May his children wander as beggars, seeking sustenance far from their ruined homes. May his children wander as beggarsThis phrase begins with a plea for the children of the wicked to experience the consequences of their father's actions. The Hebrew word for "wander" (נוּעַ, nua) conveys a sense of aimlessness and instability, suggesting a life without direction or security. In the ancient Near Eastern context, being a beggar was not just a state of poverty but also of social exclusion and vulnerability. The psalmist's invocation here reflects a deep desire for justice, where the sins of the father impact the family, a concept seen throughout the Old Testament, emphasizing the communal nature of sin and its repercussions. may they seek sustenance far from their ruined homes
The phrase "seek sustenance" (בִּקֵּשׁ לֶחֶם, biqqesh lechem) implies a desperate search for basic needs, highlighting the severity of their plight. The Hebrew word for "sustenance" is often translated as "bread," a staple of life, symbolizing the struggle for survival. The mention of "ruined homes" (מְחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶם, mecharvotayhem) paints a picture of desolation and loss. Historically, the destruction of one's home was a sign of divine judgment and a physical manifestation of God's displeasure. This imagery serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of wickedness, urging the reader to reflect on the importance of righteousness and the protection it affords to one's household. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidTraditionally attributed as the author of Psalm 109, David is expressing a deep lament and imprecation against his enemies. 2. Enemies of DavidThe psalm is a plea for divine justice against those who have wronged David, possibly referring to specific adversaries during his reign. 3. Children of the WickedThe verse specifically mentions the children of David's enemies, highlighting the generational impact of sin and judgment. 4. Ruined HomesSymbolic of the destruction and desolation that comes upon those who oppose God's anointed. 5. Wandering BeggarsRepresents the ultimate downfall and humiliation of those who live in opposition to God's will. Teaching Points Understanding Imprecatory PsalmsRecognize the context and purpose of imprecatory psalms as expressions of deep anguish and a call for divine justice, not personal vengeance. Generational ConsequencesReflect on how our actions can impact future generations, both positively and negatively. Trust in Divine JusticeEmphasize the importance of trusting God to right wrongs and administer justice in His perfect timing. Compassion for the InnocentWhile understanding the context of the psalm, cultivate a heart of compassion for those who suffer due to the sins of others. Prayerful ReflectionUse the psalm as a prompt for self-examination and prayer, seeking God’s guidance in dealing with personal adversities. Bible Study Questions 1. How does understanding the historical and cultural context of David's life help us interpret Psalm 109:10? 2. In what ways can the generational consequences of sin be observed in today's world, and how can we break this cycle? 3. How do the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament inform our understanding of imprecatory prayers like those in Psalm 109? 4. What are some practical ways we can trust God to handle injustices we face, rather than taking matters into our own hands? 5. How can we balance the call for justice with the command to love our enemies, as seen in the broader biblical account? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 20:5This verse speaks of the iniquity of the fathers being visited upon the children, which connects to the generational consequences seen in Psalm 109:10. Proverbs 11:21This proverb assures that the wicked will not go unpunished, aligning with the theme of divine justice in Psalm 109. Matthew 5:44Jesus' teaching on loving enemies provides a New Testament perspective on how to respond to adversaries, contrasting with the imprecatory nature of Psalm 109. Romans 12:19Paul’s exhortation to leave vengeance to God echoes the underlying trust in divine justice found in Psalm 109. Galatians 6:7The principle of sowing and reaping is evident in the consequences faced by the wicked in Psalm 109. People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Beg, Beggars, Begged, Bread, Company, Continually, Desolate, Driven, Dry, Friends, Homes, Inhabit, Places, Ruined, Ruins, Seek, Sons, Sought, Sustenance, Vagabonds, Wander, Wanderers, Wandering, YeaDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 109:10 5230 beggars
5933 restlessness Psalm 109:6-20 6040 sinners Psalm 109:8-14 5496 revenge, examples Library Psalm. Cix. 21. ; Micah, vi. 9
Psalm. cix. 21.; Micah, vi. 9. Sweet is Thy mercy, O my God! When humbled at Thy feet, I learn the lessons of Thy rod, Thy mercy, Lord, is sweet. For Thou dost not in wrath chastise, But when I go astray, "Return," a voice behind me cries, "Walk here;--this is the way." Impatient of Thine easy yoke, If heedless yet I roam, Some sharp affliction, with a stroke Of kindness, warns me home. That godly sorrow then I feel, Which nothing can control, Until the hand that wounded, heal, That bruised me, …
James Montgomery—Sacred Poems and HymnsIf Anyone Shall Say that Jesus as Man is Only Energized by the Word Of...
If anyone shall say that Jesus as man is only energized by the Word of God, and that the glory of the Only-begotten is attributed to him as something not properly his: let him be anathema. Notes. Nestorius. VII. If any one says that the man who was formed of the Virgin is the Only-begotten, who was born from the bosom of the Father, before the morning star was (Ps. cix., 3) [256] , and does not rather confess that he has obtained the designation of Only-begotten on account of his connection with …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils First Antiphon and Psalm
Third Tone (a ending) Chanter Dum esset rex Choir in accubitu suo, nardus mea dedit odorem suavitatis. Alleluia. Dixit Dominus (Psalm 109) 1. Dixit Dominus, Domino meo: Sede a dextris meis: 2. Donec ponam inimicos tuos, scabellum pedum tuorum. 3. Virgam virtutis tuae emitte Dominus ex Sion: dominare in medio inimicorum tuorem. 4. Tecum principium in die virtutis tuae in splendoribus sanctorum: ex utero ante luciferum genui te. 5. Juravit Dominus, et non paenitebit eum: Tu es sacerdos in aeternum …
Various—The St. Gregory Hymnal and Catholic Choir Book Prayer
But I give myself unto prayer.' Psa 109: 4. I shall not here expatiate upon prayer, as it will be considered more fully in the Lord's prayer. It is one thing to pray, and another thing to be given to prayer: he who prays frequently, is said to be given to prayer; as he who often distributes alms, is said to be given to charity. Prayer is a glorious ordinance, it is the soul's trading with heaven. God comes down to us by his Spirit, and we go up to him by prayer. What is prayer? It is an offering …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments Fourteenth Day. Endurance in Contradiction.
"Who endured such contradiction of sinners against Himself."-- Heb. xii. 3. What endurance was this! Perfect truth in the midst of error; perfect love in the midst of ingratitude and coldness; perfect rectitude in the midst of perjury, violence, fraud; perfect constancy in the midst of contumely and desertion; perfect innocence, confronting every debased form of depravity and guilt; perfect patience, encountering every species of gross provocation--"oppressed and afflicted, He opened not His mouth!" …
John R. Macduff—The Mind of Jesus Ninth Day for God's Spirit on Our Mission Work
WHAT TO PRAY.--For God's Spirit on our Mission Work "The evangelisation of the world depends first of all upon a revival of prayer. Deeper than the need for men--ay, deep down at the bottom of our spiritless life, is the need for the forgotten secret of prevailing, world-wide prayer." "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas and Saul. Then when they had fasted and prayed, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed."--ACTS …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession Bunsen's Biblical Researches.
When geologists began to ask whether changes in the earth's structure might be explained by causes still in operation, they did not disprove the possibility of great convulsions, but they lessened necessity for imagining them. So, if a theologian has his eyes opened to the Divine energy as continuous and omnipresent, he lessens the sharp contrast of epochs in Revelation, but need not assume that the stream has never varied in its flow. Devotion raises time present into the sacredness of the past; …
Frederick Temple—Essays and Reviews: The Education of the World A Discourse of Mercifulness
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Matthew 5:7 These verses, like the stairs of Solomon's temple, cause our ascent to the holy of holies. We are now mounting up a step higher. Blessed are the merciful . . '. There was never more need to preach of mercifulness than in these unmerciful times wherein we live. It is reported in the life of Chrysostom that he preached much on this subject of mercifulness, and for his much pressing Christians to mercy, he was called of many, the alms-preacher, …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 How Intent the Ruler Ought to be on Meditations in the Sacred Law.
But all this is duly executed by a ruler, if, inspired by the spirit of heavenly fear and love, he meditate daily on the precepts of Sacred Writ, that the words of Divine admonition may restore in him the power of solicitude and of provident circumspection with regard to the celestial life, which familiar intercourse with men continually destroys; and that one who is drawn to oldness of life by secular society may by the aspiration of compunction be ever renewed to love of the spiritual country. …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great The Water of Life;
OR, A DISCOURSE SHOWING THE RICHNESS AND GLORY OF THE GRACE AND SPIRIT OF THE GOSPEL, AS SET FORTH IN SCRIPTURE BY THIS TERM, THE WATER OF LIFE. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.'--Revelation 22:17 London: Printed for Nathanael Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1688. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. Often, and in every age, the children of God have dared to doubt the sufficiency of divine grace; whether it was vast enough to reach their condition--to cleanse …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
It was the very busiest road in Palestine, on which the publican Levi Matthew sat at the receipt of "custom," when our Lord called him to the fellowship of the Gospel, and he then made that great feast to which he invited his fellow-publicans, that they also might see and hear Him in Whom he had found life and peace (Luke 5:29). For, it was the only truly international road of all those which passed through Palestine; indeed, it formed one of the great highways of the world's commerce. At the time …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 109:10 NIVPsalm 109:10 NLTPsalm 109:10 ESVPsalm 109:10 NASBPsalm 109:10 KJV
Psalm 109:10 Commentaries
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