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Psalm Ten
New King James Version (NKJV)
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
Psalm 10:1.
Psalm 10:1 Why
do You stand afar off
O Lord?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
YLT
1Why
Jehovah
dost Thou
stand at a distance? Thou dost hide in times of adversity
Why standest thou afar off
O Lord?.... This psalm begins
with a complaint which proceeds on two general heads; the one is with respect
to God
his distance from his people
and desertion of them in times of
trouble
in this verse; and the other is with respect to the wicked in some
following ones. God by his infinite essence and power is everywhere
and is
never far off from any of his creatures; and though his glorious presence is in
heaven
which
with respect to us on earth
is a land afar off
yet this
hinders not but that there is often great nearness between God and his people;
and when he stands afar off from them in their apprehensions
it is when he
withdraws his gracious presence from them
and defers help and assistance to
them
and does not immediately and directly come and visit them: this they
cannot bear
they complain; they wonder that
seeing they are the objects of
his love
this should be his manner of conduct towards them; they expostulate
with him
and inquire for what end and upon what account he should so use them
and most earnestly desire that he would haste and come unto them and help them;
see Psalm 22:1;
why hidest thou thyself
in times of trouble? when God seems to take no notice of his people
does not look
upon them
but turns a deaf ear to them
he is said to hide his face
his eyes
and ears
from them: and this is sometimes the case of the best of saints
as
it has been of Job
David
Heman
and others; and though this is done in a
sovereign way by God
who comes and goes when he pleases; for sensible communion
with him as much depends upon his sovereign pleasure as the gift of his grace
itself does; yet
generally speaking
the denial or withdrawing of his gracious
presence is by way of resentment for some disagreeable conduct and behaviour of
his people; and is consistent with his everlasting and unchangeable love to
them
but is what fills them with grief and sorrow; nor can they: forbear
making mournful complaints upon it; and this is aggravated when it is a time of
trouble with them
either of soul trouble
by reason of the prevalence of
unbelief
and the force of Satan's temptations; or of bodily affliction; though
times of trouble here seem to design times of persecution
as may be concluded
from the connection of these words with the following; and antichristian times
are times of persecution: during the reign of antichrist
in which he is
suffered to make war with the saints and overcome them; and during the church's
being in the wilderness the space of one thousand two hundred and sixty days or
years
God may seem to stand at a distance
and to hide himself from her.
Psalm 10:2 2 The wicked in his
pride persecutes the poor; Let them be caught in the plots which they have
devised.
YLT
2Through the pride of the
wicked
Is the poor inflamed
They are caught in devices that they devised.
The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor
.... The
"poor" is the good and gracious man
who is commonly poor in this
world's things
and is sensibly poor in spirit
or sensible of his spiritual
poverty; or he is so called because "afflicted"
as the word
signifies; and he is afflicted because he is poor: these two characters
generally go together. The "wicked" man is the wicked one
the
lawless one
the man of sin
and son of perdition
antichrist
the great persecutor
of Christ's poor saints and faithful witnesses
more or less
ever since he has
been in power; and which arises from the "pride" of his heart
not
bearing that any should refuse to pay homage to him
contradict his will
or
dissent from him. The wordF19ידלק
"fervide persequitur"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator;
"ferventer"
Gejerus; so Ainsworth. signifies to follow after
to
pursue
as Jarchi
Aben Ezra
Kimchi
and Ben Melech
interpret it; and
"to pursue hotly"
as it is rendered in Genesis 31:36; and denotes the vehemence
and heat of his wrath and fury
with which antichrist persecutes the followers
of the Lamb; hence persecution is compared to the heat of the sun
Matthew 13:6; Some render the words
"through the pride of the wicked the poor is burned"
or "the
poor burns"F20"Incenditur"
V. L. "ardet"
Tigurine version
Muis
Cocceius. : which may be understood either literally
of the burning of the martyrs of Jesus by antichrist
as here in Queen Mary's
days; and which was foretold
that some of the saints should fall by flame
as
well as by sword
captivity
and spoil; and to which that part of the
description of Christ answers
whose feet are said to be like fine brass
as if
it burned in a furnace; and which is prefaced to the epistle to the church at
Thyatira
which is an emblem of the apostate church: see Daniel 11:33; or figuratively
of the poor
saints burning with grief at the pride and wickedness of the man of sin
and
with zeal for the honour and glory of God; see 2 Corinthians 11:29
Song of Solomon 8:6;
let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined: we read the
words as a petition; and so the sense is
let the wicked persecutors be taken
in the wicked and crafty schemes which they have devised for the hurt of
others
as they are
or will be; see Psalm 9:15. But the psalmist is not yet
come to petitions
nor does he until Psalm 10:12; but is all along describing
the wickedness of the wicked one. It seems better therefore to render the words
as do the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions
"they are taken in the
devices that they have imagined": and the meaning is
that the poor
who
are persecuted by the wicked
are taken by their crafty schemes they lay for
them
as Jarchi interprets it
and are put to death by them. So these words
show the issue and event of persecution: and this sense best agrees with the
boasted success of the wicked man Psalm 10:3.
Psalm 10:3 3 For the wicked boasts of
his heart’s desire; He blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord.
YLT
3Because the wicked hath
boasted Of the desire of his soul
And a dishonest gainer he hath blessed
He
hath despised Jehovah.
For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire
.... As
antichrist does of his universal power over all bishops and princes
which his
heart was long desiring after; of his being Christ's vicar
Peter's successor
and head of the church; and of having power in heaven
earth
and hell: he
boasts of his wealth and riches
of the righteousness and merits of saints
of
works of supererogation
a stock of which he pretends to have in his hands to
dispense to others: he boasts of his own holiness and infallibility
and of
miracles
signs
and lying wonders done by his creatures
and of his great
success in destroying those that oppose him; see Revelation 18:7. The words may be rendered
"the wicked praiseth himself for the desire of his heart"F21כי הלל רשע
על תאות נפשו
"nam laudat improbus animam suam in desiderio ipsius"
Junius &
Tremellius; so Michaelis.
so the Chaldee paraphrase; to which agrees Jarchi's
gloss
"wicked
Esau praiseth himself
because he hath obtained the desire of his soul:'
and
thus it is usual for proud
haughty
wicked men
as the Assyrian monarch
Nebuchadnezzar
and so the man of sin
to ascribe whatsoever they have or do to
their own power and prudence; see Isaiah 10:12
Daniel 4:30. Or they may be rendered
"he praiseth the wicked for his heart's desire"F23"Quoniam
laudat ipsium pro desiderio animi sui"
Tigurine version. ; or for his
lusts
for his indulging them: for a wicked man not only delights in committing
sin himself
but he also takes pleasure in those that do it; and some of the
antichristian party have even wrote in commendation of the most unnatural
lusts;
and blesseth the covetous
whom the Lord abhorreth: the covetous
man is one that makes no use of what he has but for himself; and oftentimes
withholds that which is meet from himself
as well as from others; and who
makes use of unlawful ways to get
retain
and increase wealth
and is never
satisfied: such an one God abhors
because he is an idolater
he has other gods
before him; he worships his gold
be sets his affection on it
places his
confidence in it
and expects protection and security from it
to a neglect of
divine Providence; and yet the wicked man blesses him
calls his covetousness
frugality and good husbandry; ascribes what he has to his diligence
care
and
industry
and bestows gifts upon him. The words may be rendered
"the
covetous man blesses himself"F24ובוצע
ברך "et avarus benedicit sibi"
Piscator;
so Ainsworth. ; with the good things he has laid up for many years; he
pronounces himself blessed
and promises himself a great deal of happiness
in
futurity; and ascribes all he has to his own hands. Or
"the covetous man
curses
he abhors the Lord"F25"Avarus maledicit sive
blasphemat Jehovam"
Tarnovius
Hammond; so some in Michaelis. ; for the
same word in the Hebrew language signifies to bless and curse
Job 1:5
which Aben Ezra on the place
observes; and it is applicable enough to antichrist
who opens his mouth in
blasphemy against God
to blaspheme his name
his tabernacle
and them that
dwell in heaven; see Revelation 13:6.
Psalm 10:4 4 The wicked in his proud
countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts.
YLT
4The wicked according to the
height of his face
inquireth not. `God is not!' [are] all his devices.
The wicked
through the pride of his countenance
will not seek after
God
.... We supply it
"after God"; as do the Targum and
Kimchi on the place: the sense is
he will not seek to God for counsel or
assistance
he will not pray unto him; which is the character of every
unregenerate man
Romans 3:11; or
he will not inquire into
the will of God
to know what is right or what is wrong
but will do what seems
best in his own eyes: and this arises from the pride of his heart
which shows
itself in his countenance
in his proud and haughty look. It is said of the
little horn
who is antichrist
that he has a look more stout than his fellows
Daniel 7:20. The words may be rendered
"the wicked inquires not into the height of his anger"; so Ainsworth
observes; that is
of God's anger; he is not concerned about it; he neither
fears God nor regards men. Jarchi's sense of the words is
"all
his thoughts say unto him
God will not inquire into everything that I shall
do
for there is no judgment.'
God is not in all his thoughts; nor in any of
them
for they are evil continually; and if he does at any time think of him
his thoughts of him are wrong; he thinks he is altogether such an one as
himself: or
"all his thoughts are
there is no God"F26אין אלהים כל
מזמותיו "non Deus
omnes cogitationes
ejus"
Montanus
Vatablus
Muis; "nullum esse Deum hae sunt omnes
cogitationes ejus"
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Ainsworth. : though
he does not choose to say so
he thinks so; at least
he wishes it may be so;
and he works himself into such impiety and atheism as to deny the providence of
God
and thinks that he does not govern the world
nor concern himself with
what is done below; that he takes no notice of men's actions
nor will call
them to an account for them; and that there will be no future state or
judgment
in which secret as well as open things will be made manifest: or
as
the Chaldee paraphrase glosses it
"that all his thoughts are not manifest
before the Lord".
Psalm 10:5 5 His ways are always
prospering; Your judgments are far above
out of his sight; As for
all his enemies
he sneers at them.
YLT
5Pain do his ways at all
times
On high [are] Thy judgments before him
All his adversaries -- he
puffeth at them.
His ways are always grievous
.... To God and to his
people; or
"his ways cause terror"F1יחילו
"terrent"
Cocceius.
so Aben Ezra; make men fear; as antichrist has
made the whole world tremble at him
Revelation 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
Titus 1:15; or
"his ways always
remain"F2"Permanent sive perdurant"
Lutherus
Gejerus. ; they are always the same
there is no change in them for the better:
or they "prosper"F3"Prosperantur"
Musculus
Calvin
Ainsworth
Piscator. as Jarchi interprets it; and this is sometimes
stumbling to the saints
Jeremiah 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 Psalm 12:6.
Psalm 10:6 6 He has said in his heart
“I shall not be moved; I shall never be in adversity.”
YLT
6He hath said in his heart
`I am not moved
' To generation and generation not in evil.
He hath said in his heart
.... To and within himself
he thought in his own mind; for the thought is the word or speech of the mind
λογος ενδιαυετος;
I shall not be moved; from his prosperous and
happy condition
abounding: with riches and honours; from his seat of empire
over kings
princes
and the nations of the world; flattering himself that it
would never be otherwise with him than it is: even "to generation and
generation"
I shall not be moved; so the words may be rendered;
for I shall never be in adversity
or "in
evil"F4ברע "in malo"
Montanus
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator
Cocceius
Gejerus; so Ainsworth. :
meaning either the evil of sin; so asserting his innocence
wiping himself
clean of all iniquity
claiming to himself the title of "holiness"
itself
and the character of infallibility; giving out that he is impeccable
and cannot err; when he is not only almost
but altogether
in all evil; and is
ο ανομος
the lawless
and wicked one
the man of sin
who is nothing but sin itself. The Targum
paraphrases the whole thus; "I shall not be moved from generation to
generation from doing evil"; and so it is a boast of impiety
and that
none can restrain him from it
no one having a superior power over him; see Psalm 12:4. Or the evil of affliction
or
calamity; wherefore we render it "adversity"
so Jarchi and Aben Ezra
understand it: the note of the former is
"evil
shall not come upon me in my generation
'
or
for ever; and the latter compares it with Numbers 11:15; Kimchi and Ben Melech
interpret it of long life. It is a vaunt of antichrist
promising himself a
continuance of his grandeur
ease
peace
and prosperity; in which he will be
wretchedly disappointed. The language and sense are much the same with that of
the antichristian Babylon
Revelation 18:7.
Psalm 10:7 7 His mouth is full of
cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is trouble and
iniquity.
YLT
7Of oaths his mouth is full
And deceits
and fraud: Under his tongue [is] perverseness and iniquity
His mouth is full of cursing
.... Or
"he has
filled his mouth with cursing"F5אלה פיהו מלא. God and good men
his
superiors
himself and others. The word signifies "an oath"; and may
design either a profane oath
taking the name of God in vain; or an oath on a
civil account
a false oath
taken with a design to defraud and deceive others
as follows
and intends perjury; and this
as applicable to antichrist
regards
his mouth speaking great things and blasphemies against God
and uttering
curses and anathemas against the saints
Revelation 13:5;
and deceit and fraud; such as flattery and
lying
which are both used by him with an intention to impose upon and deceive.
The apostle
in Romans 3:14; renders both these words by
one
"bitterness"; which may be said of sin in general
which is a
very bitter thing; though it is rolled as a sweet morsel in the mouth of a
wicked man
yet in the issue it is bitterness to him: and it is applicable to
sinful words
which are bitter in their effects to those against whom they are
spoken
or who are deceived and imposed upon by them: and
as they refer to
antichrist
may have respect to the lies in hypocrisy spoken by him
and to the
deceitfulness of unrighteousness
by which he works upon those that perish
1 Timothy 4:2;
under his tongue is mischief and vanity; alluding to
serpents
who have little bags of poison under their teeth; see Psalm 140:3; Kimchi and Ben Melech observe
that the heart is under the tongue
being lower than it
and so denotes the
wickedness which that is full of
and devises continually
and is latent in it
until discovered; and is mischievous iniquity
injurious to God
and the honour
of his law
and to fellow creatures; and especially to the saints
whose
persons
characters
and estates
are aimed at; but in the issue it is all
vanity
and a fruitless attempt
being blasted by God
and overruled for good
to him; see Isaiah 54:17;
Psalm 10:8 8 He sits in the lurking
places of the villages; In the secret places he murders the innocent; His eyes
are secretly fixed on the helpless.
YLT
8He doth sit in an ambush of
the villages
In secret places he doth slay the innocent. His eyes for the
afflicted watch secretly
He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages
.... Which
were by the wayside
where thieves and robbers harboured
and out of which they
came
and robbed passengers as they came by. The wordF6חצרים αυλας
Symmachus in Drusius; "atriorum"
Munster; so Hammond
Ainsworth
& Michaelis. signifies "palaces" or "courts": and so it
is rendered by the Chaldee paraphrase and Syriac version; and so the allusion
is not to mean thieves and robbers
but to persons of note and figure. Hence
the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin
Arabic
and Ethiopic versions
render it
"he sitteth in lurking places with the rich"; and may be fitly
applied to the pope and his cardinals. Antichrist sits in the temple of God
and by his emissaries gets into the villages
the particular churches and congregations
of saints
where they lie in ambush to do mischief
to corrupt their faith
worship
and manners; and like thieves and robbers enter in to steal
kill
and
destroy;
in secret places doth he murder the innocent; the harmless
lambs and sheep of Christ; who
though they are not without sin in themselves
yet are innocent with respect to the cause and the things for which they
suffer: these are the saints and prophets and martyrs of Jesus
whose blood is
shed by antichrist; and the taking away of their lives is reckoned murder with
God; and is so styled in the Scriptures
Revelation 9:21; though the antichristian
party call it doing God good service
and impute it to zeal for the good of
holy church; and yet this they choose to do in secret
by private massacres
or
by the inquisition; which having condemned men to death
delivers them over to
the secular power to execute the sentence on them: just as the Jews delivered
Christ to the Roman governor
to shift off the sin and blame from themselves;
murder being what no one cares to be known in
or chargeable with;
his eyes are privily set against the poor: the word חלכה
rendered "poor"
is used nowhere but in
this psalm
in which it is used three times
here
and in Psalm 10:1; and in the plural number in Psalm 10:10. It is translated
"poor" both in the Chaldee paraphrase and Septuagint version
and in
those that follow them. In the Arabic language it signifies "black"F7"Chalae
valde niger fuit"
Golius
col. 646.
and may design such who are black
by reason of persecution and affliction
who go mourning all the day long on
account of sin
their own and others; and because of the distresses and
calamities of the church and people of God. These the eyes of the wicked watch
and observe
and are set against them to do them all the mischief they can;
their eyes are full of envy and indignation at them
though it is all in a
private and secret way. The allusion is to thieves and robbers
who hide
themselves in some secret place
and from thence look out for them that pass
by
and narrowly observe whether they are for their purpose
and when it will
be proper to come out and seize upon them.
Psalm 10:9 9 He lies in wait secretly
as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor
when he draws him into his net.
YLT
9He lieth in wait in a
secret place
as a lion in a covert. He lieth in wait to catch the poor
He
catcheth the poor
drawing him into his net.
He lieth in wait secretly as a lion
.... The first beast in Revelation 13:2; is said to have a mouth
like a lion
and the second beast in Psalm 10:11; spake like a dragon; and both
design one and the same
antichrist
in his twofold capacity
civil and
ecclesiastical; this metaphor of the lion lying in wait secretly for his prey
denotes the insidious methods used by antichrist to destroy the faithful
witnesses of Christ; who lies like a lion
in his den
in the temple of God
now become a den of thieves;
he lieth in wait to catch the poor: to snatch and carry them
away captive as his prey; see Revelation 13:10;
he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net; this metaphor
is taken from fowlers
who spread nets
into which they allure and draw the
birds and catch them. The allurements
snares
and nets
which antichrist lays
to catch the poor saints and people of God in
are the riches and honours of
this world
great pretensions to holiness
devotion; and religion
and many
lying signs and wonders.
Psalm 10:10 10 So he crouches
he lies
low
That the helpless may fall by his strength.
YLT
10He is bruised -- he boweth
down
Fallen by his mighty ones hath the afflicted.
He croucheth and humbleth himself
.... As the
lion before he leaps and seizes on his prey
and as the fowler creepeth upon
the ground to draw the bird into his net and catch it; so the antichristian
beast has two horns like a lamb; though he has the mouth of a lion
and speaks
like a dragon
he would be thought to be like the Lamb of God
meek
and lowly
and humble
and therefore calls himself "servus servorum"
"the
servant of servants"; but his end is
that the poor may fall by his strong ones; the word for
"poor" is here used
as before observed on Psalm 10:8
in the plural number
and is
read by the Masorites as two words
though it is written as one
and is by them
and other Jewish writersF8Jarchi
Kimchi
& Ben Melech in loc.
interpreted a multitude
company
or army of poor ones
whose strength is worn
out; these weak and feeble ones antichrist causes to fall by his strong ones;
either by his strong decrees
cruel edicts
and severe punishments
as by
sword
by flame
by captivity and by spoils
Daniel 11:33; or by the kings of the earth
and their armies
their mighty men of war
their soldiers
whom he instigates
and influences to persecute their subjects
who will not receive his mark in
their right hands or foreheads
Revelation 13:15. It is very observable
that those persecuted by antichrist are so often in this prophetic psalm called
"poor"; and it is also remarkable
that there were a set of men in
the darkest times of Popery
and who were persecuted by the Papists
called the
"poor" men of Lyons: the whole verse may be rendered and paraphrased
thus
"he tears in pieces"
that is
the poor
whom he catches in his
net; "he boweth himself"
as the lion does
as before observed;
"that he may fall"
or rush upon; with his strong ones
his mighty
armies
"upon the multitude of the poor".
Psalm 10:11 11 He has said in his heart
“God
has forgotten; He hides His face; He will never see.”
YLT
11He said in his heart
`God
hath forgotten
He hath hid His face
He hath never seen.'
He hath said in his heart
God hath forgotten
.... Meaning
either his own sins
because they are not immediately punished; wherefore he
hopes to go on for ever with impunity
but will be mistaken
for God will
remember the iniquities of Babylon
and render to her double
Revelation 18:5; see Amos 7:17; or else the poor ones he
oppresses; for though they seem for a while to be forgotten by God
they are
not
a book of remembrance is written for them;
he hideth his face; that is
from his poor saints
which is
true oftentimes; but then the use the wicked one makes of it is bad
namely
to
insult them on that account
and to imagine that it is grateful to God
and
doing him good service
to afflict and persecute them; and that God will never
regard them
nor return to them more
as follows;
he will never see it; or them; he will never
more look upon the poor
he will no more regard them
and take notice of them
and their afflictions; than which nothing is more false; for though he hides
his face for a moment
yet with everlasting kindness will he gather them to
himself; and he beholds all their oppressions and afflictions
and not as a
bare spectator; he sympathizes with them
and delivers them out of them. Or
"he will never" the wickedness committed by the wicked; which is a
very foolish thought
since what is done in the dark
and in the most secret
manner
is seen by God
the darkness and the light are alike to him; he is
all-seeing and ever-seeing
and everywhere seeing; and he it is that has made
the eye
and shall not he see? Psalm 94:5; the sense of the whole in
general is
that God takes no notice of good men or bad men
nor of what is
done by either of them; he does not concern himself with the affairs of this
world
which is an impious denial of divine Providence; see Ezekiel 9:9.
Psalm 10:12 12 Arise
O Lord! O God
lift
up Your hand! Do not forget the humble.
YLT
12Arise
O Jehovah! O God
lift up Thy hand! Forget not the humble.
Arise
O Lord
.... See Psalm 3:7;
O God
lift up thine hand; either on the behalf of
his people
to help and deliver them; his hand may be said to be let down when
their enemies prevail
and to be lifted up or exalted when it does valiantly
and works salvation for them; so when Moses's hands were let down Amalek
prevailed
and when his hands were lifted up Israel prevailed
Exodus 17:11; or against their enemies
to
strike them
to inflict punishment upon them
as God's hand is said to be
stretched out against the Egyptians
and to lie upon them
when he sent his
plagues among them
Exodus 7:4; and a dreadful thing it is to
fall both into and under the hand of the living God
and to feel the weight of
the lighting down of his arm with indignation. The Targum understands it as a
gesture of swearing; see Genesis 14:22; and paraphrases it
"confirm the oath of thine hand"; either sworn in wrath against his
enemies
or in love to his people; either of which is sure and certain
and
according to the immutable counsel of his will;
forget not the humble; the followers of the
meek and lowly Jesus
the Lamb of God
by which character the saints are
distinguished from the antichristian party
Revelation 14:4; these are such who are
made so by the Spirit of God
who in conversion brings down the pride and
haughtiness of man
that Christ and his grace may be alone exalted; these have
the meanest thoughts of themselves
and the best of others; their motto is
"less
than the least of all saints
and the chief of sinners;'
they
envy not the gifts and graces of others
and ascribe all they have and are to
the free grace of God; they are not easily provoked
they patiently bear
injuries
and quietly submit to the adverse dispensations of Providence: the
word in the original text is read "humble"
but written "afflicted":
both characters generally meet together in the people of God; See Gill on Psalm 9:12; this prayer for the humble is a
prayer of faith; for though the humble may seem to be forgotten by God
they
are not
they are precious in his sight; he dwells among them
he gives more
grace unto them
he comforts them when disconsolate
he feeds them when they
are hungry
he teaches and guides them when they want direction
he lifts them
up when they are cast down
and beautifies them with salvation.
Psalm 10:13 13 Why do the wicked renounce
God? He has said in his heart
“You will not require an account.”
YLT
13Wherefore hath the wicked
despised God? He hath said in his heart
`It is not required.'
Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God?.... God may
be said to be contemned or despised
when his being
perfections
and
providence are denied
or called in question
or abused
Psalm 10:9; when his word is derided
the
great things of his law are counted as a strange thing Hosea 8:12
and the truths of his Gospel
are reckoned foolishness; and instead of these
the decrees
doctrines
and
traditions of men
are set up
as by antichrist; and when his ministers
and
especially his Son
are treated with disdain
Luke 10:16;
he hath said in his heart
thou wilt not require it
or "seek
it"F9לא תדרוש
"te non inquisiturum"
Piscator
Michaelis; so Ainsworth. ; or
inquire after it
his iniquity; the sense is
that God will make no inquiry
after sin
and bring it into judgment
unto account
and under examination; or
will not make inquisition
that is
for blood
for the blood of the saints and
martyrs of Jesus
shed by antichrist; or will not require it at his hands
or
recompense vengeance for it: all which is false and vain; the contrary to it
will be found true.
Psalm 10:14 14 But You have seen
for You
observe trouble and grief
To repay it by Your hand. The helpless
commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless.
YLT
14Thou hast seen
For Thou
perverseness and anger beholdest; By giving into Thy hand
On Thee doth the
afflicted leave [it]
Of the fatherless Thou hast been an helper.
Thou hast seen it
.... Though the wicked
say God will never see
Psalm 10:11; he sees all things in general
all men and all their actions; all are manifest and open to him
and everything
in particular
especially the wickedness of men; even that which is said or
thought in the heart;
for thou beholdest mischief and spite; that mischief
which arises from spite or malice in the heart; God beholds the inward
principle from whence it proceeds
as well as that itself; the mischief devised
in the heart
on the bed
and which lies under the tongue
designed against the
people of God
either to the injury of their characters and estates
or to
their bodies
and even to their souls
as much as in them lies
proceeding from
implacable malice and enmity to them;
to requite it with thy hand: of power
to retaliate
it upon their own heads
to render tribulation to them that trouble the saints
which is but a righteous thing with God: or "to put it in thy
hand"F11לתת בידך
"ut ponas in manibus tuis"
Vatablus
Cocceius. ; and the sense is
that God looks upon all the injuries the wicked out of spite devise to do to his
people
and puts them in his hand
that they may be ever before him
and always
in his sight
and he will take a proper opportunity of avenging them. The
Targum interprets it of God's rewarding good men
as well as punishing the
wicked
paraphrasing the whole thus
"it
is manifest before thee that thou wilt send sorrow and wrath upon the wicked;
thou lookest to render a good reward to the righteous with thy hand;'
the poor committeth himself unto thee: his body
and
the outward concerns of life
as to a faithful Creator; his soul
and the
spiritual and eternal welfare of it
as to the only Saviour and Redeemer; he
commits all his ways to him
as the God of providence and grace; and at last he
commits his spirit to him at death
as to his covenant God and Father: the
words may be rendered
"the poor leaveth upon thee"F12עליך יזוב חלכה
"super te relinquit pauper"
Montanus
Gejerus
Michaelis; so
Cocceius. ; that is
he leaves himself and his upon the Lord; he leaves his
burden on him
he casts all his care upon him
as he is advised and encouraged
to do; he leaves his cause with him to plead it for him
who will plead it
thoroughly and maintain it: the phrase is expressive of the poor's faith and
hope in God; hence the Chaldee paraphrase renders it
"on thee will thy
poor ones hope"; for the supply of their wants
and for help and
assistance against their enemies;
thou art the helper of the fatherless; God is the
Father of them
provides for them
supplies
supports
and defends them; nor
will he in a spiritual sense leave his people orphans or comfortless
but will
visit and help them; see Psalm 68:5;
Psalm 10:15 15 Break the arm of the
wicked and the evil man; Seek out his wickedness until You find
none.
YLT
15Break the arm of the wicked
and the evil
Seek out his wickedness
find none;
Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man
.... His power
and strength
so that he shall not be able to hold the sword
to strike a blow
or do any hurt to the people of God; see Ezekiel 30:21. This prayer is in some
measure already fulfilled in antichrist
the man of sin
or pope of Rome;
though his kingdom is not broke to pieces; as it will be when Christ's kingdom
shall be more visibly set up
to which reference is had in Psalm 10:16; see Daniel 2:44; yet his strength is weakened
his arm is broken
he has not the power he had
nor can he tyrannise and do the
mischief he once did: "but as for the evil man"F13ורע "improbum quod attinet
requiras"
&c.
Gejerus; so Michaelis.
for so the words should be read
there being an
"athnach" under the word "wicked"
which ends the
proposition there:
seek out his wickedness till thou find none; which designs
a thorough search after sin
full punishment of it
and the entire ruin and
destruction of the wicked; and the sense is
that God would make a strict
inquiry into the wickedness of the man of sin
which he promised himself he
would not
Psalm 10:13; and that he would punish him
and his followers to the uttermost for it
until there should not be one of the
antichristian party found upon earth; with which sense agrees Psalm 10:16; see Psalm 104:35.
Psalm 10:16 16 The Lord is King
forever and ever; The nations have perished out of His land.
YLT
16Jehovah [is] king to the
age
and for ever
The nations have perished out of His land!
The Lord is King for ever and ever
.... Christ
was King from everlasting
and during the Old Testament dispensation he was
promised and prophesied of as King; and he had a kingdom when he was here on
earth
though not of this world; nor was it with observation. At his ascension
to heaven
and session at the right hand of God
he sat down upon the same
throne with his Father
and was made or declared Lord and Christ
and appeared
more visibly in his kingly office; and in the latter day it will be yet more
manifest that he is King of saints
and when indeed he will be King over all
the earth
and his kingdom will be an everlasting one: he will have no
successor in it
nor will any usurper obtain any more; the devil
beast
and
false prophet
will be cast into the lake of fire; all antichristian states
will be destroyed
and all authority
rule
and power
put down; nor can his
kingdom ever be subverted
he must reign till all enemies are put under his
feet; he will reign to the end of the present world
and with the saints a
thousand years in the new heaven and earth
and in the ultimate glory to all
eternity; nor will his government cease when he shall have delivered up the
kingdom to the Father
only the mode of the administration of it. Here begins
the song of praise; the reign of Christ is matter of joy; see Psalm 97:1;
the Heathen are perished out of his land: not the seven
nations which were driven out of the land of Canaan
to make way for the people
of Israel
that was long ago; nor the wicked and degenerate Jews
called the
Heathen
Psalm 2:1; compared with Acts 4:27; on whom
and on whose temple
city
and nation
Christ's native land
wrath is come to the uttermost; and
they are perished out of it: nor hypocrites out of churches
which are Christ's
property; but the antichristian party out of the world
which is Christ's land
by creation
as God
and by the gift of his father to him
as Mediator. The
followers of antichrist are called Gentiles
and the nations of the earth
Revelation 11:2; and these will be no more;
they will be utterly destroyed
when the man of sin shall be consumed with the
breath of Christ's mouth and the brightness of his coming. The seventh vial
will clear the world of all the remains of Christ's enemies: this also is cause
of rejoicing
Psalm 132:16.
Psalm 10:17 17 Lord
You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will
cause Your ear to hear
YLT
17The desire of the humble
Thou hast heard
O Jehovah. Thou preparest their heart; Thou causest Thine ear
to attend
Lord
thou hast heard the desire of the humble
.... See Psalm 10:12; for the coming of Christ's
kingdom
and that the kingdoms of this world may become his; for the
destruction of antichrist
and for the avenging the blood of the saints. The
prayers of God's people sometimes lie in inward and secret desires of the soul
and are not expressed in words; and these desires are all before the Lord
and
are well known unto him; yea
such prayers of the heart
and which come from
it
are principally regarded by him; they being his own preparation
as is
suggested in the next clause
and the breathings of his Spirit; and especially
the desires of humble souls are regarded
whose prayers he never despises
nor
sends them away empty
but fills with his good things;
thou wilt prepare their heart; for prayer
by pouring a
spirit of grace and supplication on them
impressing their minds with a sense
of things to be prayed for
and drawing out the desires of their souls unto
them
and making intercession for them with groanings according to the will of
God
and so helping their infirmities; and it is God's work to prepare the
heart for prayer
as well as to put words into the mouth
Proverbs 16:1; or "thou wilt direct
their heart"F14תכין לבם "dirigis"
Vatablus; "diriges"
Tigurine version. ; to the object of prayer
himself
and to the things to be
prayed for
for they know not what to pray for
nor how as they should; and to
what may encourage to it
as the love of God
the covenant of grace
the
person
blood
and righteousness of Christ: or "confirm" or
"establish their heart"F15"Confirmas"
Piscator
Gejerus
Michaelis; "confirmes"
Cocceius; "confirma"
Junius & Tremellius. ; strengthen and fix them
that they be not wavering
and doubtful
but certain and assured of success
believing that their desires
will be fulfilled in God's own time;
thou wilt cause thine ear to hear; God has an ear to hear
the prayers of his people
nor is his ear heavy that it cannot hear; his ears
are open to the cries of righteous ones; nor will he ever turn a deaf ear to
them
but will give an answer in his own time and way; which is an instance of
his sovereign grace and goodness. These words express the faith of the psalmist
in God being a God hearing and answering prayer
particularly in things
relating to the ruin of antichrist and his followers
and to the kingdom and
glory of his son Jesus Christ.
Psalm 10:18 18 To do justice to the
fatherless and the oppressed
That the man of the earth may oppress no more.
YLT
18To judge the fatherless and
bruised: He addeth no more to oppress -- man of the earth!
To judge the fatherless and the oppressed
.... That is
God will cause his ear to hear the cries of his people
so as to avenge the
wrongs done to the fatherless
and them that are oppressed by the man of sin;
see Revelation 11:18;
that the man of the earth may no more oppress: or
"terrify"F16לערוץ
"perterrefacere"
Piscator; "terrere"
Musculus
Vatablus;
so Ainsworth.
the dear children of God
and faithful witnesses of Christ
as
he has done; for by "the man of the earth" is not meant carnal
worldly men in general
"the wicked of the earth"
as the Targum
renders it; who are so called because their original is from the earth
and
they dwell in earthly tabernacles
and shall return to the earth again
and are
earthly minded men
and have much of this world's things; and are therefore
sometimes called the men and children of this world
and who
generally
speaking
are oppressors of the saints; and who shall cease to be so in the
latter day
when the kingdom shall be given to the saints of the most High; but
particularly the man of sin
the Romish antichrist
seems intended
who is the
beast that is risen up out of the earth
Revelation 13:11; and so the words may be
rendered here
"the man out of the earth"F17אנוש מן הארץ
"homines de terra"
Pagninus
Montanus. ; whose kingdom and
government is an earthly one
and is supported by the kings of the earth
and
with earthly power and grandeur
and with earthly views and worldly ends: he
has been the great oppressor and terrifier of the poor people of God; but when
Christ comes to avenge them on him
he will no more oppress
he will be taken
and cast alive into the lake of fire; see Revelation 13:10. The words may be rendered
according to the accents thus
"to judge the fatherless and the oppressed;
he shall not add any more": for there is an "athnach" which
makes a proposition "under" עוד
"any
more": and the sense is
God shall so thoroughly avenge the injuries of
the fatherless and the oppressed
that there will be no need to add thereunto
or repeat the vengeance
it will be an utter destruction; and then follows
another distinct end of causing his ear to hear
namely
"to shake
terribly the man of the earth"
or "to shake terribly man from off
the earth"F18So Jarchi from Aben Ezra.
the man of sin
as
before; see Isaiah 2:19; or
as Jarchi interprets the
words
"to beat and break in pieces"; that is
antichrist and his
kingdom; so Montanus.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》