The cursing that he loved, may it fall on him; the blessing in which he refused to delight, may it be far from him.
Parallel translations
- WEB Yes, he loved cursing, and it came to him. He didn’t delight in blessing, and it was far from him.
- KJV As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.
- ESV He loved to curse; let curses come upon him! He did not delight in blessing; 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 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
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 the same judgment you pronounce, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
- Prov 14:14The backslider in heart receives the fill of his own ways, but a good man is rewarded for his ways.
- Ps 59:12–13By the sins of their mouths and the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride, in the curses and lies they utter.
- Ps 52:4–5You love every word that devours, O deceitful tongue.
- Ezek 35:6therefore as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, it will pursue you.
- 2 Th 2:10–11and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them.
- Rev 16:6For they have spilled the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink, as they deserve.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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.