Psalms 109:1
in Psalms 109O God of my praise, be not silent.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
KJV
Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;
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This verse in Psalms 109
Commentary
9 notes on this verseTo the end, a psalm of David. When it says "to the end," let us understand that it is spoken not of the present, but of the future. And if it is spoken of the future, then the prophecy is about Christ. O God, do not keep silent about my praise. That is: Judas betrayed me, the Jews persecuted me and crucified me, and they thought that they would destroy me utterly, to the end. But you, O God, do not keep silent about my praise.
This site's exposition
O God of my praise
on Psalms 109:1-3
The psalm opens by naming God the object of praise and asking Him not to stay silent. The attack is spoken, wicked and deceitful mouths, lying tongues, hateful words on every side. Verse 3 says the attack came without cause.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
The Psalm, then, begins thus: "O God, be not silent as to my praise; for the mouth of the ungodly, yea, the mouth of the deceitful is opened upon me" [Psalm 109:1]. Whence it appears, both that the blame, which the ungodly and the deceitful is not silent of, is false, and that the praise, which God is not silent of, is true. "For God is true, but every man a liar;" [Romans 3:4] for no man is true, except him in whom God speaks. But the highest praise is that of the only-begotten Son of God, in which He is proclaimed even that which He is, the only-begotten Son of God. But this did not appear, but, when His weakness appeared, lay hid, when the mouth of the ungodly and deceitful was opened upon Him; and for this reason his mouth was opened, because His virtue was concealed: and he says, "the mouth of the deceitful was opened," because the hatred which was covered by deceit burst out into language.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Hold not thy peace,.... Or be not as a deaf or dumb man, or like one that turns a deaf ear and will give no answer; so the Lord seems to his people when he does not give an immediate answer to their prayers, and does not arise to help them; he seems to have forsaken them, and to stand at a distance from them; nor does he avenge them of their enemies; it is the Messiah, as man, that puts up this petition, and it agrees with Psa 22:
10 ), here he calls him the God of his praise. Forasmuch as God is the God of our mercies we must make him the God of our praises; if all is of him and from him, all must be to him and for him. He complains of his enemies, showing that they were such as it was fit for the righteous God to appear against.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Hold not thy peace. Mine enemies speak, be thou pleased to speak too. Break thy solemn silence, and silence those who slander me. It is the cry of a man whose confidence in God is deep, and whose communion with him is very close and bold. Note, that he only asks the Lord to speak: a word from God is all a believer needs. O God of my praise. Thou whom my whole soul praises, be pleased to protect my honour and guard my praise.
Hold not thy peace. Mine enemies speak, be thou pleased to speak too. Break thy solemn silence, and silence those who slander me. It is the cry of a man whose confidence in God is deep, and whose communion with him is very close and bold. Note, that he only asks the Lord to speak: a word from God is all a believer needs. O God of my praise. Thou whom my whole soul praises, be pleased to protect my honour and guard my praise. "My heart is fixed", said he in the former psalm, "I will sing and give praise", and now he appeals to the God whom he had praised. If we take care of God's honour he will take care of ours. We may look to him as the guardian of our character if we truly seek his glory. If we live to God's praise, he will in the long run give us praise among men.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Hold not thy peace - Be not silent; arise and defend my cause.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Hold not thy peace - That is, Speak for my defense - as if God had looked with unconcern on the wrongs which were done to him. See the notes at Psa 83:1. O God of my praise - The God whom I praise; whom I worship and adore. It implies that he was accustomed to praise him, and desired still to praise him. He sought that God would interpose now that he might have new occasion for praise.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
O God of my praise, be not silent This was said regarding all Israel.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
4 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אֱלֹהֵ֥י | ʾelohei | O God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| תְ֝הִלָּתִ֗י | tehilati | praise my | H8416 → | 56 times |
| אַֽל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃ | techerash | you be silent | H2790 → | 74 times |
אֱלֹהֵ֥יO God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
תְ֝הִלָּתִ֗יpraise my
tehilatiH8416 →56 times
אַֽל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃you be silent
techerashH2790 →74 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Exodus 15:2The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.
it leads to
- Isaiah 12:2
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. For the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and He also has become my salvation.”
- Psalms 118:14
The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.
- Psalms 18:46
The LORD lives, and blessed be my Rock! And may the God of my salvation be exalted—
- Psalms 59:17
To You, O my strength, I sing praises, for You, O God, are my fortress, my God of loving devotion.
- Isaiah 25:1
O LORD, You are my God! I will exalt You; I will praise Your name. For You have worked wonders—plans formed long ago—in perfect faithfulness.
- Isaiah 12:2
Through
Psalms 28:1To You, O LORD, I call; be not deaf to me, O my Rock. For if You remain silent, I will be like those descending to the Pit.
it leads to
- Psalms 143:7
Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide Your face from me, or I will be like those who descend to the Pit.
- Psalms 18:2
The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
- Psalms 88:4–6
I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength.
- Psalms 143:7
Where this verse is studied
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About Psalms

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 109; Charles Spurgeon, The Treasury of David, Vol. 5; Jerome, Homily 35, on Psalm 108; John Calvin, Commentary on the Book of Psalms; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
