Why would God allow blindness as a punishment in Psalm 69:23? Canonical Setting of Psalm 69:23 Psalm 69 is an inspired lament and imprecation of David. Verse 23 reads: “May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever” . The request for blindness appears in a legal-covenantal framework: David invokes the covenant curses specified in the Torah (cf. Deuteronomy 28:28–29, 65). Because Yahweh bound Israel to Himself by oath, covenant violations merited judicial penalties—including physical and spiritual blindness. Imprecatory Language and Divine Justice Imprecatory prayers are not personal vendettas but appeals to God’s throne of justice (Psalm 9:7–9; 94:1–3). They entrust vengeance to God (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19) and anticipate His final adjudication. David’s plea for blindness rhetorically places the offenders under the lawful judgment they earned by opposing God’s anointed king (cf. 2 Samuel 7:12–16; Psalm 2:2). In biblical thought, rebellion against the divinely appointed ruler equals rebellion against God Himself (1 Samuel 24:6; Acts 4:25–27). Covenant Curses: Blindness as a Legal Sanction 1. Torah background: “The LORD will strike you with madness, blindness, and confusion of mind” (Deuteronomy 28:28). 2. Judicial symbolism: A judge who accepts bribes “blinds the eyes” of the wise (Deuteronomy 16:19). 3. Fulfillment motifs: Isaiah’s court scene (Isaiah 6:9–10) pronounces judicial hardening—cited in John 12:38–40 and Acts 28:26–27—as a direct echo of covenant curse language. Thus, when David calls for darkened eyes, he is invoking God’s own covenant stipulations, not inventing a novel penalty. Physical Versus Spiritual Blindness Scripture intertwines literal and figurative blindness. • Literal instances: Angels strike the Sodomites blind (Genesis 19:11); Elisha petitions God to blind the Aramean army (2 Kings 6:18). • Spiritual dimension: “Their minds were blinded” (2 Corinthians 3:14); “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4). In Psalm 69:23 both senses interlock. The petition targets physical function (eyes) to signify interior hardening. God sometimes permits the physical sign to externalize the inward condition (Ezekiel 12:2). The Hardening Paradigm Hardening emerges when persistent rejection of light leads God to withdraw further illumination (Exodus 10:1; Romans 1:24–28). David’s enemies had witnessed repeated evidence of Yahweh’s favor upon the king yet chose hostility; the imprecation codifies the judicial hardening already underway. Christological Fulfillment The New Testament cites Psalm 69 six times (e.g., John 2:17; 15:25; Romans 11:9–10). Paul directly applies verses 22–23—including the blindness clause—to Israel’s unbelieving majority (Romans 11:7–10). The apostle reads the imprecation as prophetic precedent for the partial hardening that opened salvation to the Gentiles (Romans 11:25). God’s temporary withholding of sight thus furthers redemptive-historical goals culminating in the resurrection of Christ. Didactic Value: Warning and Mercy Judicial blindness serves pedagogically: 1. Warning: It exposes sin’s self-destructive trajectory (Proverbs 4:19). 2. Mercy: Awareness of blindness can provoke repentance (Acts 9:8–18; Revelation 3:17–18). Even imprecations invite self-examination in readers lest they imitate the obstinate (Hebrews 3:12–13). Archaeological and Historical Corroboration Lachish Letters (c. 588 BC) record prophetic language eerily similar to Jeremiah’s denunciations, illustrating covenant curse consciousness in Judah’s final days. The Ketef Hinnom silver amulets (7th century BC) preserve the priestly blessing, attesting to widespread covenant awareness that made blindness curses intelligible to original hearers. Miraculous Counter-Point Scripture balances punitive blindness with miraculous restorations—Jesus healing the man born blind (John 9:1–7) and Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46–52). These signs confirm Christ’s messianic identity (Isaiah 35:5) and showcase God’s willingness to reverse judgment when met with faith. Pastoral and Evangelistic Application 1. Expose the peril of habitual unbelief. 2. Proclaim Christ as the Light whose grace penetrates darkness (John 8:12). 3. Invite self-assessment: “Are we resisting revealed light?” 4. Offer hope: “If anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is removed” (2 Corinthians 3:16). Conclusion God allows (and at times imposes) blindness as a covenantally-grounded, justice-saturated response to obstinate unbelief. In Psalm 69:23, the penalty is both punitive and pedagogical, harmonizing divine holiness with redemptive purpose. Ultimately, the One who judges blindness also offers sight through the crucified and risen Christ, fulfilling the Psalm and opening the eyes of all who believe. |
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