Psalms 109:18

18 But he ¹clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, And it ²entered into his body like water And like oil into his bones.

Psalms 109:18 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 109:18

As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment,
&c.] He was full of it; his mouth was full of cursing and bitterness; it was visible in him, easy to be discerned; he took pride as well as pleasure in it, it was in his esteem an ornament to him, as his clothes were. The Syriac version renders it, "as armour"; as if it was a protection to him, or he thought it to be so.

So let it come into his bowels like water;
the meaning is, let the wrath of God and the curse of the law come into his conscience, and make sad work there, and fill him with dread and terror, and that in great abundance, and with great force; like a flood of waters that carry all before it; or like the waters of jealousy which made the belly to swell and the thigh to rot; or the flying roll of the curse, which entering into the house of the sinner destroyed it, and all in it, ( Numbers 5:22 ) ( Zechariah 5:4 ) .

And like oil into his bones;
which is more piercing and penetrating than water; and signifies the inward and quick sense he should have of his sins, and of the wrath of God for them; see ( Job 20:11 ) .

Psalms 109:18 In-Context

16 Because he did not remember to show lovingkindness, But persecuted the afflicted and needy man, And the despondent in heart, to put them to death.

17 He also loved cursing, so it came to him; And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.

18 But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, And it entered into his body like water And like oil into his bones.

19 Let it be to him as a garment with which he covers himself, And for a belt with which he constantly girds himself.

20 Let this be the reward of my accusers from the LORD , And of those who speak evil against my soul.

Cross References

• 1. Psalms 73:6; Psalms 109:29; Ezekiel 7:27
• 2. Numbers 5:22

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "his inward parts"