Psalm 69 23

Psalm 69:23 kjv

Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

Psalm 69:23 nkjv

Let their eyes be darkened, so that they do not see; And make their loins shake continually.

Psalm 69:23 niv

May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.

Psalm 69:23 esv

Let their eyes be darkened, so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually.

Psalm 69:23 nlt

Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
and make their bodies shake continually.

Psalm 69 verses

Psalm 69 23 Meaning

Psalm 69:23 is an imprecatory prayer, asking God to turn the supposed sources of blessing, comfort, and security for the Psalmist's enemies into instruments of their downfall. The Psalmist prays that what would normally bring provision or prosperity—their very "table" and "welfare"—would instead become a cause of their entanglement, spiritual blindness, and inevitable ruin. This request for judgment reflects a plea for divine justice against unrepentant adversaries who inflict suffering.

Psalm 69 23 Context

Psalm 69 is a profound lament, attributed to David, expressing deep suffering, alienation, and unmerited reproach from numerous enemies. It is highly messianic in its prophetic insights into the sufferings of Christ. Verses 22-28 constitute an intensely imprecatory section, a prayer for divine retribution against those who mock the suffering and persecute the righteous. This prayer is not an expression of personal revenge but a fervent plea for God's justice to be meted out on the wicked who oppose Him and His anointed one. The immediate context of verse 23 shows a transition from asking for physical blindness and weakening ("Let their eyes be darkened, so that they see not, and make their loins tremble continually," v. 22) to a judgment affecting their very means of sustenance and well-being.

Psalm 69 23 Word analysis

• "Let their table" (Hebrew: שֻׁלְחָן, shulchan):

  • Meaning: A literal table, symbolizing sustenance, hospitality, comfort, security, feasting, and communion. It can also refer to sacrificial offerings.
  • Significance: The prayer requests a dramatic inversion. What should be a source of life and pleasure is to become a source of ruin. It speaks to the judgment against their very means of living and their enjoyments.
  • Connection: Can allude to the communion implied in a shared meal, perhaps even their own peace offerings or fellowship, which, by their wicked behavior, have become abhorrent to God and will be used against them.

• "become a snare" (Hebrew: לְפָח, lephakh):

  • Meaning: A bird-trap or fowler's snare.
  • Significance: Implies a sudden, deceptive, and inescapable capture. Like a trapped animal, there is no way out; it signifies unexpected ruin. It is often a consequence of self-made plots or divine judgment.

• "before them" (Hebrew: לִפְנֵיהֶם, lifneihem):

  • Meaning: Literally "to their face" or "in their presence."
  • Significance: The judgment is immediate, overt, and inescapable. It's not a distant or hidden threat but something happening right where they are, affecting their most intimate comforts.

• "and that which should have been for their welfare" (Hebrew: וְלִשְׁלוֹמִים, velishlomeym):

  • Meaning: This is a key phrase. It stems from the root שָׁלוֹם (shalom), meaning "peace, wholeness, well-being, prosperity, security, recompense, completeness." The plural/intensive ending hints at what they presume or receive as their well-being. It could also specifically mean "their peace offerings," linking it to the table imagery of communal sacrifice meals.
  • Significance: Reinforces the theme of ironic reversal. Their very hopes, presumptions of security, and what they believe brings them success or wholeness—perhaps even their religious observances if "peace offerings" are implied—will be twisted by divine judgment to become their destruction. This speaks to a perversion of what is meant for good.

• "let it become a trap" (Hebrew: לְמוֹקֵשׁ, lemowqesh):

  • Meaning: Another word for a trap, fowler's snare, or gin. Often used synonymously or in conjunction with phakh.
  • Significance: The repetition ("snare... trap") serves to emphasize the certainty, severity, and inescapable nature of the impending judgment. It highlights the twofold mechanism of their downfall: their comforts and their very perception of well-being will entrap them.

Word-Groups Analysis:

• "Let their table become a snare... and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap": This structure employs parallelism (snare/trap) and a direct chiasmus (A: table/B: snare; B': welfare/A': trap if "table" and "welfare" are seen as parallel starting points for comfort, and "snare" and "trap" as parallel end states for ruin). The construction powerfully emphasizes a complete and utter reversal by divine decree. What is sought as life or benefit turns into death and downfall.

Psalm 69 23 Bonus section

The imprecations in the Psalms, including Psalm 69:23, should be understood in the context of:

1. Theocratic warfare: David, as the king of Israel, was God's anointed leader, and his enemies were often seen as enemies of God's covenant people and God's rule itself. These are appeals for God to act as a just judge against those who defied His order.
2. Righteous indignation: They express a passionate desire for divine justice against profound evil, aligning the human desire for justice with God's ultimate justice.
3. Prophetic anticipation: Many such verses, particularly in Psalm 69, prophetically look forward to Christ's suffering and the divine judgment on those who rejected Him, as confirmed in the New Testament application (e.g., Rom 11).
4. Self-curse principle: Often, the "snare" or "trap" the wicked fall into is their own making; their own devices are used against them. This emphasizes poetic justice and divine wisdom.
5. Warnings against hardening: The spiritual hardening ("darkened eyes") often precedes or accompanies this reversal, highlighting that repeated rejection of truth leads to a state where what should offer enlightenment or sustenance becomes a source of deeper blindness and destruction.

Psalm 69 23 Commentary

Psalm 69:23 is a stark imprecation, deeply rooted in the Psalmist’s appeal for God's justice against his unrighteous oppressors. It articulates a plea that the very elements of their lives from which the wicked derive comfort, security, or self-assured prosperity (represented by "their table" and "their welfare") would become the instruments of their demise. The irony is profound: their feasts become famine, their security, entrapment, their blessings, curses. This judgment is seen as deserved for their relentless malice and their opposition to God’s righteous one.

The powerful imagery of a "snare" and "trap" denotes a sudden, unavoidable, and complete capture, suggesting divine intervention. This is not simply bad fortune, but a decreed reversal by God, rendering the enemies helpless in their own domains. This verse's prophetic weight is powerfully echoed in the New Testament, notably by Paul in Romans 11:9-10. Here, David's words are applied to a segment of Israel, whose pursuit of their own righteousness and their rejection of Christ effectively turned their own blessings (like the Law, God's covenants) into a spiritual stumbling block, leading to partial hardening. This demonstrates how human actions, especially unrepentance and rejection of divine truth, can cause God to use even perceived advantages as instruments of judgment. Thus, the verse serves as a profound warning that those who act against God and His people may find their presumed strengths and blessings become the very tools of their judgment.