Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Psalms Chapter 10 mean?

It’s possible Psalm 10 was composed simultaneously with Psalm 9. It continues the acrostic pattern, starting each stanza with a successive Hebrew letter. It uses phrases and themes seen in Psalm 9. However, Psalm 10 does not have the same musical notations as Psalm 9. Whether they were meant to be sung together, or are entirely separate, the two passages approach those themes differently.

The opening line of Psalm 10 reflects the natural frustration we feel in the face of evil. In our limited understanding, we cannot grasp why God is not intervening right here, right now, and in exactly the way we’d prefer. As with other Old Testament passages, the psalmist later returns to the idea of God’s established faithfulness, but the initial cry of his heart is one of a disturbed spirit (Psalm 10:1).

Evil people seem to experience success, at least from a worldly perspective. They actively seek out those who are poor, helpless, or weak to take advantage of them. Rather than being ashamed of such actions, the wicked brag about them. Not only do such people ignore God’s will, but they also try to brush Him aside as if He simply does not exist. Because of material success, these evil people assume there will never be any consequences for their actions, at all (Psalm 10:2–7).

David’s depiction of the wicked here is one of predators. These evil people go to great lengths to target unsuspecting and vulnerable people. The same person who might claim God does not exist is also prone to sneer at the idea that God will know or care about their sin (Psalm 10:8–11).

Finished with his complaint about the presence of evil people, David prays for God to intervene. He is astonished that some people turn from God and assume He will not judge them for their sins. In contrast, the Lord is aware of the needs of weak and helpless people. For that reason, David calls on God to disrupt the power of these wicked people, scouring and judging their lives until every bit of sin has been found out (Psalm 10:12–15).

The song ends with praise for the Lord and reassurance of His ultimate victory. Though the passage began with a sense of frustration and anguish, it ends with a hopeful, faithful tone. What God has accomplished for His people produces confidence: a trust that He will hear and act according to His perfect goodness (Psalm 10:16–18).

Chapter Context
According to some scholars, Psalms 9 and 10 might have been composed together, possibly even as one psalm. No title is affixed to Psalm 10, and it seems to continue the acrostic pattern of Psalm 9, starting each section with a successive letter from the Hebrew alphabet. The Septuagint and the Vulgate place the two psalms as one. However, the mood shifts from one psalm to the other. Psalm 9 focuses on judgment to come; Psalm 10 focuses on the presence of widespread injustice. Whether literally composed together, or separately, they deal with related issues using profoundly different tones.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. Why, O Lord, do you stand far away?Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

David asks questions that many believers ask when troubles strike them. Where is God? Why isn’t He intervening, right here and right now? It is easy to praise the Lord when life goes along smoothly but not so easy to praise Him when troubles strike. This is where faith enters our relationship with the Lord: looking back on what we know of God to reassure us when we’re unsure or unsettled (Hebrews 12:1).

Asaph, another psalmist, felt conflict and doubt in a similar way. In Psalm 73 he confesses that he almost lost his faith (Psalm 73:22) because the wicked were prospering and were trouble free. By contrast, he felt constantly harassed despite striving to lead a godly life (Psalm 73:13–14). Elijah must have felt the Lord had abandoned him, despite the faith he had shown at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20–40). He had championed the Lord’s cause against a host of false prophets, but when Jezebel put a contract on his life, he fled to the desert, where he seems to question the Lord’s absence and unfairness (1 Kings 19:10).

Context Summary
Psalm 10:1–11 asks why God seems to ignore the character and deeds of wicked people. The wicked are described as haughty oppressors of the poor and helpless. They are arrogant, greedy, insulters of God. They don’t believe He exists, so they feel free to take advantage of poor and helpless victims.

Verse 2. In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.

Throughout human history, there have been evil people who deliberately target the poor, the defenseless, and the weak to take advantage of them. Here, David evokes the feeling of hunting: targeting and running down prey. Not only do evil people target the poor, but they also applaud themselves for doing it.

Pride is common to unregenerate human beings. It is a trait that prompted Lucifer, the Devil, to rebel against God, and it is the trait that causes human beings to follow their own will rather than God’s will. Ephesians 2:3 describes believers before they trusted in Christ as Savior as “carrying out the desires of the body and the mind.” Isaiah 53:6 points out that “all we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way.”

David prays in Psalm 10:2 for the Lord to catch evil schemers in their own tricks (Psalm 37:14–15). He wants God to “turn the tables” on those wicked men. The book of Esther discloses wicked Haman’s scheming against righteous Mordecai. He even planned to hang Mordecai, but his scheme backfired, and he was hanged on the gallows he had built for Mordecai (Esther 7).

Verse 3. For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.

Those who deliberately target the weak or poor to take advantage of them are depicted as arrogant, greedy, and profane. Lacking any sense of shame or morality, such a person both possesses evil desires and celebrates them, rather than being ashamed to admit them. Worse, he brags to others about his evil.

The persons depicted here care only about wealth, nothing more. They are not bothered at the idea of robbing the poor, needy, and helpless. The wicked person’s soul craves material wealth. In Psalm 73 Asaph pictures the wicked as having eyes that swell out through fatness (Psalm 73:7). He writes: “Behold, these are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches” (Psalm 73:12). The apostle Paul warns the Philippian believers about false teachers whose “god is their belly, and they glory in their shame” (Philippians 3:19).

Here, David also points out how wickedness is expressed not just in oppression of the poor, but also in profaning the Lord. The wicked person curses and insults God. The Hebrew word used here implies contempt and despising, and is attributed to evil people again later in the song (Psalm 10:13). Modern culture includes many individuals whose speech imitates that of the wicked person described here. They boast about their sinful behavior and have no regard for God. In fact, they go out of their way to mock and offend both God and those who honor Him.

Verse 4. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

The wicked person David describes (Psalm 10:3) is too proud to admit that God exists. He believes he has no need of God. He even denies God’s existence. Of course, if a person denies the existence of God, he disregards the sanctity of human life. Because he thinks there is no Creator, he sees no reason to value human life. Therefore, in part, such a person is willing to prey on the poor and the weak for their own gain (Psalm 10:2).

The phrase, “In the pride of his face,” is similar to the common English expression “turns up his nose.” The wicked person sneers at the idea of God, like an arrogant person wrinkling up their nose, closing their eyes, and looking away. Such a person reflects the attitude of Lucifer, the Devil, who tried unsuccessfully to usurp God’s throne. The wicked person places himself on the throne.

Many who deny God’s existence are successful and intelligent. Nevertheless, by declaring, “There is no God,” the wicked person takes a position which is inherently foolish. Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” The same verse indicts atheistic fools as corrupt workers of abominable deeds. Later in this same psalm, however, the wicked person will imply that God forgets or does not notice their sin (Psalm 10:11). Those who reject God often waver between outright atheism and remaking Him according to their own preferences.

Verse 5. His ways prosper at all times;your judgments are on high, out of his sight;as for all his foes, he puffs at them.

In an earthly timeframe, it’s possible for wicked people to find success. Acting immorally can result in material benefits, for a while. The evil person assumes God doesn’t see what he is doing (Psalm 10:11), or He does not exist to see those deeds (Psalm 10:4), therefore no punishment is to be expected. That false sense of security causes him to breathe out contempt for all his foes.

God might be more patient than we would prefer (Psalm 10:1), but eventually He will punish the wicked who feel so secure in their ill-gotten gain. Asaph describes the prosperous wicked in Psalm 73:8 as scoffing and speaking with malice and threatening oppression. They also blaspheme God (Psalm 73:9). However, they will come to a disastrous end. God will make them fall to ruin, and He will sweep them away utterly by terrors (Psalm 73:18–19).

Demonstrating how quickly earthly wealth can become meaningless, a biblical parable depicts a rich farmer who trusted in his bumper crops for security, only to be swept suddenly into eternal judgment (Luke 12:13–21). First Thessalonians 5:3 promises: “While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

Verse 6. He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”

Those who ignore God, and His will, often express false confidence. The wicked person depicted here by David (Psalm 10:2–3) looks at his earthly success (Psalm 10:4–5) and assumes he will always be free from consequences. He thinks he is impervious to harm now and forever. As far as he is concerned, he can keep on stealing and oppressing the poor without experiencing punishment.

The apostle Peter writes about people who think everything will continue without change or concern. He says, “They will say, ‘Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.’” (2 Peter 3:4). Peter points out that the created world “was deluged with water and perished” (2 Peter 3:6). Noah’s contemporaries didn’t expect the flood, and they refused to heed Noah’s preaching (2 Peter 2:5). Consequently, the Lord is keeping “the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment” (2 Peter 2:9). The wicked who think they can keep on sinning with impunity will one day have a painful awakening (Revelation 20:11–15).

Verse 7. His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.

This posts three accusations against the wicked person (Psalm 10:2–6). His words exhibit profanity, lies, and abuse. The imagery of “mischief and iniquity” lurking under the person’s tongue is striking. It suggests that whenever the person moves their tongue—whenever he speaks—deceit and evil are exposed.

The apostle Paul cites this verse in Romans 3:14 with a slight variation: “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” In Job 20, Zophar describes the wicked as having joy for only a moment (Job 20:5). He says evil is sweet in the mouth of the wicked. He “is loath to let it go and holds it in his mouth” (Job 20:13). However, Zohar states, “His food is turned in his stomach; it is the venom of cobras within him” (Job 20:14).

A possible example of the concept imagined here is the wicked person who attends court and swears an oath that he is telling the truth. However, he is lying. Revelation 21:8 includes unbelieving liars as among those who will end up in the lake of fire that burns with fire and sulfur.

Verse 8. He sits in ambush in the villages;in hiding places he murders the innocent.His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;

What an indictment David levels against the wicked man here! Earlier verses depicted a wicked man preying on the poor and weak for his own gain (Psalm 10:2–3). This verse continues that sense of predatory evil. The wicked man makes deliberate effort to surprise and attack; hiding until he finds someone to murder, watching carefully to prey on someone weak enough to easily overcome. The depravity of this action is highlighted through the term rendered “helpless” in translations such as the ESV. The Hebrew root word hē’lekāh refers to someone to be pitied, often one who is poor. In poetic language, such a person is a “poor wretch.”

The wicked man is like the proverbial robbers on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. They ambushed a man, robbed him, stripped him, beat him, and left him half dead (Luke 10:30). Crimes against the poor were especially common in Bible times. Robbers were known to hide from their intended victims until they could safely pounce upon them, rob them, and harm them. The wicked man David writes about here not only robbed his victims but also murdered them. He violated the Lord’s commands: “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13), “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15), and “You shall not covet …” (Exodus 20:17).

Verse 9. he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;he lurks that he may seize the poor;he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.

David compares the wicked man (Psalm 10:2–3) to a lion and a fisherman. Like a lion that hides in a patch of grass to pounce upon an unsuspecting victim, the wicked man ambushes and victimizes the poor. He also draws the poor into his net just as a fisherman draws fish into his net. This imagery of hunting, surprise, and ambush is common in the book of Psalms when referring to those who use evil to harm others (Psalm 17:12; 37:32; 56:6; 59:3; 64:4).

The apostle Peter pictures Satan as a lion that hunts for someone to attack and kill (1 Peter 5:8). Peter exhorts believers to be serious minded and alert to the Devil’s modus operandi. He also tells believers how to avoid falling victim to the Devil. He writes “Resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:9). The faith he refers to is the body of doctrine contained in the Bible. Knowing what the Bible teaches is indispensable to a life of victory.

Verse 10. The helpless are crushed, sink down,and fall by his might.

Just as a vicious lion pounces on his victim and crushes its bones until it collapses and dies, even so the wicked person overpowers his helpless victim and kills him (Psalm 10:9). Use of force against those who are weak and helpless is a hallmark of wickedness and evil (Psalm 10:2–3).

Because he feared the growing population of the Hebrew slaves, the powerful pharaoh of Egypt summoned the full force of his empire to kill the helpless male Hebrew babies. He commanded the midwives: “When you serve as a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live” (Exodus 1:16). Centuries later, in an effort to kill Baby Jesus, King Herod “sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men” (Matthew 2:16).

Verse 11. He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”

Those who reject God’s authority often waver in how they express that rebellion. In some cases, they deny that God exists at all (Psalm 10:4). Those same people, however, often criticize or misrepresent God to make Him fit their preferences. In that same way, the same wicked man who refuses to believe God exists now claims God has forgotten his evil crimes against the helpless. He even supposes God has hidden His face and will never see the evil the wicked man commits.

Of course, anyone who thinks this way is terribly wrong (Revelation 20:11–15). Hebrews 4:13 exclaims, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” After Hagar fled from Abram’s home because Sarai, Abram’s wife, had dealt harshly with her, she rested by a spring of water in the wilderness. The angel of the Lord found her there and commanded her to return to Sarai and submit to her. He assured her she would bear a son who would become the father of a vast number of people. In response, Hagar “called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, ‘You are a God of seeing,’ for she said, ‘Truly here I have seen him who looks after me’” (Genesis 16:13).

Verse 12. Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;forget not the afflicted.

David calls upon the Lord to act on behalf of those who are oppressed (Psalm 10:2–3). The wicked man has regarded God as non-existent (Psalm 10:4), ignorant of the wicked’s evil actions, and hiding His face from evil (Psalm 10:11). David’s plea here is for God to come forward like a warrior and push back against such evil people.

In a similar mood, Revelation 6 depicts tribulation martyrs crying out loudly for revenge. They ask: “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” (Revelation 6:10). They are told to rest a little longer until their fellow servants and brothers were killed (Revelation 6:11). Under the sixth seal, the Lord judges everyone, even the kings, the great ones, the generals, the rich, and the powerful (Revelation 6:12–17).

God may not avenge His servants immediately, but in His good time He will avenge them dramatically and completely!

Context Summary
Psalm 10:12–18 closes the song by asking God to avenge those harmed by wicked men. David trusts the Lord to hear the cry of the afflicted and end the persecution brought on by the wicked. These closing verses resemble the divine judgment Asaph predicted in Psalm 73:18–20, 27.

Verse 13. Why does the wicked renounce Godand say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?

Those who understand God’s goodness (Psalm 9:1–2) and His justice (Psalm 9:7–8) sometimes struggle to understand why others are so committed to opposing the Lord. Here, David questions why wicked people “renounce” God, using a Hebrew term which implies despising, blaspheming, and contempt (Psalm 10:3). These evil ones don’t just decline to honor God, they hate Him. At the same time, they refuse to consider that He will hold them accountable for their sin (Psalm 10:11).

Of course, such reasoning on the part of the wicked is unfounded. God does see sin, and He judges it (Hebrews 4:13). In Numbers 32:23 the Lord announces, “Be sure your sin will find you out.” Work pays wages, and in the same way sin brings consequences. Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death.”

Death because of sin comes in three ways. Ephesians 2:1–2 reflects on the believers’ past life, stating, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.” Spiritual death is separation from God in this life. Secondly, physical death is also part of sin’s wages. Hebrews 9:27 says “it is appointed for man to die once.” This death separates the body from the soul. Finally, there is eternal death: separation from God forever in the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14 calls this death, “the second death.” Sin never pays less than what sinners deserve.

Verse 14. But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,that you may take it into your hands;to you the helpless commits himself;you have been the helper of the fatherless.

This offers a rebuttal to the wicked person who claims God does not see his deeds. That arrogance might come from the assumption God does not exist (Psalm 10:4) or that He is disinterested (Psalm 10:11). David insists that God does see (Psalm 33:13); He grasps every detail of the trouble and grief the wicked inflict on the helpless. The two Hebrew words translated as “mischief and vexation” combine to cover both physical and emotional suffering. God is not only aware of what evil people do; He also knows the anguish it causes.

Despite an evil person’s arrogance, God has the situation under control (Job 42:2). Those who are helpless may trust in Him. In his first epistle to persecuted and exiled Jewish Christians, Peter encourages his readers to cast all their anxieties on God, because He cares for them (1 Peter 5:7). In Romans 8, the apostle Paul assures believers that nothing can separate them from God’s love revealed in Christ Jesus. They can depend on the truth that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

In the ancient era, orphaned children were arguably the weakest, most vulnerable members of society. Also in a difficult position were widows. Speaking of God as one who actively helps the “fatherless” refers to His immense love and care for even the “least” of mankind. The apostle James encourages his readers to practice true religion by “visit[ing] orphans and widows in their affliction” (James 1:27).

Verse 15. Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;call his wickedness to account till you find none.

Still praying for God to punish the wicked, David asks God to break the arm of the wicked and evildoer. This is not simply a graphic or vengeful request: the “arm” represents a person’s power. If his arm is broken, his power is greatly reduced. If God breaks the power of wicked persons, they cannot continue to afflict the helpless.

David prays further for God to expose and judge every evil deed committed by the wicked. He asks God to search the evil person’s life, uncovering every sin, until nothing is left unpunished. This would overthrow the wicked man’s false claim that God is unable or unwilling to deal with sin (Psalm 10:11). Jesus told His disciples: “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17). The wicked will not escape God’s judgment.

Verse 16. The Lord is king forever and ever;the nations perish from his land.

David triumphantly declares that God is the eternal King. This declaration expresses not only David’s confidence in the Lord to vanquish His enemies, but it also declares Israel’s confidence in the Lord.

In the Old Testament, the term “the nations” was often used as a reference to Gentiles: those not part of the nation of Israel. Symbolically, this represents the separation between those who belong to God and those who defy Him. Since God said that certain lands would belong to Israel (Genesis 12:7), David is confident opposing nations would be displaced.

After the Lord destroyed the Egyptian cavalry in the Red Sea, the rescued Hebrews sang praises to the Lord. They declared of the Lord that He stretched out His right hand, and the earth swallowed the Egyptians (Exodus 15:12). They proclaimed, “The LORD will reign forever and ever” (Exodus 15:18).

The eternal nature of God is seen throughout all of Scripture. Revelation 4:8 pictures four living creatures that say day and night, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” This eternal character of God also applies to the Lord Jesus Christ. He states in Revelation 1:8: “I am the Alpha and the Omega…who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Verse 17. O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear

Even when God does not answer immediately, resulting in our frustration (Psalm 10:1), believers can rest in the knowledge that He does, in fact, hear His people. Knowing that God hears us should bring encouragement and strength.

During His ministry on earth, Jesus heard the cries of the poor and afflicted, and He came to their assistance. Reading Scripture in the synagogue in Nazareth, Jesus announced, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18–19).

As the believer’s great high priest, Jesus is available today to provide mercy, grace, and help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14–16). Believers are encouraged to replace all their anxiety with prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to God (Philippians 4:6). In response to prayer is the promise: “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

Verse 18. to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.

Not only will God hear the prayers of the afflicted and encourage them, but He will also bring justice to those who are helpless, abandoned, or abused by others. In ancient cultures, those who were orphaned—the “fatherless”—were incredibly vulnerable, as were widows. Those who are “oppressed” by others includes those abused by authority, government, or others who wield power over them.

Today, many of the Lord’s people suffer injustice and oppression at the hands of their persecutors. Difficult as this is to endure, the situation should not surprise them. Jesus predicted that His followers would experience terrible hardship in the world, but He said, “take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Someday God will make everything right. He will end the injustice and will wipe away every tear from the eyes of the oppressed (Revelation 7:17). When the Lord executes justice, He will punish the wicked, and they will never terrorize anyone again. In the tribulation period, the beast and the false prophet will launch a reign of terror, but their terror will end when the Lord casts them both alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20).

End of Psalm 10

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