The psalms that contain curses or wishes for bad things for their enemies. These elements appear in 18 psalms:
These elements are usually expressed as a prayer or wish for judgment to happen to their enemies.
To the casual reader, such wishes might seem to contradict the rest of Scripture, especially with the teaching of Jesus. Leviticus 19:17–18 says, “You must not harbor hatred against your brother in your heart. Directly rebuke your neighbor, so that you will not incur guilt on account of him. Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself."
Jesus argues that "neighbor" includes everyone (Luke 10:29–37). In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44; compare with verses 38–48). This idea agrees with the Old Testament, which teaches us to help our enemies (Proverbs 25:21–22; compare Romans 12:20).
Psalm 109 appears to contradict Jesus’ teachings because it has the most curses and some of the harshest. Some people think this psalm is too harsh for the Bible. But this psalm has been seen as both prophetic and messianic by scholars like Chrysostom, Jerome, Augustine, and others.
Thomas Horne writes the past tenses of this psalm as future tenses, making it a prophetic text. His inspiration was Peter’s quotation of Psalm 109:8 when picking a successor for Judas (Acts 1:20). The psalm speaks about the trials of Jesus, which makes it predictive of Christ rather than imprecatory.
Another troubling passage is Psalm 137:8–9, which happily speaks of the violent death of Babylonian children. Horne believed this was a prediction of the invasion of Babylon in 539 BC.
These psalms calling for justice are not at odds with the rest of the Bible. Jeremiah prayed for revenge (Jeremiah 11:20). He was answered by the Lord (verses 21–23). The righteous seeking justice will be answered (Luke 18:1–8). In Revelation, the martyrs call out, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?” (Revelation 6:10). Their cries are answered. David defeated his enemies, and he saw his enemies as the enemies of God. The enemies of the psalmist should receive judgment. The desires of the writer aligned with the judgment of God.