Psalms 69:27

69:22-29 These are prophecies of the destruction of Christ's persecutors. Verses 22,23, are applied to the judgments of God upon the unbelieving Jews, in Ro 11:9,10. When the supports of life and delights of sense, through the corruption of our nature, are made the food and fuel of sin, then our table is a snare. Their sin was, that they would not see, but shut their eyes against the light, loving darkness rather; their punishment was, that they should not see, but should be given up to their own hearts' lusts which hardened them. Those who reject God's great salvation proffered to them, may justly fear that his indignation will be poured out upon them. If men will sin, the Lord will reckon for it. But those that have multiplied to sin, may yet find mercy, through the righteousness of the Mediator. God shuts not out any from that righteousness; the gospel excludes none who do not, by unbelief, shut themselves out. But those who are proud and self-willed, so that they will not come in to God's righteousness, shall have their doom accordingly; they themselves decide it. Let those not expect any benefit thereby, who are not glad to be beholden to it. It is better to be poor and sorrowful, with the blessing of the Lord, than rich and jovial, and under his curse. This may be applied to Christ. He was, when on earth, a man of sorrows that had not where to lay his head; but God exalted him.

Psalm 69:27 . Add iniquity to their iniquity — Or, give or permit, as תנה , tenah, may be properly rendered. The old version expresses the psalmist’s meaning accurately, Let, or permit, them to fall from one wickedness to another. It is not unusual with God, as a punishment of some great sin or sins, though not to infuse into men any evil, yet, by withdrawing his grace, and leaving them to themselves, to suffer them to commit more sins, and to be so far from being reformed, as daily to grow worse and worse, and at last to become quite obdurate and irreclaimable. The words, however, may be rendered, Add punishment to their punishment, (for the word עון is often put for the punishment of iniquity.) Send one judgment upon them after another, without ceasing. And let them not come into thy righteousness — Into that way of obedience which thou requirest, and which thou wilt accept, the obedience of faith in the Messiah and his gospel, producing love, and universal holiness and righteousness; or, to thy mercy, thy pardoning mercy, as the original word frequently signifies, so as to be made partakers of it. Let them not obtain an interest in the everlasting righteousness which the Messiah shall bring into the world, Daniel 9:24 ; the righteousness of God by faith, revealed in the gospel, and witnessed by the law and the prophets, Php 3:9 ; Romans 1:17 ; and Romans 3:9 , &c., according to which God justifies the ungodly, and accepts them as righteous in his sight.

For this was the righteousness which the Jews rejected, Romans 10:3 , according to this prediction. Thus, as the first branch of this verse foretels their being guilty of many sins, and adding iniquity to iniquity, so this predicts their rejection of, and therefore their exclusion from, an interest in the only remedy, the remission of sins through faith in the Mediator, and the holiness and happiness consequent thereon.

(27, 28) It is doubtful whether these verses give the talk of the enemies just mentioned, or whether the psalmist himself, after a pause, resumes his imprecations. The former supposition certainly adds a fresh force to the prayer of Psalm 69:29 ; and it is more natural to suppose that the string of curses, once ended, should not be taken up again. On the other hand, would the apostates, against whom the psalm is directed, have put their animosity into the shape of a wish to have names blotted out of God’s book? If so, it must be in irony. (27) Add iniquity—This may be understood in two different senses: (1) Let sin be added to sin in thy account, till the tale be full. (2) Add guilt for guilt, i.e., for each wrong committed write down a punishment. And let them not . . .—i.e., let them not be justified in thy sight; not gain their cause at thy tribunal.

Verse 27. - Add iniquity unto their iniquity. Either "let them fall from one wickedness to another," as the clause is rendered in the Prayer book Version; or "add to the record of their sin in thy book, a further record of other sins, as they commit them." And let them not come into thy righteousness; i.e. let them not receive the gift of thy justifying grace, and so be counted among thy righteous ones. Psalm 69:27

Add iniquity to their iniquity; give them up to their own vain minds and vile lusts, and to a reprobate sense, and take off all the restraints of thy grace and providence, and expose them to the temptations of the world and of the devil, that so they may grow worse and worse, and at last may fill up the measure of their sins; as is said, Matthew 12:32 : compare Romans 1:28,29 . Or, Add punishment to their punishment ; as this word is oft taken. Send one judgment upon them after another, without ceasing. Let them not come into thy righteousness; let them never partake of thy righteousness, i.e. either, 1. Of thy faithfulness, in making good thy promises to them. Or, 2. Of thy mercy and goodness. Or rather, 3. Of thy righteousness, properly so called, of that everlasting righteousness which the Messiah shall bring into the world, Daniel 9:24 , which is called the righteousness of God , Romans 1:17 Philippians 3:9 , &c., which is said to be witnessed by the law and the prophets , Romans 3:21 , by and for which God doth justify or pardon sinners, and accept them in Christ as righteous persons. For this was the righteousness which the Jews rejected to their own ruin, Romans 10:3 , according to this prediction. Thus as the first branch of the verse maketh or supposeth them guilty of many sins, so this excludes them from the only remedy, the remission of their sins.

And that justifying rather than sanctifying righteousness is here meant seems most probable from the phrase, which seems to be a judicial phrase, as we read of coming or entering into judgment , Job 22:4 34:23 , and into condemnation , John 5:24 , opposite unto which is this phrase, of coming into justification ; or, which is all one, into thy righteousness .

27 . Some commentators, retaining the A.V. rendering of Psalm 69:26 , regard Psalm 69:27-28 as the words of the Psalmist’s enemies, directed against him and his fellow sufferers. This interpretation has been advocated, as removing from the mouth of the Psalmist at any rate the most terrible anathemas. But perplexing as it may be, it is far more natural to see in these verses the climax of his imprecations. Add iniquity &c.] Instead of taking away their iniquities by forgiveness, let one iniquity accumulate upon another till they are crushed by the load. Cp. Psalm 38:4 ; Jeremiah 18:23 . let them not come into thy righteousness ] Let them have no share in the manifestation of that righteousness or faithfulness to His covenant in virtue of which Jehovah pardons sin and delivers from danger. Cp. Psalm 5:8 ; Psalm 71:2 ; Psalm 71:15 ; Psalm 71:19 ; Psalm 71:24 .

Add iniquity unto their iniquity - Margin, "punishment of iniquity." The literal rendering is, "Give iniquity upon their iniquity." Luther understands this as a prayer that "sin may be made a punishment for sin;" that is, that they may, as a punishment for their former sins, be left to commit still more aggravated crimes, and thus draw on themselves severer punishment. So Rosenmuller renders it, "Suffer them to accumulate sins by rushing from one sin to another, until their crimes are matured, and their destined punishment comes upon them." An idea similar to this occurs in Romans 1:28 , where God is represented as having "given the pagan over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient" fit, or proper - "because they did not like to retain him in their knowledge." Perhaps this is the most natural interpretation here, though another has been suggested which the original will bear. According to that, there is an allusion here to the double sense of the equivocal term rendered "iniquity" - עון ‛âvôn - which properly denotes sin as such, or in itself considered, but which sometimes seems to denote sin in its consequences or effects. This latter is the interpretation adopted by Prof. Alexander. Thus understood, it is a prayer that God would add, or give, to their sin that which sin deserved; or, in other words, that he would punish it "as" it deserved.