May there be no one to extend kindness to him, and no one to favor his fatherless children.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let there be no one to extend kindness to him, neither let there be anyone to have pity on his fatherless children.
- KJV Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children.
- ESV Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children!
- NKJV Let there be none to extend mercy to him, Nor let there be any to favor his fatherless children.
- NASB May there be none to extend kindness to him, Nor any to be gracious to his fatherless children.
- NLT Let no one be kind to him; let no one pity his fatherless children.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David prays that no one show kindness to the wicked man or pity his children. The mercilessness he showed others returns upon him.
Overview
The enemy 'didn't remember to show kindness' (v. 16), so the petition asks that kindness be withheld from him in turn. It is the principle of just recompense, that the unmerciful receive judgment without mercy (James 2:13). The verse highlights by contrast the abundant mercy God extends to the repentant in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Luke 6:38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.”
- Ps 137:8–9O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, blessed is he who repays you as you have done to us.
- Matt 27:25All the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”
- Jas 2:13For judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
- Isa 13:18Their bows will dash young men to pieces; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; they will not look with pity on the children.
- Luke 11:50–51As a result, this generation will be charged with the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the foundation of the world,
- Isa 9:17Therefore the Lord takes no pleasure in their young men; He has no compassion on their fatherless and widows. For every one of them is godless and wicked, and every mouth speaks folly. Despite all this, His anger is not turned away; His hand is still upraised.
- Isa 27:11When its limbs are dry, they are broken off. Women come and use them for kindling; for this is a people without understanding. Therefore their Maker has no compassion on them, and their Creator shows them no favor.
- Job 5:4His sons are far from safety, crushed in court without a defender.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Psalms are Christ's own prayer book and a gallery of his portraits — the suffering one of Psalm 22, the risen Lord of Psalm 16, the priest-king of Psalm 110, the Son to whom the nations are given.
How Psalms 109:12 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.