The Meaning of Psalms 109:7 Explained

Psalms 109:7

KJV: When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.

YLT: In his being judged, he goeth forth wicked, And his prayer is for sin.

Darby: When he shall be judged, let him go out guilty, and let his prayer become sin;

ASV: When he is judged, let him come forth guilty; And let his prayer be turned into sin.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

When he shall be judged,  let him be  condemned:  and let his prayer  become sin. 

What does Psalms 109:7 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 109:1-16 - The Persecutor Of The Needy
This psalm is like a patch of the Sahara amid a smiling Eden. But, terrible as the words are, remember that they were written by the man who, on two occasions, spared the life of his persecutor, and who, when the field of Gilboa was wet with Saul's life-blood, sang the loveliest of elegiacs to his memory. These maledictions do not express personal vindictiveness. Probably they should be read as depicting the doom of the wrong-doer. The Apostle, quoting this psalm, expressly says that the Spirit of Inspiration spoke before by the mouth of David, Acts 1:16. The imperative let might better be translated by the future shall. This would be in perfect conformity with Hebrew usage.
Notice in Psalms 109:4 that by omitting the three words in italics, a beautiful suggestion is made of the life of prayer: But I-prayer. The only response of the psalmist to the hatred of his enemies was to give himself more absolutely to prayer. His whole being was consumed in the one intense appeal to God. Such times come to us all. Such prayers always end in praise and thanksgiving, Psalms 109:30. Happy are we who also can count on the Advocate with the Father, Psalms 109:31. Jesus prays our prayers with us. [source]

Chapter Summary: Psalms 109

1  David complains of his slanderous enemies
16  He shows their sin
21  Complaining of his own misery, he prays for help
29  He promises thankfulness

What do the individual words in Psalms 109:7 mean?

When he is judged let him be found guilty and his prayer let become sin
בְּ֭הִשָּׁ֣פְטוֹ יֵצֵ֣א רָשָׁ֑ע וּ֝תְפִלָּת֗וֹ תִּהְיֶ֥ה לַֽחֲטָאָֽה

בְּ֭הִשָּׁ֣פְטוֹ  When  he  is  judged 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Nifal, Infinitive construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
יֵצֵ֣א  let  him  be  found 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יׄוצֵאת 
Sense: to go out, come out, exit, go forth.
רָשָׁ֑ע  guilty 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
וּ֝תְפִלָּת֗וֹ  and  his  prayer 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: תְּפִלָּה  
Sense: prayer.
תִּהְיֶ֥ה  let  become 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לַֽחֲטָאָֽה  sin 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֲטָאָה  
Sense: sin, sin offering.