Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Parallel translations
- WEB Let his days be few. Let another take his office.
- BSB May his days be few; may another take his position.
- ESV May his days be few; may another take his office!
- NKJV Let his days be few, And let another take his office.
- NASB May his days be few; May another take his office.
- NLT Let his years be few; let someone else take his position.
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 the wicked man's life be cut short and his position given to another. The New Testament applies this verse to Judas and the filling of his apostolic office.
Overview
This petition asks that the persecutor's days and authority end under God's judgment. In Acts 1:20 Peter cites this verse regarding Judas Iscariot, whose betrayal of Jesus led to his death and the choosing of Matthias to take his 'office.' The psalm thus prophetically anticipates the betrayal of Christ and God's overruling justice.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Ps 55:23But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.
- Acts 1:16–26Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
- Matt 27:5And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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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 109:8 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.