Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him.
Parallel translations
- KJV As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
- BSB The cursing that he loved, may it fall on him; the blessing in which he refused to delight, may it be far from him.
- NKJV As he loved cursing, so let it come to him; As he did not delight in blessing, so let it be far from him.
- NASB He also loved cursing, so it came to him; And he did not delight in blessing, so it was far from him.
- NLT He loved to curse others; now you curse him. He never blessed others; now don’t you bless him.
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
Because the wicked man loved to curse and spurned blessing, both came back upon him. People reap the spiritual harvest they sow.
Overview
The enemy delighted in cursing others, so cursing 'came to him' as just recompense; he refused blessing, so blessing departed. This illustrates the biblical law of sowing and reaping (Galatians 6:7-8). The verse calls us instead to bless and not curse, as Christ taught (Luke 6:28), so that blessing may rest upon us.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Matt 7:2For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.
- Prov 14:14The unfaithful will be repaid for his own ways; likewise a good man will be rewarded for his ways.
- Ps 59:12–13For the sin of their mouth, and the words of their lips, let them be caught in their pride, for the curses and lies which they utter.
- Ps 52:4–5You love all devouring words, you deceitful tongue.
- Ezek 35:6therefore, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you: since you have not hated blood, therefore blood shall pursue you.
- 2 Th 2:10–11and with all deception of wickedness for those who are being lost, because they didn’t receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
- Rev 16:6For they poured out the blood of the saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink. They deserve this.”
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 109:17 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.