Psalms 109:6
Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
Original Language Analysis
הַפְקֵ֣ד
Set
H6485
הַפְקֵ֣ד
Set
Strong's:
H6485
Word #:
1 of 7
to visit (with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc
עָלָ֣יו
H5921
עָלָ֣יו
Strong's:
H5921
Word #:
2 of 7
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
רָשָׁ֑ע
thou a wicked man
H7563
רָשָׁ֑ע
thou a wicked man
Strong's:
H7563
Word #:
3 of 7
morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person
וְ֝שָׂטָ֗ן
over him and let Satan
H7854
וְ֝שָׂטָ֗ן
over him and let Satan
Strong's:
H7854
Word #:
4 of 7
an opponent; especially (with the article prefixed) satan, the arch-enemy of good
יַעֲמֹ֥ד
stand
H5975
יַעֲמֹ֥ד
stand
Strong's:
H5975
Word #:
5 of 7
to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)
Cross References
Zechariah 3:1And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.Matthew 5:25Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.Matthew 27:4Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.John 13:2And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;
Historical Context
In ancient Israelite jurisprudence, the accuser stood at the defendant's right hand in court. David prays his enemy faces trial without defense—experiencing the very judicial isolation he imposed on David through false testimony.
Questions for Reflection
- How does the principle of measure-for-measure justice (evil returned to its source) reflect God's righteousness?
- What does it mean that those who serve Satan's purposes may ultimately face Satan's own condemnation?
- How do we pray for justice without usurping God's role as judge, following David's model of appeal to divine tribunal?
Analysis & Commentary
Set thou a wicked man over him (הַפְקֵד עָלָיו רָשָׁע, hafked alav rasha)—the verb פָּקַד (paqad) means "appoint, set in authority." David prays for poetic justice: let the wicked experience wickedness. And let Satan stand at his right hand (וְשָׂטָן יַעֲמֹד עַל־יְמִינוֹ, vesatan ya'amod al-yemino)—this is the only use of שָׂטָן (satan) in the Psalms, meaning "adversary" or "accuser." The right hand is the position of power and advocacy (Ps 16:8; 110:5); David prays the accuser stands there instead of a defender.
Scholars debate whether שָׂטָן is the proper name (Satan) or merely "an adversary." Zechariah 3:1 shows Satan standing at the right hand to accuse Joshua the high priest—identical imagery. Either way, David prays his enemy faces the accusation he inflicted on the innocent. Peter's application to Judas (Acts 1:20, citing v. 8) confirms messianic overtones. Judas had Satan enter him (John 13:27); he became Satan's instrument and thus warranted Satan's own judgment.