I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
Psalm 109:30 is the praise of the suffering Messiah after the verbal warfare of His enemies. David spoke first in his own affliction as the LORD’s anointed, but the Holy Ghost carried this psalm beyond David to Jesus Christ, for Peter applies verse 8 directly to Judas Iscariot and the replacement of his apostolic office (Acts 1:20). Earlier in the psalm, wicked and deceitful mouths were opened against Him, lying tongues spoke against Him, and words of hatred compassed Him about without a cause (vv.2-3). But the psalm does not end with the enemies’ mouths. It ends with the righteous sufferer’s mouth praising the LORD. The lying, hateful, cursing words of men are answered by the praise of Christ and of all who are saved through Him.
“I will.” This is a personal resolution. The psalmist does not wait for enemies to repent, circumstances to become easy, or the multitude to approve him. He determines what he will do before God. Wicked words have not conquered his spirit. False accusation has not made him bitter. Hatred has not stolen praise from his mouth. He will praise the LORD.
This resolve is necessary because suffering often tempts the mouth in another direction. A man falsely accused may be tempted to murmur, rail, complain, threaten, or answer every enemy in the same spirit. David chooses better. He has prayed, pleaded, committed judgment to God, and now resolves upon praise. The mouth that is wounded by others’ words must not become wicked in its own words.
“Greatly praise.” The praise is not small. The word “greatly” fits the greatness of the deliverance desired and the greatness of the God addressed. David has not asked a small thing. He has asked God to answer lying tongues, hateful words, betrayal, cursing, and persecution. If the LORD rises for him, then the praise must be enlarged. Great mercy deserves great praise.
This also shows that praise should answer the weight of trouble. When God sustains His servant under false witness, hatred, and danger, the deliverance should not be lightly acknowledged. The deeper the pit, the louder the thanksgiving. The sharper the lying tongues, the sweeter the praise when God answers. “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1). Such hearing calls for great praise.
“The LORD.” The praise is directed to Jehovah. LORD in all capital letters is the King James Bible’s usual way of representing the divine name Jehovah, the self-existent, faithful, covenant-keeping God of His people. David does not praise himself for endurance, wisdom, courage, or restraint. He praises the LORD. Earlier he had prayed, “Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise” (v.1). God was the object of his praise before deliverance, and He remains the object of his praise after deliverance. The righteous man’s testimony must return glory to the God who heard, helped, judged, and saved.
This is important in a psalm full of enemies. A man may become so occupied with what enemies did that his speech becomes enemy-centered. David will not allow that. He has described their sin plainly, but his praise belongs to the LORD. The final word of the righteous mouth is not the wickedness of men, but the glory of God.
“With my mouth.” Here the use of words is explicit. Praise is not left as an inward feeling only. David will praise with his mouth. The same member that enemies used for deceit, lying, hatred, and cursing is used by the righteous for worship. This is one of the great contrasts of Psalm 109. Wicked mouths speak against the innocent; the righteous mouth speaks well of Jehovah.
The mouth matters. God made the mouth for truth, prayer, confession, thanksgiving, instruction, and praise. Sin turns it into a weapon of falsehood, hatred, and destruction. Grace restores it to its proper use. “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15). The fruit of the lips should be praise, not poison.
This phrase also rebukes silent ingratitude. If the mouth has been spared, upheld, corrected, forgiven, and delivered, it should not be idle toward God. It is not enough to think praise privately when God calls for spoken honour. The redeemed of the LORD must say so (Psalm 107:2). David’s mouth had been assaulted by the mouths of others; he now consecrates his own mouth to the LORD.
“Yea.” The word strengthens the resolution. David adds more. He will not only praise privately; he will praise publicly. He will not only praise in secret prayer; he will praise where others can hear. The grace of God deserves both closet gratitude and open confession. “Yea” carries the praise outward.
“I will praise him.” The repetition is deliberate. Praise is named twice in the verse. David’s answer to hatred is praise. His answer to lies is praise. His answer to cursing is praise. His answer to danger is praise. He does not praise men, circumstances, or chance. He praises Him, the LORD who stands at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul (v.31).
This repetition also teaches the perseverance of praise. The righteous should not praise once and stop. God’s works are too many, His mercies too great, His truth too faithful, and His deliverances too precious for brief acknowledgment only. Praise should be repeated, enlarged, and carried forward.
“Among the multitude.” David’s praise becomes public. The multitude had heard accusations, slanders, reproaches, or rumours; now they should hear praise. God’s vindication must not be hidden. Public mercy, public deliverance, and public preservation call for public thanksgiving. The mouth that praises God in private should not be ashamed to praise Him in the assembly of saints.
This does not mean praise is done for display. David is not seeking attention for himself. He praises among the multitude so that God may be honoured before many. There is a righteous public use of testimony. When God has delivered, the congregation should hear of it. “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16). God’s works should become the church’s praise.
The phrase also corrects cowardice. Enemies may speak boldly in public while saints speak timidly in private. This ought not to be. If wicked men are not ashamed to open their mouths against the righteous, the righteous should not be ashamed to open their mouths for the LORD. Truth and mercy deserve a clearer sound than lies and hatred.
This verse therefore gives a holy pattern for the mouth under persecution. Do not let lying tongues make your tongue sinful. Do not let hateful words fill your mouth with hatred. Do not let cursing enemies turn you into a murmurer. Pray to the God of your praise, wait for His righteous answer, and then praise Him with your mouth among the multitude.
This verse is therefore not a loose devotional application to Christ, but part of the Messianic movement of the psalm. The same psalm that foretells Judas’s office being taken by another also shows the righteous sufferer delivered and praising God among the multitude. Jesus Christ was surrounded by lying tongues, hateful words, false witnesses, mockers, rulers, and the traitor; yet God stood at His right hand, raised Him from the dead, and exalted Him above all. The enemies’ mouths did not have the final word. The risen Christ became the praise of the redeemed multitude, and through Him the congregation praises Jehovah with joyful and thankful mouths.
Psalm 109:30 therefore teaches the sanctified answer to wicked speech, first in the suffering and triumph of Jesus Christ, and then in His members. The mouth of the wicked lies, but the mouth of the righteous praises. The deceitful tongue speaks against the innocent, but the faithful tongue gives glory to Jehovah. Let every saint learn the right use of words from the Messiah Himself. When God has upheld you under reproach, praise Him. When He has answered falsehood, praise Him. When He has saved you from those that condemn your soul, praise Him greatly with your mouth, yea, praise Him among the multitude.
I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise him among the multitude.
Psalm 109:30 is the praise of the suffering Messiah after the verbal warfare of His enemies. David spoke first in his own affliction as the LORD’s anointed, but the Holy Ghost carried this psalm beyond David to Jesus Christ, for Peter applies verse 8 directly to Judas Iscariot and the replacement of his apostolic office (Acts 1:20). Earlier in the psalm, wicked and deceitful mouths were opened against Him, lying tongues spoke against Him, and words of hatred compassed Him about without a cause (vv.2-3). But the psalm does not end with the enemies’ mouths. It ends with the righteous sufferer’s mouth praising the LORD. The lying, hateful, cursing words of men are answered by the praise of Christ and of all who are saved through Him.
“I will.” This is a personal resolution. The psalmist does not wait for enemies to repent, circumstances to become easy, or the multitude to approve him. He determines what he will do before God. Wicked words have not conquered his spirit. False accusation has not made him bitter. Hatred has not stolen praise from his mouth. He will praise the LORD.
This resolve is necessary because suffering often tempts the mouth in another direction. A man falsely accused may be tempted to murmur, rail, complain, threaten, or answer every enemy in the same spirit. David chooses better. He has prayed, pleaded, committed judgment to God, and now resolves upon praise. The mouth that is wounded by others’ words must not become wicked in its own words.
“Greatly praise.” The praise is not small. The word “greatly” fits the greatness of the deliverance desired and the greatness of the God addressed. David has not asked a small thing. He has asked God to answer lying tongues, hateful words, betrayal, cursing, and persecution. If the LORD rises for him, then the praise must be enlarged. Great mercy deserves great praise.
This also shows that praise should answer the weight of trouble. When God sustains His servant under false witness, hatred, and danger, the deliverance should not be lightly acknowledged. The deeper the pit, the louder the thanksgiving. The sharper the lying tongues, the sweeter the praise when God answers. “I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1). Such hearing calls for great praise.
“The LORD.” The praise is directed to Jehovah. LORD in all capital letters is the King James Bible’s usual way of representing the divine name Jehovah, the self-existent, faithful, covenant-keeping God of His people. David does not praise himself for endurance, wisdom, courage, or restraint. He praises the LORD. Earlier he had prayed, “Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise” (v.1). God was the object of his praise before deliverance, and He remains the object of his praise after deliverance. The righteous man’s testimony must return glory to the God who heard, helped, judged, and saved.
This is important in a psalm full of enemies. A man may become so occupied with what enemies did that his speech becomes enemy-centered. David will not allow that. He has described their sin plainly, but his praise belongs to the LORD. The final word of the righteous mouth is not the wickedness of men, but the glory of God.
“With my mouth.” Here the use of words is explicit. Praise is not left as an inward feeling only. David will praise with his mouth. The same member that enemies used for deceit, lying, hatred, and cursing is used by the righteous for worship. This is one of the great contrasts of Psalm 109. Wicked mouths speak against the innocent; the righteous mouth speaks well of Jehovah.
The mouth matters. God made the mouth for truth, prayer, confession, thanksgiving, instruction, and praise. Sin turns it into a weapon of falsehood, hatred, and destruction. Grace restores it to its proper use. “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15). The fruit of the lips should be praise, not poison.
This phrase also rebukes silent ingratitude. If the mouth has been spared, upheld, corrected, forgiven, and delivered, it should not be idle toward God. It is not enough to think praise privately when God calls for spoken honour. The redeemed of the LORD must say so (Psalm 107:2). David’s mouth had been assaulted by the mouths of others; he now consecrates his own mouth to the LORD.
“Yea.” The word strengthens the resolution. David adds more. He will not only praise privately; he will praise publicly. He will not only praise in secret prayer; he will praise where others can hear. The grace of God deserves both closet gratitude and open confession. “Yea” carries the praise outward.
“I will praise him.” The repetition is deliberate. Praise is named twice in the verse. David’s answer to hatred is praise. His answer to lies is praise. His answer to cursing is praise. His answer to danger is praise. He does not praise men, circumstances, or chance. He praises Him, the LORD who stands at the right hand of the poor to save him from those that condemn his soul (v.31).
This repetition also teaches the perseverance of praise. The righteous should not praise once and stop. God’s works are too many, His mercies too great, His truth too faithful, and His deliverances too precious for brief acknowledgment only. Praise should be repeated, enlarged, and carried forward.
“Among the multitude.” David’s praise becomes public. The multitude had heard accusations, slanders, reproaches, or rumours; now they should hear praise. God’s vindication must not be hidden. Public mercy, public deliverance, and public preservation call for public thanksgiving. The mouth that praises God in private should not be ashamed to praise Him in the assembly of saints.
This does not mean praise is done for display. David is not seeking attention for himself. He praises among the multitude so that God may be honoured before many. There is a righteous public use of testimony. When God has delivered, the congregation should hear of it. “Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16). God’s works should become the church’s praise.
The phrase also corrects cowardice. Enemies may speak boldly in public while saints speak timidly in private. This ought not to be. If wicked men are not ashamed to open their mouths against the righteous, the righteous should not be ashamed to open their mouths for the LORD. Truth and mercy deserve a clearer sound than lies and hatred.
This verse therefore gives a holy pattern for the mouth under persecution. Do not let lying tongues make your tongue sinful. Do not let hateful words fill your mouth with hatred. Do not let cursing enemies turn you into a murmurer. Pray to the God of your praise, wait for His righteous answer, and then praise Him with your mouth among the multitude.
This verse is therefore not a loose devotional application to Christ, but part of the Messianic movement of the psalm. The same psalm that foretells Judas’s office being taken by another also shows the righteous sufferer delivered and praising God among the multitude. Jesus Christ was surrounded by lying tongues, hateful words, false witnesses, mockers, rulers, and the traitor; yet God stood at His right hand, raised Him from the dead, and exalted Him above all. The enemies’ mouths did not have the final word. The risen Christ became the praise of the redeemed multitude, and through Him the congregation praises Jehovah with joyful and thankful mouths.
Psalm 109:30 therefore teaches the sanctified answer to wicked speech, first in the suffering and triumph of Jesus Christ, and then in His members. The mouth of the wicked lies, but the mouth of the righteous praises. The deceitful tongue speaks against the innocent, but the faithful tongue gives glory to Jehovah. Let every saint learn the right use of words from the Messiah Himself. When God has upheld you under reproach, praise Him. When He has answered falsehood, praise Him. When He has saved you from those that condemn your soul, praise Him greatly with your mouth, yea, praise Him among the multitude.