Psalms 109:28
in Psalms 109Though they curse, You will bless. When they rise up, they will be put to shame, but Your servant will rejoice.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Let them curse, but bless thou: When they arise, they shall be put to shame, But thy servant shall rejoice.
KJV
Let them curse, but bless thou: when they arise, let them be ashamed; but let thy servant rejoice.
⋯
This verse in Psalms 109
Commentary
10 notes on this verseLet them curse, but bless thou,.... Let them curse me, as Shimei did David, the type of Christ; let them curse themselves, as they did; or my people: or "let them be cursed", as the Syriac version; cursed in life and at death, and to all eternity: but "bless thou me", the Messiah; as he did, when he raised him front the dead, set him at his right hand, and gave him a name above everyone, and made him most blessed for evermore; and bless my people with all spiritual blessings of grace, and with eternal glory and happiness.
This site's exposition
Help me, O LORD my God
on Psalms 109:26-29
He asks for help by God's loving devotion. He asks that they know whose hand it is, and though they curse, God will bless; they will be put to shame. Verse 29 asks that the accusers wear shame like a robe, the garment of verse 18 turned on them.
This site's exposition
Though they curse, You will bless.
David says the same when Shimei curses him at 2 Samuel 16:12, hoping the LORD will repay good for the cursing. Deuteronomy 23:5 records the LORD turning Balaam's curse into a blessing. Readers who hear verses 6 to 19 as the enemies' words find those curses answered here.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Let my slanderers be clothed with shame" [Psalm 109:28]: that is, let it shame them to have slandered me. But this may also be understood as a blessing, in that they are amended. "And let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a double cloak;" for diplois is a double cloak; that is, let them be confounded both within and without: both before God and before men.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Men's curses are impotent; God's blessings are omnipotent; and those whom we unjustly curse may in faith expect and pray for God's blessing, his special blessing. When the Pharisees cast out the poor man for his confessing Christ, Christ found him, John ix.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
In confidence that God's blessing would come on him, and confusion and shame on his enemies (Ps 73:13), he ceases to regard their curses, and anticipates a season of joyful and public thanksgiving; for God is near to protect (Ps 16:8;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Let them curse, but bless thou, or, they will curse and thou wilt bless. Their cursing will then be of such little consequence that it will not matter a straw. One blessing from the Lord will take the poison out of ten thousand curses of men. When they arise, let them be ashamed. They lift up themselves to deal out another blow, to utter another falsehood, and to watch for its injurious effects upon their victim, but they see their own defeat and are filled with shame. But let thy servant rejoice.
Let them curse, but bless thou, or, they will curse and thou wilt bless. Their cursing will then be of such little consequence that it will not matter a straw. One blessing from the Lord will take the poison out of ten thousand curses of men. When they arise, let them be ashamed. They lift up themselves to deal out another blow, to utter another falsehood, and to watch for its injurious effects upon their victim, but they see their own defeat and are filled with shame. But let thy servant rejoice. Not merely as a man protected and rescued, but as God's servant in whom his master's goodness and glory are displayed when he is saved from his foes. It ought to be our greatest joy that the Lord is honoured in our experience; the mercy itself ought not so much to rejoice us as the glory which is thereby brought to him who so graciously bestows it.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Let them curse, but bless thou - See on Psa 109:20 (note): Of the mode of interpretation recommended there, this verse gives additional proof.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Let them curse, but bless thou - See Psa 109:17. Let them continue to curse me, provided thou wilt bless me. I am willing to bear all these reproaches, if I may have thy favor. That favor I value infinitely more than I do theirs; and it is a small matter that I am reviled and cursed by people, if I may secure the favor and friendship of God. When they arise - When they rise up against me; when they attempt to persecute me. Let them be ashamed ... - Let them be disappointed; let them not be successful in their designs against me. On the word “ashamed,” see Job 6:20, note; Psa 25:2-3, note.
The words behind it
8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| יְקַֽלְלוּ־ | yekalu- | they will curse | H7043 → | 82 times |
| הֵמָּה֮ | hemah | they | H1992 → | 553 times |
| וְאַתָּ֪ה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| תְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְ | tevarekh | you will bless | H1288 → | 330 times |
| קָ֤מוּ׀ | kamu | they have arisen | H6965 → | 628 times |
| וַיֵּבֹ֗שׁוּ | vaiyevoshu | and they have been ashamed | H954 → | 127 times |
| וְֽעַבְדְּךָ֥ | veavdekha | and servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| יִשְׂמָֽח׃ | yismach | he will rejoice | H8055 → | 155 times |
יְקַֽלְלוּ־they will curse
yekalu-H7043 →82 times
הֵמָּה֮they
hemahH1992 →553 times
וְאַתָּ֪הand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
תְבָ֫רֵ֥ךְyou will bless
tevarekhH1288 →330 times
קָ֤מוּ׀they have arisen
kamuH6965 →628 times
וַיֵּבֹ֗שׁוּand they have been ashamed
vaiyevoshuH954 →127 times
וְֽעַבְדְּךָ֥and servant your
veavdekhaH5650 →799 times
יִשְׂמָֽח׃he will rejoice
yismachH8055 →155 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
Hebrews 12:2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand…
it leads to
- Micah 7:7
But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
- 1 Peter 3:18
For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit,
- 1 Peter 2:23–24
When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
- Hebrews 1:3
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His nature, upholding all things by His powerful word. After He had provided purification for sins, He sat down at the…
- Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
- Micah 7:7
Through
Numbers 23:20I have indeed received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot change it.
it leads to
- John 10:27–29
My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.
- Numbers 22:12
But God said to Balaam, “Do not go with them. You are not to curse this people, for they are blessed.”
- John 10:27–29
Through
John 16:22So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
it leads to
- 1 Peter 1:8
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
- 1 Peter 1:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies2
On this verse
On this chapter
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; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.