Psalms 109:17

17 (108-17) But persecuted the poor man and the beggar; and the broken in heart, to put him to death.

Psalms 109:17 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 109:17

As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him
Judas loved that which brought a curse upon him, sin; and so he may be said to love the curse; just as sinners are said to love death, ( Proverbs 8:36 ) . He was desirous of and sought after it, to bring Christ to an accursed death; and which he accomplished and pleased himself with; and therefore it was a just retaliation upon him that the curse should light on him, and he himself come to a shameful and ignominious death. The Jews loved the cursing law, the flying roll, called the curse in ( Zechariah 5:2 Zechariah 5:3 ) , which curses every transgressor of it: they boasted of it, rested in it, and sought for righteousness by it; and submitted not unto, but despised, the righteousness of Christ; and therefore it was but just they should come under the curse of the law: they imprecated the curse on them and their children, saying, "His blood be upon us and them", ( Matthew 27:25 ) and which accordingly came upon them, and remains to this day.

As he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him;
Judas delighted not in the good will and good wishes of any to Christ, as appears from his dislike of the ointment being poured on his head by the poor woman, in ( John 12:4 John 12:5 ) , and so the Jews were displeased at the children, and at the disciples in the temple, blessing Christ, pronouncing him blessed, and wishing blessings to him, ( Matthew 21:15 Matthew 21:16 ) ( Luke 19:38 Luke 19:39 ) , yea, they delighted not in their own blessedness, or in that which only could give it to them; they delighted not in Christ, who was sent to bless them, but despised and rejected him; nor in the Gospel, which is full of blessings; and particularly not in the doctrine of justification by Christ's righteousness, which commonly makes a man blessed: yea, in a sense, they judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life; and therefore it was but a righteous thing that blessing should be far from Judas and the Jews, as it was; even temporal, spiritual, and eternal blessings: yet there have been a sort of heretics F5, that have highly praised and commended Judas, as doing a brave and noble action in betraying Christ, whereby the work of salvation was hastened.


FOOTNOTES:

F5 Epiphan. contra Haeres. l. 1. Haer. 38.

Psalms 109:17 In-Context

15 (108-15) May they be before the Lord continually, and let the memory of them perish from the earth:
16 (108-16) because he remembered not to shew mercy,
17 (108-17) But persecuted the poor man and the beggar; and the broken in heart, to put him to death.
18 (108-18) And he loved cursing, and it shall come unto him: and he would not have blessing, and it shall be far from him. And he put on cursing, like a garment: and it went in like water into his entrails, and like oil in his bones.
19 (108-19) May it be unto him like a garment which covereth him; and like a girdle with which he is girded continually.
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