Psalms 109:9-15 Meaning: Can We Pray for Our Enemy's Ruin?
9Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10Let his children be wandering beggars. Let them be sought from their ruins.
11Let the creditor seize all that he has. Let strangers plunder the fruit of his labor.
12Let there be no one to extend kindness to him, neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children.
13Let his posterity be cut off. In the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by Yahweh. Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15Let them be before Yahweh continually, that he may cut off their memory from the earth;
9Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
11Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
12Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
13Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15Let them be before the Lord continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.
9Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow.
10Let his children be vagabonds, and beg; And let them seek their bread out of their desolate places.
11Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; And let strangers make spoil of his labor.
12Let there be none to extend kindness unto him; Neither let there be any to have pity on his fatherless children.
13Let his posterity be cut off; In the generation following let their name be blotted out.
14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with Jehovah; And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
15Let them be before Jehovah continually, That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth;
9His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow.
10And wander continually do his sons, Yea, they have begged, And have sought out of their dry places.
11An exactor layeth a snare for all that he hath, And strangers spoil his labour.
12He hath none to extend kindness, Nor is there one showing favour to his orphans.
13His posterity is for cutting off, In another generation is their name blotted out.
14The iniquity of his fathers Is remembered unto Jehovah, And the sin of his mother is not blotted out.
15They are before Jehovah continually, And He cutteth off from earth their memorial.
9Let his sons be fatherless, and his wife a widow;
10Let his sons be vagabonds and beg, and let them seek [their bread] far from their desolate places;
11Let the usurer cast the net over all that he hath, and let strangers despoil his labour;
12Let there be none to extend kindness unto him, neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children;
13Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out:
14Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with Jehovah, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out;
15Let them be before Jehovah continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth:
Meaning in one sentence
These harsh verses ask God to curse an enemy's family. Learn how Christians across traditions understand this troubling prayer.
Context
The psalmist is in deep trouble. He has been slandered, lied about, and attacked by people he once cared for (v.5). In response, he does something startling: he asks God to bring devastating judgment on his enemy, not only on the man himself but on his children, his wife, his property, his very name. Verses 9 through 15 are the most intense part of that prayer. The psalmist calls for the children to be fatherless, the wife a widow, the family to wander as beggars, and the family name to be erased from memory.
This kind of language shocks us. But the psalm does not stand alone. Later verses explain why: the enemy “remembered not to show mercy” and persecuted the poor (v.16). Worse, this enemy had returned evil for the psalmist's love (v.5). The pain is real. And many Christians have seen a deeper layer here: the apostle Peter applied part of this psalm to Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:20). So what appears as personal vengeance may be a prophetic cry that God's justice will fall on those who betray the innocent.
Key Words
Three Hebrew words give this passage its weight.
Wander (nu‘a). The word means to shake, totter, be unstable. It is the same root used for Cain's curse in Genesis 4:12, “a fugitive and a wanderer.” To wish this on someone's children is to pray that they lose all home and security. The psalmist wants the enemy's line to know the same instability the psalmist himself felt.
Blot out (machah). This verb means to wipe away, like erasing writing from a scroll or a name from a book. In Jewish culture, a family name was everything. To have it “blotted out” was to be forgotten by God and people forever. The prayer is not just for death but for oblivion, no descendants, no memory, no legacy.
Extend kindness (mashach chesed). The phrase literally means “draw out steadfast love.” Chesed is the loyal, covenant love God shows his people. The psalmist says of his enemy: may there be no one who draws out such love to him. In verse 16, we learn why: he himself “remembered not to show mercy.” He refused to extend kindness to the broken. So now he is cut off from it.
Words matter. They help us see that this is not random fury. It is a prayer that evil be repaid with the same measure it gave.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians have read this passage in different ways, all with honest struggle.
Many early and Reformation interpreters, Calvin, Adam Clarke, Matthew Henry, saw it as prophetic of Judas Iscariot and the judgment that fell on the Jewish nation. The curses describe what actually happened: the traitor's office was taken (Acts 1:20), his family ruined, the nation scattered. In this view, the psalmist was not venting personal spite but speaking as a type of Christ.
Other Christians understand it as David's raw lament in a moment of extreme betrayal. They do not pray these words directly, but they learn from them that every honest emotion, even rage, can be brought to God. The prayer is one of trust: “You are the judge. I will not take revenge; I will ask you to act.”
Still others read the imprecations as the cry of the oppressed who have no other voice. The psalm gives them language to call out for justice against those who exploit the poor. In every case, the church has agreed: these words are in Scripture to show us that God hears the deeply wounded, even when their prayers are hard to hear.
A common misunderstanding
“This psalm shows that God wants us to pray curses on our enemies.”
In fact, the New Testament consistently calls us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. This psalm is not a command to imitate but a record of honest prayer. The psalmist trusted God with his anger rather than acting on it. We can do the same: bring our raw feelings to God and then let Him decide what justice looks like.
Living This Out
Maybe someone has hurt you badly, lied about you, turned others against you, taken what was yours. Your first thought might be, “I hope they get what they deserve.” That is human. That is honest. And you can bring that thought straight to God, just as the psalmist did.
But you don't have to stay there. After you pour out your anger, you can trust God to handle the outcome. You don't need to scheme for revenge or rehearse the wrong. You can leave the final word to Him. And in time, you may even find your heart softening, not because the wrong was small, but because God's mercy is bigger than your pain.
This week, when anger rises, try saying it to God first. Let the psalm give you permission to be honest. Then let God's Spirit shift your gaze from the enemy to the One who judges justly.
Main takeaway: You can bring your rawest anger to God and trust Him to judge justly, without taking revenge yourself.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes people hurt us, and we feel very angry inside. In this psalm, someone who was hurt said hard things to God. It's okay to tell God how you really feel. He always listens.
For ages 9, 12
The psalmist was attacked by people he trusted. He felt so angry that he asked God to punish them and even their families. That sounds extreme, because it is. The Bible shows us real human feelings, even the ugly ones. But Jesus taught us a better way, to pray for our enemies and trust God to set things right. This psalm is a prayer of honesty, not a command to follow. You can be honest with God, and then let Him help you let go of the anger.
Questions People Ask
Is Psalm 109:9-15 about Judas Iscariot?
Many early Christians and Reformers saw it as prophetic of Judas, especially since Acts 1:20 applies verse 8 to him. Others see it as David's personal cry. Both views have support in church tradition.
Does God want us to pray curses on our enemies?
No. Jesus teaches us to love our enemies. This psalm is not a command to copy but an example of raw honesty in prayer. It belongs to a specific context of covenant justice and shows we can bring all our feelings to God.
Why does the Bible include such harsh prayers?
The Bible does not hide the full range of human emotion. These psalms give voice to the oppressed who have no other outlet. They model taking anger to God rather than acting on it, and they remind us that God will ultimately judge evil.
How should Christians pray this psalm?
Most Christians don't repeat these exact words. Instead, they learn to bring honest pain to God, to trust Him with justice, and to remember that He hears the cry of the wounded. Some traditions read them as prayers of Christ, identifying with the righteous sufferer.
What does 'Let his children be fatherless' mean in context?
It describes the total collapse of the enemy's household. Widows and orphans were the most vulnerable. The prayer asks that the enemy's injustice be repaid, but it sounds shocking to us because we are called to a higher standard of love.
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