Psalm 71 · a question people ask
"Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed" (71:13). How can a prayer ask for that?
First, what the verses say. The psalmist asks this of God, after praying, "God, don’t be far from me" (71:12): "Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me" (71:13). He doesn't say he will act against anyone himself. The next verse turns straight to God: "But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise" (71:14). And the psalm ends saying it has happened: "for they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me" (71:24). Psalm 71 is not the only psalm that prays against enemies, and Christians read these prayers in more than one way. The chapter on Psalm 109 sets out the main readings, each resting on its verses, and chooses none. These notes don't choose either.
The verses
“God, don’t be far from me. My God, hurry to help me. Let my accusers be disappointed and consumed. Let them be covered with disgrace and scorn who want to harm me. But I will always hope, and will add to all of your praise.”
“My tongue will also talk about your righteousness all day long, for they are disappointed, and they are confounded, who want to harm me.”
“For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. God of my praise, don’t remain silent, for they have opened the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit against me. They have spoken to me with a lying tongue. They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause. In return for my love, they are my adversaries; but I am in prayer. They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.”