Psalm 109:14 is a prayer that God will not overlook the sins of an enemy’s ancestors and that the sins of his family will not be erased. The psalmist asks God to hold a wicked man and his household accountable, rather than letting their wrongdoing be forgotten. It is spoken by King David, traditionally identified as the author of this psalm, and it is addressed directly to the LORD in the middle of a prayer against a man who has done great harm to others.
Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the LORD. Don’t let the sin of his mother be blotted out.
Psalm 109:14 (WEB)
What Psalm 109:14 Means
The phrase “the iniquity of his fathers” refers to the guilt that the psalmist believes has built up over generations in one family line. The word “iniquity” points to wrongdoing that twists what is right, not a small slip. The psalmist asks that this inherited guilt be “remembered by the LORD,” meaning he wants God to take it into account and act on it, not simply let it pass.
The second half asks that the sin of the man’s mother not be “blotted out.” Ancient Hebrew writers often used the image of blotting out to describe erasing a name from a record or wiping away a stain. The psalmist is asking that the mother’s wrongdoing stay on the record, not be washed clean. Together, the two lines show a desire for justice that reaches back and forward through the family.
This verse does not promise that God will punish every child for a parent’s sin, and the wider Bible rejects that idea in other places. It is a prayer, a heartfelt request born of pain and anger, and it expresses the psalmist’s hope for divine justice against someone he sees as deeply wicked.
The Context of Psalm 109:14
Psalm 109 belongs to the book of Psalms, the collection of songs and prayers in Israel’s worship. It is one of the psalms often called imprecatory, meaning it contains curses or calls for judgment against enemies. Verses 11 through 17 describe what the psalmist wants to happen to his enemy, including the loss of property, the loss of mercy for his children, and the erasing of his family’s name. Verse 14 sits at the center of this list of consequences.
Read in that setting, the verse is less a general statement about inherited guilt and more the psalmist’s way of saying that the man’s cruelty deserves a full reckoning. Verse 16 explains the reason: the enemy “didn’t remember to show kindness, but persecuted the poor and needy man.” The prayer is rooted in a complaint about real oppression, which helps explain its fierce tone.
Key Phrases in Psalm 109:14
Romans 12:19
Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”
(WEB)
This verse reminds believers not to take revenge, leaving justice to God. Read beside Psalm 109:14, it shows that the psalmist’s longing for justice can be entrusted to God rather than carried out personally.
Ezekiel 18:20
The soul who sins, he shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be on him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be on him.
(WEB)
This passage states that each person bears responsibility for their own sin. It offers a counterweight to the family-wide guilt that Psalm 109:14 describes, helping readers see how the Old Testament holds these ideas in tension.
A Short Prayer From Psalm 109:14
Lord, you see every wrong that people do, including the harm they do to the poor and the broken. When I feel anger at injustice that seems to go unanswered, help me bring it to you rather than carry it alone. Show me where I need your truth to be seen, and where I need to release my own desire for revenge into your hands. Make me honest about the pain I feel and faithful to trust you to act rightly. Amen.
