Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 10:5
His ways are always grievous; thy judgments [are] far above out of his sight: [as for] all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
5. His ways &c.] Rather, as R.V., His ways are firm at all times. His plans succeed: he is never harassed by vicissitudes of fortune. Cp. Psa 55:19, Psa 73:3-5; Jer 12:1-2.
thy judgments &c.] God, he thinks, is too far away in heaven to interfere. The possibility of retribution does not enter into his calculations or disturb his equanimity. Cp. Job 22:12 ff.; and contrast the spirit of Psa 18:22.
enemies ] R.V. adversaries. Cp. Psa 6:7, Psa 7:4; Psa 7:6, Psa 8:2.
puffeth at them ] Openly by his gestures expressing his scorn and contempt for them. Cp. ‘snuff,’ Mal 1:13.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
5, 6. The security of the wicked. He fears neither God nor man.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
His ways are always grievous – His paths; his manner of life; his conduct toward God; his dealings with men. The word rendered are grievious, yachiylu – has been variously rendered. The Latin Vulgate renders it, His ways are defiled. So the Septuagint. Coverdale renders it, His ways are always filthy. Prof. Alexander, His ways are firm. So DeWette, Es gelingen seine Wege. Horsley, His ways are confident. This variety in the interpretation arises from the ambiguity of the original word – chul. The meaning of this word, as given by Genesius, is to turn round, to twist, to whirl; and hence:
(1) to dance;
(2) to be whirled, or twisted upon anything;
(3) to twist oneself with pain, or to be in pain;
(4) to bear or bring forth;
(5) to tremble, to quake;
(6) to be strong or stable, as things twisted are.
Hence, he translates this passage, his ways are firm, or stable, that is, all his affairs prosper. But it seems to me plain that this is not the idea in the mind of the psalmist. He is not dwelling on the prosperity of the wicked, or on the result of his conduct, but on his character. In the previous verses he had stated some of the traits in his character, and the subsequent verses continue the description; hence, it is natural that we should expect to find some special feature of his character referred to here, and not that there should be an allusion to the stability of his affairs. It seems to me, therefore, that the exact idea here is, that his ways, or his modes of feelling and conduct were always perverse and forced, and hard; that there was always something tortuous and unnatural about him; that he was not straightforward and honest; that he did not see things as they are, and did not act in a plain and upright manner.
Thy judgments – Thy laws; or, the principles of thy govermnent.
Are far above out of his sight – They are out of the range of his vision. He does not see them. His thoughts grovel on the earth, and he is never elevated in his views so as to see the great principles of truth.
As for all his enemies, he puffeth at them – He treats them with contempt and scorn, as if he had no fear of them, or as if he were entirely confident of his own ability to overcome them. This is an illustration of his pride and self-confidence, for it is the characteristic of the proud and self-confident to boast in this manner. The word rendered puffeth means to breathe, to blow; and the idea here is, that he acted as though he could sweep them away with a breath.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Psa 10:5
Thy judgments are far above, out of his sight.
Mans judgment at variance with Gods
There is an obtuseness and impenetrability that attach to the mind of man respecting the character of moral obligation that prove absolutely invincible to all his powers of meditation and research. This inability is of a moral, not of a natural kind, having its origin not in his natural constitution, but in his adventitious circumstances. The powers of the human mind receive a wrong direction. Reason turns renegade, and to escape a hated conclusion flings itself incontinently into the arms of delusion. It is thus that the stoutest intellect becomes the most impregnable. Numberless are the subterfuges, speculative as well as practical, that are continually held in play by the human mind in order to elude the embarrassment of its untoward circumstances; for there is no middle road to peace once the soul has begun to grapple with the momentous investigation. This obliquity of mind, that likes not to retain the knowledge of God, is the true and only source of all the difficulty that attaches to the reception of religious truth. Truth of this description lies no way more remote from our apprehension than any truth of natural science, till it begins to molest us with the sense of moral obligation, and to make its demands on our acquiescence in the form of duty. Men have not generally disputed much about what is virtue, their approbation of it being required only in the form of encomium. They willingly unite in applauding exemplary specimens of justice, disinterestedness, and generosity, and in the condemnation of their contraries . . . Our consciences ought not to sit so easy under the sins of our country, or even of mankind. That character in man which separates betwixt him and his Maker, and provokes the Divine judgment, also renders the Divine proceeding in judgment more obscure and unintelligible to him. Conclusion: See the indubitable equity, harmony, and consistency of the Divine administration in judgment. (H. Grey, M. A.)
The unseen avengers
On the whole and in the rough, unquestionably sin in this world does not remain unavenged. This is true when society is looked at in the mass; yet in the history of individuals it is constantly found that no such obvious sequence of crime and punishment can be traced. There are plenty of cases in which offenders against the moral law have seemed to get off scot-free. It even almost appears at times as if they were specially favoured in the struggle for existence. Is there some hidden explanation of cases of this kind? The text says, Thy judgments are far above. They are there, unerring in their action, unslumbering in their determination, but they are too great, too solemn and awful for the Psalmists sin-dulled eyes to behold. God has many ways of avenging sin. It may in reality be far worse for a man when he is left for a long while to delight in his sins, when they grow round him and in him, like some choking creeper, some deathly parasite that sucks out the vitality from that which it encircles, leaving at last only the mere semblance of life. Trace the action of these unseen avengers.
I. After the commission of downright, unmistakable sin. There are many sins of the flesh that ought to meet with open punishment from the Divine laws which they violate. Yet obviously ill deeds are often not so chastised. Take the case of secret drinking. There may be exposure. Or the habit grows more dominant. Even if its physical consequences are delayed, a degeneration of spiritual faculties sets in. It becomes increasingly difficult for such persons to see any goodness in their fellow creatures. Tell me not that sin is unavenged when the whole character becomes deteriorated, when the will becomes paralysed, when all impulses for good are rendered impotent and sterile, when blindness has come upon the eyes to all that is fair and glorious and uplifting in the world.
II. Take another instance, that of hypocrisy. The Chadbands and Pecksniffs of humanity, the religious and moral humbugs of the world, how do they fare? Are they always discovered? Hypocrisy is of various degrees. It commences in the bud by timid fear of speaking the truth, and it ends in the full-blown flower of brazen dishonesty and imposture. In this necessary development it is ever finding its dreadful reward. Here, again, the sinner may be unable to understand the doom which has fallen upon him. It is supposed that in past generations the blind fishes of subterranean lakes in America found their organs of sight not required, so nature dropped them out. They may be happy in their blindness, but who would exchange conditions with them? We cannot be untrue to what we know to be right without bringing upon ourselves a like Nemesis. The inevitable punishment of doing a false action is the increased difficulty of either doing or seeing what is true.
III. Worldliness. For the most part the consequences are obvious enough of devotion to the fancies and fashions of a luxurious, indolent society. Folk become weary and jaded. The upper-class world has, too, its seamy side. There are not often open exposures. The decorum of advancing age smooths over everything. In those cynical words, We are all respectable after seventy. The wrong is not done with when forgotten. What if the fires of passion and emulation are only banked in temporarily by the worn-out crust of mortality? They may be ready to flare up in another world. Anyway, their effects ever remain. All that might have been–all wasted, misused, handed over to the powers of evil! How terrible would these pitiable failures show if seen by eyes purged to discover things in their true reality! Worse thought still, may not this deplorable vision of lifes wasted opportunities be forced, branded upon the soul for ever hereafter? (G. Gardner, M. A.)
Judgments of life
In this Psalm David gives one of his emphatic descriptions of the wicked man, and the fate that awaits him. We in our day are apt to think of every bad man as partly good, and of every good man as partly bad; that character is always mingled. Hence good and bad characters do not stand out so clearly before us as they did before David and, I think I may say, as they stood out before Christ. But whilst our perception of the weakness in every mans character is very good, Davids thought is, no doubt, the true one–that there is, after all, in every character determination for right or wrong. The wicked man is he whose face is not away from righteousness and is content with unrighteousness. Now one thing about this man David affirms. Verse 5: Thy judgments are far above, out of his sight. It is so. There are regions of which men never think, in which they are being judged every day. A mans life depends much upon the judgments passed upon him. And if he be content with the lower judgments` relating to his earthly condition, be will pass by all the higher ones, and which are judging all his life. In the heavens there is a long series of thrones, growing whiter and whiter, until the great white throne stands above them all. And the richness and sacredness of a mans life depend on his consciousness of these judgments. The condemnation of the wicked is that he has no such consciousness that Gods judgments are out of his sight. How many of us live in the lower judgments–that of pleasure, or profit, or reputation. And all the time there tower above us these great judgment seats of God. Think of some of them.
I. The universe. As to whether we have found or are finding our own true place in it. There is such place. Are we filling it?
II. Absolute righteousness. That calm abstraction which we call the right, which makes itself known so really in all the operations of the world. It casts us aside for our perversity or it takes us into its embrace.
III. All the pure and noble men. They are forever judging us, not malignantly condemning us, but deciding as each one of us comes into their presence, whether there is any use in us. And above all there is–
IV. The judgment of God. He, knowing us altogether, is judging whether we are capable of receiving Him. He ever seeking us, and we ever either inviting or rejecting His love. That love which beats at the door of our nature is judging us, the judgment of the soul being in the refusal of the offer of God. How dreadful, then, to live with all these judgments out of our sight. Sometimes you see a man, once content, now full of discontent. The world satisfies him no more. He is seeking the higher judgments. Jesus ever sought the judgment of God–to please Him. (Phillips Brooks, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 5. His ways are always grievous] Or, He is travailing in pain to bring forth iniquity at all times. He is full of lust, or irregular and unholy desires; he conceives and brings forth sin; and sin being finished, time, place, and opportunity concurring, death is soon brought forth.
Thy judgments are far above out of his sight] He is so blinded with sin, that he cannot see the operations of God’s hand.
He puffeth at them.] He whistles at them; insults God, and despises men. He overthrows them with his breath; he has only to give orders, and they are destroyed. “Bring me the head of Giaffer,” said an Asiatic despot. The head was immediately brought! No trial, no judge, no jury; but the despot’s will and caprice.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
His ways are always grievous; his whole course and carriage is vexatious to all that are within his reach, but especially to the poor, who cannot right themselves; and to just and good men, whom he hateth and persecuteth. Or, His ways, i.e. his designs and enterprises, at all times are prosperous, or successful, or do bring forth; for this verb signifies, as the pains and trouble, so also the success and comfort, of child-bearing, or the bringing forth children, as Psa 29:9; Isa 54:1; Jer 4:31. And the accomplishment or disappointment of designs is frequently expressed by this metaphor; of which see 2Ki 19:23; Psa 7:14; Isa 59:4, &c. And this sense seems best to suit with the context.
Thy judgments; either,
1. Thy laws, which are oft called judgments. Or rather,
2. Thy threatenings denounced against and punishments inflicted upon sinners.
Are far above out of his sight; either,
1. He doth not feel them; thou removest them far from him; which indulgence of thine is the cause of his insolency. Or rather,
2. He doth not discern, nor regard, nor fear them, nor think of them, but goes on securely and resolvedly in his wicked courses. He hath not so much faith nor reason as to apprehend or consider them, but, like a brute beast, looks only downward to the earth, and minds not things above him. And thus it seems best to agree with the foregoing and following clauses. His devices succeed, and therefore he neither fears Gods judgments, nor the power of his enemies, but fancies his happiness to be unchangeable, as it follows, Psa 10:6.
He puffeth at them, i.e. he despiseth them, being confident that he can blow them away with a breath. This is a gesture of contempt or disdain, both in Scripture, as Psa 12:5; Mal 1:13, and in other authors, as in Plautus; where one speaks thus to a proud and bragging captain, Thou hast blown away whole legions with thy breath, as leaves are blown away by a wind.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
5, 6. Such is his confidence inthe permanence of his way or course of life, that he disregards God’sprovidential government (out of sight, because he will notlook, Isa 26:11), sneers athis enemies, and boasts perpetual freedom from evil.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
His ways are always grievous,…. To God and to his people; or, “his ways cause terror” a, so Aben Ezra; make men fear; as antichrist has made the whole world tremble at him, Re 13:4; or, “his ways are defiled”, as the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin render it; for to him is nothing pure, his mind and conscience being defiled, Tit 1:15; or, “his ways always remain” b; they are always the same, there is no change in them for the better: or they “prosper” c as Jarchi interprets it; and this is sometimes stumbling to the saints,
Jer 12:1;
thy judgments [are] far above, out of his sight: meaning either the laws, statutes, and commandments of God, which are not taken notice of by him; but his own decrees or orders are set in the room of them; or the examples of punishment inflicted on wicked men, as on the old world, on Sodom and Gomorrah, the Egyptians, and other nations; these are not regarded, when they should be a terror to him;
[as for] all his enemies, he puffeth at them; who are the poor saints, and are looked upon by antichrist as feeble creatures, and all their efforts against him and his kingdom are treated with contempt: he blows upon them, and suggests that he can cause them to fall with the breath of his mouth, or strike them down with a straw or a feather; see
Ps 12:6.
a “terrent”, Cocceius. b “Permanent sive perdurant”, Lutherus, Gejerus. c “Prosperantur”, Musculus, Calvin, Ainsworth, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
This strophe, consisting of only three lines, describes his happiness which he allows nothing to disturb. The signification: to be lasting (prop. stiff, strong) is secured to the verb (whence ) by Job 20:21. He takes whatever ways he chooses, they always lead to the desired end; he stands fast, he neither stumbles nor goes astray, cf. Jer 12:1. The Chethb ( ) has no other meaning than that give to it by the Ker (cf. Psa 24:6; Psa 58:8). Whatever might cast a cloud over his happiness does not trouble him: neither the judgments of God, which are removed high as the heavens out of his sight, and consequently do not disturb his conscience (cf. Psa 28:5, Isa 5:12; and the opposite, Psa 18:23), nor his adversaries whom he bloweth upon contemptuously. is the predicate: altissime remota. And , to breathe upon, does not in any case signify: actually to blow away or down (to express which or would be used), but either to “snub,” or, what is more appropriate to Psa 10:5, to blow upon them disdainfully, to puff at them, like in Mal 1:13, and flare rosas (to despise the roses) in Prudentius. The meaning is not that he drives his enemies away without much difficulty, but that by his proud and haughty bearing he gives them to understand how little they interfere with him.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
There is a great diversity of opinion among interpreters respecting the first clause of this verse. The translators of the Septuagint version, thinking the word יחילו, yachilu, which is in the future tense, derived from the root חלל, chalal, which it is not, have rendered it, his ways are defiled. But it is agreed among the Jewish expositors, that it is derived from the root חול, chol. Many among them, however, take it actively for to put one in fear, or to put one to trouble, as if it had been said, The ways of the ungodly are dreadful to the good, and torment them. (203) Some also apply the words to God, reading the sentence thus, His ways come, that is to say, have their course, or prosper at all times. This, however, in my judgment, is too forced. But as this word, in other texts of Scripture, means to be prosperous, I am surprised that there should be any difference of opinion among the learned concerning this passage, when immediately, in the next clause, the prophet clearly shows that he is speaking of the prosperous condition of the ungodly, and the continued course of pleasure which intoxicates them. He not only complains of this their prosperity, but from it he aggravates their guilt, in that they take occasion, from the goodness of God, to harden themselves in their wickedness. I would, therefor explain the verse thus: As they enjoy a continued course of prosperity, they dream that God is bound or plighted to them, and hence they put his judgments far from them; and if any man oppose them, they are confident they can immediately put him down, or dash him to pieces with a puff or breath. Now, we understand the simple meaning of the prophet to be, that the ungodly mock God, taking encouragement from his forbearance; as that base tyrant, Dionysius, because he had a prosperous voyage, after having plundered the temple of Proserpine, (204) boasted that God favored the sacrilegious. (205) Hence it is, that they put far from them the judgments of God.
In the opinion of some, these words, On high are thy judgments before him, mean much the same thing as if the prophet had said, God treats them with too much clemency, and spares them; just as he elsewhere complains of their being exempted from the common afflictions of life. But this interpretation does not so well agree with the words; yea, it appears to be unnatural and forced. The judgments of God then are said to be on high to the ungodly, because, presuming upon the great distance of God from them, (206) they promise themselves not only a truce with death during their whole life, but also an everlasting covenant with it. We see how, by procrastinating the evil day, they harden themselves, and become more and more obstinate in evil; (207) yea, persuading themselves that God is shut up in heaven, as if they had nothing to do with him, they strengthen themselves in the hope of escaping unpunished; (208) as we see them, in Isaiah, (Isa 22:13) jesting at the threatenings of the prophets, saying, “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die.” When the prophets, in order to inspire the people with terror, denounced the dreadful vengeance of God, which was ready to be inflicted upon them, these wicked men cried out that it was all whims or idle stories. God therefore bitterly inveighs against them, because, when he called the people to mourning, ashes, and sackcloth, these mockers encouraged them to minstrelsy and feasting; and at length he swears, “As I live, surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die.” The faithful, indeed, lift up their eyes to heaven to behold the judgments of God; and they are not less afraid of them than if they were just ready to fall upon their heads. The ungodly, on the contrary, despise them, and yet, in order not to be disturbed or tormented with the fear or apprehension of them, they would banish them into heaven; just as the Epicureans, although they did not presume avowedly to deny the existence of a God, yet imagined that he is confined to heaven, where he indulges himself in idleness, without taking any concern about what is done here below. (209) From this infatuation flows their presumptuous confidence of which David speaks, by which they assure themselves of being able to destroy, with a puff or blast alone, all who are enemies to them. The word פוח, phuach, which sometimes signifies to ensnare, is here more properly taken for to puff, or to blow out.
(203) The Greek word which they use is Βεβηλουνται,. Aben Ezra’s rendering is, “His ways always cause terror.”
(204) “ Apres qu’il ent pilld le temple de Proserpine.” — Fr.
(205) Vale. lib. 1, chapter 2.
(206) “ Pource que se confians de la longue distance qui est entre Dieu et eux.” — Fr.
(207) “ Car nous voyons comme delayans le temps, il s’endureissent et obstinent au mal de plus en plus.” — Fr.
(208) “ En l’esperance de jamais ne venir le conte.” — Fr. “In the hope of never being called to account.”
(209) “ Font a croire qu’il est au ciel, on il se donne du bon temps sans se soucier de ce qu’il se fait yci bas.” — Fr.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(5) His ways are always grievous.Better, his enterprises always succeed. This meaning is obtained from Job. 20:21, nothing escaped his covetousness, therefore his prospering shall not last, and from the cognate of the verb strength. Perhaps, however, his ways are always strong implies only the bold and reckless course with which a tyrant pursues his end. (Comp. Psa. 73:12.)
Thy judgments . . . .Literally, a height thy judgments far above him. (Comp. Psa. 36:6.)
Puffethi.e., in scorn. (Comp. Psa. 12:5.) South uses the word in this sense, It is really to defy heaven to puff at damnation, and bid omnipotence do its work. It is especially forcible after the description of the haughty attitude of the wicked, with his nose high in the air, snorting out contempt against his foes, disdaining God and man alike.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
5. Grievous Rather, firm, sure, prosperous, as the true etymology would give it. See Hebrew of Job 20:21. This also agrees with what follows.
Thy judgments are far above out of his sight Divine judgments are delayed. God suffers the plans of “the wicked,” for a time, to succeed, and as retribution is beyond the reach of his sensible vision, he seems to himself to be prosperous and safe.
His enemies, he puffeth at them An expression of scorn. He treats all opposition with contempt and derision.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Psa 10:5. His ways are always grievous “Are always inclined to mischief. Thy judgments, the vengeance and punishment with which thou threatenest those sorts of crimes, are far above, as if they rested above in the heavens, and would never come down upon earth, out of his sight:” i.e. he never represents them to his mind, but, as much as is possible for him, banishes all thoughts of them.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Psa 10:5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments [are] far above out of his sight: [as for] all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
Ver. 5. His ways are always grievous ] As he pleaseth not God, so he is contrary and vexatious to men, Viae eius semper terrent, so Aben Ezra. The psalmist here noteth him for such a one as the Cyclopes are set forth to have been by the poets.
Thy judgments are far above out of his sight
As for all his enemies, he puffeth at them
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Psa 10:5-11
5His ways prosper at all times;
Your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them.
6He says to himself, I will not be moved;
Throughout all generations I will not be in adversity.
7His mouth is full of curses and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is mischief and wickedness.
8He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the hiding places he kills the innocent;
His eyes stealthily watch for the unfortunate.
9He lurks in a hiding place as a lion in his lair;
He lurks to catch the afflicted;
He catches the afflicted when he draws him into his net.
10He crouches, he bows down,
And the unfortunate fall by his mighty ones.
11He says to himself, God has forgotten;
He has hidden His face; He will never see it.
Psa 10:5-11 This strophe describes the seeming unfairness of life. The wicked prosper and the righteous suffer! The same issue is addressed in the book of Job, Psalms 73, and Habakkuk. The wicked are characterized as:
1. prospers at all times the verb (BDB 298 II, KB 311, Qal imperfect) is lit. be firm, but is used in the sense of wealth, cf. Gen 34:29; Num 31:9; Deu 8:17-18; Job 5:5; Job 15:29; Job 20:15; Job 20:18; Job 31:25; Psa 49:6; Psa 49:10; Psa 62:10; Psa 73:12; Isa 8:4; Isa 10:14; Isa 30:6; Isa 60:5; Isa 61:6; Mic 4:13
2. snorts at his adversaries BDB 806, KB 916, Hiphil imperfect, this sense is found only here but the word is often used of liars in Proverbs (cf. Pro 6:19; Pro 14:5; Pro 14:25; Pro 19:5; Pro 19:9)
3. I shall not be moved BDB 556, KB 555, Niphal imperfect meaning my situation of prosperity and safety will never be changed
4. his mouth is full of (i.e., the mouth reveals the heart; Paul quotes this verse in his litany of OT texts that reveal the universality of human sin, cf. Rom 3:14)
a. curses
b. deceit
c. oppression
d. mischief
e. wickedness
5. he ambushes the innocent like a wild animal (cf. Psa 10:8-10; Lam 3:10-11)
6. he believes and asserts the very words of the psalmist from Psa 10:1. God is absent and irrelevant! The psalmist’s words were a cry of faith, but these are the assertions of an unbeliever (cf. Psa 39:1-2).
Psa 10:5 b This line of poetry refers to God as far away and irrelevant (cf. Psa 10:4 b,11).
Psa 10:8 villages This does not seem to fit the context. NJB changes the vowels to of the rushes (UBS Text Project, p. 174, gives village a B rating, meaning some doubt). The NET Bible translates it as near the villages (MT, in the villages).
NASB, REBunfortunate
NASB marginpoor
NKJV, NRSVhelpless
JPSOAhapless
LXXneedy
This adjective (BDB 319, KB 319) occurs only in this chapter in the Psalms, and only three times in all the OT. I think all three uses refer to a person being attacked.
Fuente: You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series by Bob Utley
sight = ken. [perception]
enemies = adversaries.
puffeth at = despiseth.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 10:5-6
Psa 10:5-6
“His ways are firm at all times;
Thy judgments are far above out of his sight:
As for all his adversaries, he puffeth at them.
He says in his heart, I shall not be moved;
To all generations I shall not be in adversity.”
These verses are still describing the character, attitude, and thought-patterns of wicked men. The knowledge of God’s judgments is not in them. They live on an utterly different plateau from that of godly and righteous people.
The wicked man does not change his plans but with relentless determination moves toward his carnal goals in which, “He seems to prosper in all of them.
“He puffeth at them.” This conveys the thought of scorn and contempt. “Nothing more clearly shows the pride and atheism of the human heart,” than does the attitude described in Psa 10:6. Such conceited sons of the devil are convinced that they themselves are in charge of everything: no illness shall overtake them, no war, no pestilence, no revolution, no earthquake, no flood, no volcano, no stroke of lightning, no depression, no drought, no failure or betrayal by one whom they have trusted, nothing, absolutely nothing shall stand in their way for generations and generations to come. Even a fool should have more judgment than to indulge such a conceited opinion.
E.M. Zerr:
Psa 10:5. David was describing a man who combined pride with other forms of wickedness in his life. The ways or conduct of such a man would always be grievous to the Lord. One reason such a person ignores the righteous judgments of God is his determination to persecute those whom he regards as his enemies. Puffeth means to scoff which is a coward’s method for opposing that which he cannot meet otherwise.
Psa 10:6. Wealth and other worldly advantages have the effect of making wicked men vain. They form conclusions of their own importance that make them feel secure.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
His: Gen 6:12, Pro 1:19, Pro 2:13, Pro 2:15, Isa 10:1, Hos 9:9, Rom 3:16
thy judgments: Psa 92:5, Psa 92:6, Pro 15:24, Pro 24:1, Isa 5:12, Isa 26:11, Isa 28:15, Isa 42:25, Hos 14:9
he puffeth: Psa 12:5, Jdg 9:27, Jdg 9:38, 2Sa 5:6, 1Ki 20:10, 1Ki 20:11, 1Ki 20:13
Reciprocal: 2Ch 18:26 – until I return Psa 19:9 – judgments Psa 28:5 – Because Psa 58:9 – as Pro 19:28 – scorneth Pro 24:7 – too Isa 33:8 – he regardeth Isa 47:8 – I shall not Jer 43:2 – all the Dan 11:6 – retain 1Co 13:4 – vaunteth not itself
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Psa 10:5. His ways are always grievous The whole course of his conduct is vexatious to all that are within his reach, but especially to the poor, who cannot defend themselves, and to just and good men, whom he hates and persecutes. Thy judgments Either thy laws, which are often called judgments, or rather, thy threatenings denounced against, and punishments inflicted upon, sinners; are far above out of his sight He neither discerns, nor regards, nor fears, nor thinks of them, but goes on securely and resolutely in his wicked courses. In other words, though all his actions tend to molest and injure his neighbours, and he is always bringing forth some mischief or other, yet that thou wilt judge him for it, is the furthest thing from his thoughts. As for all his enemies, he puffeth at them He doth not regard or fear them; yea, he despises them, being confident that he can blow them away with a breath. This is an expression of contempt and disdain, both in Scripture and other authors.