalm belongs literally to Christ, but that such words may also be appropriated wherever a later life runs parallel to David's.
Psalm's Prophetic Subject
Psalm 69 prophetically presents Christ through David, who personifies Him and foresees and feels His experience, with its petitions prefiguring experiences and circumstances in Jesus' life. It describes the experience through which the Saviour passed, specifically His experience when the sins of the world rested upon Him. It helps reveal His inner suffering and struggle with the enemy beyond the outward triumphant events, showing why He can succor those who are tempted. Its prayers show that people in distress may pray with assurance that God hears them, and His triumph is a triumph won for His children as well.
Verse 26 itself foretells His persecution and suffering, when men persecuted the One God had smitten and added to the grief of the wounded. It is prophecy fulfilled in His betrayal, condemnation, and crucifixion.
The burden relates primarily to David and finally and antitypically to Christ, with portions quoted in the New Testament as fulfilled in Him, though not every verse of the psalm can be applied to Christ. It has a literal application to Christ where the New Testament expressly so states, but not every part applies literally to Him. A prophecy may apply partly to what is immediately before the reader and partly to what is remote, partly in an accommodated sense and partly literally, since a rigid rule that one accommodated text makes the whole accommodated or one literal text makes the whole literal would make Christ a sinner.
The verse can also be applied by appropriation when a later history runs parallel to David's, and not only as direct fulfillment of prediction. As zeal for God's house can consume a Christian, so such a one can take upon himself the reproaches of those who reproach God just as David did. Both appropriated quotations and fulfillments of predictions are fulfillments of Scripture, but not in the same sense. By contrast, as held by those on the other side of the discussion, the verse is not a prediction about Jesus but a simple record of David's own experience of being persecuted and grieved. On that showing it applies to Jesus no more than to anyone else today whose history happens to touch David's at points such as being hated without a cause.
Suffering the Verse Depicts
The verse depicts one whom God has smitten and wounded passing weary hours while sorrows roll and deep waters come into the soul. He sinks in deep sorrow and trembles in fear, with reproach and bitter shame filling an aching heart. He is forsaken by all who bear a brother's name with none fulfilling a brother's part, while persecuting enemies still reproach and mock his falling tears and weeping. In that condition he prays for God to hasten relief, not to let enemies rejoice, to darken the pathway of their choice, and to turn all their joy to grief.
It unveils Christ's inner suffering and struggles with the enemy that lie behind the outward triumphant events, and in this is seen why He is able to succor those who are tempted. It shows Him suffering affliction, wounded, persecuted and mocked in His grief, as one who bore human infirmities and suffering, including sickness. Its prayers teach that people in distress may pray with assurance that God hears them, and that Christ's triumph is a triumph won for His children as well.
Judgment on Persecutors Foretold
Psalm 69:26 stands with Psalm 109 and Psalm 137 among the cursing psalms, whose stern language is not vindictive revenge at odds with a benevolent heart. Those words are typical of the tribulation that falls upon the enemies of the church, and they are predictive rather than spiteful. They simply declare the retributive providence and justice of a sin-hating God against sinners, and they give no incitement to cruelty.
The verse belongs to a prophecy concerning the fate of the incorrigibly wicked. Because such persons have despised God's goodness to the utmost, they will reap the harvest they have sown.
David in the psalm personifies Christ, and its petitions prefigure experiences and circumstances in the life of Jesus. In that setting the psalm's plea that enemies be blotted out of the book of the living applies to Christ's enemies. It includes Lucifer and his followers, whose names were erased after their revolt in heaven.