“Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, ‘Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!’ O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock!” (Psalm 137:7-9)

For those unfamiliar with the term “imprecatory,” that word describes sections where the wicked are cursed in the psalms (“imprecation” meaning a curse against someone). Here are a few examples.

Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue. Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of the abundance of their transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you. -Ps. 5:8-10

How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever?  Will your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name! -Ps. 79:5-6

Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites the day of Jerusalem, how they said, ‘Lay it bare, lay it bare, down to its foundations!’ O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed, blessed shall he be who repays you with what you have done to us! Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock! -Psalm 137:7-9

Are Christians to pray such prayers? Citing Jesus’ words to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” found in Matthew 5:44, many do not think so.

In War Psalms of the Prince of Prince, a book about the imprecatory psalms, author James Adams warns about what he calls “evangelical plastic surgeons.” According to Adams, these surgeons are ministers and churches that are afraid to pray for judgment against the enemies of God, and especially to use such prayers like these that are expressed in the psalms. Adams cites several references of evangelical authors who have what should be considered less than orthodox views regarding such prayers.

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