Psalms 109:9-15 · Bible study
Psalms 109:9-15 Commentary: Imprecations of Divine Justice
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Exegetical study of Psalms 109:9, 15, the most severe imprecatory passage in Scripture, examining its meaning, context, and proper use for faith.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A plea for God's retributive justice to fall on a treacherous enemy, extending to his family and legacy.
- Key words: fatherless, widow, wander, creditor, plunder, mercy, posterity, cut off, name blotted out, remember iniquity.
- Main debate: Whether these curses are literal imprecations, hyperbolic lament, or prophetic types pointing to Judas/Jerusalem's fall.
- Theological theme: God's justice as both terrifying assurance for the oppressed and a call to self-examination.
- Best use: As a safe place in Scripture for victims of gross injustice to voice their grief and trust God for vindication.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
9May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
10May his children wander as beggars, seeking sustenance far from their ruined homes.
11May the creditor seize all he owns, and strangers plunder the fruits of his labor.
12May there be no one to extend kindness to him, and no one to favor his fatherless children.
13May his descendants be cut off; may their name be blotted out from the next generation.
14May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the LORD, and the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15May their sins always remain before the LORD, that He may cut off their memory from the earth.
WEB World English Bible 2000
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;
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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;
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
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.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
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:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Psalms 109:9
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The commentaries agree that Psalm 109:9, 15 is a series of severe imprecations against a specific enemy. Calvin reads the entire psalm as the voice of Christ against his betrayers, noting that Peter applied v.8 to Judas (Acts 1:20). Barnes observes that the curses describe what naturally follows when a guilty man is executed, his children become fatherless, but acknowledges the difficulty of the curses against the family. Gill interprets these verses as foreshadowing the judgment on the Jewish nation. All treat the passage as a cry for divine justice, not a personal vendetta. The violence of the language reflects the intensity of the betrayal (v.5) and the psalmist's conviction that God alone can set things right. While traditions differ on how to apply these words today, they share the conviction that the psalmist spoke under inspiration, expressing the full weight of suffering and trust in God's righteous judgment.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Prophetic type of Judas: Peter's use in Acts 1:20; Calvin; Matthew Henry
- Covenantal lament: The psalmist is praying in the idiom of covenant curses (Deut 28) for God to vindicate the oppressed
- Hyperbolic poetry: The language is extreme and may not be intended as literal wishes but as expression of distress
What is clear: The psalm reveals that God takes oppression seriously and that the innocent sufferer can cry out to God for ultimate justice.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Application for Christian prayer | Christians agree that the psalm is in the Bible and expresses a real dimension of justice. | Some see it as a model for lament and imprecation, while others caution that under the New Covenant we are to pray for enemies, not curse them. |
| Relation to Judas Iscariot | Christians agree that v.8 is quoted in Acts 1:20 about Judas. | Some argue that the whole psalm is directly about Judas, while others see it as originally referring to David's enemy and secondarily applied to Judas. |
| Literalness of the curses | All agree the language is severe and poetic. | Some interpret the curses as literal wishes for harm, others as hyperbolic expressions of pain for rhetorical effect. |
| Ethical justifiability | Christians agree that God is a just judge who punishes sin. | Whether it is permissible to pray in these exact terms, or whether such prayers are only appropriate for an inspired psalmist under the Old Covenant. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The imprecatory psalms, of which this is the strongest, grow out of the Old Testament's covenantal framework. Deuteronomy 28 sets out blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience, including loss of children, exile, and name blotted out. The psalmist is essentially praying that the covenant curses fall on his enemy. The singular 'him' (v.6) suggests a ringleader, perhaps the same 'adversary' (v.6). In ancient Israel, justice was often communal; a leader's sin brought consequences on his household (see Achan in Joshua 7). The petition that the enemy's children become fatherless and his wife a widow (v.9) echoes the covenant threat of Exodus 22:24. The creditor (nâshâh) and strangers plundering reflect economic ruin. The request that 'the iniquity of his fathers be remembered' (v.14) alludes to the Decalogue's statement that God visits iniquity to the third and fourth generation (Exodus 20:5). The cultural context includes the strong emphasis on family continuity and a 'name' (shem) that could be blotted out. This was the worst possible fate: to have no one to carry on one's memory or inherit the land. So the curses are tailored to what the enemy valued most, power and legacy. The psalmist's own poverty (v.22) contrasts with the enemy's wealth, making the prayer for reversal a plea for the world to be set right.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources, including the critical commentaries of Keil & Delitzsch and the Cambridge Bible, note no significant textual variants in these verses. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts.
Reception History
Ancient Jewish tradition and early Christians saw these curses as fulfilled in the fate of Israel's enemies and specifically Judas (Acts 1:20). Calvin read them as the voice of Christ against his betrayers. Reformers like Matthew Henry argued that David was not speaking from personal malice but as a prophet foreseeing judgment. In modern times, these verses challenge readers to reconcile the ethic of love with the reality of divine retribution. Orthodox and Catholic traditions have often read them typologically, as pointing to the final judgment on the enemies of God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Cry for Justice: The psalmist asks God to bring the consequences of sin upon the enemy, starting with the loss of protector and provision.
- The Extent of Judgment: The curse extends beyond the individual to his children, property, and reputation, echoing the covenant curses of Deuteronomy.
- The Ground of the Curse: Verse 16 explains, because he showed no mercy, he receives no mercy.
Five-point outline
- Destabilised family (v.9): Without father or husband.
- Destitute children (v.10): Wandering and begging.
- Plundered possessions (v.11): Creditor and strangers take all.
- Withdrawn compassion (v.12): No pity from anyone.
- Erased posterity (v.13-15): Name and memory cut off.
Illustration hooks
- A community watches a corrupt official avoid prosecution, only to see his business collapse and his family scattered, not due to formal punishment but as the natural collapse of a life built on exploitation.
- Someone deeply hurt by betrayal wrestles with whether they can pray 'let justice be done' without crossing into hatred. The psalm gives language for that raw honesty.
- In a church where a leader has caused great harm, the congregation prays for God to bring truth to light, while also caring for the leader’s family caught in the fallout.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God want me to pray like this about someone who has hurt me?
- Is this psalm disqualified by Jesus’ command to love enemies, or can it still shape our prayer?
- What does it mean that the apostles used this psalm about Judas (Acts 1:20)? Does that give us permission to pray it today?
Leading a Discussion
These verses are among the hardest in Scripture. They demand that we sit with the tension between the psalmist's raw cry for justice and Jesus' call to bless persecutors. This discussion is not about endorsing every word, but about understanding the human experience of betrayal and the longing for God to set things right.
Discussion questions
- What does the psalmist ask for? List the curses in your own words.
- What do these curses tell you about what the psalmist valued most in life?
- How does the psalmist's description of his enemy in verses 16-18 explain why he prays this way?
- In what ways does the New Testament use this psalm (Acts 1:20)? Does that change how we read it?
- How do you distinguish between praying for God's justice and harboring personal revenge?
- How can someone who has been deeply wronged express their pain honestly without sinning?
- What hope does the second half of the psalm (v.21-31) offer that can shape our prayer?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 22:24 | and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. |
| Jeremiah 18:21 | Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and give them over to the power of the sword. Let their wives become childless and widows. Let their men be killed and their young men struck by the sword in battle. |
| Lamentations 5:3 | We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are as widows. |
| Genesis 4:12 | From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.” |
| Genesis 4:14 | Behold, you have driven me out today from the surface of the ground. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. Whoever finds me will kill me.” |
| II Samuel 3:29 | Let it fall on the head of Joab and on all his father’s house. Let there not fail from the house of Joab one who has a discharge, or who is a leper, or who leans on a staff, or who falls by the sword, or who lacks bread.” |
| II Kings 5:27 | Therefore the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever.” He went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow. |
| Job 24:8 | They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for lack of a shelter. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke argues that the curses in this psalm found literal fulfillment in the Jewish people after Jerusalem's fall. He points particularly to the complete loss of tribal identity, with the tribe of Judah surviving only in the person of Jesus the Messiah.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a careful distinction in this psalm: the first part reflects the necessary consequences of justice when a criminal is executed, but the later curses go beyond that into personal revenge. He proposes that such harsh words are not divinely approved but are a faithful record of a genuinely pious yet imperfect man's wrong feelings.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin insists this psalm is not merely about David but prophetically about Christ and His enemies, with the curses pointing to the judgment that fell on the Jewish nation for rejecting Him. David's personal grievances become a pattern for how the faithful, as members of Christ, cry out to God for justice.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes how the psalmist, overwhelmed by the enormity of the enemies' ingratitude, abruptly shifts into a passionate prayer for retribution. The change from plural to singular language likely singles out the chief offender, the real leader bearing the guilt for the gang's actions.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes take these imprecatory verses as a vivid picture of complete divine justice. The curses strip the wicked man of every human support, his children left homeless and his family erased from memory. The absence of mercy underscores the severity of God's judgment against persistent sin.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads these curses as literal prophecies fulfilled in Judas and the Jewish nation. He argues that the Romans' destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jews exactly matched the details: children left fatherless, forced begging, property seized, and the name blotted out. He contrasts this with God's mercy toward believers.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB reads these verses as a prayer for total ruin, naming both the sinner's own destruction and the added weight of his parents' guilt being remembered against him. The request for the failure of his posterity reflects the ancient Jewish view that a man's reward and legacy lived on through his children.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch read the accuser in this passage not as a human enemy but as a superhuman satanic figure who stands
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads these harsh curses not as David's personal revenge but as a devout, prophetic imprecation against Christ's enemies, especially Judas. He stresses that David speaks from holy zeal for God, singling out a ringleader whose deliberate betrayal made his sin greater than Pilate's.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley explains that the "desolate places" are where people flee out of fear and shame. He reads "catch" as an act of ensnaring by cunning rather than open oppression. The "stranger" refers to someone who has no rightful claim to the goods,