Psalms 109:10
Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
Original Language Analysis
יָנ֣וּעוּ
be continually
H5128
יָנ֣וּעוּ
be continually
Strong's:
H5128
Word #:
1 of 6
to waver, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (as subjoined)
יָנ֣וּעוּ
be continually
H5128
יָנ֣וּעוּ
be continually
Strong's:
H5128
Word #:
2 of 6
to waver, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (as subjoined)
בָנָ֣יו
Let his children
H1121
בָנָ֣יו
Let his children
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
3 of 6
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
וְשִׁאֵ֑לוּ
and beg
H7592
וְשִׁאֵ֑לוּ
and beg
Strong's:
H7592
Word #:
4 of 6
to inquire; by implication, to request; by extension, to demand
Historical Context
Conquest or exile meant precisely this fate—Israel itself would later wander as vagabonds during the Babylonian captivity (Lam 5:2-5). The "desolate places" (ruins) evoke destroyed estates, fitting David's prayer against those who sought to destroy his inheritance.
Questions for Reflection
- How do the covenant curses of Deuteronomy 28 inform our understanding of imprecatory prayers as appeals to established divine justice?
- What does the connection between Cain's wandering and this curse reveal about the fruit of violence?
- How should knowledge of generational consequences shape our pursuit of justice and righteousness today?
Analysis & Commentary
Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg (נוֹעַ יָנוּעוּ בָנָיו וְשִׁאֵלוּ, noa yanu'u vanav veshi'elu)—the verb נוּעַ (nua) means "wander, be homeless," doubled for emphasis (נוֹעַ יָנוּעוּ, "wander they shall wander"). The verb שָׁאַל (sha'al, "beg, ask for") depicts destitution. Let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places (וְדָרְשׁוּ מֵחָרְבוֹתֵיהֶם, vedoroshu mecharovoteihem)—from the ruins of their inheritance, they scavenge survival.
This curse inverts covenant blessings. Deuteronomy 28:4 promises "blessed shall be the fruit of thy body"; verse 18 threatens "cursed shall be the fruit of thy body." Cain received similar judgment: "a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth" (Gen 4:12). Yet even Cain received God's protective mark—judgment doesn't nullify God's image in humans or His providential care. The specificity here emphasizes complete reversal of prosperity: from landed inheritance to homeless begging.