In Psalms, chapter five, verse ten, is part of A morning prayer section near the end of this psalm, where the theme verse speaks concerning their social group or the many sins committed due to their continuous rebellion. However, another chapter in Psalms is similar to the theme verse in chapter thirty-five under A Plea for Judgment section, concerning the fight against them that fight against me, stemming from verses one through thirty-eight. This psalm is imprecatory, meaning that the psalmist prays that God will bring judgment upon the enemies of His people and overthrow the wicked, as in this chapter, Psalms sixty-nine, Psalms one hundred and nine, Psalms one hundred and thirty-seven, Nehemiah six, verse fourteen, chapter thirteen, verse twenty-nine, Jeremiah fifteen, verse fifteen, chapter seventeen, verse eighteen, Galatians five, verse twelve, Second Timothy four, verse fourteen, and Revelation six, verse ten, respectively.
Although believers are instructed to forgive their enemies, as in Luke twenty-three, verse thirty-four, and to pray for their salvation, as in Matthew five, verses thirty-nine, and verse forty-four, a time comes when we must pray for evil to cease and for justice to do for the innocent. We should be vitally concerned for the victims of cruelty, oppression, and evil.
Imprecatory psalms are prayers for deliverance from injustice, crime, and oppression. Believers have the right to pray for God’s protection from evil people. They are appeals made to God to administer justice and send penalties upon the wicked that are commensurate with their crime. If just retribution by God or human government is not in motion, violence, and chaos will reign in society, as in Deuteronomy twenty-five, verses one through three, Romans thirteen, verses three to four, and First Peter two, verses thirteen to fourteen. In these prayers, the psalmist does not take vengeance into his own hands but commits them to God.