The cursing that he wore like a coat, may it soak into his body like water, and into his bones like oil.
Parallel translations
- WEB He clothed himself also with cursing as with his garment. It came into his inward parts like water, like oil into his bones.
- KJV As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.
- ESV He clothed himself with cursing as his coat; may it soak into his body like water, like oil into his bones!
- NKJV As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, So let it enter his body like water, And like oil into his bones.
- NASB But he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, And it entered his body like water, And like oil into his bones.
- NLT Cursing is as natural to him as his clothing, or the water he drinks, or the rich food he eats.
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
The wicked man wore cursing like clothing, and it soaked into his very being. His evil was not occasional but his whole character.
Overview
Cursing penetrated him 'like water' and 'like oil into his bones,' picturing sin that has saturated a person inwardly and outwardly. The image warns that habitual sin becomes one's identity. It magnifies the gospel hope that Christ can clothe the sinner instead in His own righteousness (Isaiah 61:10).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Ps 73:6Therefore pride is their necklace; a garment of violence covers them.
- Num 5:22May this water that brings a curse enter your stomach and cause your belly to swell and your thigh to shrivel.’ Then the woman is to say, ‘Amen, Amen.’
- Matt 27:3–5When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.
- Col 3:12Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
- Acts 1:18(Now with the reward for his wickedness Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong and burst open in the middle, and all his intestines spilled out.
- Job 29:14I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban.
- Col 3:8But now you must put aside all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.
- 1 Pet 5:5Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Num 5:27When he has made her drink the water, if she has defiled herself and been unfaithful to her husband, then the water that brings a curse will enter her and cause bitter suffering; her belly will swell, her thigh will shrivel, and she will become accursed among her people.
- Job 20:12–16Though evil is sweet in his mouth and he conceals it under his tongue,
- Matt 26:24The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed. It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
- Acts 1:25to take up this ministry and apostleship, which Judas abandoned to go to his rightful place.”
- Job 20:20–23Because his appetite is never satisfied, he cannot escape with his treasure.
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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 109:18 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.