It is a curious feature of the experience of human living, that the public accusation of the sins or crimes which we have committed is easier to bear, emotionally and spiritually, than the false accusations concerning crimes of which we are innocent. When an evil act or sin is committed, there is at least justice in the accusation; there is a path of restoration and repentance possible. But the false accusation is harder to bear, partly because it brings with it the experience of injustice, and partly because there may seem to be no escape from its consequences. We cannot repent of something we have not done, nor can we make restoration, and it is in the nature of false accusers that they do not easily depart and leave us in peace. The genuine anxiety evoked by false accusations, whether of a subtle and personal nature or an open and legal nature, is partly legitimate and partly illegitimate. It is legitimate in the sense that false accusations can do real damage, whether to reputation, family, or means of livelihood. But it may be an illegitimate anxiety if it is tied too intimately to pride, for such anxiety assumes that the opinion of other persons is of more significance than the opinion of God. Yet it is in the nature of false accusation, that whereas it may deceive and convince our fellow human beings, it cannot deceive God. False accusation never undermines a person’s standing in the sight of God, though it may provide a testing ground for the accused’s strength of character.

The psalmist begins his prayer in just such a state of anxiety, precipitated by the false charges laid against him; the anxiety is real, and for the most part legitimate, for the accusations create genuine danger. As the psalmist begins his prayer, things have understandably grown out of proportion; the false accusers appear to have gained the upper hand and turning to God is a last and desperate resort. It is only at the end of the prayer that balance is restored, and the balance involves a proper appreciation of God’s righteousness and the nature of evil. It is the judgment of God that matters more than the machinations of wicked persons; and it is better to stand in integrity before God who is a righteous Judge, than to share the slippery foothold with sinners on the edge of the pit they have dug for themselves. . . . It is better to maintain integrity and continue to suffer injustice, than to sell out to evil and form ranks with the unrighteous.

PETER C. CRAIGIE AND MARVIN TATE, PSALMS 1-50, VOLUME 19: SECOND EDITION (WORD BIBLICAL COMMENTARY), 103.