Tehillim 10

1 0 Why standest Thou afar off, Hashem? Why hidest Thou Thyself in times of tzoros?

2 The reshah in his ga’avah (haughtiness) doth persecute the ani (poor, see Zech 9:9 where ani is Moshiach); let them be caught in the devices that they have schemed.

3 For the reshah boasteth of his ta’avat nefesh (soul’s lust), and blesseth the covetous, whom Hashem abhorreth.

4 The reshah, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after Him; Elohim is not in all his thoughts.

5 His ways are always prosperous; Thy mishpatim are on high, out of his sight; as for all his enemies, he sneers at them.

6 He hath said in his lev, I shall not be shaken; throughout all generations I shall never be in trouble.

7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud; under his leshon (tongue) is trouble and iniquity.

8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages; in the places for ambush doth he murder the naki (innocent); his eyes are secretly set against the poor.

9 He 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 reshet.

10 He crouches, and stoops, that the poor may fall by his atzum (might).

11 He hath said in his lev, El hath forgotten; He hideth his face; He will never see it.

12 Arise, Hashem; O El, lift up Thine yad; forget not the aniyim.

13 For why doth the reshah renounce Elohim? He hath said in his lev, Thou wilt not call me to account.

14 Thou hast seen it; for Thou beholdest trouble and ka’as (grief), to requite it with Thy yad; the helpless committeth himself unto Thee; Thou art the Ozer (helper) of the yatom (orphan).

15 Break Thou the zero’a of the reshah and the evil man; call to account his wickedness that would not be found out.

16 Hashem is Melech olam va’ed; the Goyim are perished out of His land.

17 Hashem, Thou hast heard the desire of the aniyim; Thou wilt strengthen their lev, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear;

18 To judge the yatom (orphan) and the oppressed, that enosh of the earth may no more strike terror.

Tehillim 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

The psalmist complains of the wickedness of the wicked. (1-11) He prays to God to appear for the relief of his people. (12-18)

Verses 1-11 God's withdrawings are very grievous to his people, especially in times of trouble. We stand afar off from God by our unbelief, and then complain that God stands afar off from us. Passionate words against bad men do more hurt than good; if we speak of their badness, let it be to the Lord in prayer; he can make them better. The sinner proudly glories in his power and success. Wicked people will not seek after God, that is, will not call upon him. They live without prayer, and that is living without God. They have many thoughts, many objects and devices, but think not of the Lord in any of them; they have no submission to his will, nor aim for his glory. The cause of this is pride. Men think it below them to be religious. They could not break all the laws of justice and goodness toward man, if they had not first shaken off all sense of religion.

Verses 12-18 The psalmist speaks with astonishment, at the wickedness of the wicked, and at the patience and forbearance of God. God prepares the heart for prayer, by kindling holy desires, and strengthening our most holy faith, fixing the thoughts, and raising the affections, and then he graciously accepts the prayer. The preparation of the heart is from the Lord, and we must seek unto him for it. Let the poor, afflicted, persecuted, or tempted believer recollect, that Satan is the prince of this world, and that he is the father of all the ungodly. The children of God cannot expect kindness, truth, or justice from such persons as crucified the Lord of glory. But this once suffering Jesus, now reigns as King over all the earth, and of his dominion there shall be no end. Let us commit ourselves unto him, humbly trusting in his mercy. He will rescue the believer from every temptation, and break the arm of every wicked oppressor, and bruise Satan under our feet shortly. But in heaven alone will all sin and temptation be shut out, though in this life the believer has a foretaste of deliverance.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 10

This psalm in the Septuagint version, and those that follow it, is a part and continuation of the preceding psalm, and makes but one with it; hence in these versions the number of the following psalms differ from others, and what is the eleventh with others is the tenth with them, and so on to the hundred fourteenth and one hundred fifteenth, which also are put into one; but in order to make up the whole number of one hundred and fifty, the hundred sixteenth and the hundred forty seventh are both divided into two; and indeed the subject of this psalm is much the same with the former. Antichrist and antichristian times are very manifestly described; the impiety, blasphemy, and atheism of the man of sin; his pride, haughtiness, boasting of himself, and presumption of security; his persecution of the poor, and murder of innocents, are plainly pointed at; nor does the character of the man of the earth agree to well to any as to him: his times are times of trouble; but at the end of them the kingdom of Christ will appear in great glory, when the Gentiles, the antichristian nations, will perish out of his land, Ps 10:1-11,16,18.