It is clear from the very beginning of Psalms that both God and God's people have enemies. In Psalm 1, they are called “sinners” (Ps 1.1,5) and “the wicked” (Ps 1.6). In Psalm 2, it is “the nations,” “their people,” and “the kings of this earth” who oppose God and God's purposes (Ps 2.1,2). Psalm 3, the first prayer for help in Psalms, begins, “I have a lot of enemies, Lord.” Almost all the prayers for help mention enemies, although other names for them are often used: “hateful people” (Ps 6.8), “violent people” (Ps 7.9), “evil people” (Ps 9.5), “brutal people” (Ps 10.2), “deceitful liars” (Ps 25.3), “attackers” (Ps 35.1), and so on.

It is not always clear exactly who the enemies are or why they oppose God's people. Sometimes, they seem to make false accusations about the psalmist (Ps 7.3-5). At other times, they seem to be neighbors who are trying to take advantage of the psalmist's troubles in any way that they can (Ps 55.12,13). At still other times, the enemies are other nations who oppose God' s people (Ps 44.5; 123.4). By including situations in David's life in the titles of some psalms, the collectors of the psalms suggest a way of understanding some of the enemies. See the mini-article called “David.” Because it is not clear exactly who the enemies are, people today who turn to Psalms for comfort and guidance find it easy to imagine the kinds of people and forces who have set themselves against God, God's purposes, and God's people.

What is clear about the enemies or the wicked is that they are selfish. They pursue happiness not by looking to God, but rather by trying to get what they want. They show no responsibility to God or to other people (Ps 10.3-11). Unfortunately, this suggests that most people are sometimes, if not most of the time, among the wicked.

The psalmists often pray for revenge as they ask God to punish their enemies. Such prayers should also be heard as prayers for justice. For things to be set right for victims, God must oppose oppressors. It is striking to realize that God has enemies. This means that God does not force people to do his will. This in turn explains why the wicked sometimes succeed in opposing God and hurting God's people (Ps 73.3-11). The enemies' ultimate punishment is that they cut themselves off from God (Ps 28.4,5).