Psalms 109:11

11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!

Psalms 109:11 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 109:11

Let the extortioner catch all that he hath
Or, "lay a snare for all" F3; as the Romans did, by bringing in their army, invading the land of Judea, and besieging the city of Jerusalem; who are "the extortioner or exacter that demanded tribute of them"; which they refused to pay, and therefore they seized on all they had for it. The Syriac and Arabic versions render it, "the creditor"; who sometimes for a debt would take wife and children, and all that a man had; see ( 2 Kings 4:1 2 Kings 4:2 ) ( Matthew 18:25 ) . It might be literally true of Judas; who dying in debt, his wife and children, and all he had, might be laid hold on for payment.

And let the stranger spoil his labour;
plunder his house of all his goods and substance he had been labouring for: which was true of the Romans, who were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel; who came into the land, and spoiled their houses, fields, and vineyards, they had been labouring in; they took away their place and nation, and all they had, ( John 11:48 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F3 (vqny) "illaqueet", Pagninus, Montanus, Musculus, Piscator, Gejerus; "iretiat", Vatablus, Michaelis.

Psalms 109:11 In-Context

9 May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow!
10 May his children wander about and beg; may they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit!
11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil!
12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!
13 May his posterity be cut off; may his name be blotted out in the second generation!
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.