The psalmist responds strongly to those who reject the word of the Lord. He is more than disappointed. He is deeply disturbed. The Hebrew verb translated “disgust” is qut, meaning to abhor or to find repugnant. What grieves him is not simply their behavior, but their settled refusal to obey God’s commands. Spurgeon captures this weight well: “I was sorry to see such sinners, I was sick of them, disgusted with them, I could not endure them. I found no pleasure in them, they were a sad sight to me, however fine their clothing or witty their chattering.” The psalmist’s response includes both grief and righteous anger. They bear God’s image, yet they spurn his word. They refuse the commands that were given for their good. The psalmist feels this tension deeply. Love for God produces sorrow when God is despised. Zeal for his glory makes indifference to sin impossible. This verse reminds us that faithfulness to the Lord orders not only our actions, but also our affections. To love what God loves is also to hate what dishonors him.
