Psalms 10

King James Version

Full text for Psalms Chapter 10

1¶ Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? [why] hidest thou [thyself] in times of trouble?

2The wicked in [his] pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.

3For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, [whom] the LORD abhorreth.

4The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek [after God]: God [is] not in all his thoughts.

5His ways are always grievous; thy judgments [are] far above out of his sight: [as for] all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

6He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for [I shall] never [be] in adversity.

7His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue [is] mischief and vanity.

8He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.

9He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

10He croucheth, [and] humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

11He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see [it].

12¶ Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.

13Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require [it].

14Thou hast seen [it]; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite [it] with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.

15Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil [man]: seek out his wickedness [till] thou find none.

16The LORD [is] King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.

17LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

18To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Psalm 10 opens with a lament, questioning why the LORD seems distant in times of trouble. It vividly describes the wicked man's pride, his persecution of the poor, and his belief that God neither sees nor cares. The psalmist then earnestly appeals to God to arise, remember the humble, and execute justice against the wicked, affirming God's eternal kingship and his role as helper of the oppressed.

Medium Summary

The psalmist begins by asking why God stands afar off and hides Himself during adversity, while the wicked, in their arrogance, persecute the poor. The wicked boast of their desires, reject God, and believe they will never face adversity, filling their mouths with cursing and deceit. They lie in wait in secret places, like a lion, to murder the innocent and catch the poor, believing God has forgotten and will not see their deeds. The psalm then shifts to a fervent prayer, imploring God to arise, lift up His hand, and not forget the humble. It asks God to break the power of the wicked and to judge the fatherless and oppressed, so that human oppression may cease, affirming the LORD's eternal reign.

Long Summary

Psalm 10 commences with a plaintive cry, questioning the LORD's apparent distance and hiddenness during periods of distress. The psalmist immediately turns to describe the wicked, who, in their overweening pride, relentlessly persecute the poor and boast of their own desires, even blessing the covetous whom God abhors. Through their haughty countenance, the wicked refuse to seek God, for He is absent from their thoughts, and they believe their ways are always secure, scoffing at their adversaries. They inwardly declare they shall not be moved or suffer adversity, their mouths filled with cursing, deceit, and fraud, and their hearts harboring mischief and vanity. The wicked are depicted as lurking in villages and secret places, like a lion in its den, lying in wait to murder the innocent and ensnare the poor, humbling themselves deceptively to ensnare their victims. They confidently assert in their hearts that God has forgotten, hidden His face, and will never see their actions. The psalm then transitions to a fervent prayer, calling upon the LORD to arise, lift up His hand, and remember the humble. It challenges the wicked's contempt for God and their belief that He will not require an account. The psalmist affirms that God has indeed seen the mischief and spite, and will requite it with His hand, for the poor commit themselves to Him as the helper of the fatherless. The prayer concludes with a plea for God to break the arm of the wicked, to utterly eradicate their wickedness, and to judge the fatherless and oppressed, so that the man of the earth may no longer oppress, thereby affirming the LORD's eternal kingship over all nations.

Core Concepts

  • Divine Apparent AbsenceThe psalm opens with a lament, questioning why the LORD seems to stand afar off and hide Himself during times of trouble, implying a perceived lack of immediate divine intervention.
  • Pride of the WickedThe wicked are characterized by their excessive pride, which leads them to reject God, boast of their own desires, and believe they are self-sufficient and immune to adversity.
  • Deceit and ViolenceThe wicked employ cunning and force, using their mouths for cursing and fraud, and lying in wait in secret places to murder the innocent and ensnare the poor like a lion.
  • Wicked's Denial of God's JusticeThe wicked believe that God has forgotten their deeds, hidden His face, and will not see or require an account for their actions, leading them to contemn Him.
  • Plea for Divine InterventionThe psalmist earnestly appeals to God to arise, lift up His hand, and act on behalf of the humble and oppressed, breaking the power of the wicked.
  • God's Eternal SovereigntyThe psalm affirms the LORD's everlasting kingship, declaring that He is King forever and ever, and that He will ultimately judge the fatherless and oppressed.
  • Justice for the OppressedA central theme is the desire for God to bring an end to the oppression of the poor and fatherless, ensuring that the wicked no longer have power to terrorize humanity.