Psalms 10

A Prayer Against the Wicked

¹Why do you stand far off, LORD? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

²In arrogance, the wicked hunt down the weak. They are caught in the schemes that they devise.

³For the wicked boasts of his heart’s cravings. He blesses the greedy and condemns the LORD.

⁴The wicked, in the pride of his face, has no room in his thoughts for God.

⁵His ways are prosperous at all times. He is arrogant, and your laws are far from his sight. As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them.

⁶He says in his heart, “I shall not be shaken. For generations I shall have no trouble.”

⁷His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression. Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.

⁸He lies in wait near the villages. From ambushes, he murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly set against the helpless.

⁹He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush. He lies in wait to catch the helpless. He catches the helpless when he draws him in his net.

¹⁰The helpless are crushed. They collapse. They fall under his strength.

¹¹He says in his heart, “God has forgotten. He hides his face. He will never see it.”

¹²Arise, LORD! God, lift up your hand! Don’t forget the helpless.

¹³Why does the wicked person condemn God, and say in his heart, “God won’t call me into account”?

¹⁴But you do see trouble and grief. You consider it to take it into your hand. You help the victim and the fatherless.

¹⁵Break the arm of the wicked. As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none.

¹⁶The LORD is King forever and ever! The nations will perish out of his land.

¹⁷LORD, you have heard the desire of the humble. You will prepare their heart. You will cause your ear to hear,

¹⁸to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that man who is of the earth may terrify no more.

Previous Psalms 9

Next Psalms 11

Psalm 10 is a lament that questions why God seems absent while the wicked prosper and oppress the helpless. The psalmist vividly describes the arrogance and violence of those who reject God, believing they can act without consequence. The psalm transitions from complaint to confident petition, affirming God's sovereignty and calling upon Him to defend the vulnerable and judge the wicked.

Context

This psalm continues the themes of righteous suffering found in Psalm 9, with which it may have originally formed a single acrostic poem.

Key Themes

Outline

1-2
Why Does God Seem Absent? The psalmist questions God's apparent distance during times when the wicked prey upon the weak.
3-11
Portrait of the Wicked A detailed description of the arrogant mindset and predatory behavior of those who reject God and oppress the innocent.
12-15
Urgent Appeal for Justice The psalmist calls upon God to arise and act decisively against the wicked who assume God will not hold them accountable.
16-18
Confidence in God's Reign The psalm concludes with affirmation of God's eternal kingship and His commitment to defend the oppressed.

A Prayer Against the Wicked

10:1–10:18

poetry prayer urgent

A lament questioning why God seems distant while the wicked prosper and oppress the helpless. The psalm calls for divine intervention and affirms God's eternal kingship and care for the humble.

theme_rarity

Pride and divine protection appear together in only two biblical passages, making Psalm 10's juxtaposition of the wicked's arrogance with God's sheltering of the humble exceptionally rare.

Insight Rare Theme

Pride and divine protection appear together in only two biblical passages, making Psalm 10's juxtaposition of the wicked's arrogance with God's sheltering of the humble exceptionally rare.