Psalms 109:9
Psalms 109:9 in Multiple Translations
May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Let his children be fatherless, And his wife a widow.
Let his children have no father, and his wife be made a widow.
May his children be left fatherless, and his wife become a widow.
Let his children be fatherlesse, and his wife a widowe.
His sons are fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Cause that his children will not have a father any more and that his wife will become a widow.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 109:9
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 109:9 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
יִֽהְיוּ
בָנָ֥י/ו
יְתוֹמִ֑ים
וְ֝/אִשְׁתּ/וֹ
אַלְמָנָֽה
יִֽהְיוּ
hâyâh
H1961
to be
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
בָנָ֥י/ו
bên
H1121
son
N-mp | Suff
יְתוֹמִ֑ים
yâthôwm
H3490
orphan
N-mp
וְ֝/אִשְׁתּ/וֹ
ʼishshâh
H802
woman
Conj | N-fs | Suff
אַלְמָנָֽה
ʼalmânâh
H490
widow
N-fs
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 109:9
יִֽהְיוּ
hâyâh
H1961
"to be"
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
The Hebrew word for to be means to exist or come into being. It is used to describe something that happens or comes to pass, like in Genesis where God creates the world.
Definition: 1) to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out 1a) (Qal) 1a1) --- 1a1a) to happen, fall out, occur, take place, come about, come to pass 1a1b) to come about, come to pass 1a2) to come into being, become 1a2a) to arise, appear, come 1a2b) to become 1a2b1) to become 1a2b2) to become like 1a2b3) to be instituted, be established 1a3) to be 1a3a) to exist, be in existence 1a3b) to abide, remain, continue (with word of place or time) 1a3c) to stand, lie, be in, be at, be situated (with word of locality) 1a3d) to accompany, be with 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to occur, come to pass, be done, be brought about 1b2) to be done, be finished, be gone
Usage: Occurs in 3131 OT verses. KJV: beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use. See also: Genesis 1:2; Genesis 17:4; Genesis 36:11.
בָנָ֥י/ו
bên
H1121
"son"
N-mp | Suff
In the Bible, this word means a son or descendant, and can also refer to a grandson, nation, or quality. It appears in 1 Chronicles 24, describing a Levite named Beno. The word is used to show family relationships and inheritance.
Definition: : child/son
Usage: Occurs in 3653 OT verses. KJV: [phrase] afflicted, age, (Ahoh-) (Ammon-) (Hachmon-) (Lev-) ite, (anoint-) ed one, appointed to, ([phrase]) arrow, (Assyr-) (Babylon-) (Egypt-) (Grec-) ian, one born, bough, branch, breed, [phrase] (young) bullock, [phrase] (young) calf, [idiom] came up in, child, colt, [idiom] common, [idiom] corn, daughter, [idiom] of first, [phrase] firstborn, foal, [phrase] very fruitful, [phrase] postage, [idiom] in, [phrase] kid, [phrase] lamb, ([phrase]) man, meet, [phrase] mighty, [phrase] nephew, old, ([phrase]) people, [phrase] rebel, [phrase] robber, [idiom] servant born, [idiom] soldier, son, [phrase] spark, [phrase] steward, [phrase] stranger, [idiom] surely, them of, [phrase] tumultuous one, [phrase] valiant(-est), whelp, worthy, young (one), youth. See also: Genesis 3:16; Genesis 23:3; Genesis 34:18.
יְתוֹמִ֑ים
yâthôwm
H3490
"orphan"
N-mp
This Hebrew word refers to an orphan or a child without a father, like in Exodus where God commands the Israelites to care for the fatherless.
Definition: an orphan, fatherless
Usage: Occurs in 42 OT verses. KJV: fatherless (child), orphan. See also: Exodus 22:21; Psalms 10:18; Psalms 10:14.
וְ֝/אִשְׁתּ/וֹ
ʼishshâh
H802
"woman"
Conj | N-fs | Suff
The Hebrew word for woman, used to describe a female person, wife, or animal, appears in many biblical passages, including Genesis and Exodus, and is often translated as woman, wife, or female.
Definition: : woman 1) woman, wife, female 1a) woman (opposite of man) 1b) wife (woman married to a man) 1c) female (of animals) 1d) each, every (pronoun)
Usage: Occurs in 686 OT verses. KJV: (adulter) ess, each, every, female, [idiom] many, [phrase] none, one, [phrase] together, wife, woman. Often unexpressed in English. See also: Genesis 2:22; Genesis 34:4; Numbers 5:12.
אַלְמָנָֽה
ʼalmânâh
H490
"widow"
N-fs
A widow is a woman whose husband has died, often left alone and vulnerable. The Bible teaches care and compassion for widows, as seen in the stories of Ruth and Naomi. God commands his people to look out for them.
Definition: widow
Usage: Occurs in 54 OT verses. KJV: desolate house (palace), widow. See also: Genesis 38:11; Job 29:13; Psalms 68:6.
Study Notes — Psalms 109:9
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 109:9 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 109:9
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 109:9
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 109:9
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 109:9
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 109:9
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 109:9
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 109:9
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 109:9
Context — The Song of the Slandered
7When he is tried, let him be found guilty, and may his prayer be regarded as sin.
8May his days be few; may another take his position.
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.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 22:24 | My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless. |
| 2 | Jeremiah 18:21 | Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle. |
| 3 | Lamentations 5:3 | We have become fatherless orphans; our mothers are widows. |
Psalms 109:9 Summary
This verse is a prayer for God's justice to be upheld, not a personal desire for revenge. The Psalmist is calling upon God to bring punishment to those who have wronged him, as a way of upholding God's righteousness, as seen in Deuteronomy 28:32. This teaches us to trust in God's sovereignty, even when things seem unfair, and to express our emotions honestly before Him, as encouraged in Psalm 62:8. By doing so, we can find peace and comfort in God's presence, just like the Psalmist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Psalmist pray for the punishment of his enemies' families?
The Psalmist is not expressing a personal desire for revenge, but rather calling upon God to bring justice to those who have wronged him, as seen in Psalms 109:7 and Deuteronomy 28:32. This is a cry for God's righteousness to be upheld.
Is it right to pray for someone's children to be fatherless and their wife to be a widow?
In this context, the Psalmist is not praying out of malice, but rather out of a desire for God's justice to be served, as described in Proverbs 11:21. This is not a model for our personal prayers, but rather a expression of the Psalmist's trust in God's sovereignty.
How does this verse relate to Jesus' teachings on love and forgiveness?
While Jesus teaches us to love our enemies and forgive those who wrong us, as seen in Matthew 5:44 and Luke 6:27, the Psalmist is expressing a desire for God's justice to be upheld, not taking personal revenge. This highlights the complexity of human emotions and the need for God's guidance in our lives.
What can we learn from the Psalmist's emotional honesty?
The Psalmist's willingness to express his emotions honestly before God, as seen in Psalms 109:7-11, teaches us the importance of being transparent with God, even when our feelings are difficult or complex, as encouraged in Psalm 62:8.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways I can trust God's sovereignty in difficult situations, even when I don't understand what's happening?
- How can I balance my desire for justice with the need to forgive those who have wronged me?
- In what ways can I express my emotions honestly before God, without fearing judgment or rejection?
- What are some ways I can show love and compassion to those who are suffering, even if they have wronged me in the past?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 109:9
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. This sometimes is the case of good men, who leave widows and fatherless children, whom the Lord shows mercy to; being the Father of the
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 109:9
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. There is a regular progression.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 109:9
Fatherless; whilst they are but children, and so unable to provide for themselves. A widow; either made a widow by his death; or constantly a widow; all persons abhorring her who was related to so vile a miscreant.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 109:9
Psalms 109:9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.Ver. 9. Let his children be fatherless] Helpless and shiftless. A sore vexation to many on their death beds, and just enough on graceless persecutors. But happy are they who, when they lie a dying, can say, as Luther did, Domine Deus gratias ago tibi quod volueris me esse pauperem, &c., Lord God, I thank thee for my present poverty, but future hopes. I have not any houses, lands, possessions, money, to leave behind me. Thou hast given me life and children, behold, I return them back to thee, and beseech thee to nourish them, teach them, keep them safe, as hitherto thou hast done me, O thou Father of the fatherless, and judge of widows.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 109:9
(9) Children . . . wife.—It is one of the sadly peculiar features of this series of curses that the resentment of the imprecator cannot satisfy itself on the person of his foe, but fastens also on his innocent descendants. To invoke a speedy death does not content him; he must feast his anger with the thought of the fatherless children and desolate widow.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 109:9
Verse 9. Let his children be fatherless, c.] It is said that Judas was a married man, against whom this verse, as well as the preceding is supposed to be spoken and that it was to support them that he stole from the bag in which the property of the apostles was put, and of which he was the treasurer.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 109:9
6–20. The thought of the enormity of this ingratitude overmasters the Psalmist. He breaks out suddenly into a passionate prayer that due retribution may fall upon the chief offender. May the ruin he was planning for another overtake himself! The singular (‘over him’ &c.), which now takes the place of the plural, may be collective, the Psalmist’s enemies being regarded as a whole; or distributive, each one of the mass being singled out: but more probably it fastens upon the leader of the gang (Psalms 109:2) upon whom rests the real guilt. Cp. for the sudden transition Psalms 55:12 ff., Psalms 55:20 ff.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 109:9
Let his children be fatherless - Hebrew, “his sons.” This is what “always” occurs when a criminal who is a father is executed.