The Meaning of Psalms 109:17 Explained

Psalms 109:17

KJV: As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

YLT: And he loveth reviling, and it meeteth him, And he hath not delighted in blessing, And it is far from him.

Darby: And he loved cursing; so let it come unto him. And he delighted not in blessing; and let it be far from him.

ASV: Yea, he loved cursing, and it came unto him; And he delighted not in blessing, and it was far from him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

As he loved  cursing,  so let it come  unto him: as he delighted  not in blessing,  so let it be far  from him. 

What does Psalms 109:17 Mean?

Context Summary

Psalms 109:17-31 - The Deliverer Of The Needy
This psalm emphasizes the difference, indicated by our Lord, between His teaching and that addressed to "them of old time," especially on the point of forgiveness. It is in such teaching as this that the psalmist's mood is distinctly inferior to that which has now become the law for devout men. This at least may be said, that these ancient saints did not desire vengeance for private injuries, but that God's name and character might be vindicated. Devout men could not but long for the triumph of good and the defeat and destruction of its opposite.
The closing paragraph voices some of those lowly, sad petitions for help, which occur in so many of the psalms. This combination of devout meekness and trust with the fiery imprecations or predictions at the core of this psalm, substantiates what has been said above as to the spirit in which the psalm was conceived. It is not personal, but the voice of the Church asking God to make known the righteousness of His government. The psalm begins and ends with praise. It starts by picturing an adversary at the right hand of the wicked, Psalms 109:6, and closes with assurance that Jehovah stands at the right hand of His afflicted servant to deliver him. "I have set the Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved," Psalms 16:8. [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 109:17 mean?

And as he loved cursing so let it come to him and as not he did delight in blessing so let it be far from him
וַיֶּאֱהַ֣ב קְ֭לָלָה וַתְּבוֹאֵ֑הוּ וְֽלֹא־ חָפֵ֥ץ בִּ֝בְרָכָ֗ה וַתִּרְחַ֥ק מִמֶּֽנּוּ

וַיֶּאֱהַ֣ב  And  as  he  loved 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
קְ֭לָלָה  cursing 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: קְלָלָה  
Sense: curse, vilification, execration.
וַתְּבוֹאֵ֑הוּ  so  let  it  come  to  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וְֽלֹא־  and  as  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
חָפֵ֥ץ  he  did  delight 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָפֵץ 
Sense: to delight in, take pleasure in, desire, be pleased with.
בִּ֝בְרָכָ֗ה  in  blessing 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרָכָה  
Sense: blessing.
וַתִּרְחַ֥ק  so  let  it  be  far 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָחַק  
Sense: to be or become far, be or become distant, be removed, go far away.
מִמֶּֽנּוּ  from  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.