NOTES for Psa 109

The psalmist is surrounded by enemies who hate him, and his feelings toward them correspond to their own hostility. David's wishes for them are merciless; he clearly has no intention of forgiving them or letting them off, much less of repaying evil with good. Yet David is driven not only by resentment against his enemies or a desire to deal with them, but above all by rejection of the wickedness they commit.

With childlike directness, evil is identified with those who bear it, and one must admit that at first this is unavoidable: a deeper view of human nature does not come at once. It takes time to understand that it is extremely rare for a person to consent to being wholly saturated with evil, and that one who bears evil is often dependent on it in a way resembling addiction to alcohol or drugs.

Nevertheless, in order initially to recoil from evil, one must also recoil from its living bearers, whom their dependence cannot absolve of responsibility.