Psalms 109:9-12
Context109:9 May his children 1 be fatherless,
and his wife a widow!
109:10 May his children 2 roam around begging,
asking for handouts as they leave their ruined home! 3
109:11 May the creditor seize 4 all he owns!
May strangers loot his property! 5
109:12 May no one show him kindness! 6
May no one have compassion 7 on his fatherless children!
[109:10] 3 tn Heb “and roaming, may his children roam and beg, and seek from their ruins.” Some, following the LXX, emend the term וְדָרְשׁוּ (vÿdoreshu, “and seek”) to יְגֹרְשׁוּ (yÿgoreshu; a Pual jussive, “may they be driven away” [see Job 30:5; cf. NIV, NRSV]), but דָּרַשׁ (darash) nicely parallels שִׁאֵלוּ (shi’elu, “and beg”) in the preceding line.
[109:11] 4 tn Heb “lay snares for” (see Ps 38:12).
[109:11] 5 tn Heb “the product of his labor.”
[109:12] 6 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
[109:12] 7 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).