Psalms 109:13

13 Chop down his family tree so that nobody even remembers his name.

Psalms 109:13 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 109:13

Let his posterity be cut off
As the seed of the wicked are said to be, ( Psalms 37:28 ) , or cut down, as a tree to the very root; as the Jewish nation was by the axe of God's judgment, which, John says, was laid to the root of the tree, and the blow just going to be given, as it was in a few years after, ( Matthew 3:10 ) or, as the Targum,

``let his end be for destruction;''

and so the Syriac version, "let their end be for destruction"; their last end, which it is said shall be cut off, and issue in death, eternal death; when the end of a good man is peace and eternal life, see ( Psalms 37:37 Psalms 37:38 ) ( Romans 6:21 ) .

And in the generation following let their name be blotted out:
or, in another age F4; the next age, the third generation; meaning the name of the posterity of Judas, and the name of the people of the Jews, so as to be spoken of with honour and reputation; but, instead of that, they are for a taunt, a proverb, and a curse, in all places.


FOOTNOTES:

F4 (rxa rwdb) "in generatione altera", Pagninus, Montanus

Psalms 109:13 In-Context

11 May the bank foreclose and wipe him out, and strangers, like vultures, pick him clean.
12 May there be no one around to help him out, no one willing to give his orphans a break.
13 Chop down his family tree so that nobody even remembers his name.
14 But erect a memorial to the sin of his father, and make sure his mother's name is there, too -
15 Their sins recorded forever before God, but they themselves sunk in oblivion.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.