Sin grows ever more burdensome without repentance.
“Add iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness.” (Psalm 69:27)
David, who reigned as the second king of Israel from about 1010 to 970 BC, wrote Psalm 69 as a cry to God in the midst of intense adversity. In this verse, he calls for the sins of his persecutors to be compounded, and for these enemies to be withheld from God’s righteousness. This reflects the psalmist’s desire for divine justice against those who disregard God’s ways. Elsewhere in Psalm 69, David’s words point prophetically forward to Jesus the Messiah, who endured great suffering at the hands of His own enemies, yet ultimately overcame evil through sacrificial love and victory over death.
By invoking the phrase, “Add iniquity to their iniquity,” David’s petition underscores that the consequence of sin among the unrepentant can grow exponentially. He pleads that their cruel opposition and betrayal might not be overlooked, but fully recognized and judged. This imprecatory tone, while jarring, highlights David’s deep longing that wickedness would be halted and that God’s justice would be acknowledged. In the larger context of the psalm, David shifts from distress to a firm trust in God’s sovereignty, demonstrating that even strong words of judgment ultimately lead back to reliance on the LORD’s righteous character.
Messianically, believers can see parallels in how Jesus faced opposition (John 15:24-25). Though Jesus did not pray curses upon His persecutors, the righteous judgment of God remains a central truth throughout Scripture. God’s justice, perfectly met in Christ’s redemptive work, ensures that evil will not remain unchecked. This psalm, of which Psalm 69:27 is one verse, thus points both to the seriousness of sin and to the steadfast certainty that the LORD will uphold His righteousness.
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Psalms 69:27 meaning
“Add iniquity to their iniquity, And may they not come into Your righteousness.” (Psalm 69:27)
David, who reigned as the second king of Israel from about 1010 to 970 BC, wrote Psalm 69 as a cry to God in the midst of intense adversity. In this verse, he calls for the sins of his persecutors to be compounded, and for these enemies to be withheld from God’s righteousness. This reflects the psalmist’s desire for divine justice against those who disregard God’s ways. Elsewhere in Psalm 69, David’s words point prophetically forward to Jesus the Messiah, who endured great suffering at the hands of His own enemies, yet ultimately overcame evil through sacrificial love and victory over death.
By invoking the phrase, “Add iniquity to their iniquity,” David’s petition underscores that the consequence of sin among the unrepentant can grow exponentially. He pleads that their cruel opposition and betrayal might not be overlooked, but fully recognized and judged. This imprecatory tone, while jarring, highlights David’s deep longing that wickedness would be halted and that God’s justice would be acknowledged. In the larger context of the psalm, David shifts from distress to a firm trust in God’s sovereignty, demonstrating that even strong words of judgment ultimately lead back to reliance on the LORD’s righteous character.
Messianically, believers can see parallels in how Jesus faced opposition (John 15:24-25). Though Jesus did not pray curses upon His persecutors, the righteous judgment of God remains a central truth throughout Scripture. God’s justice, perfectly met in Christ’s redemptive work, ensures that evil will not remain unchecked. This psalm, of which Psalm 69:27 is one verse, thus points both to the seriousness of sin and to the steadfast certainty that the LORD will uphold His righteousness.