What is the meaning of Psalm 109:14? May the iniquity of his fathers • David is praying that the wrongs committed by the enemy’s forefathers not be overlooked. Scripture shows that sin leaves real, lingering consequences (Exodus 20:5-6; Numbers 14:18). • This line does not teach that children are punished for their fathers’ sins apart from their own choices (Ezekiel 18:20). Instead, it acknowledges how unrepented family sin keeps echoing through generations when hearts remain hardened. be remembered before the LORD • “Remembered” means kept on the divine record until justice is satisfied (Malachi 3:16; Revelation 20:12). God never forgets unrepented evil, though He stands ready to forgive the repentant (Isaiah 55:7). • David appeals to the Judge of all the earth (Genesis 18:25). By entrusting the matter to the Lord, he resists personal vengeance while asking for righteous judgment (Romans 12:19). and the sin of his mother • Mentioning the mother highlights that the entire lineage shares responsibility for continuing rebellion (Deuteronomy 5:9). • Scripture notes that mothers, as well as fathers, shape spiritual direction (2 Timothy 1:5). If the matriarch’s sin remains unconfessed, it too must face God’s scrutiny. • The prayer underscores that no branch of the family tree is exempt when persistent, willful sin defines the household (Psalm 37:28). never be blotted out • “Blotting out” pictures removal from God’s record book (Psalm 51:1; Isaiah 43:25). David asks that this enemy’s guilt remain etched on the ledger because repentance is absent. • The contrast is sharp: those who trust the Lord find their sins erased (Acts 3:19; Colossians 2:14), while the unrepentant remain under condemnation (Revelation 20:15). • This plea is prophetic, foreshadowing the fate of Judas and all hardened traitors who persist in wickedness despite light and mercy (Acts 1:20; John 17:12). summary Psalm 109:14 is an imprecatory cry for God’s uncompromising justice. David asks that generational, unrepented sin stay on heaven’s docket until judgment falls. The verse teaches that sin’s consequences are real and remembered, yet it also implies the hope of blotting out through genuine repentance—something available to all who turn to the Lord in faith. |