Psalm 109

Psalm 109 (Greek numbering: Psalm 108) is a psalm noted for containing some of the most frighteningly severe curses in the Bible, such as:

"Let there be none to extend mercy unto him: neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children."

and:

"Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted out",

and so on. For this reason the psalm is used by Thomas Hardy in his novel The Mayor of Casterbridge. The protagonist and hero of the story, Michael Henchard, is drinking with the choir after practice when he sees his rival, Donald Farfrae, whom he hates. He subsequently persuades the choir to sing Psalm 109. The choir master remarks of this psalm that,

"Twasn’t made for singing. We chose it once when the gypsy stole the parson’s mare, thinking to please him, but parson were quite upset. Whatever Servant David were thinking about when he made a Psalm that nobody can sing without disgracing himself, I can’t fathom."

External links

• Tehillim - Psalm 109 (Judaica Press) translation with Rashi's commentary at Chabad.org

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