18
Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing, or the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats.
19
Now may his curses return and cling to him like clothing; may they be tied around him like a belt.”
20
May those curses become the LORD ’s punishment for my accusers who speak evil of me.
21
But deal well with me, O Sovereign LORD, for the sake of your own reputation! Rescue me because you are so faithful and good.
22
For I am poor and needy, and my heart is full of pain.
23
I am fading like a shadow at dusk; I am brushed off like a locust.
24
My knees are weak from fasting, and I am skin and bones.
25
I am a joke to people everywhere; when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn.
26
Help me, O LORD my God! Save me because of your unfailing love.
27
Let them see that this is your doing, that you yourself have done it, LORD .
28
Then let them curse me if they like, but you will bless me! When they attack me, they will be disgraced! But I, your servant, will go right on rejoicing!
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. This psalm was written by David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, concerning Judas the betrayer of Christ, as is certain from Acts 1:16 hence it is used to be called by the ancients the Iscariotic psalm. Whether the occasion of it was the rebellion of Absalom, as some, or the persecution of Saul, as Kimchi; and whoever David might have in view particularly, whether Ahithophel, or Doeg the Edomite, as is most likely; yet it is evident that the Holy Ghost foresaw the sin of Judas, and prophesies of that, and of the ruin and misery that should come upon him; for the imprecations in this psalm are no other than predictions of future events, and so are not to be drawn into an example by men; nor do they breathe out anything contrary to the spirit of Christianity, but are proofs of it, since what is here predicted has been exactly accomplished. The title in the Syriac version is, "a psalm of David when they created Absalom king without his knowledge, and for this cause he was slain; but to us it expounds the sufferings of the Christ of God;" and indeed he is the person that is all along speaking in this psalm.