You will wipe their descendants from the earth, and their offspring from the sons of men. You will wipe their descendants from the earthThis phrase reflects the theme of divine justice and retribution against the enemies of God and His anointed king. In the context of ancient Israel, the eradication of one's lineage was seen as a complete and utter defeat, as family lines were crucial for inheritance and legacy. This echoes the covenantal promises where God protects His people and punishes those who oppose them. Theologically, it underscores God's sovereignty and His ability to execute judgment. This can be connected to the broader biblical narrative where God promises to protect His chosen people and eliminate those who stand against His purposes, as seen in the stories of the Canaanites in Joshua or the Amalekites in 1 Samuel. and their offspring from the sons of men
The mention of "offspring" emphasizes the totality of the judgment, extending beyond the immediate generation to future ones. This reflects the biblical principle of generational consequences for sin, as seen in Exodus 20:5, where God speaks of visiting "the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation." Culturally, this would have been understood as a severe punishment, as family and lineage were central to identity and survival in the ancient Near East. This phrase also highlights the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, a common theme in the Psalms, where the wicked are ultimately cut off from the community of God's people. In a typological sense, this can be seen as a foreshadowing of the ultimate victory of Christ over sin and death, where the enemies of God are finally defeated, as depicted in Revelation. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidTraditionally attributed as the author of Psalm 21, King David is expressing gratitude and confidence in God's deliverance and justice. 2. Enemies of DavidThe psalm speaks of those who oppose God's anointed king, representing opposition to God's will and kingdom. 3. GodThe central figure who enacts justice and delivers the king from his enemies, demonstrating His sovereignty and power. 4. IsraelThe nation over which David reigns, often facing threats from surrounding nations and peoples. 5. Descendants/OffspringRefers to the continuation of the enemies' lineage, which God promises to cut off as a form of divine justice. Teaching Points Divine JusticeGod's justice is perfect and complete. He will ultimately deal with those who oppose His will and His people. Believers can trust in God's timing and methods. Protection of the RighteousJust as God protected David, He promises to protect those who are faithful to Him. This assurance should encourage believers to remain steadfast in their faith. Consequences of OppositionThe psalm serves as a warning that opposing God's anointed and His purposes leads to destruction. It is a call to align oneself with God's will. Generational ImpactThe actions of individuals can have lasting effects on their descendants. This highlights the importance of living a life that honors God, impacting future generations positively. Bible Study Questions 1. How does Psalm 21:10 reflect the broader theme of divine justice found throughout the Bible? 2. In what ways can believers today find comfort in the promise of God's protection against their "enemies"? 3. How does the concept of generational consequences in Psalm 21:10 challenge us to consider the legacy we are leaving? 4. What are some modern-day examples of opposition to God's will, and how can we respond in a way that aligns with biblical teaching? 5. How does the assurance of God's ultimate victory over His enemies, as seen in Revelation, influence our daily walk with Christ? Connections to Other Scriptures Genesis 12:3God's promise to Abraham that He will bless those who bless him and curse those who curse him, highlighting the divine protection over God's chosen people. Exodus 17:14God's command to Moses to write down the promise to blot out the memory of Amalek, showing a pattern of divine retribution against persistent enemies. 2 Samuel 7:9God's promise to David to make his name great and to subdue his enemies, reinforcing the theme of divine support for the king. Revelation 19:11-16The ultimate victory of Christ over His enemies, reflecting the final fulfillment of divine justice. People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics Cut, Descendants, Destroy, Destroyest, Fruit, Mankind, Offspring, Posterity, Seed, Sons, WiltDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 21:9 5321 furnace Library Epistle Lviii. To all the Bishops Throughout Helladia .
To all the Bishops throughout Helladia [1626] . Gregory to all bishops constituted in the province of Helladia. I return thanks with you, dearest brethren, to Almighty God, who has caused the hidden sore which the ancient enemy had introduced to come to the knowledge of all, and has cut it away by a wholesome incision from the body of His Church. Herein we have cause both to rejoice and to mourn; to rejoice, that is, for the correction of a crime, but to mourn for the fall of a brother. But, since …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the GreatMy Brethren.
OUR Lord Jesus Christ calls those for whom He died and who have believed on Him "My Brethren." What a word it is! The Brethren of the Man in Glory! Brethren of Him who is at the right hand of God, the upholder and heir of all things! Pause for a moment, dear reader. Let your heart lay hold anew of this wonderful message of God's Grace; Brethren of the Lord Jesus Christ! What depths of love and grace these words contain! What heights of glory they promise to us, who were bought by His own precious …
Arno Gaebelein—The Lord of Glory The Poor in Spirit are Enriched with a Kingdom
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 Here is high preferment for the saints. They shall be advanced to a kingdom. There are some who, aspiring after earthly greatness, talk of a temporal reign here, but then God's church on earth would not be militant but triumphant. But sure it is the saints shall reign in a glorious manner: Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.' A kingdom is held the acme and top of all worldly felicity, and this honour have all the saints'; so says our Saviour, Theirs is the …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 Fourteenth Day for the Church of the Future
WHAT TO PRAY.--For the Church of the Future "That the children might not be as their fathers, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God."--PS. lxxviii. 8. "I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thy offspring."--ISA. xliv. 3. Pray for the rising generation, who are to come after us. Think of the young men and young women and children of this age, and pray for all the agencies at work among them; that in association and societies …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession Of Deeper Matters, and God's Hidden Judgments which are not to be Inquired Into
"My Son, beware thou dispute not of high matters and of the hidden judgments of God; why this man is thus left, and that man is taken into so great favour; why also this man is so greatly afflicted, and that so highly exalted. These things pass all man's power of judging, neither may any reasoning or disputation have power to search out the divine judgments. When therefore the enemy suggesteth these things to thee, or when any curious people ask such questions, answer with that word of the Prophet, …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ The Evening of the Third Day in Passion-Week - on the Mount of Olives: Discoures to the Disciples Concerning the Last Things.
THE last and most solemn denunciation of Jerusalem had been uttered, the last and most terrible prediction of judgment upon the Temple spoken, and Jesus was suiting the action to the word. It was as if He had cast the dust of His Shoes against the House' that was to be left desolate.' And so He quitted for ever the Temple and them that held office in it. They had left the Sanctuary and the City, had crossed black Kidron, and were slowly climbing the Mount of Olives. A sudden turn in the road, and …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Sermons of St. Bernard on the Passing of Malachy
Sermon I (November 2, 1148.)[1005] 1. A certain abundant blessing, dearly beloved, has been sent by the counsel of heaven to you this day; and if it were not faithfully divided, you would suffer loss, and I, to whom of a surety this office seems to have been committed, would incur danger. I fear therefore your loss, I fear my own damnation,[1006] if perchance it be said, The young children ask bread, and no man offereth it unto them.[1007] For I know how necessary for you is the consolation which …
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh What Messiah did the Jews Expect?
1. The most important point here is to keep in mind the organic unity of the Old Testament. Its predictions are not isolated, but features of one grand prophetic picture; its ritual and institutions parts of one great system; its history, not loosely connected events, but an organic development tending towards a definite end. Viewed in its innermost substance, the history of the Old Testament is not different from its typical institutions, nor yet these two from its predictions. The idea, underlying …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah Letter Li to the virgin Sophia
To the Virgin Sophia He praises her for having despised the glory of the world: and, setting forth the praises, privileges, and rewards of Religious Virgins, exhorts her to persevere. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, to the Virgin Sophia, that she may keep the title of virginity and attain its reward. I. Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised (Prov. xxxi. 31). I rejoice with you, my daughter, in the glory of your virtue, whereby, as I hear, you …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux 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 21:10 NIVPsalm 21:10 NLTPsalm 21:10 ESVPsalm 21:10 NASBPsalm 21:10 KJV
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