Psalms 69:8

I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.

I am become a stranger {H2114}{H8716)} unto my brethren {H251}, and an alien {H5237} unto my mother's {H517} children {H1121}.

I am estranged from my brothers, an alien to my mother's children,

I have become a stranger to my brothers and a foreigner to my mother’s sons,

I am become a stranger unto my brethren, And an alien unto my mother’s children.

Psalms 69:8 captures a profound expression of isolation and rejection, a lament from the psalmist (traditionally David) who feels utterly estranged even from his closest kin.

Context

Psalm 69 is a deeply emotional lament, where the psalmist pours out his heart concerning intense suffering, distress, and persecution by his enemies. This suffering is often attributed to his zealous devotion to God, as indicated in Psalm 69:9, "For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up." Verse 8 specifically highlights the painful dimension of this rejection: it extends beyond adversaries to those who should be sources of comfort and support—his own family. This abandonment by brethren and "mother's children" signifies a complete and agonizing sense of being an outsider.

Key Themes

  • Profound Rejection and Isolation: The core message is the acute pain of being treated as an outsider by one's own family. This feeling of alienation is one of the deepest forms of human suffering.
  • Suffering of the Righteous: The psalm underscores the theme of a godly individual enduring unjust hardship and misunderstanding, even from those closest to them, often due to their devotion to God's ways.
  • Messianic Prophecy: This psalm is highly prophetic and frequently quoted or alluded to in the New Testament concerning the suffering of Jesus Christ. His experience mirrored this alienation, as He was rejected by His own people and often misunderstood by His family.

Linguistic Insights

The KJV uses "stranger" (Hebrew: nokriy, נָכְרִי) and "alien" (Hebrew: muwzar, מוּזָר). Both terms emphasize being an outsider or foreigner. Nokriy refers to someone from another land or tribe, while muwzar means to be estranged or treated as a stranger. The parallelism with "brethren" and "mother's children" intensely underscores the shock and pain of this rejection coming from within one's own immediate family circle, highlighting the unnaturalness of such an estrangement.

Practical Application

For believers today, Psalms 69:8 offers several profound insights:

  • Empathy with Christ: It deepens our understanding of the suffering Jesus endured. He too experienced profound rejection, not only from the nation of Israel but also at times from His own family who thought Him mad, and His own people who "received him not".
  • Comfort in Shared Experience: Those who have felt isolated, misunderstood, or even rejected by family members for their faith or convictions can find solace in knowing that the psalmist, and ultimately Christ, experienced similar pain.
  • The Cost of Discipleship: Following Christ can sometimes lead to alienation from those who do not share the same values or beliefs, fulfilling Jesus' words about divisions within households (Matthew 10:36). This verse reminds us that such experiences, though painful, align us with the path of the righteous.
Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Psalms 31:11

    I was a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours, and a fear to mine acquaintance: they that did see me without fled from me.

  • John 1:11

    He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

  • Matthew 10:35

    For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

  • Matthew 10:36

    And a man's foes [shall be] they of his own household.

  • Matthew 26:70

    But he denied before [them] all, saying, I know not what thou sayest.

  • Matthew 26:74

    Then began he to curse and to swear, [saying], I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.

  • Psalms 38:11

    My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore; and my kinsmen stand afar off.

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