Psalms 10:15

15 Break the power of wicked and evil people; punish them for the wrong they have done until they do it no more.

Psalms 10:15 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 10:15

Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil [man]
His power and strength, so that he shall not be able to hold the sword, to strike a blow, or do any hurt to the people of God; see ( Ezekiel 30:21-25 ) . This prayer is in some measure already fulfilled in antichrist, the man of sin, or pope of Rome; though his kingdom is not broke to pieces; as it will be when Christ's kingdom shall be more visibly set up, to which reference is had in ( Psalms 10:16 ) ; see ( Daniel 2:44 ) ; yet his strength is weakened, his arm is broken, he has not the power he had, nor can he tyrannise and do the mischief he once did: "but as [for] the evil man" {m}, for so the words should be read, there being an "athnach" under the word "wicked", which ends the proposition there:

seek out his wickedness [till] thou find none;
which designs a thorough search after sin, full punishment of it, and the entire ruin and destruction of the wicked; and the sense is, that God would make a strict inquiry into the wickedness of the man of sin, which he promised himself he would not, ( Psalms 10:13 ) ; and that he would punish him and his followers to the uttermost for it, until there should not be one of the antichristian party found upon earth; with which sense agrees ( Psalms 10:16 ) ; see ( Psalms 104:35 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F13 (erw) "improbum quod attinet, requiras" Gejerus; so Michaelis.

Psalms 10:15 In-Context

13 How can the wicked despise God and say to themselves, "He will not punish me"?
14 But you do see; you take notice of trouble and suffering and are always ready to help. The helpless commit themselves to you; you have always helped the needy.
15 Break the power of wicked and evil people; punish them for the wrong they have done until they do it no more.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever. Those who worship other gods will vanish from his land.
17 You will listen, O Lord, to the prayers of the lowly; you will give them courage.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.