For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easily missed is the active forgetting of kindness. This isn't just a passive absence of mercy, but a deliberate choice to not remember how to show it, pursuing the vulnerable until their spirit is crushed. This makes their persecution a calculated act, turning a lack of compassion into a destructive force.
For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse appears within a section where the Psalmist is detailing the wickedness of his enemies, even invoking curses upon them. He describes how these adversaries actively suppressed any notion of kindness or mercy, instead choosing to relentlessly hunt down and destroy those who were already suffering, poor, or brokenhearted. This stark portrayal serves as a foundation for the severe imprecations that follow, highlighting the extreme depravity that the Psalmist believes warrants such divine judgment.
What does it mean to 'not remember to show kindness'? This isn't about forgetting a birthday; it's about a deliberate absence of compassion.
This verse paints a stark picture of a heart utterly devoid of mercy. The wicked adversary isn't just indifferent; they actively 'remembered not to show kindness.' This implies a conscious turning away from compassion, a choice to suppress empathy.
A Deliberate Choice
Mercy isn't just a fleeting feeling; it's an action, a choice to act with grace and understanding, especially towards those in need. To 'not remember' means this choice was never made, or it was actively rejected. The result? A relentless pursuit of the vulnerable.
Targeting the Vulnerable
The targets are the 'poor and needy' and the 'brokenhearted.' These are the ones society often overlooks or exploits. Instead of offering a helping hand, this wicked person sought to crush them entirely, even to the point of death. It's a sin of omission (not showing kindness) that fuels a sin of commission (persecution and destruction).
The verse doesn't just say this person persecuted the vulnerable; it states a chilling ultimate goal. What does it mean to pursue the brokenhearted 'to put them to death'?
The final phrase, 'to put them to death,' is chillingly direct. It reveals the destructive intent behind the cruelty. This isn't merely about causing discomfort or hardship; it's about extinguishing life and hope.
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Beyond Physical Harm
While physical death is a possibility, the 'brokenhearted' are already suffering immensely. The pursuit here aims to deliver a fatal blow to their spirit, their will to live, their very sense of self. It's about ensuring their complete ruin and despair.
A Diabolical Malice
This level of targeted destruction suggests a motive beyond simple greed or power. It points to a profound malice, a desire to inflict the deepest possible pain and bring about utter desolation. The 'poor and needy' are vulnerable, but the 'brokenhearted' are already on the brink. To pursue them with the intent to kill is to attack the most defenseless.
Echoes in the Gospels
This description finds its ultimate, tragic fulfillment in the way Jesus, the embodiment of kindness and mercy, was treated. He was pursued, betrayed, and ultimately killed, despite (and because of) His deep compassion for the poor, needy, and brokenhearted.
Understand the original words
checed · Hebrew Noun
The Hebrew word refers to covenant loyalty, steadfast love, or mercy. It describes a profound, active commitment to another person, often used to describe God's love for His people.
aniy · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
Those who lack resources, power, or social standing. Biblically, they are often the objects of God's special concern and protection, and those who oppress them face divine judgment.
ebyon · Hebrew Adjective/Noun
An individual who is destitute, helpless, or lacking in physical or spiritual resources. This term emphasizes the state of total dependency on God rather than human strength.
nik'ah lebab · Hebrew Adjective phrase
A metaphorical state of emotional or spiritual devastation, often resulting from suffering, grief, or sin. God is described as being close to those who are in this state to heal them.
The deep anguish expressed in this psalm likely stems from the psalmist's personal experience of brutal persecution, particularly during times like David's fugitive years, where mercy was absent and the vulnerable were targeted for destruction.
c. 1025–1015 BC— this verse
Saul Pursues David
King Saul, consumed by jealousy, relentlessly hunted David, the young warrior who had become a national hero. David, a fugitive, often found himself in vulnerable situations, yet Saul's pursuit was characterized by a lack of mercy and a desire to kill him.
c. 1012 BC
David Becomes King
After Saul's death, David was eventually crowned king of Israel. His reign brought a period of stability but also involved conflicts and challenges, with past enemies and new ones arising.
c. 970–931 BC
Reign of Solomon
David's son, Solomon, reigned after him. While known for wisdom and building the Temple, his later years saw political turmoil and division within the kingdom.
722 BC
Fall of the Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, exiling its people. This event served as a stark reminder of God's judgment on unfaithfulness.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
The Babylonians conquered Judah, destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and exiled many of its people. This profound national trauma shaped Jewish identity and theology for centuries.
c. 4th–2nd century BC
Second Temple Period
Following the return from exile, the Second Temple was built. This era saw various foreign dominations (Persian, Greek, Maccabean, Roman), often marked by oppression and religious conflict.
This parable starkly contrasts a self-righteous Pharisee with a humble, brokenhearted tax collector, highlighting how the proud reject mercy while the contrite find it, mirroring the Psalmist's indictment of someone who forgot to show kindness.
Matthew 5:7Jesus' teaching, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy,' directly confronts the attitude described in Psalm 109:16, showing that the refusal to show mercy incurs divine judgment.
Proverbs 14:31This proverb states, 'Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God,' providing a theological underpinning for why persecuting the vulnerable and brokenhearted is an offense against God Himself.
Isaiah 53:3This prophecy describes the Suffering Servant as 'despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain,' aligning with the description of the 'poor and needy' and 'brokenhearted' as targets for cruel persecution.
This passage describes the unjust murder of the high priest Onias, who was known for his kindness, illustrating a historical example of the kind of cruel, merciless persecution against a righteous, suffering individual that Psalm 109:16 condemns.
pulpitPsalms 109:16: "Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart."
Verses 16-20. - A portraiture of the wicked man, who was David's chief adversary at the time, is now given, in explanation, and perhaps in justification, of the numerous and severe anathemas. He was merciless (ver. 16), a persecutor of the poor (ver. 16), given to cursing (vers. 17, 18), and one who spoke evil against the innocent (ver. 20). Verse 16…
clarkePsalms 109:16: "Because that he remembered not to shew mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart."
Persecuted the poor and needy man - In the case of Jesus Christ all the dictates of justice and mercy were destroyed, and they persecuted this poor man unto death. They acted from a diabolical malice. On common principles, their opposition to Christ cannot be accounted for.
What's easily missed is the active forgetting of kindness. This isn't just a passive absence of mercy, but a deliberate choice to not remember how to show it, pursuing the vulnerable until their spirit is crushed. This makes their persecution a calculated act, turning a lack of compassion into a destructive force.
This verse appears within a section where the Psalmist is detailing the wickedness of his enemies, even invoking curses upon them. He describes how these adversaries actively suppressed any notion of kindness or mercy, instead choosing to relentlessly hunt down and destroy those who were already suffering, poor, or brokenhearted. This stark portrayal serves as a foundation for the severe imprecations that follow, highlighting the extreme depravity that the Psalmist believes warrants such divine judgment.
This verse appears within a section where the Psalmist is detailing the wickedness of his enemies, even invoking curses upon them. He describes how these adversaries actively suppressed any notion of kindness or mercy, instead choosing to relentlessly hunt down and destroy those who were already suffering, poor, or brokenhearted. This stark portrayal serves as a foundation for the severe imprecations that follow, highlighting the extreme depravity that the Psalmist believes warrants such divine judgment.
"For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted, to put them to death." — What's easily missed is the active forgetting of kindness. This isn't just a passive absence of mercy, but a deliberate choice to not remember how to show it, pursuing the vulnerable until their…
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Last reviewed October 2026