Psalm 108: Overview

Psalm 108 is a imprecatory psalm, and thus has been omitted altogether from the modern Liturgy of the Hours.

St Alphonsus Liguori provided a summary of the debate as to who the imprecations are directed at:

Interpreters have given various explanations of this psalm. Some apply it to Saul giving vent to his anger against Doeg and those that resemble him. Others to David predicting in form of imprecation the chastisements reserved for Doeg and Achitophel, his enemies. Others, as Xavier Mattel, Mark Marius, and Louis Mingarella suppose that the imprecations are uttered against David and Jesus Christ by their enemies. But commonly the Fathers and the other interpreters regard these imprecations as pronounced against Judas and the other enemies of our Lord. This interpretation, which we follow, agrees especially with that of St. Augustine.

The Navarre Commentary provides a useful discussion of the interpretation of the psalm:

Set as it is here, Psalm 108 rounds off the entreaty made for the people (cf. Ps 107:6) with a plea for the psalmist's own salvation (Ps 108:26). God is extolled for saving both people and the person (cf. Ps 107:5; 108:31). As in Psalm 101 which is the counterpart of Psalm 108 in the group, Psalm 108 asks God to show mercy to a distressed member of the chosen people (cf. Ps 101:13; 108:26).

It begins with an appeal to God made by someone unjustly accused and despised (vv. 1-5). He calls on God to punish the wicked (vv. 6-15) and spells out what they have done wrong (vv. 16-20). Then the psalmist, who is poor and needy, asks the Lord to show him mercy (vv. 21-25). The psalm ends with a plea for help for the psalmist and vengeful punishment for his enemies (vv. 26-29)—and a promise to praise the Lord (vv. 30-31). 

One way to understand this psalm and its structure is to take it that the desires expressed in vv. 6-19 have to do with the false accusations levelled against the psalmist, and that v. 20 contains his response. This interpretation avoids attributing to the psalmist the sentiments expressed in those first verses. But one can also interpret it by taking vv. 6-15 as an accusation against the psalmist brought before a tribunal by some enemy (cf. vv. 2,4, 28-29) and that the psalmist is responding to this (w. 16-20) by exposing the wickedness of his accuser. In the latter case the words of the psalmist, which include standard expressions about forms of divine punishment, and which are a chilling imprecation, belong to a time when the fullness of Revelation lay in the future (with Christ) and the law of retaliation/vengeance was the order of the day.

 Persecution of an innocent person— someone, indeed, who loves his enemies (vv. 3,4)—was experienced at its worst by our Lord Jesus Christ; it caused him to cry out, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death" (Mt 26:38). But our Lord's attitude to his persecutors shows what the new law of love involves: he asks God to forgive them, for they don't realize what they are doing (cf. Lk 23:34).

The text of the psalm

Vulgate	Douay-Rheims
In finem. Psalmus David.	Unto the end, a psalm for David.
1 Deus, laudem meam ne tacúeris: * quia os peccatóris, et os dolósi super me apértum est.	O God be not silent in my praise: for the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful man is opened against me.
2  Locúti sunt advérsum me lingua dolósa, et sermónibus ódii circumdedérunt me: * et expugnavérunt me gratis.	3 They have spoken against me with deceitful tongues; and they have compassed me about with words of hatred; and have fought against me without cause.
3  Pro eo ut me dilígerent, detrahébant mihi: * ego autem orábam.	4 Instead of making me a return of love, they detracted me: but I gave myself to prayer.
4  Et posuérunt advérsum me mala pro bonis: * et ódium pro dilectióne mea.	5 And they repaid me evil for good: and hatred for my love.
5  Constítue super eum peccatórem: * et diábolus stet a dextris ejus.	6 Set the sinner over him: and may the devil stand at his right hand.
6  Cum judicátur, éxeat condemnátus: * et orátio ejus fiat in peccátum.	7 When he is judged, may he go out condemned; and may his prayer be turned to sin.
7  Fiant dies ejus pauci: * et episcopátum ejus accípiat alter.	8 May his days be few: and his bishopric let another take.
8  Fiant fílii ejus órphani: * et uxor ejus vídua.	9 May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
9  Nutántes transferántur fílii ejus, et mendícent: * et ejiciántur de habitatiónibus suis.	10 Let his children be carried about vagabonds, and beg; and let them be cast out of their dwellings.
10  Scrutétur fœnerátor omnem substántiam ejus: * et dirípiant aliéni labóres ejus.	11 May the usurer search all his substance: and let strangers plunder his labours.
11  Non sit illi adjútor: * nec sit qui misereátur pupíllis ejus.	12 May there be none to help him: nor none to pity his fatherless offspring.
12  Fiant nati ejus in intéritum: * in generatióne una deleátur nomen ejus.	13 May his posterity be cut off; in one generation may his name be blotted out.
13  In memóriam rédeat iníquitas patrum ejus in conspéctu Dómini: * et peccátum matris ejus non deleátur.	14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered in the sight of the Lord: and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
14  Fiant contra Dóminum semper, et dispéreat de terra memória eórum: * pro eo quod non est recordátus fácere misericórdiam.	15 May they be before the Lord continually, and let the memory of them perish from the earth: 16 Because he remembered not to show mercy,
15  Et persecútus est hóminem ínopem, et mendícum, * et compúnctum corde mortificáre.	17 but persecuted the poor man and the beggar; and the broken in heart, to put him to death.
16  Et diléxit maledictiónem, et véniet ei: * et nóluit benedictiónem, et elongábitur ab eo.	18 And he loved cursing, and it shall come unto him: and he would not have blessing, and it shall be far from him.
17  Et índuit maledictiónem sicut vestiméntum, * et intrávit sicut aqua in interióra ejus, et sicut óleum in óssibus ejus.	And he put on cursing, like a garment: and it went in like water into his entrails, and like oil in his bones.
18  Fiat ei sicut vestiméntum, quo operítur: * et sicut zona, qua semper præcíngitur.	19 May it be unto him like a garment which covers him; and like a girdle with which he is girded continually
19  Hoc opus eórum, qui détrahunt mihi apud Dóminum: * et qui loquúntur mala advérsus ánimam meam.	20 This is the work of them who detract me before the Lord; and who speak evils against my soul.
20  Et tu, Dómine, Dómine, fac mecum propter nomen tuum: * quia suávis est misericórdia tua.	21 But you, O Lord, do with me for your name's sake: because your mercy is sweet.
21  Líbera me quia egénus, et pauper ego sum: * et cor meum conturbátum est intra me.	Deliver me, 22 for I am poor and needy, and my heart is troubled within me.
22  Sicut umbra cum declínat, ablátus sum: * et excússus sum sicut locústæ.	23 I am taken away like the shadow when it declines: and I am shaken off as locusts.
23  Génua mea infirmáta sunt a jejúnio: * et caro mea immutáta est propter óleum.	24 My knees are weakened through fasting: and my flesh is changed for oil.
24  Et ego factus sum oppróbrium illis: * vidérunt me, et movérunt cápita sua.	25 And I have become a reproach to them: they saw me and they shaked their heads.
25  Adjuva me, Dómine, Deus meus: * salvum me fac secúndum misericórdiam tuam.	26 Help me, O Lord my God; save me; according to your mercy.
26  Et sciant quia manus tua hæc: * et tu, Dómine, fecísti eam.	27 And let them know that this is your hand: and that you, O Lord, have done it.
27  Maledícent illi, et tu benedíces: * qui insúrgunt in me, confundántur: servus autem tuus lætábitur.	28 They will curse and you will bless: let them that rise up against me be confounded: but your servant shall rejoice.
28  Induántur qui détrahunt mihi, pudóre: * et operiántur sicut deplóide confusióne sua.	29 Let them that detract me be clothed with shame: and let them be covered with their confusion as with a double cloak.
29  Confitébor Dómino nimis in ore meo: * et in médio multórum laudábo eum.	30 I will give great thanks to the Lord with my mouth: and in the midst of many I will praise him.
30  Quia ástitit a dextris páuperis, * ut salvam fáceret a persequéntibus ánimam meam.	31 Because he has stood at the right hand of the poor, to save my soul from persecutors.

Liturgical and Scriptural uses of the psalm

NT references	Acts 1:20 (7); Mt 27:39; Mk 15:29-30 (24); 1 Cor 4:12 (28)
RB cursus	Saturday matins II, 6
Responsories	Palm Sunday v2
Monastic/(Roman) feasts etc	-
Roman pre 1911	Saturday Matins
Roman post 1911	1911-62: Saturday None. 1970: omitted because of imprecatory character
Mass propers (EF)	Lent 3 Wednesday OF (20)