Psalms 109:18

18 He cursed as naturally as he dressed himself; may his own curses soak into his body like water and into his bones like oil!

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 That man never thought of being kind; he persecuted and killed the poor, the needy, and the helpless.
17 He loved to curse - may he be cursed! He hated to give blessings - may no one bless him!
18 He cursed as naturally as he dressed himself; may his own curses soak into his body like water and into his bones like oil!
19 May they cover him like clothes and always be around him like a belt!
20 Lord, punish my enemies in that way - those who say such evil things against me!
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.