Psalm 109 Text
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Psalm 109/Text
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May his days be few!
Psalm 109
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Listen & Read: Psalm 109
Read along and listen to our audio recordings for Psalm 109. Choose between simple, unaffected audio recordings (in Hebrew or English), or a dramatized reading that takes into account our emotional, discourse, and poetic analyses. You can also choose between a text-only view, or a view overlaid with our summary At-a-Glance, Expanded Paraphrase, or Participant Analysis tracking.
| Simple Reading (Hebrew) |
Simple Reading (English) |
| Dramatic Reading (Hebrew) |
Dramatic Reading (English) |
Text Only (Hebrew and English) The text below is divided according to the psalm's poetic lines. For additional information, see our Poetic Structure layer.
| Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Text (CBC) |
|---|---|---|
| לַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר | 1a | For the director. By David. A psalm. |
| אֱלֹהֵי תְהִלָּתִי אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃ | 1b | God whom I praise, do not stay silent! |
| כִּי פִי רָשָׁע וּֽפִי־מִרְמָה עָלַי פָּתָחוּ | 2a | For they have opened their wicked and deceitful mouths against me. |
| דִּבְּרוּ אִתִּי לְשׁוֹן שָֽׁקֶר׃ | 2b | They have spoken with me with lying tongues. |
| וְדִבְרֵי שִׂנְאָה סְבָבוּנִי | 3a | And they have surrounded me with hateful words, |
| וַיִּֽלָּחֲמוּנִי חִנָּֽם׃ | 3b | and they have fought against me for no reason. |
| תַּֽחַת־אַהֲבָתִי יִשְׂטְנוּנִי | 4a | In exchange for my love they accuse me |
| וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּֽה׃ | 4b | —though I am devoted to prayer— |
| וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלַי רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה | 5a | And they give me wrong in exchange for good |
| וְשִׂנְאָה תַּחַת אַהֲבָתִֽי׃ | 5b | and hate in exchange for my love. |
| הַפְקֵד עָלָיו רָשָׁע | 6a | Appoint a wicked person against him, |
| וְשָׂטָן יַעֲמֹד עַל־יְמִינֽוֹ׃ | 6b | and may an accuser stand at his right! |
| בְּהִשָּׁפְטוֹ יֵצֵא רָשָׁע | 7a | When he is judged, may he come away guilty, |
| וּתְפִלָּתוֹ תִּהְיֶה לַֽחֲטָאָֽה׃ | 7b | and may his prayer become a sin! |
| יִֽהְיֽוּ־יָמָיו מְעַטִּים | 8a | May his days be few! |
| פְּקֻדָּתוֹ יִקַּח אַחֵֽר׃ | 8b | May someone else take his position! |
| יִֽהְיוּ־בָנָיו יְתוֹמִים | 9a | May his children become fatherless, |
| וְאִשְׁתּוֹ אַלְמָנָֽה׃ | 9b | and his wife [become] a widow! |
| וְנוֹעַ יָנוּעוּ בָנָיו וְשִׁאֵלוּ | 10a | And may his children aimlessly wander from their ruins |
| וְדָרְשׁוּ מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ | 10b | and beg and plead! |
| יְנַקֵּשׁ נוֹשֶׁה לְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ | 11a | May a lender seize everything belonging to him, |
| וְיָבֹזּוּ זָרִים יְגִיעֽוֹ׃ | 11b | and may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor! |
| אַל־יְהִי־לוֹ מֹשֵׁךְ חָסֶד | 12a | May he have no one to maintain loyalty, |
| וְֽאַל־יְהִי חוֹנֵן לִיתוֹמָֽיו׃ | 12b | and may his fatherless children have no one to show them mercy! |
| יְהִֽי־אַחֲרִיתוֹ לְהַכְרִית | 13a | May his posterity be doomed to destruction! |
| בְּדוֹר אַחֵר יִמַּח שְׁמָֽם׃ | 13b | May their name be wiped out in the next generation! |
| יִזָּכֵר ׀ עֲוֺן אֲבֹתָיו אֶל־יְהוָה | 14a | May his ancestors' iniquities be brought to YHWH's remembrance, |
| וְחַטַּאת אִמּוֹ אַל־תִּמָּֽח׃ | 14b | and may his mother's sin not be wiped away! |
| יִהְיוּ נֶֽגֶד־יְהוָה תָּמִיד | 15a | May they always be before YHWH, |
| וְיַכְרֵת מֵאֶרֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃ | 15b | so that he destroys their memory from the earth! |
| יַעַן אֲשֶׁר ׀ לֹא זָכַר עֲשׂוֹת חָסֶד | 16a | Because he was not mindful to show loyalty, |
| וַיִּרְדֹּף אִישׁ־עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן | 16b | and he persecuted someone afflicted and poor |
| וְנִכְאֵה לֵבָב לְמוֹתֵֽת׃ | 16c | and disheartened to finish him off. |
| וַיֶּאֱהַב קְלָלָה *וּתְבוֹאֵהוּ* | 17a | And he loves cursing, and so it will come upon him, |
| וְֽלֹא־חָפֵץ בִּבְרָכָה *וְתִרְחַק* מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ | 17b | and he takes no pleasure in blessing, and so it will stay far from him. |
| וַיִּלְבַּשׁ קְלָלָה כְּמַדּוֹ | 18a | And he put on a curse like his garment, |
| וַתָּבֹא כַמַּיִם בְּקִרְבּוֹ | 18b | and it went inside him like water |
| וְכַשֶּׁמֶן בְּעַצְמוֹתָֽיו׃ | 18c | and into his body like oil. |
| תְּהִי־לוֹ כְּבֶגֶד יַעְטֶה | 19a | May it be for him like clothes [that] he wears, |
| וּלְמֵזַח תָּמִיד יַחְגְּרֶֽהָ׃ | 19b | and [may it become] a belt [that] he always puts on! |
| זֹאת פְּעֻלַּת שֹׂטְנַי מֵאֵת יְהוָה | 20a | This is what my accusers, those who speak evil against me, have earned from YHWH. |
| וְהַדֹּבְרִים רָע עַל־נַפְשִֽׁי׃ | 20b | |
| וְאַתָּה ׀ יְהוִה אֲדֹנָי עֲֽשֵׂה־אִתִּי לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ | 21a | But you, YHWH, Lord, take action for me, for the sake of your name! |
| כִּי־טוֹב חַסְדְּךָ הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃ | 21b | Because your loyalty is good, rescue me! |
| כִּֽי־עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אָנֹכִי | 22a | For I am afflicted and poor, |
| וְלִבִּי חָלַל בְּקִרְבִּֽי׃ | 22b | and my heart is in anguish inside me. |
| כְּצֵל־כִּנְטוֹתוֹ נֶהֱלָכְתִּי | 23a | Like a shadow when it is stretched out, I have faded. |
| נִנְעַרְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃ | 23b | I have been shaken off like a locust. |
| בִּרְכַּי כָּשְׁלוּ מִצּוֹם | 24a | My knees have faltered from fasting, |
| וּבְשָׂרִי כָּחַשׁ מִשָּֽׁמֶן׃ | 24b | and my body has become gaunt, without any fat. |
| וַאֲנִי׀ הָיִיתִי חֶרְפָּה לָהֶם | 25a | And I have become an object of scorn to them. |
| יִרְאוּנִי יְנִיעוּן רֹאשָֽׁם׃ | 25b | When they see me, they shake their heads. |
| עָזְרֵנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי | 26a | Help me, YHWH, my God! |
| הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי כְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ | 26b | Save me according to your loyalty, |
| וְֽיֵדְעוּ כִּי־יָדְךָ זֹּאת | 27a | so that they know that this is your doing; |
| אַתָּה יְהוָה עֲשִׂיתָֽהּ׃ | 27b | [that] you, YHWH, have done it. |
| יְקַֽלְלוּ־הֵמָּה וְאַתָּה תְבָרֵךְ | 28a | Let them curse! But you will bless. |
| *קָמַי יֵבֹשׁוּ* וְֽעַבְדְּךָ יִשְׂמָֽח׃ | 28b | Those who have risen up against me will come to shame, but your servant will rejoice. |
| יִלְבְּשׁוּ שׂוֹטְנַי כְּלִמָּה | 29a | My accusers will be clothed in dishonor |
| וְיַעֲטוּ כַמְעִיל בָּשְׁתָּֽם׃ | 29b | and wear their shame like a robe. |
| אוֹדֶה יְהוָה מְאֹד בְּפִי | 30a | I will fully acknowledge YHWH with my mouth, |
| וּבְתוֹךְ רַבִּים אֲהַֽלְלֶֽנּוּ׃ | 30b | and I will praise him in the midst of many people. |
| כִּֽי־יַעֲמֹד לִימִין אֶבְיוֹן | 31a | For he stands at a poor person's right, |
| לְהוֹשִׁיעַ מִשֹּׁפְטֵי נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ | 31b | to save him from those who condemn him to death. |
Structure Overlay Below, the text has been overlaid with our summary structural analysis. For details on the structure, see the Structure At-a-Glance here.
| Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Text (CBC) |
|---|---|---|
| לַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר | 1a | For the director. By David. A psalm. |
| אֱלֹהֵי תְהִלָּתִי אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃ | 1b | God whom I praise, do not stay silent! |
| כִּי פִי רָשָׁע וּֽפִי־מִרְמָה עָלַי פָּתָחוּ | 2a | For they have opened their wicked and deceitful mouths against me. |
| דִּבְּרוּ אִתִּי לְשׁוֹן שָֽׁקֶר׃ | 2b | They have spoken with me with lying tongues. |
| וְדִבְרֵי שִׂנְאָה סְבָבוּנִי | 3a | And they have surrounded me with hateful words, |
| וַיִּֽלָּחֲמוּנִי חִנָּֽם׃ | 3b | and they have fought against me for no reason. |
| תַּֽחַת־אַהֲבָתִי יִשְׂטְנוּנִי | 4a | In exchange for my love they accuse me |
| וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּֽה׃ | 4b | —though I am devoted to prayer— |
| וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלַי רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה | 5a | And they give me wrong in exchange for good |
| וְשִׂנְאָה תַּחַת אַהֲבָתִֽי׃ | 5b | and hate in exchange for my love. |
| הַפְקֵד עָלָיו רָשָׁע | 6a | Appoint a wicked person against him, |
| וְשָׂטָן יַעֲמֹד עַל־יְמִינֽוֹ׃ | 6b | and may an accuser stand at his right! |
| בְּהִשָּׁפְטוֹ יֵצֵא רָשָׁע | 7a | When he is judged, may he come away guilty, |
| וּתְפִלָּתוֹ תִּהְיֶה לַֽחֲטָאָֽה׃ | 7b | and may his prayer become a sin! |
| יִֽהְיֽוּ־יָמָיו מְעַטִּים | 8a | May his days be few! |
| פְּקֻדָּתוֹ יִקַּח אַחֵֽר׃ | 8b | May someone else take his position! |
| יִֽהְיוּ־בָנָיו יְתוֹמִים | 9a | May his children become fatherless, |
| וְאִשְׁתּוֹ אַלְמָנָֽה׃ | 9b | and his wife [become] a widow! |
| וְנוֹעַ יָנוּעוּ בָנָיו וְשִׁאֵלוּ | 10a | And may his children aimlessly wander from their ruins |
| וְדָרְשׁוּ מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ | 10b | and beg and plead! |
| יְנַקֵּשׁ נוֹשֶׁה לְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ | 11a | May a lender seize everything belonging to him, |
| וְיָבֹזּוּ זָרִים יְגִיעֽוֹ׃ | 11b | and may strangers plunder the fruits of his labor! |
| אַל־יְהִי־לוֹ מֹשֵׁךְ חָסֶד | 12a | May he have no one to maintain loyalty, |
| וְֽאַל־יְהִי חוֹנֵן לִיתוֹמָֽיו׃ | 12b | and may his fatherless children have no one to show them mercy! |
| יְהִֽי־אַחֲרִיתוֹ לְהַכְרִית | 13a | May his posterity be doomed to destruction! |
| בְּדוֹר אַחֵר יִמַּח שְׁמָֽם׃ | 13b | May their name be wiped out in the next generation! |
| יִזָּכֵר ׀ עֲוֺן אֲבֹתָיו אֶל־יְהוָה | 14a | May his ancestors' iniquities be brought to YHWH's remembrance, |
| וְחַטַּאת אִמּוֹ אַל־תִּמָּֽח׃ | 14b | and may his mother's sin not be wiped away! |
| יִהְיוּ נֶֽגֶד־יְהוָה תָּמִיד | 15a | May they always be before YHWH, |
| וְיַכְרֵת מֵאֶרֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃ | 15b | so that he destroys their memory from the earth! |
| יַעַן אֲשֶׁר ׀ לֹא זָכַר עֲשׂוֹת חָסֶד | 16a | Because he was not mindful to show loyalty, |
| וַיִּרְדֹּף אִישׁ־עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן | 16b | and he persecuted someone afflicted and poor |
| וְנִכְאֵה לֵבָב לְמוֹתֵֽת׃ | 16c | and disheartened to finish him off. |
| וַיֶּאֱהַב קְלָלָה *וּתְבוֹאֵהוּ* | 17a | And he loves cursing, and so it will come upon him, |
| וְֽלֹא־חָפֵץ בִּבְרָכָה *וְתִרְחַק* מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ | 17b | and he takes no pleasure in blessing, and so it will stay far from him. |
| וַיִּלְבַּשׁ קְלָלָה כְּמַדּוֹ | 18a | And he put on a curse like his garment, |
| וַתָּבֹא כַמַּיִם בְּקִרְבּוֹ | 18b | and it went inside him like water |
| וְכַשֶּׁמֶן בְּעַצְמוֹתָֽיו׃ | 18c | and into his body like oil. |
| תְּהִי־לוֹ כְּבֶגֶד יַעְטֶה | 19a | May it be for him like clothes [that] he wears, |
| וּלְמֵזַח תָּמִיד יַחְגְּרֶֽהָ׃ | 19b | and [may it become] a belt [that] he always puts on! |
| זֹאת פְּעֻלַּת שֹׂטְנַי מֵאֵת יְהוָה | 20a | This is what my accusers, those who speak evil against me, have earned from YHWH. |
| וְהַדֹּבְרִים רָע עַל־נַפְשִֽׁי׃ | 20b | |
| וְאַתָּה ׀ יְהוִה אֲדֹנָי עֲֽשֵׂה־אִתִּי לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ | 21a | But you, YHWH, Lord, take action for me, for the sake of your name! |
| כִּי־טוֹב חַסְדְּךָ הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃ | 21b | Because your loyalty is good, rescue me! |
| כִּֽי־עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אָנֹכִי | 22a | For I am afflicted and poor, |
| וְלִבִּי חָלַל בְּקִרְבִּֽי׃ | 22b | and my heart is in anguish inside me. |
| כְּצֵל־כִּנְטוֹתוֹ נֶהֱלָכְתִּי | 23a | Like a shadow when it is stretched out, I have faded. |
| נִנְעַרְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃ | 23b | I have been shaken off like a locust. |
| בִּרְכַּי כָּשְׁלוּ מִצּוֹם | 24a | My knees have faltered from fasting, |
| וּבְשָׂרִי כָּחַשׁ מִשָּֽׁמֶן׃ | 24b | and my body has become gaunt, without any fat. |
| וַאֲנִי׀ הָיִיתִי חֶרְפָּה לָהֶם | 25a | And I have become an object of scorn to them. |
| יִרְאוּנִי יְנִיעוּן רֹאשָֽׁם׃ | 25b | When they see me, they shake their heads. |
| עָזְרֵנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי | 26a | Help me, YHWH, my God! |
| הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי כְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ | 26b | Save me according to your loyalty, |
| וְֽיֵדְעוּ כִּי־יָדְךָ זֹּאת | 27a | so that they know that this is your doing; |
| אַתָּה יְהוָה עֲשִׂיתָֽהּ׃ | 27b | [that] you, YHWH, have done it. |
| יְקַֽלְלוּ־הֵמָּה וְאַתָּה תְבָרֵךְ | 28a | Let them curse! But you will bless. |
| *קָמַי יֵבֹשׁוּ* וְֽעַבְדְּךָ יִשְׂמָֽח׃ | 28b | Those who have risen up against me will come to shame, but your servant will rejoice. |
| יִלְבְּשׁוּ שׂוֹטְנַי כְּלִמָּה | 29a | My accusers will be clothed in dishonor |
| וְיַעֲטוּ כַמְעִיל בָּשְׁתָּֽם׃ | 29b | and wear their shame like a robe. |
| אוֹדֶה יְהוָה מְאֹד בְּפִי | 30a | I will fully acknowledge YHWH with my mouth, |
| וּבְתוֹךְ רַבִּים אֲהַֽלְלֶֽנּוּ׃ | 30b | and I will praise him in the midst of many people. |
| כִּֽי־יַעֲמֹד לִימִין אֶבְיוֹן | 31a | For he stands at a poor person's right, |
| לְהוֹשִׁיעַ מִשֹּׁפְטֵי נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ | 31b | to save him from those who condemn him to death. |
Expanded paraphrase The expanded paraphrase seeks to capture the implicit information within the text and make it explicit for readers today. It is based on the CBC translation and uses italic text to provide the most salient background information, presuppositions, entailments, and inferences.
| Text (Hebrew) | Verse | Expanded Paraphrase |
|---|---|---|
| לַמְנַצֵּחַ לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר אֱלֹהֵי תְהִלָּתִי אַֽל־תֶּחֱרַֽשׁ׃ | 1 | For the director. By David. A psalm. God whom Ihave always praise d, I am appealing to you, as the judge of all the earth, for vindication. Hear my case and take action on my behalf. Please do not stay silent and inactive. I have not been silent but have always praised you, and if you rescue me, I will praise you once more. |
| כִּי פִי רָשָׁע וּֽפִי־מִרְמָה עָלַי פָּתָחוּ דִּבְּרוּ אִתִּי לְשׁוֹן שָֽׁקֶר׃ | 2 | Here is why I need you to act: For people with whom I am in a covenant relationship are falsely accusing me of breaking the covenant, and they are seeking my death. They are falsely accusing me of failing to show loyalty and keep my covenant promises to love them and seek their well-being. They have opened their wicked and deceitful mouths against me. They are false witnesses who have spoken against me and who contend with me with lying tongues. |
| וְדִבְרֵי שִׂנְאָה סְבָבוּנִי וַיִּֽלָּחֲמוּנִי חִנָּֽם׃ | 3 | And like a besieging army they have surrounded me with hateful words, and they have fought against me with their words for no reason. Contrary to their accusations, I have been a loyal covenant partner to them. |
| תַּֽחַת־אַהֲבָתִי יִשְׂטְנוּנִי וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּֽה׃ | 4 | I have loved them; I have sought their well-being. And it is In exchange for my love that they accuse me—though I am devoted to prayer, and I would always pray for their well-being. "When they were sick—I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting; I prayed with head bowed on my chest. I went about as though I grieved for my friend or my brother; as one who laments his mother, I bowed down in mourning" (Ps 35:13-14, ESV)— |
| וַיָּשִׂימוּ עָלַי רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה וְשִׂנְאָה תַּחַת אַהֲבָתִֽי׃ | 5 | and yet they give me wrong in exchange for the good I have done to them, and they show me hate in exchange for my love. |
| הַפְקֵד עָלָיו רָשָׁע וְשָׂטָן יַעֲמֹד עַל־יְמִינֽוֹ׃ | 6 | They are the ones who have broken the covenant! And so they deserve to experience the covenant curses they invoked on themselves when they entered into a covenant with me. YHWH, bring the curses to pass! May it happen to each and every one of them: Appoint a wicked person against him to accuse him of wrongdoing in the same way that he has accused me , and may the appointed wicked person, an accuser, stand at his right side, the place where an accuser stands in court when he is making his accusations! |
| בְּהִשָּׁפְטוֹ יֵצֵא רָשָׁע וּתְפִלָּתוֹ תִּהְיֶה לַֽחֲטָאָֽה׃ | 7 | Then, when he and the accuser go to court to settle the matter, and he is judged, i.e., the case is decided by a judge, may he come away guilty, and when he appeals to you for vindication, may his prayer become a sin ful act in your eyes, so that you refuse to listen to him. |
| יִֽהְיֽוּ־יָמָיו מְעַטִּים פְּקֻדָּתוֹ יִקַּח אַחֵֽר׃ | 8 | May he receive the death penalty so that his days be come few! May he die, so that someone else take s his position of leadership! |
| יִֽהְיוּ־בָנָיו יְתוֹמִים וְאִשְׁתּוֹ אַלְמָנָֽה׃ | 9 | May he die, such that his children become fatherless, and his wife [become s] and remains a widow with no one to marry her and care for the family! |
| וְנוֹעַ יָנוּעוּ בָנָיו וְשִׁאֵלוּ וְדָרְשׁוּ מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ | 10 | And, having no father and no one else to care for the family, and having nowhere to turn for help, may his children aimlessly wander from their ruins, the ruins of their father's property, and beg and plead for food from everyone that they happen to bump into. |
| יְנַקֵּשׁ נוֹשֶׁה לְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ וְיָבֹזּוּ זָרִים יְגִיעֽוֹ׃ | 11 | Now that the man is dead, he is unable to earn money and pay his debts. And since he is abandoned by his friends and relatives, there is no one to pay his debts for him. So, May a lender, the lender to whom the father owed money, seize everything belonging to him, and may strangers, people outside of his family to whom he owed debt, plunder the fruits of his labor! |
| אַל־יְהִי־לוֹ מֹשֵׁךְ חָסֶד וְֽאַל־יְהִי חוֹנֵן לִיתוֹמָֽיו׃ | 12 | May he have no one to maintain loyalty to him after his death by caring for his family, and may his fatherless children have no one to show them mercy and provide for them financially! |
| יְהִֽי־אַחֲרִיתוֹ לְהַכְרִית בְּדוֹר אַחֵר יִמַּח שְׁמָֽם׃ | 13 | May his posterity be doomed to certain destruction! May their family name be wiped out in the next generation! |
| יִזָּכֵר ׀ עֲוֺן אֲבֹתָיו אֶל־יְהוָה וְחַטַּאת אִמּוֹ אַל־תִּמָּֽח׃ | 14 | Do not show mercy to the man's family for the sake of his ancestors! Rather, May his ancestors' iniquities be brought to YHWH's remembrance — for YHWH "will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation" (Exod 34:7, ESV)— and may his mother's sin not be wiped away! |
| יִהְיוּ נֶֽגֶד־יְהוָה תָּמִיד וְיַכְרֵת מֵאֶרֶץ זִכְרָֽם׃ | 15 | May they, i.e., their sins, always be before YHWH, so that he remembers their sins and executes justice, meaning no sin goes unpunished and wickedness perishes: so that he destroys their memory from the earth! May each of my accusers, who has not prized covenant loyalty but wantonly broken covenants, experience the curses of those covenants: death and extinction of their family line! |
| יַעַן אֲשֶׁר ׀ לֹא זָכַר עֲשׂוֹת חָסֶד וַיִּרְדֹּף אִישׁ־עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן וְנִכְאֵה לֵבָב לְמוֹתֵֽת׃ | 16 | This curse of extinction (vv. 6-15), the covenant curse that each of them invoked upon themselves when making the covenant, is completely warranted, Because he, i.e., each of my accusers, was not mindful to keep the covenant and show loyalty to me. He has neglected his covenant obligations, and instead of showing covenant loyalty and treating me as a friend, he did the opposite: he persecuted me, someone afflicted and poor and disheartened to finish him off. |
| וַיֶּאֱהַב קְלָלָה *וּתְבוֹאֵהוּ* וְֽלֹא־חָפֵץ בִּבְרָכָה *וְתִרְחַק* מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ | 17 | And he has unjustly called down curses on me. Apparently, he loves cursing, and so it is only fitting that the covenant curses will come upon him, and he does not bless me as he ought to. Apparently, he takes no pleasure in blessing, and so it is only fitting that the covenant blessings will stay far from him. |
| וַיִּלְבַּשׁ קְלָלָה כְּמַדּוֹ וַתָּבֹא כַמַּיִם בְּקִרְבּוֹ וְכַשֶּׁמֶן בְּעַצְמוֹתָֽיו׃ | 18 | Making a covenant involves swearing oaths, and the swearing of oaths is usually accompanied by rituals to solemnize the event and symbolize the nature of the curses. When we made our covenant, we each put on clothes, drank water, and rubbed oil into our skin to symbolize the latent presence and potential destruction of the covenant curses on our bodies and on our children. And so he voluntarily put on a curse like his garment, and it went inside him like water when he drank the water and into his body like oil when he rubbed it into his skin. |
| תְּהִי־לוֹ כְּבֶגֶד יַעְטֶה וּלְמֵזַח תָּמִיד יַחְגְּרֶֽהָ׃ | 19 | Now that he has broken the covenant, activate the covenant curse that is latent within him! May it be for him like clothes [that] he wears, that go with him wherever he goes and follow his every movement, and [may it become] a belt [that] he always puts on! |
| זֹאת פְּעֻלַּת שֹׂטְנַי מֵאֵת יְהוָה וְהַדֹּבְרִים רָע עַל־נַפְשִֽׁי׃ | 20 | This curse is not something that I arbitrarily wish upon my accusers. Rather, this is what my accusers, those who speak evil against me, have earned from YHWH. As a matter of justice, YHWH must pay them the wage for which they have worked. |
| וְאַתָּה ׀ יְהוִה אֲדֹנָי עֲֽשֵׂה־אִתִּי לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ כִּי־טוֹב חַסְדְּךָ הַצִּילֵֽנִי׃ | 21 | But you, YHWH, Lord, do not be silent! Instead, take action for me and rescue me from the threat of my accusers. Do this for the sake of your name! For you and I are also in a covenant relationship, and if you do not show loyalty to me, your reputation will be damaged. Because your covenant loyalty is good and reliable, unlike the 'loyalty' of my accusers, rescue me! |
| כִּֽי־עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אָנֹכִי וְלִבִּי חָלַל בְּקִרְבִּֽי׃ | 22 | I need you to rescue me, For I am afflicted and poor, and my heart is in anguish inside me. I am afraid and distressed to my very core. |
| כְּצֵל־כִּנְטוֹתוֹ נֶהֱלָכְתִּי נִנְעַרְתִּי כָּֽאַרְבֶּֽה׃ | 23 | My death is imminent. Like a shadow when it is stretched out in the evening when the sun is setting, I have faded and I am about to disappear entirely into the night. Just as people harvest locusts by shaking them out of trees in the cold morning hours when they are unable to fly away, so I have been shaken off like a locust and, unable to escape, I am about to be devoured. |
| בִּרְכַּי כָּשְׁלוּ מִצּוֹם וּבְשָׂרִי כָּחַשׁ מִשָּֽׁמֶן׃ | 24 | I have been praying to you, YHWH, for help. And, as I pray, I have been fasting. My knees have faltered from fasting, and my body has become gaunt, without any fat. |
| וַאֲנִי׀ הָיִיתִי חֶרְפָּה לָהֶם יִרְאוּנִי יְנִיעוּן רֹאשָֽׁם׃ | 25 | And I have become an object of scorn to them, i.e., to my accusers, who see my suffering and conclude that I am helpless, as good as dead, and that you will not rescue me. When they see me, they shake their heads and mock me, saying things like "He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!” (Ps 22:9, ESV). |
| עָזְרֵנִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהָי הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי כְחַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ | 26 | Help me, YHWH, my God! Save me according to your covenant loyalty, |
| וְֽיֵדְעוּ כִּי־יָדְךָ זֹּאת אַתָּה יְהוָה עֲשִׂיתָֽהּ׃ | 27 | and make my salvation so clear and obvious so that they know that this, my rescue, is your doing; [that] you, YHWH, have done it. Make it clear to everyone, especially my accusers, that I am in the right and they are in the wrong. Vindicate me, YHWH! |
| יְקַֽלְלוּ־הֵמָּה וְאַתָּה תְבָרֵךְ *קָמַי יֵבֹשׁוּ* וְֽעַבְדְּךָ יִשְׂמָֽח׃ | 28 | Let them curse all they want! But it won't have any effect. Though they curse me and ask you to bring the curses onto me, you will bless me and rescue me from them. When it becomes clear to everyone that I am in the right and that my accusers are in the wrong, then Those who have risen up against me to accuse me will come to public shame, but I, your servant, will rejoice. |
| יִלְבְּשׁוּ שׂוֹטְנַי כְּלִמָּה וְיַעֲטוּ כַמְעִיל בָּשְׁתָּֽם׃ | 29 | My accusers will be clothed in dishonor and wear their shame like a robe so that their shame is visible to everyone as a marker of their social status. |
| אוֹדֶה יְהוָה מְאֹד בְּפִי וּבְתוֹךְ רַבִּים אֲהַֽלְלֶֽנּוּ׃ | 30 | Whereas their mouths were filled with falsehood and deceit, my mouth will be filled with your praise! I will fully acknowledge YHWH with my mouth, and I will praise him in the midst of many people. I will tell everyone about what he has done for me! |
| כִּֽי־יַעֲמֹד לִימִין אֶבְיוֹן לְהוֹשִׁיעַ מִשֹּׁפְטֵי נַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ | 31 | For he always stands at a poor person's right, at the side of the innocent sufferer, to save him from those who try to condemn him to death. |
Participant Tracking Text Participant Analysis focuses on the characters in the psalm and asks, “Who are the main participants (or characters) in this psalm, and what are they saying or doing? Our full analysis can be found in the Participant Analysis layer.
