Psalm 69:21 kjv
They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Psalm 69:21 nkjv
They also gave me gall for my food, And for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Psalm 69:21 niv
They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst.
Psalm 69:21 esv
They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.
Psalm 69:21 nlt
But instead, they give me poison for food;
they offer me sour wine for my thirst.
Psalm 69 21 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Matt 27:34 | they offered Him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when He tasted it... | Jesus offered bitter drink at crucifixion |
| Matt 27:48 | One of them ran... filled a sponge with sour wine and put it on a reed... | Sour wine given to Jesus on cross |
| Mark 15:23 | they offered Him wine mixed with myrrh; but He did not take it. | Myrrh as bitter, stupefying agent |
| Luke 23:36 | The soldiers also mocked Him, coming up and offering Him sour wine, | Soldiers mock Jesus with sour wine |
| John 19:28 | After this, Jesus... said, "I thirst." | Jesus fulfills prophecy of thirsting |
| John 19:29 | A jar full of sour wine stood there... they put a sponge full of the sour wine... to His mouth. | Direct fulfillment of sour wine |
| John 19:30 | When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" | Fulfillment, then accomplishment of redemption |
| Psa 22:15 | My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; You lay me in the dust of death. | Physical desolation and thirst |
| Psa 69:4 | More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause. | Unjust and abundant enemies |
| Psa 102:9 | For I eat ashes as my food, and mingle tears with my drink. | Extreme sorrow and sustenance transformed |
| Lam 3:15 | He has filled me with bitterness; He has made me drink wormwood. | Profound suffering and bitterness from God's hand |
| Lam 3:19 | Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! | Remembrance of bitter suffering |
| Jer 9:15 | behold, I will feed this people with wormwood, and give them poisonous water to drink. | Divine judgment mirroring the enemy's cruelty |
| Deut 29:18 | lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit. | Metaphor for moral corruption or idolatry |
| Acts 8:23 | For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. | Simon Magus's spiritual condition |
| Psa 35:7 | For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life. | Malicious intent of enemies |
| Isa 53:3 | He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. | Jesus' rejection and suffering foreshadowed |
| Psa 42:2 | My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. | Spiritual thirst contrasting with physical cruelty |
| Amos 8:11 | not a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of the LORD. | Spiritual famine alongside physical deprivation |
| Psa 58:4 | Their venom is like the venom of a serpent. | Inner wickedness of oppressors |
| Prov 25:21 | If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. | Contrast to the enemies' malice |
| Rom 12:20 | But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink... | Principle of showing love to enemies |
| Heb 12:2 | looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross... | Jesus enduring suffering and hostility |
Psalm 69 verses
Psalm 69 21 Meaning
Psalm 69:21 depicts the extreme suffering of the Psalmist, who, in his distress, is met with ultimate cruelty. Instead of food and refreshing water, his enemies offer him poison (bitter, harmful herbs) for nourishment and sour wine (vinegar) to quench his burning thirst. This imagery highlights profound contempt, mockery, and the desire to inflict maximum torment and deprivation upon the sufferer, illustrating a state of abject need and betrayal by those who should show compassion.
Psalm 69 21 Context
Psalm 69 is a deeply emotional lament, attributed to David, overflowing with cries of distress and persecution. It describes the Psalmist sinking into "deep waters" (v. 2), overwhelmed by enemies who hate him "without cause" (v. 4). He endures ridicule and shame for his devotion to God (vv. 7-10) and is treated as an outcast. The surrounding verses (vv. 19-20) highlight his immense suffering, deep shame, and the absence of any comforter or sympathetic person. Verse 21 further intensifies this portrayal, showing that his tormentors not only fail to help but actively inflict additional pain by giving him noxious substances when he desperately needs sustenance. This sets the stage for his subsequent pleas for divine justice and imprecations against his enemies (vv. 22-28). Historically and culturally, such acts of intentional cruelty toward a suffering individual underscored a profound hatred and desire for their demise, violating common human decency and hospitality.
Psalm 69 21 Word analysis
They gave me poison for food,
- They gave me: Implies an active, deliberate action by multiple adversaries, rather than mere neglect. It emphasizes the direct, intentional nature of the cruelty.
- poison: (Hebrew: rosh, רֹאשׁ). This word can mean "head" but more significantly, in this context, refers to a poisonous or bitter herb, venom, or gall. It signifies something intensely unpleasant, noxious, or even deadly, explicitly contrasting with what food should be. The very substance intended for nourishment is rendered destructive.
- for food: (Hebrew: lechem, לֶחֶם). Lechem broadly means bread or food. The fundamental human need for sustenance is deliberately subverted; what should sustain life is used to poison it. This underscores the malice and twisted intent of the enemies, not just denying but corrupting essential provision.
and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.
- and for my thirst: (Hebrew: tzama, צָמָא). Refers to intense dehydration, a desperate need for water. This highlights a universal, acute physical need, making the subsequent action even more cruel.
- they gave me: Reinforces the active, intentional torment by his oppressors.
- sour wine: (Hebrew: chomets, חֹמֶץ). Vinegar or fermented sour wine. While a cheap drink, especially for laborers, it offered little true refreshment for someone severely dehydrated and could exacerbate discomfort. In this context, it is not given for mercy but for mockery and to prolong or intensify suffering, denying real hydration while feigning provision. It symbolizes mockery in the face of suffering.
- to drink: (Hebrew: shaqah, שָׁקָה). To give liquid. The act itself is a grotesque parody of compassion, turning a basic human act of kindness into an instrument of scorn.
Words-group analysis:
- "They gave me poison for food" and "they gave me sour wine to drink": These two phrases form a parallel structure, emphasizing a deliberate double torment targeting both fundamental human needs: nourishment and hydration. It showcases a total perversion of care into cruel malice.
- Contrast between need and provision: The phrases starkly contrast the dire needs of the Psalmist (hunger, thirst) with the "provision" given (poison, sour wine). This illustrates the depth of the enemies' depravity and the extremity of the Psalmist's suffering, where even basic needs are weaponized against him.
Psalm 69 21 Bonus section
The Hebrew word rosh (poison/gall) in the Old Testament is often associated with the bitterness and venom of sin or rebellion, linking this physical torment to spiritual realities (e.g., Deut 29:18). This verse not only highlights physical suffering but also hints at the deep psychological and spiritual anguish of being targeted with such specific, contemptuous cruelty. The Psalmist's enemies didn't just passively neglect; they actively twisted the very acts of providing sustenance into a torturous mockery, a reflection of their underlying spiritual malignancy.
Psalm 69 21 Commentary
Psalm 69:21 succinctly portrays the utter destitution and targeted malice endured by the righteous sufferer. It's not merely a complaint of abandonment, but of active, malevolent torment. The enemy does not simply withhold aid; they mock profound human suffering by offering substances that intensify agony instead of alleviating it. "Poison for food" symbolizes a complete subversion of what sustains life, turning sustenance into a source of further harm. "Sour wine for thirst" is equally profound; rather than life-giving water, the sufferer is given something common, yet designed to amplify the sense of despair and mock a desperate cry. This act is steeped in contempt, a visible demonstration of dehumanization.
For believers, this verse holds immense significance as a powerful Messianic prophecy. It finds its ultimate fulfillment in the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. At the cross, the ultimate Righteous Sufferer experienced this very indignity (Matt 27:34, John 19:28-30), fulfilling this ancient prophetic lament. The enemies of Christ offered Him sour wine (vinegar) in His dying moments of thirst, confirming the Psalmist's predictive words. This fulfillment underscores that Christ not only suffered betrayal and injustice but also endured the most cruel and dehumanizing mockery in His deepest hour of need, becoming acquainted with the bitterness expressed in this Psalm for humanity's salvation.