Psalms 109:9 (KJV)

What does Psalms 109:9 mean?

Psalms 109:9 is a plea for a man’s death and for the loss that would follow for his family. The speaker asks that the man’s children be left without their father and his wife without her husband. The words express a severe wish against someone the speaker regards as an enemy.

The verse turns from the man’s fate to the people who depend on him. In the world of the first hearers, losing a father or husband could leave a household without an important source of protection and support.

The Hebrew behind Psalms 109:9

• “fatherless” — יָתוֹם (yatom): This word refers to a child who has lost a father. It points to the children’s vulnerable position after his death.
• “widow” — אַלְמָנָה (almanah): This word means a woman whose husband has died. It identifies the wife by the loss she would experience.

Why Psalms 109:9 matters

• The speaker’s request reaches beyond the accused man. By naming “his children” and “his wife,” verse 9 shows that the consequences would touch his household too.

• The words belong to a plea made under attack. Earlier in the psalm, the speaker says that enemies have spoken against him and returned hatred for his love (verses 2–5). That setting helps explain the fierce language directed at an opponent.

• The family’s loss continues in the verses that follow. Verse 10 pictures the children wandering and begging, making clear that verse 9 begins a description of hardship for them, not simply a change in their family status.