Psalms 10:2-12

2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined .
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous , whom the LORD abhorreth .
4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
5 His ways are always grievous ; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies , he puffeth at them.
6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved : for I shall never be in adversity.
7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily 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 net.
10 He croucheth , and humbleth himself, that the poor * may fall by his strong ones.
11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten : he hideth his face; he will never see it.
12 Arise , O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble * .

Psalms 10:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Footnotes 6

  • [a]. The wicked...: Heb. In the pride of the wicked he doth persecute
  • [b]. hearts: Heb. souls
  • [c]. never: Heb. unto generation and generation
  • [d]. deceit: Heb. deceits
  • [e]. secretly: Heb. in the secret places
  • [f]. humble: or, afflicted
The King James Version is in the public domain.