Pete Hegseth quotes imprecatory psalms during Pentagon prayer service: 'Pour out your wrath'

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth quoted from the imprecatory psalms and invoked divine wrath against the enemies of the United States on Wednesday during introductory remarks he made at the first monthly prayer service at the Pentagon since the outbreak of the war in Iran.

"Every month it is fitting to be right here," he told those gathered at the service, which was live-streamed and included uniformed military personnel. "All the more fitting this month, at this moment, given what tens of thousands of Americans are doing right now."

Reading from a prayer he said was given by a military chaplain to the U.S. Navy task force that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, Hegseth read from Psalm 18, which David composed after he was delivered from the hand of Saul.

"I pursued my enemies and overtook them, and did not turn back till they were consumed. I thrust them through, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet," the psalm reads in part.

Pete Hegseth, at today's Christian Prayer & Worship Service at the Pentagon, prays for Almighty God to "pour out your wrath" and "break the teeth of the ungodly." He begs the Almighty to sanction "overwhelming violence" against "those who deserve no mercy" pic.twitter.com/eJyDeTANot

— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) March 25, 2026

Hegseth went on to read from the chaplain's prayer used ahead of the Maduro operation, which was prayed in the name of Jesus Christ and likewise peppered with quotes from the imprecatory psalms.

"Almighty God, who trains our hands for war and our fingers for battle, you who stirred the nations from the north against Babylon of old, making her land a desolation where none dwell: behold now the wicked, who rise against your justice and the peace of the righteous," he prayed.

"Snap the rod of the oppressor, frustrate the wicked plans of the ungodly. By the blast of your anger, let the evil perish. Let their bulls go down to slaughter, for their day has come; the time of their punishment. Pour out your wrath upon those who plot vain things and blow them away like chaff before the wind."

The prayer went on to invoke divine aid in letting "every round find its mark against the enemies of righteousness and our great nation."

"Give them wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy," he continued. "Preserve their lives, sharpen their resolve and let justice be executed swiftly and without remorse, that evil may be driven back and wicked souls delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them."

Hegseth's remarks drew backlash from users on X, some of whom likened his apparent worldview to the Islamic fundamentalism of the Iranian regime. The scrutiny comes amid concerns regarding what role religion and especially eschatology are playing in the conflict, which has extended for nearly a month.

During an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes Overtime" earlier this month, Hegseth acknowledged there is a religious element to the war, but singled out Shiite Islamic eschatology as the culprit.

"Obviously, we're fighting religious fanatics who seek a nuclear capability in order for some religious Armageddon," Hegseth said in response to a question regarding whether he views the war in a "religious context."

"But from my perspective, obviously, I'm a man of faith who encourages our troops to lean into their faith, rely on God. There's no atheists in foxholes. Your mortality is right in front of you."

"I remember prayer, for me, on combat missions, how important that was. That's why we're making the chaplain corps great again and active again, making sure we're pouring into the faith of our troops," added Hegseth, who in 2018 expressed optimism that a third Jewish temple would be built in Jerusalem.

Pete Hegseth admits the war against Iran has religious meaning for him, according to his version of Christianity.

Hegseth says it’s important to give U.S. soldiers faith before they go to war.

“They need a connection with their almighty God.” pic.twitter.com/u45lnwhytm

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) March 9, 2026

Earlier this month, the nonprofit Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), led by Mikey Weinstein, claimed that hundreds of service members have sent him religious freedom complaints since the war began, including some alleging that they are being told there is a Christian eschatological element to the conflict.

One complaint reportedly alleged that an unnamed commander told non-commissioned officers during a March 2 briefing that Trump was "anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth." The Pentagon did not respond to The Christian Post's request for comment on the allegations at the time.

Earlier this week, Hegseth's pastor, Brooks Potteiger, who delivered a message at the first Pentagon prayer service under Hegseth last year, prompted backlash for agreeing with a Christian podcast host who claimed imprecatory psalms were appropriate to use against political foes such as Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico.

Amid pushback, including allegations from Talarico and some media outlets that he was calling for Talarico to be killed, Potteiger denied wanting to see Talarico die and said the ultimate desire of a Christian using imprecatory psalms against someone is to see their conversion and repentance.