The Meaning of Psalms 109:4 Explained

Psalms 109:4

KJV: For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.

YLT: For my love they oppose me, and I -- prayer!

Darby: For my love they are mine adversaries; but I give myself unto prayer.

ASV: For my love they are my adversaries: But I give myself unto prayer.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For my love  they are my adversaries:  but I [give myself unto] prayer. 

What does Psalms 109:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 109:1-16 - The Persecutor Of The Needy
This psalm is like a patch of the Sahara amid a smiling Eden. But, terrible as the words are, remember that they were written by the man who, on two occasions, spared the life of his persecutor, and who, when the field of Gilboa was wet with Saul's life-blood, sang the loveliest of elegiacs to his memory. These maledictions do not express personal vindictiveness. Probably they should be read as depicting the doom of the wrong-doer. The Apostle, quoting this psalm, expressly says that the Spirit of Inspiration spoke before by the mouth of David, Acts 1:16. The imperative let might better be translated by the future shall. This would be in perfect conformity with Hebrew usage.
Notice in Psalms 109:4 that by omitting the three words in italics, a beautiful suggestion is made of the life of prayer: But I-prayer. The only response of the psalmist to the hatred of his enemies was to give himself more absolutely to prayer. His whole being was consumed in the one intense appeal to God. Such times come to us all. Such prayers always end in praise and thanksgiving, Psalms 109:30. Happy are we who also can count on the Advocate with the Father, Psalms 109:31. Jesus prays our prayers with us. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 109

1  David complains of his slanderous enemies
16  He shows their sin
21  Complaining of his own misery, he prays for help
29  He promises thankfulness

What do the individual words in Psalms 109:4 mean?

In return for my love they are my accusers but I [give myself] [to] prayer
תַּֽחַת־ אַהֲבָתִ֥י יִשְׂטְנ֗וּנִי וַאֲנִ֥י תְפִלָּֽה

תַּֽחַת־  In  return  for 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
אַהֲבָתִ֥י  my  love 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אַהֲבָה 
Sense: love.
יִשְׂטְנ֗וּנִי  they  are  my  accusers 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, first person common singular
Root: שָׂטַן  
Sense: (Qal) to be or act as an adversary, resist, oppose.
וַאֲנִ֥י  but  I  [give  myself] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אֲנִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
תְפִלָּֽה  [to]  prayer 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּפִלָּה  
Sense: prayer.