The Meaning of Psalms 109:15 Explained

Psalms 109:15

KJV: Let them be before the LORD continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth.

YLT: They are before Jehovah continually, And He cutteth off from earth their memorial.

Darby: Let them be before Jehovah continually, that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth:

ASV: Let them be before Jehovah continually, That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Let them be before the LORD  continually,  that he may cut off  the memory  of them from the earth. 

What does Psalms 109:15 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 109:15 mean?

Let them be before Yahweh continually that He may cut off from the earth the memory of them
יִהְי֣וּ נֶֽגֶד־ יְהוָ֣ה תָּמִ֑יד וְיַכְרֵ֖ת מֵאֶ֣רֶץ זִכְרָֽם

יִהְי֣וּ  Let  them  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
נֶֽגֶד־  before 
Parse: Preposition
Root: נֶגֶד  
Sense: what is conspicuous, what is in front of adv.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
תָּמִ֑יד  continually 
Parse: Adverb
Root: תָּמִיד  
Sense: continuity, perpetuity, to stretch.
וְיַכְרֵ֖ת  that  He  may  cut  off 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive imperfect Jussive, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
מֵאֶ֣רֶץ  from  the  earth 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
זִכְרָֽם  the  memory  of  them 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: זֵכֶר 
Sense: memorial, remembrance.