Psalms—notably Psm 7, 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 79, 83, 109, 137 and 139—that contain extremely harsh judgment on the enemies (e.g., "Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!"). The term 'imprecation' means 'curses.' The judgment is most intense in Psm 35, 69, and 109.
The term 'imprecatory' may be too strong an adjective to apply to such psalms, and not altogether accurate. It is, however, a term that has gained common utility.
The more difficult question, especially for Christians who take to heart Jesus' teaching to "love your enemy," is how to interpret them and what to do with them.
An article on the subject is planned for Alberith.
Media Resources:
Bruce K. Waltke, "Lecture 13, Imprecatory Psalms," Biblical eLearning.
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Andrew Saville, "The Imprecatory Psalms." Talk given at the Preaching the Psalms Conference. Proclamation Trust.
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Print Resources:
Jace R. Broadhurst, "Should Curses Continue? An Argument for Imprecatory Psalms in Biblical Theology," Africa Journal of Evangelical Theology 23.1 (2004): 61-89.
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Stephen P. Dray, "The Imprecatory language of the Bible," Evangel 1:4 (1983): 18.
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Jamie A. Grant, "Crisis, Cursing and the Christian: Reading Imprecatory Psalms in the Twenty-First Century," Foundations 74 (Spring 2018): 4-13.
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Roderick A. Hawkins, "The Imprecatory Psalms," Calvary Baptist Theological Journal 8.1 (Spring 1992): 39-56.
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J. Carl Laney, "A Fresh Look at the Imprecatory Psalms," Bibliotheca Sacra 138 (1981): 35-45.
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Alex Luc, "Interpreting The Curses in the Psalms," Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 42:3 (1999): 395-410.
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Daniel Simango and Paul Krüger, "An Overview of the Study of Imprecatory Psalms: Reformed and Evangelical Approaches to the Interpretation of Imprecatory Psalms," Old Testament Essays 29/2 (2016): 581-600.
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John Shepherd, "The Place of the Imprecatory Psalms in the Canon of Scripture, Part 1," Churchman 111.1 (Spring 1997): 27-47.
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John Shepherd, "The Place of the Imprecatory Psalms in the Canon of Scripture, Part 2," Churchman 111.2 (Summer 1997): 110-126.
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Jamie Grant, "Crisis, Cursing and the Christian: Reading imprecatory Psalms in the Twenty-First Century," Foundations 74 (May 2018): 4-13.
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Angel M. Rodriguez, "Those Troublesome Psalms," Perspective Digest 1.1 (1996);1-12.
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Johannes G. Vos, "The Ethical Problem of the Imprecating Psalms," Westminster Theological Journal 4.2 (1992):123-38.
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