Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible · Psalms Kapitel 10

Psalms 10:0.

The Psalmist complaineth to God of the outrage of the wicked: he prayeth for remedy: he professeth his confidence.

Psalms 10:1. Why standest thou, &c.— Neither the author nor the particular occasion of this Psalm are certainly known; but it is, as Bishop Patrick observes, a most lively description of wicked men when they are in authority, which they abuse to the oppression of their inferiors, and make no conscience by what arts they bring about their designs. The Vulgate and LXX join this Psalm to the foregoing; and the Rabbis have a rule (which however will not hold good) that every psalm which has not any title prefixed to it, is to be ascribed to the same author who composed the preceding. Mudge observes, that the subject of this psalm is similar to that of the 59th, both of which seem to have been composed at the time when the Assyrians made inroads under Hezekiah.

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Psalms 10:3. The wicked boasteth of his heart's desire— For the wicked applaudeth himself upon the desire of his soul, and the greedy of gain blesseth himself. Mudge. Others read the latter clause, And the covetous blasphemeth, and contemneth the Lord.

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Psalms 10:4. The wicked, &c.— The wicked in the haughtiness of his looks saith, God will never {require: / inquire:} all his thoughts are without God. The Psalmist in this verse has given us the true character of the ungodly of this world. By a long disuse of devotion, and open neglect of divine worship, he gradually forgets every duty that he owes his Maker: and when he has for some time habituated himself to live without God in the world, he then begins to doubt his very existence; he then begins to forget that in him we live and move, and have our being. See Delaney.

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Psalms 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.

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Psalms 10:8. His eyes are privily set against the poor— {Are watching / Lay wait} for the poor. It may be proper to observe, once for all, that the word poor in the Psalms is not applied to those only who are distressed in their outward circumstances, but also to the poor in spirit; to the humble and afflicted.

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Psalms 10:9. He lieth in wait— He lurketh in ambush, as a lion in his den; he lurketh to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, by drawing him into his net.

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Psalms 10:10. He croucheth— As a lion lies down, and is couchant; by that means to secure himself of his prey, or to fit himself to seize it. This, says the Jewish Arabic translator, is a description of the fashion of a lion; for, when he means to leap, he first coucheth, that he may gather himself together; then he rouseth himself, and puts out his strength, that he may tear his prey: therefore when he speaketh thee fair beware of him, for this is but his deceit.

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Psalms 10:13. Wherefore doth the wicked, &c.— We may collect from hence, that there were two kinds of infidels at the time this psalm was written; one of which made God a sort of Epicurean deity, and supposed him not to concern himself with the moral government of the world; the other altogether denied his being. See Psalms 10:4.

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Psalms 10:15. Break thou the arm of the wicked— i.e. "Deprive them of all power to do mischief." Mudge renders the next clause, Seek out his wickedness, &c.—Pursue his wickedness, so that thou find none left: properly, "Sit in judgment upon it, so that there be none left to be found: till there remains nothing to punish." Others say that the clause is, "Destroy him utterly, or so subdue him as to put it out of his power to do hurt;" which very well agrees with the former clause. Houbigant renders it, Seek out for his iniquity, that it may not prevail.

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