Psalms 10:10

10 Their helpless victims are crushed; they collapse, falling prey to the strength of the wicked.

Psalms 10:10 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 10:10

He croucheth [and] humbleth himself
As the lion before he leaps and seizes on his prey, and as the fowler creepeth upon the ground to draw the bird into his net and catch it; so the antichristian beast has two horns like a lamb; though he has the mouth of a lion, and speaks like a dragon, he would be thought to be like the Lamb of God, meek, and lowly, and humble, and therefore calls himself "servus servorum", "the servant of servants"; but his end is,

that the poor may fall by his strong ones;
the word for "poor" is here used, as before observed on ( Psalms 10:8 ) , in the plural number, and is read by the Masorites as two words, though it is written as one, and is by them and other Jewish writers F8 interpreted a multitude, company, or army of poor ones, whose strength is worn out; these weak and feeble ones antichrist causes to fall by his strong ones; either by his strong decrees, cruel edicts, and severe punishments, as by sword, by flame, by captivity and by spoils, ( Daniel 11:33 ) ; or by the kings of the earth and their armies, their mighty men of war, their soldiers, whom he instigates and influences to persecute their subjects, who will not receive his mark in their right hands or foreheads, ( Revelation 13:15-17 ) ( Revelation 17:12 Revelation 17:13 ) . It is very observable, that those persecuted by antichrist are so often in this prophetic psalm called "poor"; and it is also remarkable, that there were a set of men in the darkest times of Popery, and who were persecuted by the Papists, called the "poor" men of Lyons: the whole verse may be rendered and paraphrased thus, "he tears in pieces", that is, the poor, whom he catches in his net; "he boweth himself", as the lion does, as before observed; "that he may fall", or rush upon; with his strong ones, his mighty armies, "upon the multitude of the poor".


FOOTNOTES:

F8 Jarchi, Kimchi, & Ben Melech in loc.

Psalms 10:10 In-Context

8 They wait in a place perfect for ambush; from their hiding places they kill innocent people; their eyes spot those who are helpless.
9 They lie in ambush in secret places, like a lion in its lair. They lie in ambush so they can seize those who suffer! They seize the poor, all right, dragging them off in their nets.
10 Their helpless victims are crushed; they collapse, falling prey to the strength of the wicked.
11 The wicked think to themselves: God has forgotten. God has hidden his face. God never sees anything!
12 Get up, LORD! Get your fist ready, God! Don't forget the ones who suffer!
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