Psalm 10:2

2 While the ungodly one acts proudly, the poor is hotly pursued: the wicked are taken in the crafty counsels which they imagine.

Psalm 10:2 Meaning and Commentary

Psalms 10:2

The wicked in [his] pride doth persecute the poor
The "poor" is the good and gracious man, who is commonly poor in this world's things, and is sensibly poor in spirit, or sensible of his spiritual poverty; or he is so called because "afflicted", as the word signifies; and he is afflicted because he is poor: these two characters generally go together. The "wicked" man is the wicked one, the lawless one, the man of sin, and son of perdition, antichrist, the great persecutor of Christ's poor saints and faithful witnesses, more or less, ever since he has been in power; and which arises from the "pride" of his heart, not bearing that any should refuse to pay homage to him, contradict his will, or dissent from him. The word ^F19 signifies to follow after, to pursue, as Jarchi, Aben Ezra, Kimchi, and Ben Melech, interpret it; and "to pursue hotly", as it is rendered in ( Genesis 31:36 ) ; and denotes the vehemence and heat of his wrath and fury, with which antichrist persecutes the followers of the Lamb; hence persecution is compared to the heat of the sun, ( Matthew 13:6 Matthew 13:21 ) ; Some render the words, "through the pride of the wicked the poor is burned", or "the poor burns" ^F20: which may be understood either literally, of the burning of the martyrs of Jesus by antichrist, as here in Queen Mary's days; and which was foretold, that some of the saints should fall by flame, as well as by sword, captivity, and spoil; and to which that part of the description of Christ answers, whose feet are said to be like fine brass, as if it burned in a furnace; and which is prefaced to the epistle to the church at Thyatira, which is an emblem of the apostate church: see ( Daniel 11:33 ) ( Revelation 1:15 ) ( 2:18 ) ; or figuratively, of the poor saints burning with grief at the pride and wickedness of the man of sin, and with zeal for the honour and glory of God; see ( 2 Corinthians 11:29 ) ( Song of Solomon 8:6 ) ( Psalms 69:9 ) ;

let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined:
we read the words as a petition; and so the sense is, let the wicked persecutors be taken in the wicked and crafty schemes which they have devised for the hurt of others, as they are, or will be; see ( Psalms 9:15 Psalms 9:16 ) . But the psalmist is not yet come to petitions, nor does he until ( Psalms 10:12 ) ; but is all along describing the wickedness of the wicked one. It seems better therefore to render the words as do the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions, "they are taken in the devices that they have imagined": and the meaning is, that the poor, who are persecuted by the wicked, are taken by their crafty schemes they lay for them, as Jarchi interprets it, and are put to death by them. So these words show the issue and event of persecution: and this sense best agrees with the boasted success of the wicked man ( Psalms 10:3 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 (qldy) "fervide persequitur", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "ferventer", Gejerus; so Ainsworth.
F20 "Incenditur", V. L. "ardet", Tigurine version, Muis, Cocceius.

Psalm 10:2 In-Context

1 Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why dost thou overlook us in times of need, in affliction?

2 While the ungodly one acts proudly, the poor is hotly pursued: the wicked are taken in the crafty counsels which they imagine.

3 Because the sinner praises himself for the desires of his heart; and the unjust one blesses himself.

4 The sinner has provoked the Lord: according to the abundance of his pride he will not seek after him: God is not before him.

5 His ways are profane at all times; thy judgments are removed from before him: he will gain the mastery over all his enemies.

6 For he has said in his heart, I shall not be moved, continuing without evil from generation to generation.

7 Whose mouth is full of cursing, and bitterness, and fraud: under his tongue are trouble and pain.

8 He lies in wait with rich men in secret places, in order to slay the innocent: his eyes are set against the poor.

9 He lies in wait in secret as a lion in his den: he lies in wait to ravish the poor, to ravish the poor when he draws him after him: he will bring him down in his snare.

10 He will bow down and fall when he has mastered the poor.

11 For he has said in his heart, God has forgotten: he has turned away his face so as never to look.

12 Arise, O Lord God; let thy hand be lifted up: forget not the poor.

13 Wherefore, has the wicked provoked God? for he has said in his heart, He will not require it.

14 Thou seest it; for thou dost observe trouble and wrath, to deliver them into thy hands: the poor has been left to thee; thou wast a helper to the orphan.

15 Break thou the arm of the sinner and wicked man: his sin shall be sought for, and shall not be found.

16 The Lord shall reign for ever, even for ever and ever: ye Gentiles shall perish out his land.

17 The Lord has heard the desire of the poor: thine ear has inclined to the preparation of their heart;

18 to plead for the orphan and afflicted, that man may no more boast upon the earth.