Psalms10
New Living Translation
1 O Lord, why do you stand so far away? Why do you hide when I am in trouble?
2 The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor. Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.
3 For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the Lord.
4 The wicked are too proud to seek God. They seem to think that God is dead.
5 Yet they succeed in everything they do. They do not see your punishment awaiting them. They sneer at all their enemies.
6 They think, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us! We will be free of trouble forever!”
7 Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.
8 They lurk in ambush in the villages, waiting to murder innocent people. They are always searching for helpless victims.
9 Like lions crouched in hiding, they wait to pounce on the helpless. Like hunters they capture the helpless and drag them away in nets.
10 Their helpless victims are crushed; they fall beneath the strength of the wicked.
11 The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us! He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!”
12 Arise, O Lord! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless!
13 Why do the wicked get away with despising God? They think, “God will never call us to account.”
14 But you see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in you. You defend the orphans.
15 Break the arms of these wicked, evil people! Go after them until the last one is destroyed.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever! The godless nations will vanish from the land.
17 Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
18 You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed, so mere people can no longer terrify them.
Study
Psalms 10Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Psalms 10. The full AI study guide (summary, themes, context) has its own page.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The psalmist complains of the wickedness of the wicked. (1–11). He prays to God to appear for the relief of his people. (12–18).
vv1-11
God's withdrawings are very grievous to his people, especially in times of trouble. We stand afar off from God by our unbelief, and then complain that God stands afar off from us. Passionate words against bad men do more hurt than good; if we speak of their badness, let it be to the Lord in prayer; he can make them better. The sinner proudly glories in his power and success. Wicked people will not seek after God, that is, will not call upon him. They live without prayer, and that is living without God. They have many thoughts, many objects and devices, but think not of the Lord in any of them; they have no submission to his will, nor aim for his glory. The cause of this is pride. Men think it below them to be religious. They could not break all the laws of justice and goodness toward man, if they had not first shaken off all sense of religion.
vv12-18
The psalmist speaks with astonishment, at the wickedness of the wicked, and at the patience and forbearance of God. God prepares the heart for prayer, by kindling holy desires, and strengthening our most holy faith, fixing the thoughts, and raising the affections, and then he graciously accepts the prayer. The preparation of the heart is from the Lord, and we must seek unto him for it. Let the poor, afflicted, persecuted, or tempted believer recollect, that Satan is the prince of this world, and that he is the father of all the ungodly. The children of God cannot expect kindness, truth, or justice from such persons as crucified the Lord of glory. But this once suffering Jesus, now reigns as King over all the earth, and of his dominion there shall be no end. Let us commit ourselves unto him, humbly trusting in his mercy. He will rescue the believer from every temptation, and break the arm of every wicked oppressor, and bruise Satan under our feet shortly. But in heaven alone will all sin and temptation be shut out, though in this life the believer has a foretaste of deliverance.
Key Words
עָמַד: to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)
רָחוֹק: remote, literally or figuratively, of place or time; specifically, precious; often used adverbially (with preposition)
עָלַם: to veil from sight, i.e. conceal (literally or figuratively)
עֵת: time, especially (adverb with preposition) now, when, etc.
צָרָה: tightness (i.e. figuratively, trouble); transitively, a female rival:
גַּאֲוָה: arrogance or majesty; by implication, (concretely) ornament
רָשָׁע: morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person
דָּלַק: to flame (literally or figuratively)
עָנִי: depressed, in mind or circumstances
תָּפַשׂ: to manipulate, i.e. seize; chiefly to capture, wield, specifically, to overlay; figuratively, to use unwarrantably
Cross References
Psalms 10Paul explicitly quotes the Greek translation of verse 7 ("whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness").
Echoes the practical atheism and internal thought process of the wicked who say "there is no God."
Supported by JFB
The wicked's disregard of God's providential government because His judgments are far "out of sight."
Supported by JFB
Contrast of the believer's prepared, fixed, and trusting heart with the unstable pride of the wicked.
Supported by JFB
Parallels the urgent pleading of the suffering saint when God appears to stand far off.
Supported by JFB
Intra-chapter parallel of the wicked's internal speech ("He hath said in his heart...") denying accountability.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Parallel plea for God to "arise" and not let frail mortal man prevail.
Supported by JFB
Associates high looks and a proud heart with the oppression of one's neighbor.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Illustrates how pride of heart is outwardly manifested in
Supported by Matthew Poole
Uses identical imagery of breaking the "arm" (the power) of the wicked.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Connects the everlasting reign of Yahweh with the destruction of the wicked heathen nations.
Supported by JFB
Affirms God's covenant promise to hear the cry of the oppressed and fatherless.
Supported by John Calvin
Describes the wicked lying in wait secretly for the innocent, mimicking the terminology here.
Supported by JFB
Intra-chapter confirmation that God sees mischief and is the helper of the fatherless.
Supported by JFB