The Meaning of Psalms 109:13 Explained

Psalms 109:13

KJV: Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out.

YLT: His posterity is for cutting off, In another generation is their name blotted out.

Darby: Let his posterity be cut off; in the generation following let their name be blotted out:

ASV: Let his posterity be cut off; In the generation following let their name be blotted out.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Let his posterity  be cut off;  [and] in the generation  following  let their name  be blotted out. 

What does Psalms 109:13 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 109:13 mean?

let be his posterity cut off in the generation following [And] let be blotted out their name
יְהִֽי־ אַחֲרִית֥וֹ לְהַכְרִ֑ית בְּד֥וֹר אַ֝חֵ֗ר יִמַּ֥ח שְׁמָֽם

יְהִֽי־  let  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
אַחֲרִית֥וֹ  his  posterity 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אַחֲרִית  
Sense: after part, end.
לְהַכְרִ֑ית  cut  off 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
בְּד֥וֹר  in  the  generation 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֹּור 
Sense: period, generation, habitation, dwelling.
אַ֝חֵ֗ר  following 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: אַחֵר  
Sense: another, other, following.
יִמַּ֥ח  [And]  let  be  blotted  out 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: מָחָא 
Sense: to wipe, wipe out.
שְׁמָֽם  their  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.