Psalms 9 and 10 appear in the old Hebrew texts as a single psalm, forming an acrostic, each stanza beginning with a different Hebrew letter. The acrostic breaks down at the beginning of Psalm 10 and then returns towards the end of Psalm 10. The Greek Septuagint translates this pair (from Hebrew to Greek) as a single chapter.
Psalm 10 continues the concepts of Psalm 9 and was probably a second half of one single song. But it begins on a very different note. (Notice that there is no heading for this psalm, another indication that it was part of Psalm 9.)
In this psalm, distinct from Psalm 9, David is concerned that God does not seem to care about justice; the wicked and deceitful seem to be winning!
This long stanza details the arrogance of "the wicked man", characterizing him as consciously sneering at his enemies, including God. These hurried frantic verses represented a frustrated aside -- the psalmist cries out, "See, see, see! Look what the wicked do!" I think this is emphasized in Hebrew by the fact that the acrostic structure breaks down. The artificial acrostic structure of this psalm, where each stanza begins with a prescribed letter of the alphabet, suddenly breaks down. Verse 1 begins with the word lamah ("Why?") with first letter lamed. This is the twelfth letter of the alphabet and continues the acrostic begun in Psalm 9. But after verse 1 in this chapter, the psalm skips six letters, until verse 12 where it picks back up with the word qumah, with first letter qof, the 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Why does the acrostic fail? Is there a transmission error? Or is the psalmist so distraught in verses 2-11 that he gives up on the original structure?
The hurried phrases in this section come in pairs but also triples (verse 3: "boasts of the cravings/ blesses the greedy/ reviles the Lord", verse 9: "lies in wait/lies in wait/catches the helpless", and verse 10: "victims are crushed/they collapse/they fall.")
Psalm 10: 1, So far away!
Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
In this psalm, distinct from Psalm 9, David is concerned that God does not seem to care about justice; the wicked and deceitful seem to be winning!
"Times of trouble" (verse 1) is apparently a unique Hebrew phrase, found only in Psalm 9:9 and here.
Psalm 10: 2-11, Look, look at the wicked!
In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.
He boasts of the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.
In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.
His ways are always prosperous;
he is haughty and your laws are far from him;
he sneers at all his enemies.
He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;
I'll always be happy and never have trouble."
His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.
He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent,
watching in secret for his victims.
He lies in wait like a lion in cover;
he lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless
and drags them off in his net.
His victims are crushed,
they collapse;
they fall under his strength.
He says to himself, "God has forgotten;
he covers his face and never sees."
This long stanza details the arrogance of "the wicked man", characterizing him as consciously sneering at his enemies, including God. These hurried frantic verses represented a frustrated aside -- the psalmist cries out, "See, see, see! Look what the wicked do!" I think this is emphasized in Hebrew by the fact that the acrostic structure breaks down. The artificial acrostic structure of this psalm, where each stanza begins with a prescribed letter of the alphabet, suddenly breaks down. Verse 1 begins with the word lamah ("Why?") with first letter lamed. This is the twelfth letter of the alphabet and continues the acrostic begun in Psalm 9. But after verse 1 in this chapter, the psalm skips six letters, until verse 12 where it picks back up with the word qumah, with first letter qof, the 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Why does the acrostic fail? Is there a transmission error? Or is the psalmist so distraught in verses 2-11 that he gives up on the original structure?
The hurried phrases in this section come in pairs but also triples (verse 3: "boasts of the cravings/ blesses the greedy/ reviles the Lord", verse 9: "lies in wait/lies in wait/catches the helpless", and verse 10: "victims are crushed/they collapse/they fall.")
Psalm 10: 12-15, Arise, helper of the fatherless
Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.
Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself, "He won't call me to account"?
But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.
Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out.
After expressing his frustration with the success of the wicked, David slows down and calls God to speak and act. He affirms that God does indeed have plans of judgment.
Psalm 10: 16-18, King forever and ever
The LORD is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.
You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.
Like many of David's psalms, it ends with resolution. David is reassured that God is indeed protecting the fatherless.
Summary. David, representative of the Jewish people of the Old Testament, knows that justice is rare and so flees to God, pleading for righteous judgment.
Psalm 10 reminds me very much of the Christmas hymn, by Longfellow, which begins, "I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar carols play, …" The hymn, like this psalm, also laments that the wicked seem to be strong.
Psalm 10 reminds me very much of the Christmas hymn, by Longfellow, which begins, "I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old familiar carols play, …" The hymn, like this psalm, also laments that the wicked seem to be strong.
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