Bible Commentary

Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil [man]: seek out his wickedness [till] thou find none. 15. Break &c.] Paralyse his power to do mischief. Cp. Psa 37:17; Job 38:15. of the wicked and the evil man] So the ancient versions, taking the most obvious division of the words. R.V. follows the … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 10:15”

Thou hast seen [it]; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite [it] with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless. 14. Stanza of Resh, consisting of one long verse. Originally in all probability there were two verses, as in the other alphabetic stanzas. Thou hast seen … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 10:14”

Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require [it]. 13. Why, urges the Psalmist in support of his appeal, has God so long tolerated the blasphemies of the wicked man ( Psa 10:3-4), and by inaction let Himself be misunderstood? The verbs are in the perfect tense, … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 10:13”

Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble. 12. Arise ] The usual summons to action. Cp. Psa 3:7, Psa 7:6 (notes); Psa 9:19. O God ] El, as in Psa 10:11. lift up thine hand ] The attitude of action. Cp. similar phrases in Psa 138:7; Exo 7:5; Mic … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 10:12”

He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see [it]. 11. He saith in his heart, God ( El) hath forgotten: He hath hidden his face; he hath not seen nor ever will. Experience, he thinks, confirms the assumption from which he started ( Psa 10:4), that … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 10:11”

He croucheth, [and] humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones. 10. We may render with R.V. He croucheth, he boweth down, And the helpless fall by his strong ones. An obscure verse. According to the rendering of the R.V., which follows the traditional reading ( Qr), the figure of the lion … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 10:10”

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. 9. Render: He lieth in ambush in the secret place as a lion in his lair; He lieth in ambush to catch the poor: … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 10:9”

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. 8. He coucheth in ambush in the villages: In the secret places doth he murder the innocent, His eyes watch privily for the helpless. The unwalled villages would be … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 10:8”

His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue [is] mischief and vanity. 7. His sins of tongue; cursing, which may include both malicious imprecation (Job 31:30, R.V.) and perjury (Psa 59:12: Hos 4:2): deceits, the plural, as in Psa 38:12, expressing their abundance and variety: oppression (Psa 55:11, Psa 72:14), … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 10:7”

He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for [I shall] never [be] in adversity. 6. He hath said ] R.V. he saith, and so in Psa 10:11 ; Psa 10:13. He presumes in his carnal self-confidence to use language which the righteous man employs in faithful dependence upon God (Psa 16:8, … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Psalms 10:6”