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12 May no one show him kindness.[a]
May no one have compassion[b] on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants[c] be cut off.[d]
May the memory of them be wiped out by the time the next generation arrives.[e]
14 May his ancestors’[f] sins be remembered by the Lord.
May his mother’s sin not be forgotten.[g]

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 109:12 tn Heb “may there not be for him one who extends loyal love.”
  2. Psalm 109:12 tn Perhaps this refers to being generous (see Ps 37:21).
  3. Psalm 109:13 tn Or “offspring.”
  4. Psalm 109:13 sn On the expression cut off see Ps 37:28.
  5. Psalm 109:13 tn Heb “in another generation may their name be wiped out.”
  6. Psalm 109:14 tn Or “fathers’ sins.”
  7. Psalm 109:14 tn Heb “not be wiped out.”sn According to ancient Israelite theology and its doctrine of corporate solidarity and responsibility, children could be and often were punished for the sins of their parents. For a discussion of this issue see J. Kaminsky, Corporate Responsibility in the Hebrew Bible (JSOTSup). (Kaminsky, however, does not deal with Ps 109.)