Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 109:9
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
9, 10. The curse of his misdeeds falls even upon his wife and children. This is the climax of awfulness in the imprecation. But a man’s family was regarded as part of himself; his punishment was not complete unless they were included in it; and for full retribution they must share his ruin, for doubtless, this man’s schemes, if successful, would have involved the ruin of the Psalmist’s family. See Introd. p. xcii.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Let his children be fatherless – Hebrew, his sons. This is what always occurs when a criminal who is a father is executed. It is one of the consequences of crime; and if the officer of justice does his duty, of course, the sons of such a man must be made fatherless. The prayer is, simply, that justice may be done, and all this is but an enumeration of what must follow from the proper execution of the laws.
And his wife a widow – This implies no malice against the wife, but may be consistent with the most tender compassion for her sufferings. It is simply one of the consequences which must follow from the punishment of a bad man. The enumeration of these things shows the enormity of the crime – just as the consequences which follow from the execution of a murderer are an illustration of the divine sense of the evil of the offence.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 9. Let his children be fatherless, c.] It is said that Judas was a married man, against whom this verse, as well as the preceding is supposed to be spoken and that it was to support them that he stole from the bag in which the property of the apostles was put, and of which he was the treasurer.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Fatherless; whilst they are but children, and so unable to provide for themselves.
A widow; either made a widow by his death; or constantly a widow; all persons abhorring her who was related to so vile a miscreant.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
9, 10. Let his family share thepunishment, his children be as wandering beggars to prowl in theirdesolate homes, a greedy and relentless creditor grasp his substance,his labor, or the fruit of it, enure to strangers and not his heirs,and his unprotected, fatherless children fall in want, so that hisposterity shall utterly fail.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. This sometimes is the case of good men, who leave widows and fatherless children, whom the Lord shows mercy to; being the Father of the fatherless, and the Judge of the widow, Ps 68:5, but sometimes it is threatened and comes as a judgment, when the Lord shows no mercy and favour to them, Ex 22:24. And this is the case here, which very probably was literally fulfilled in Judas, who might have a wife and children; since it looks as if the other apostles had, and certain it is that one of them had a wife, even Peter, in the times of Christ; see 1Co 9:5. And this was verified in the people of the Jews; whom the Lord divorced from himself, and wrote a “loammi” upon them, and left them as orphans and fatherless, Ho 1:9. This will never be the case of Christ’s people, or the Christian church, Joh 14:18, though it will be of the antichristian one, Re 18:7.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(9) Children . . . wife.It is one of the sadly peculiar features of this series of curses that the resentment of the imprecator cannot satisfy itself on the person of his foe, but fastens also on his innocent descendants. To invoke a speedy death does not content him; he must feast his anger with the thought of the fatherless children and desolate widow.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
All these awful predictions, let the Reader remember, are spoken of a particular person, and that person, we have seen, is Judas. But that the Judas’s of every age and generation are equally implicated, is evident, because his children, that is the followers of his principles, haters of Christ and his gospel, are said to be cut off, and their names blotted out. Hence it is worthy the Reader’s observation, that what the apostle Peter quotes from a passage in Psa 69:25 , in direct reference to the person of Judas, is in that very passage spoken in reference also to his seed. Let his habitation, saith the apostle, be desolate, and let no man dwell therein. And the Psalmist saith, let their habitation be desolate, and let none dwell in their tents. Compare Act 1:20 , with Psa 69:25 . And what is the plain conclusion from those scriptures, but that the followers of Judas in his hatred of Christ, will partake in his punishment? And may we not behold in the Jews to this hour, evident tokens of the fulfillment of this prophecy? Oh! for grace to make a right improvement of distinguishing mercies! Oh! for grace to be sending forth the prayer of faith and hope, for the accomplishment of that blessed promise, that the hour may be at hand, when the Deliverer shall come out of Zion to turn away ungodliness from Jacob! Rom 11:26 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Psa 109:9 Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Ver. 9. Let his children be fatherless ] Helpless and shiftless. A sore vexation to many on their death beds, and just enough on graceless persecutors. But happy are they who, when they lie a dying, can say, as Luther did, Domine Deus gratias ago tibi quod volueris me esse pauperem, &c., Lord God, I thank thee for my present poverty, but future hopes. I have not any houses, lands, possessions, money, to leave behind me. Thou hast given me life and children, behold, I return them back to thee, and beseech thee to nourish them, teach them, keep them safe, as hitherto thou hast done me, O thou Father of the fatherless, and judge of widows.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
children = sons.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Exo 22:24, Jer 18:21, Lam 5:3
Reciprocal: Deu 28:18 – the fruit of thy body 2Ki 10:17 – he slew Job 5:4 – children Job 20:26 – it shall go Job 21:19 – for his Ecc 5:14 – and he Act 1:20 – Let his
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 109:9-10. Let his children be Hebrew, jihju banaiv, his children shall be fatherless Namely, while they are but children, and so are unable to provide for themselves; and his wife a widow Made a widow by his death, and continuing a widow. Let his children be vagabonds Hebrew, , in wandering, his children shall wander, that is, they shall certainly wander, and beg Not knowing where to obtain the least sustenance. Let them seek, &c., out of their desolate places Into which they have fled for fear and shame, as not daring to show their faces among men. If, by the wretched death of Judas, says the last-mentioned divine, his wife became a widow, and his children orphans, vagabonds, and beggars, their fate was but a prelude to that of thousands and tens of thousands of the same nation, whose husbands and fathers came afterward to a miserable end at the destruction of Jerusalem. Their children and childrens children have since been continually vagabonds upon the earth, in the state of Cain, when he had murdered his righteous brother, not cut off, but marvellously preserved for punishment and wo. Thus also Dr. Hammond on these verses: By this is described, in a very lively manner, the condition of the Jewish posterity, ever since their ancestors fell under that signal vengeance for the crucifying of Christ. 1st, Their desolations and devastations in their own country, and being rejected thence. 2d, Their continual wanderings from place to place, scattered over the face of the earth: and, 3d, Their remarkable covetousness, keeping them always poor and beggarly, be they never so rich, and continually labouring and moiling for gain, as the poorest are wont to do; and this is continually the constant course attending this people, wheresoever they are scattered.