Imprecatory psalms pdf

O NE EMINENTLY TROUBLESOME PORTION of t h e S c r i p t u r e s is the so-called "imprecatory psalms." These psalms express the desire for God's vengeance to fall on His (and His peo- ple's) enemies and include the use of actual curses, or impreca- tions. Such psalms naturally evoke a reaction of revulsion in many Christians. For are not Christians to love their enemies (Matt. 5:44), to "bless and not curse" (Rom. 12:14)? How then does one jus- tify calls for the barbaric dashing of infants against a rock (Ps. 137:9) or the washing of one's "feet in the blood of the wicked" (58:10)? Are the imprecatory psalms merely a way of venting rage without really meaning it? Or is cursing enemies the Old Testa- ment way and loving enemies the New Testament way? Has the morality of Scripture evolved? And is it in any way legitimate to use these psalms in Christian life and worship?

The imprecatory psalms have been explained as expressing (a) evil emotions, either to be avoided altogether or to be expressed and relinquished,1 (b) a morality consonant with the Old Covenant

John N. Day is Senior Pastor, Bellewood Presbyterian Church, Bellevue, Washing- ton. 1 For the former position see C. S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms (New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1958); and idem, Christian Reflections, ed. Walter Hooper (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967). For the latter see Walter Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1984); and idem, Praying the Psalms (Winona, MN: Saint Mary's, 1986).

This position is questionable on five counts. First, it runs counter to the prevail- ing piety of the psalmists—notably David, the principal author of these psalms. Far from being a man given to rage and revenge, he was quick to exhibit a Christlike spirit toward his enemies—in particular King Saul (e.g., 1 Sam. 24). Although David, "a man after [God's] own heart" (13:14; cf. Acts 13:22), was guilty of sin (adultery, deception, and murder; 2 Sam 11), these acts did not express his pervad- ing character, which was revealed in his repentance (Ps. 51). Therefore, if the im- precatory psalms are considered sinful, their presence in the Davidic psalms con- tradicts what is known of him elsewhere in Scripture. In fact even in the psalms the utterance of any imprecation comes only after the enemy's repeated return of "evil for good" (35:12-14; 109:5), or after gross (and frequently sustained) injustice (Pss. 58, 79, 137).

The Imprecatory Psalms and Christian Ethics 167

but inconsistent with the New,2 or (c) words appropriately uttered solely from the lips of Christ, and consequently only by His follow­ ers through Him.3

Second, the purposes that govern the expression of imprecations in the psalms and the principal themes that run repeatedly through them are on the highest ethi­ cal plane These include concern for the honor of God and for the public recognition of His sovereignty (e g , 59 13, 74 22), concern for the realization of justice in the face of r a m p a n t injustice, along with the hope t h a t divine retribution will cause people to seek the Lord (e g , 58 11, 83 16), an abhorrence of sin (139 21), and a con­ cern for the preservation of the righteous (35 1, 4)

Third, this view is contrary to the inspiration of the psalms By the testimony of both David and David's greater Son, the psalms were written under divine inspira­ tion (2 Sam 23 2, Mark 12 36) And Peter's quotation from both Psalms 69 and 109—two of the most notorious of the imprecatory psalms—is introduced by the statement t h a t these Scriptures "had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas" (Acts 1 16, italics added)

Fourth, to explain the imprecatory psalms as outbursts of evil emotion may account for the initial writing of the psalms, but it does not adequately explain why these psalms were included in the Psalter, the book of worship for God's people Though this does not of itself demand that the things expressed therein are fault­ less, the sheer quantity of cries for divine vengeance in the Book of Psalms calls into question the view that they are expressing evil emotions Nor did later copyists and compilers feel any need to expunge such material as unfitting for the Scriptures

Fifth, this view does not adequately account for imprecations in the New Testa­ ment, notably from the lips of the Lord Himself (Mark 11 12-14, 20-21)

For example J Carl Laney, "A Fresh Look at the Imprecatory Psalms," Bibho theca Sacra 138 (January-March 1981) 35-45, and Chalmers Martin, "The Impre­ cations in the Psalms," Princeton Theological Review 1 (1903) 537-53 Though both are admirable t reatments of this topic, their proposal inadequately accounts for the presence of imprecations in the New Testament and the enduring validity of the Abrahamic promise for church-age believers (Gal 3 6-29) Also this view runs counter to the internal witness of Scripture and of the Lord Jesus Christ, who as­ serted that the two "great commandments" given in the Old Covenant are the same two "great commandments" reinforced in the New (Matt 22 36-40) Thus from Je­ sus' own testimony the morality of the New Covenant in its highest expression is consistent with that of the Old (cf Gal 5 13-14, 6 2, Rom 13 8-10, 1 John 4 20-21) Moreover, Martin's assertion that the progress of revelation fundamentally alters the Christian's stance toward the enemies of God, since the "distinction between the sin and the sinner was impossible to David a s an Old Testament saint" (ibid , 548) insufficiently characterizes the broader theology of Scripture There it is not only "love the sinner but hate the sin," but also paradoxically "love the sinner but hate the sinner" (cf Ps 5 4-6 and 139 19, 21-22 with Matt 5 44-45) For even according to the New Testament, sinners—not just sin—will be destroyed, suffering the eter­ nal torment of hell (e g , Mark 9 47-48) See the observations of John L McKenzie, "The Imprecations of the Psalter," American Ecclesiastical Review 111 (1944) 91-93

3 For example James E Adams, War Psalms of the Prince of Peace Lessons from the Imprecatory Psalms (Philhpsburg, Ν J Presbyterian and Reformed, 1991), Dietrich Bonhoeffer, "A Bonhoeffer Sermon," t rans Daniel Bloesch, ed F Burton Nelson, Theology Today 38 (1982) 465-71, and idem, Psalms The Prayer Book of the Bible, t rans J a m e s H Burtness (Minneapolis Augsburg, 1970) This view is based on the function of David in Scripture as both the genetic and typological fore­ runner of Christ In response, however, this scriptural portrayal of David is not meant to disassociate David's words and actions from his person m history In fact