12 Arise, Yahweh! God, lift up your hand! Don’t forget the helpless.
13 Why does the wicked person condemn God, and say in his heart, “God won’t call me into account?”
14 But you do see trouble and grief. You consider it to take it into your hand. You help the victim and the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked. As for the evil man, seek out his wickedness until you find none.
KJVKing James Version
12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
14 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.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
Show all 3 translations
JPSJPS Tanakh (1917)
12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up Thy hand; forget not the humble.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God, and say in his heart: 'Thou wilt not require'?
14 Thou hast seen; for Thou beholdest trouble and vexation, to requite them with Thy hand; unto Thee the helpless committeth himself; Thou hast been the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break Thou the arm of the wicked; and as for the evil man, search out his wickedness, till none be found.
Job 38:15(v15)From the wicked, their light is withheld. The high arm is broken.
Psalms 37:17(v15)For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Yahweh upholds the righteous.
Micah 5:9(v12)Let your hand be lifted up above your adversaries, and let all of your enemies be cut off.
Psalms 68:5(v14)A father of the fatherless, and a defender of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
Zephaniah 1:12(v15)It will happen at that time, that I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men who are settled on their dregs, who say in…
Show all 51 cross-references
Psalms 7:9(v15)Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God.
Psalms 9:12(v12)For he who avenges blood remembers them. He doesn’t forget the cry of the afflicted.
Psalms 146:9(v14)Yahweh preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but he turns the way of the wicked upside down.
Deuteronomy 10:18(v14)He executes justice for the fatherless and widow and loves the foreigner in giving him food and clothing.
Psalms 55:22(v14)Cast your burden on Yahweh and he will sustain you. He will never allow the righteous to be moved.
Psalms 94:2(v12)Rise up, you judge of the earth. Pay back the proud what they deserve.
Ezekiel 30:21-22(v15)“Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Behold, it has not been bound up, to apply medicines, to put a bandage to bind…
Luke 10:16(v13)Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me. Whoever rejects me rejects him who sent me.”
Numbers 11:20(v13)but a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils, and it is loathsome to you; because you have rejected Yahweh who is among you, and…
2 Samuel 12:9-10(v13)Why have you despised Yahweh’s word, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have…
2 Chronicles 24:22(v13)Thus Joash the king didn’t remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son. When he died, he said, “May…
Psalms 17:7(v12)Show your marvelous loving kindness, you who save those who take refuge by your right hand from their enemies.
Psalms 74:10(v13)How long, God, shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme your name forever?
Psalms 74:18(v13)Remember this, that the enemy has mocked you, Yahweh. Foolish people have blasphemed your name.
Isaiah 33:10(v12)“Now I will arise,” says Yahweh. “Now I will lift myself up. Now I will be exalted.
Jeremiah 2:34(v15)Also the blood of the souls of the innocent poor is found in your skirts. You didn’t find them breaking in, but it is because of all these…
Jeremiah 49:11(v14)Leave your fatherless children. I will preserve them alive. Let your widows trust in me.”
Hosea 14:3(v14)Assyria can’t save us. We won’t ride on horses; neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, ‘Our gods!’ for in you the…
Zechariah 11:17(v15)Woe to the worthless shepherd who leaves the flock! The sword will be on his arm, and on his right eye. His arm will be completely…
1 Thessalonians 4:8(v13)Therefore he who rejects this doesn’t reject man, but God, who has also given his Holy Spirit to you.
1 Peter 4:19(v14)Therefore let them also who suffer according to the will of God in doing good entrust their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.
Psalms 3:7(vv12, 15)Arise, Yahweh! Save me, my God! For you have struck all of my enemies on the cheek bone. You have broken the teeth of the wicked.
Genesis 9:5(v13)I will surely require accounting for your life’s blood. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand…
Genesis 42:22(v13)Reuben answered them, saying, “Didn’t I tell you, saying, ‘Don’t sin against the child,’ and you wouldn’t listen? Therefore also, behold,…
Judges 1:7(v14)Adoni-Bezek said, “Seventy kings, having their thumbs and their big toes cut off, scavenged under my table. As I have done, so God has done…
2 Kings 9:26(v14)‘Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth, and the blood of his sons,’ says Yahweh; ‘and I will repay you in this plot of ground,’…
2 Chronicles 6:23(v14)then hear from heaven, act, and judge your servants, bringing retribution to the wicked, to bring his way on his own head; and justifying…
Psalms 7:6(v12)Arise, Yahweh, in your anger. Lift up yourself against the rage of my adversaries. Awake for me. You have commanded judgment.
Psalms 9:19(v12)Arise, Yahweh! Don’t let man prevail. Let the nations be judged in your sight.
Psalms 22:11(v14)Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near. For there is no one to help.
Psalms 35:22(v14)You have seen it, Yahweh. Don’t keep silent. Lord, don’t be far from me.
Psalms 77:9(v12)Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he, in anger, withheld his compassion?”
Proverbs 15:3(v14)Yahweh’s eyes are everywhere, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
Isaiah 26:11(v12)Yahweh, your hand is lifted up, yet they don’t see; but they will see your zeal for the people, and be disappointed. Yes, fire will consume…
Jeremiah 16:17(v14)For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from my face. Their iniquity isn’t concealed from my eyes.
Jeremiah 51:56(v14)For the destroyer has come on her, even on Babylon. Her mighty men are taken. Their bows are broken in pieces, for Yahweh is a God of…
Ezekiel 23:48(v15)“ ‘Thus I will cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to be lewd like you.
Habakkuk 1:13(v14)You who have purer eyes than to see evil, and who cannot look on perversity, why do you tolerate those who deal treacherously, and keep…
2 Timothy 1:12(v14)For this cause I also suffer these things. Yet I am not ashamed, for I know him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to…
1 Peter 5:7(v14)casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.
2 Kings 21:12-15(v15)therefore Yahweh the God of Israel says, ‘Behold, I bring such evil on Jerusalem and Judah that whoever hears of it, both his ears will…
Psalms 13:1(v12)How long, Yahweh? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?
Isaiah 10:3(v14)What will you do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which will come from afar? To whom will you flee for help? Where will you…
Joel 3:4(v14)“Yes, and what are you to me, Tyre, and Sidon, and all the regions of Philistia? Will you repay me? And if you repay me, I will swiftly and…
Luke 11:50-51(v13)that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; from the blood of…
Hebrews 4:13(v14)There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an…
51 distinct cross-references across this passage (52 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (20 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
John Calvin1540 · Public DomainOn vv12–1512. Arise, O Jehovah. It is a disease under…
12. Arise, O Jehovah. It is a disease under which men in general labor, to imagine, according to the judgment of the flesh, that when God does not execute his judgments, he is sitting idle, or lying at ease. There is, however, a great difference with respect to this between the faithful and the wicked. The latter cherish the false opinion which is dictated by the weakness of the flesh, and in order to soothe and flatter themselves in their vices, they indulge in slumbering, and render their conscience stupid, “Et prenent plaisir kassop et rendre leur conscience stupide, afin de se flatter en leurs vices.” — Fr.
“Retournans d’eux mesmes a bien considerer ce qui enest a la verite.” — Fr.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators1599 · Public DomainOn vv12–15He calleth to God for help, because wickedness is…
He calleth to God for help, because wickedness is so far overgrown, that God must now help or never.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp1656 · Public DomainOn vv12–15Psa 10:12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up…
Psa 10:12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
Ver. 12. Arise, O Lord] Surge, age, summe Pater, said Mantuan to the pope, stirring him up against the Turks; may we better say to the Almighty God, against his people’s enemies,
Read full note →
O God, lift up thine hand Lift it up on high, that it may fall down the more heavily. In the first verse of this psalm the prophet complained that God stood afar off, and hid himself in time of trouble, Here he is entreated to arise, to come near, to put forth his hand for his people’s help, &c.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole1685 · Public DomainOn vv12–15Lift up thine hand, to rescue the poor, and…
Lift up thine hand, to rescue the poor, and to smite their oppressors with a hand stretched out and lifted up, that the blow maybe the greater: compare Exo 7:5; Isa 5:25; 9:12, &c.
Forget not the humble; show by thy appearance for their vindication that thou dost remember and regard them.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry1710 · Public DomainOn v12David here, upon the foregoing representation of the inhumanity…
David here, upon the foregoing representation of the inhumanity and impiety of the oppressors, grounds an address to God, wherein observe,
I. What he prays for. 1. That God would himself appear (Psa 10:12): "Arise, O Lord! O God! lift up thy hand, manifest thy presence and providence in the affairs of this lower world. Arise, O Lord! to the confusion of those who say that thou hidest thy face. Manifest thy power, exert it for the maintaining of thy own cause, lift up thy hand to give a fatal blow to these oppressors; let thy everlasting arm be made bare." 2. That he would appear for his people: "Forget not the humble, the afflicted, that are poor, that are made poorer, and are poor in spirit. Their oppressors, in their presumption, say that thou hast forgotten them; and they, in their despair, are ready to say the same. Lord, make it to appear that they are both mistaken." 3. That he would appear against their persecutors, Psa 10:15. (1.) That he would disable them from doing any mischief: Break thou the arm of the wicked, take away his power, that the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared, Job 34:30. We read of oppressors whose dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged (Dan 7:12), that they might have time to repent. (2.) That he would deal with them for the mischief they had done: "Seek out his wickedness; let that be all brought to light which he thought should for ever lie undiscovered; let that be all brought to account which he thought should for ever go unpunished; bring it out till thou find none, that is, till none of his evil deeds remain unreckoned for, none of his evil designs undefeated, and none of his partisans undestroyed."
Read full note →
II. What he pleads for the encouraging of his own faith in these petitions.
1. He pleads the great affronts which these proud oppressors put upon God himself: "Lord, it is thy own cause that we beg thou wouldst appear in; the enemies have made it so, and therefore it is not for thy glory to let them go unpunished" (Psa 10:13): Wherefore do the wicked contemn God? He does so; for he says, "Thou wilt not require it; thou wilt never call us to an account for what we do," than which they could not put a greater indignity upon the righteous God. The psalmist here speaks with astonishment, (1.) At the wickedness of the wicked: "Why do they speak so impiously, why so absurdly?" It is a great trouble to good men to think what contempt is cast upon the holy God by the sin of sinners, upon his precepts, his promises, his threatenings, his favours, his judgments; all are despised and made light of. Wherefore do the wicked thus contemn God? It is because they do not know him. (2.) At the patience and forbearance of God towards them: "Why are they suffered thus to contemn God? Why does he not immediately vindicate himself and take vengeance on them?" It is because the day of reckoning is yet to come, when the measure of their iniquity is full.
2. He pleads the notice God took of the impiety and iniquity of these oppressors (Psa 10:14): "Do the persecutors encourage themselves with a groundless fancy that thou wilt never see it? Let the persecuted encourage themselves with a well-grounded faith, not only that thou hast seen it, but that thou doest behold it, even all the mischief that is done by the hands, and all the spite and malice that lurk in the hearts, of these oppressors; it is all known to thee, and observed by thee; nay, not only thou hast seen it and dost behold it, but thou wilt requite it, wilt recompense it into their bosoms, by thy just and avenging hand."
3. He pleads the dependence which the oppressed had upon him: "The poor commits himself unto thee, each of them does so, I among the rest. They rely on thee as their patron and protector, they refer themselves to thee as their Judge, in whose determination they acquiesce and at whose disposal they are willing to be. They leave themselves with thee" ( so some read it), "not prescribing, but subscribing, to thy wisdom and will. They thus give thee honour as much as their oppressors dishonour thee. They are thy willing subjects, and put themselves under thy protection; therefore protect them."
4. He pleads the relation in which God is pleased to stand to us, (1.) As a great God. He is King for ever and ever, Psa 10:16. And it is the office of a king to administer justice for the restraint and terror of evil-doers and the protection and praise of those that do well. To whom should the injured subjects appeal but to the sovereign? Help, my Lord, O King! Avenge me of my adversary. "Lord, let all that pay homage and tribute to thee as their King have the benefit of thy government and find thee their refuge. Thou art an everlasting King, which no earthly prince is, and therefore canst and wilt, by an eternal judgment, dispense rewards and punishments in an everlasting state, when time shall be no more; and to that judgment the poor refer themselves." (2.) As a good God. He is the helper of the fatherless (Psa 10:14), of those who have no one else to help them and have many to injure them. He has appointed kings to defend the poor and fatherless (Psa 82:3), and therefore much more will he do so himself; for he has taken it among the titles of his honour to be a Father to the fatherless (Psa 68:5), a helper of the helpless.
5. He pleads the experience which God's church and people had had of God's readiness to appear for them. (1.) He had dispersed and extirpated their enemies (Psa 10:16): "The heathen have perished out of his land; the remainders of the Canaanites, the seven devoted nations, which have long been as thorns in the eyes and goads in the sides of Israel, are now, at length, utterly rooted out; and this is an encouragement to us to hope that God will, in like manner, break the arm of the oppressive Israelites, who were, in some respects, worse than heathens." (2.) He had heard and answered their prayers (Psa 10:17): "Lord, thou hast many a time heard the desire of the humble, and never saidst to a distressed suppliant, Seek in vain. Why may not we hope for the continuance and repetition of the wonders, the favours, which our father told us of?"
6. He pleads their expectations from God pursuant to their experience of him: "Thou hast heard, therefore thou will cause thy ear to hear, as, Psa 6:9. Thou art the same, and thy power, and promise, and relation to thy people are the same, and the work and workings of grace are the same in them; why therefore may we not hope that he who has been will still be, will ever be, a God hearing prayers?" But observe, (1.) In what method God hears prayer. He first prepares the heart of his people and then gives them an answer of peace; nor may we expect his gracious answer, but in this way; so that God's working upon us is the best earnest of his working for us. He prepares the heart for prayer by kindling holy desires, and strengthening our most holy faith, fixing the thoughts and raising the affections, and then he graciously accepts the prayer; he prepares the heart for the mercy itself that is wanting and prayed for, makes us fit to receive it and use it well, and then gives it in to us. The preparation of the heart is from the Lord, and we must seek unto him for it (Pro 16:1) and take that as a leading favour. (2.) What he will do in answer to prayer, Psa 10:18. [1.] He will plead the cause of the persecuted, will judge the fatherless and oppressed, will judge for them, clear up their innocency, restore their comforts, and recompense them for all the loss and damage they have sustained. [2.] He will put an end to the fury of the persecutors. Hitherto they shall come, but no further; here shall the proud waves of their malice be stayed; an effectual course shall be taken that the man of the earth may no more oppress. See how light the psalmist now makes of the power of that proud persecutor whom he had been describing in this psalm, and how slightly he speaks of him now that he had been considering God's sovereignty. First, He is but a man of the earth, a man out of the earth (so the word is), sprung out of the earth, and therefore mean, and weak, and hastening to the earth again. Why then should we be afraid of the fury of the oppressor when he is but man that shall die, a son of man that shall be as grass? Isa 51:12. He that protects us is the Lord of heaven; he that persecutes us is but a man of the earth. Secondly, God has him in a chain, and can easily restrain the remainder of his wrath, so that he cannot do what he would. When God speaks the word Satan shall by his instruments no more deceive (Rev 20:3), no more oppress.
In singing these verses we must commit religion's just but injured cause to God, as those that are heartily concerned for its honour and interests, believing that he will, in due time, plead it with jealousy.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill1763 · Public DomainOn vv12–15Arise, O Lord,.... See Psa 3:7;
Arise, O Lord,.... See Psa 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, Exo 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, Exo 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 Gen 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;
Read full note →
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, Rev 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 Psa 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.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley1765 · Public DomainOn vv13–15Contemn - Why dost thou by giving them impunity,…
Contemn - Why dost thou by giving them impunity, suffer and occasion them to despise thee?
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke1810 · Public DomainOn vv12–15Verse 12. Arise, O Lord] Hear their reproaches see…
Verse 12. Arise, O Lord] Hear their reproaches see their guile, consider thy oppressed people. "Lift up thine hand," threaten them, that they may desist and repent. If they repent not let them be punished.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson1811 · Public DomainOn vv12, 14, 15Psa 10:12-13. Lift up thy hand — To rescue…
Psa 10:12-13. Lift up thy hand — To rescue the poor, and to smite their oppressors; forget not the humble — Show, by thy appearing for their vindication, that thou dost remember and regard them. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? — Why dost thou, by giving them impunity, suffer and occasion them to despise thee?
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes1834 · Public DomainOn vv12–15Arise, O Lord - See the note at Psa…
Arise, O Lord - See the note at Psa 3:7. This commences the second part of the psalm, in which the author calls on God to remember those who were oppressed and wronged by the wicked. By suffering the wicked thus to carry on their plans, God seemed to be indifferent to human affairs, and the psalmist, therefore, invokes him to interpose, and to rescue the afflicted from their grasp.
O God, lift up thine hand - As one does when he is about to strike, or to exert his power. The prayer is, that God would interfere to put down the wicked.
Read full note →
Forget not the humble - Margin, “afflicted.” The margin expresses the true sense. The idea is not that God would remember “humble” persons in the sense in which that word is now commonly used, but that he would remember those who were down-trodden, crushed, and afflicted. This is in accordance with the marginal reading in the Hebrew Bibles, which is now usually regarded as the more correct reading.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown1871 · Public DomainOn vv12–15(Compare Psa 9:19; Psa 3:7).
(Compare Psa 9:19; Psa 3:7).
the humble--(Compare Psa 10:17, and Margin.)
Read full note →
lift up thine hand--exert thy power.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon1874 · Public DomainOn vv12–1512. Arise, O Lord—Against the blasphemous unbelief and wickedness…
12. Arise, O Lord—Against the blasphemous unbelief and wickedness already described, the psalmist calls upon Jehovah, the Almighty, to show his power and justice in defence of his own law and covenant promise.
Lift up thy hand—An allusion, probably, to the custom of oriental masters in giving their orders to servants by the motion of the hand. Thus Baron de Tott: “The muzar aga, (or high priest,) coming into the hall, and approaching the pasha, whispered something in his ear, and we observed that all the answer he received from him was a slight horizontal motion with his hand, after which the vizier, instantly resuming an agreeable smile, continued the conversation. We then left the hall of audience and came to the foot of the great staircase, where we remounted our horses. Here nine heads, cut off and placed in a row on the outside of the first gate, completely explained the sign which the vizier had made use of in our presence.” See note on Psa_123:2
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges1878 · Public DomainOn vv12–1512. Arise] The usual summons to action. Cp. Psa_3:7,…
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.
Read full note →
lift up thine hand] The attitude of action. Cp. similar phrases in Psa_138:7; Exo_7:5; Mic_5:9; and contrast Psa_74:11.
forget not the humble] Disprove the calumny of the wicked (Psa_10:11). The Qrç ‘anavîm, ‘humble’ or ‘meek,’ is preferable to the Kthîbh ‘aniyyîm, ‘afflicted’ or ‘poor.’ The spirit in which sufferings have been borne is urged as a plea. Cp. Psa_10:17.
12, 13. Stanza of Qôph.
12–18. An urgent plea that Jehovah will vindicate His own character by action, grounded upon a confident assurance of the present reality of His government. The alphabetical arrangement is here resumed.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers1878 · Public DomainOn vv12, 14, 15(12) Here the acrostic arrangement is resumed with koph.
(12) Here the acrostic arrangement is resumed with koph.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary1880 · Public DomainOn vv12–14Arise, O Lord. (comp. Psa_9:19) At this point the…
Arise, O Lord. (comp. Psa_9:19) At this point the psalmist passes from description to invocation. From ver. 2 to the end of ver. 11 he has described the conduct, the temper, and the very inmost thoughts of the wicked. Now he addresses himself to God he summons God to arise to vengeance. As Hengetenberg says, "Here the second part begins prayer, springing out of the lamentation which has preceded;" prayer and invocation, beginning here, and terminating at the close of ver. 15. O God, lift up thine hand; i.e. to strike, to take vengeance on the wicked. Forget not the humble; or, the afflicted. Do not justify the hidden thought of the wicked (ver. 11), that thou forgettest show that thou rememberest at once the sufferings of the afflicted, and the guilt of their oppressors.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon1885 · Public DomainOn vv13–14Ver. 13. Future retribution: doubts concerning it.
Ver. 13. Future retribution: doubts concerning it.
1. By whom indulged: the wicked. 2. Where fostered: in his heart.
Read full note →
3. For what purpose: quieting of conscience, etc. 4. With what practical tendency: contemn God.
He who disbelieves hell, distrusts heaven.
Ver. 13-14. Divine government in the world.
1. Who doubt it? and why? 2. Who believe it? and what does this faith cause them to do?
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Biblical Illustrator1887 · Public DomainOn v13Wherefore do the wicked contemn God?
Psa_10:13
Wherefore do the wicked contemn God?
Read full note →
On the unprincipled contempt of religion
How astonishing that any should be guilty of this. Excellence and station and authority shield men from contempt. But yet the wicked contemn God. Notwithstanding He is unspeakably glorious and great, the blessed and only Potentate possessing vast dominions, sustaining His creatures and glorified in all His works. And all things depend upon Him. Some, allured by His grace, with cheerfulness adore Him; others, constrained by His power, reluctantly Submit; but others are wicked enough to contemn Him. Their conduct and temper--
I. Toward Him show this. They have no delight in Him, they put the world far before Him, they deliberately disobey Him.
II. Towards things relating to Him. His ordinances they count weariness, His word they disregard, His people they scorn, His ministers they despise, His day they neglect.
III. Why do they thus act? Not from superior wisdom, but from depravity of the will, and encouraged by inconsistent Christians and by the strifes amongst such. But what an awful sin it is. Amazing madness! (John Erskine, D. D.)
The wicked contemners of God
Let us examine our hearts, our lives, and the Scriptures of truth.
1. Look at your mind and you will be forced to acknowledge that you seldom think of God.
2. Pass to an examination of your words.
3. Consider your actions.
4. The manner in which you treat the threatenings of God.
5. The regard you pay to the promises of God.
6. Your contempt of God is manifested in your disobedience to His commandments.
7. The declarations of One who perfectly knows you place this matter beyond a doubt. (H. Rollock, D. D.)
Expostulation with contemners of God
I. A question propounded.
1. Somewhat is here implied, something is laid as a charge. The wicked does contemn God. Take the word wicked collectively. Three ways wherein wicked men may be said to contemn God: In His ordinances, in His providences, in His servants. Whence does this proceed from them? Partly from pride, partly from ignorance.
2. Somewhat is expressed. The absurdity of such a temper is seen in this, that no good account can be given of it. See the inequality of it in reference to God. He does not deserve it. See the danger of it. Those that contemn Him, He will contemn them again. And His contemning is followed by His condemning; those whom He despises, He destroys.
II. The ground or occasion of this question. He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it. According to the absolute sense, this is a declaration of the temper of wicked men. According to the relative sense of them, they seem to he either a proof or an account of what was said before concerning such persons, as to their contemning of God. This is a proof that they do so, and this is a reason also why they do so. They say in their heart, God will not require it. (T. Horton, D. D.)
Retribution--the worlds old age in sin
It has been a puzzle to some good men, and a pretext for unbelief to many wicked men, that the sinner, a moral and responsible being, could rest unconcerned in his sins. Why do not wicked men repent? This can only be resolved on the ground suggested in the text, the practical infidelity of wicked men. They do not believe in God as a just and inflexible moral governor. They do not accept the ideal of an exact and certain retribution. A carelessness of retribution. Moral law is held as an abstraction, and the reality, the extent, the terribleness of its sanctions are actually forgotten. Till this general sense of security be assailed, till this general indifference be shown to be causeless, the instances of awakening and conversion among sinners will be few.
I. Explain and illustrate the carelessness of retribution prevalent in the world.
1. The worlds old age in sin. Sin has been producing its appropriate results, modified mainly, and almost alone, by the fact that men exist in successive generations, and not in an uninterrupted, individual life. But as the generations of men all overlap each other, so that everyone includes some members both of preceding and succeeding ones, it follows that each new generation is not cast entirely back to the starting point of its predecessor, but gains a little upon it. It will be found that whatever has characterised one age morally, intellectually, or socially, also has characterised in a less or greater degree the following one. Sin is not an institution peculiar to any age or country. The same corrupt principle is more corrupt in the sons than it was in the fathers. Is not the world wicked now as it never has been before?
II. The worlds prosperity in sin. Existence is in itself a blessing, and an element of prosperity. Mans existence at every period has had much to make it pleasant and desirable. God, as Sovereign and Judge, has benefited the subject and sinner. In this age the world still sins and prospers. Everybody, almost everybody, boasts of a prosperous world. But the world sins as well as prospers. Is not the world, with all its pomp and pride, a wicked world? Individualise the sinner. He has, in these days, so high an idea of personal dignity and independence and irresponsibility to any power that is not a reflection of his own will, as to have become very thoughtless of the Divine law, and very careless of its sanctions. We may examine the growth of this idea, and illustrate its prevalence. When the sinner is thus individualised and made to think so much of his own happiness and rights, is he not apt to forget God? Consider now the judicial hardening of the world. The powers of darkness and the powers of holiness are at enmity with each other by Divine appointment. There is such a thing as a judicial permission and even encouragement to wickedness, whereby God asserts His sovereignty over free moral agents, and makes them ready, and makes all things ready, for the final manifestation of His glory at the coming of the Lord. One great reason why the world is so careless of approaching retribution is, that it is judicially hardened, rendered insensible to the proofs of its coming, and the fear that ought thereby to be awakened. (John H. Lord.)
The day of no judgment dreaded
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Pitt said, I have no fear for England; she will stand till the day of judgment. Burke answered, It is the day of no judgment that I dread. (The Quiver.)
The reckoning will come to the sinner
The wicked contemn God. Why? Because they say He will not require it. Ah! They forget that it is as true of Gods threatenings as of His promises,, that although He delays He does not deny them. A reprieve is not a pardon. It defers the execution, but does not necessarily cancel the sentence. And how many men in business, hard pressed for money and tottering on the edge of bankruptcy, have known too well that the bill which they had got the money lender to renew was not thereby paid; that, however often renewed, it has still to be paid, and that the oftener, indeed, it is renewed with interest added to the capital the debt but grows the larger, the payment the heavier. Just so will it be with you if you persist in rejecting the Saviour. Every day of mercy here will but aggravate the misery of hereafter, and the reckoning, by being long of coming, will be the more terrible when it comes--as that storm roars with the loudest thunder which has been the longest gathering. (T. Guthrie.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann1924 · Public DomainOn v12David Makes a Plea for Speedy Deliverance
David Makes a Plea for Speedy Deliverance
v. 12. Arise, O Lord, David’s usual powerful and importunate appeal to Jehovah, the true God; O God, lift up Thine hand, namely, for the purpose of punishing the wicked; forget not the humble, forsaking them, giving them up to the cruelty of the wicked.
Read full note →
v. 13. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? How is it possible that God should permit such a blasphemous challenge of His government? He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it, not call the wicked to account for his every misdeed.
v. 14. Thou hast seen it, this being set against the false security of the wicked; for Thou beholdest mischief and spite, all the grief which the ungodly lays upon the righteous, to requite it with Thy hand, with the full punishment which it deserves. The poor committeth himself unto Thee, trusting in God’s righteous judgment; Thou art the Helper of the fatherless, those without natural protectors to defend them.
v. 15. Break Thou the arm of the wicked, definitely putting a stop to his wicked acts, and the evil man; seek out his wickedness till Thou find none, the result being such a reverent awe of God that all meanness would be removed and disappear without leaving a trace.
v. 16. The Lord is King forever and ever, He is not dethroned despite all the attacks of the enemies; the heathen are perished out of His land, cut off entirely, annihilated, no remnant remaining. This being the poet’s assurance, he adds his last plea.
v. 17. Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble, their longing for help; Thou wilt prepare their heart, establishing it by firm confidence in Him; Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear, to attend closely to their cry,
v. 18. to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, executing judgment upon their oppressors, that the man of the earth, the haughty wicked adversary, may no more oppress, by terrifying the believers. That is the consolation of the children of God at all times, that He will finally vindicate His might and execute judgment upon all enemies of His people.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0On vv13, 15Why does the wicked man reject God and say…
Why does the wicked man reject God and say ... "You will not hold me accountable"?
The speaker uses this question to show that he is very sad that wicked people do these things. AT: "Wicked people are always rejecting God and saying ... 'You will not hold me accountable.'" (See: Rhetorical Question)
Read full note →
You will not hold me accountable
"You will not require me to tell you why I do what I do." Holding someone accountable here represents punishing him. AT: "You will not punish me" (See: Metonymy)
Tyndale Open Study Notes2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0On vv12, 14, 1510:12-15 With confidence that the wicked will be held…
10:12-15 With confidence that the wicked will be held responsible for their deeds and that the Lord will care for the helpless, the psalmist prays intensely for rescue from evil.
GEBible — Godless Engineer's Bible App
John Calvin 1540 · Public Domain On vv12–15 12. Arise, O Jehovah. It is a disease under…
12. Arise, O Jehovah. It is a disease under which men in general labor, to imagine, according to the judgment of the flesh, that when God does not execute his judgments, he is sitting idle, or lying at ease. There is, however, a great difference with respect to this between the faithful and the wicked. The latter cherish the false opinion which is dictated by the weakness of the flesh, and in order to soothe and flatter themselves in their vices, they indulge in slumbering, and render their conscience stupid, “Et prenent plaisir kassop et rendre leur conscience stupide, afin de se flatter en leurs vices.” — Fr.
“Retournans d’eux mesmes a bien considerer ce qui enest a la verite.” — Fr.
John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.
Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv12–15 He calleth to God for help, because wickedness is…
He calleth to God for help, because wickedness is so far overgrown, that God must now help or never.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Psa 10:12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up…
Psa 10:12 Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
Ver. 12. Arise, O Lord] Surge, age, summe Pater, said Mantuan to the pope, stirring him up against the Turks; may we better say to the Almighty God, against his people’s enemies,
Read full note →
O God, lift up thine hand Lift it up on high, that it may fall down the more heavily. In the first verse of this psalm the prophet complained that God stood afar off, and hid himself in time of trouble, Here he is entreated to arise, to come near, to put forth his hand for his people’s help, &c.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Lift up thine hand, to rescue the poor, and…
Lift up thine hand, to rescue the poor, and to smite their oppressors with a hand stretched out and lifted up, that the blow maybe the greater: compare Exo 7:5; Isa 5:25; 9:12, &c.
Forget not the humble; show by thy appearance for their vindication that thou dost remember and regard them.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain On v12 David here, upon the foregoing representation of the inhumanity…
David here, upon the foregoing representation of the inhumanity and impiety of the oppressors, grounds an address to God, wherein observe,
I. What he prays for. 1. That God would himself appear (Psa 10:12): "Arise, O Lord! O God! lift up thy hand, manifest thy presence and providence in the affairs of this lower world. Arise, O Lord! to the confusion of those who say that thou hidest thy face. Manifest thy power, exert it for the maintaining of thy own cause, lift up thy hand to give a fatal blow to these oppressors; let thy everlasting arm be made bare." 2. That he would appear for his people: "Forget not the humble, the afflicted, that are poor, that are made poorer, and are poor in spirit. Their oppressors, in their presumption, say that thou hast forgotten them; and they, in their despair, are ready to say the same. Lord, make it to appear that they are both mistaken." 3. That he would appear against their persecutors, Psa 10:15. (1.) That he would disable them from doing any mischief: Break thou the arm of the wicked, take away his power, that the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared, Job 34:30. We read of oppressors whose dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged (Dan 7:12), that they might have time to repent. (2.) That he would deal with them for the mischief they had done: "Seek out his wickedness; let that be all brought to light which he thought should for ever lie undiscovered; let that be all brought to account which he thought should for ever go unpunished; bring it out till thou find none, that is, till none of his evil deeds remain unreckoned for, none of his evil designs undefeated, and none of his partisans undestroyed."
Read full note →
II. What he pleads for the encouraging of his own faith in these petitions.
1. He pleads the great affronts which these proud oppressors put upon God himself: "Lord, it is thy own cause that we beg thou wouldst appear in; the enemies have made it so, and therefore it is not for thy glory to let them go unpunished" (Psa 10:13): Wherefore do the wicked contemn God? He does so; for he says, "Thou wilt not require it; thou wilt never call us to an account for what we do," than which they could not put a greater indignity upon the righteous God. The psalmist here speaks with astonishment, (1.) At the wickedness of the wicked: "Why do they speak so impiously, why so absurdly?" It is a great trouble to good men to think what contempt is cast upon the holy God by the sin of sinners, upon his precepts, his promises, his threatenings, his favours, his judgments; all are despised and made light of. Wherefore do the wicked thus contemn God? It is because they do not know him. (2.) At the patience and forbearance of God towards them: "Why are they suffered thus to contemn God? Why does he not immediately vindicate himself and take vengeance on them?" It is because the day of reckoning is yet to come, when the measure of their iniquity is full.
2. He pleads the notice God took of the impiety and iniquity of these oppressors (Psa 10:14): "Do the persecutors encourage themselves with a groundless fancy that thou wilt never see it? Let the persecuted encourage themselves with a well-grounded faith, not only that thou hast seen it, but that thou doest behold it, even all the mischief that is done by the hands, and all the spite and malice that lurk in the hearts, of these oppressors; it is all known to thee, and observed by thee; nay, not only thou hast seen it and dost behold it, but thou wilt requite it, wilt recompense it into their bosoms, by thy just and avenging hand."
3. He pleads the dependence which the oppressed had upon him: "The poor commits himself unto thee, each of them does so, I among the rest. They rely on thee as their patron and protector, they refer themselves to thee as their Judge, in whose determination they acquiesce and at whose disposal they are willing to be. They leave themselves with thee" ( so some read it), "not prescribing, but subscribing, to thy wisdom and will. They thus give thee honour as much as their oppressors dishonour thee. They are thy willing subjects, and put themselves under thy protection; therefore protect them."
4. He pleads the relation in which God is pleased to stand to us, (1.) As a great God. He is King for ever and ever, Psa 10:16. And it is the office of a king to administer justice for the restraint and terror of evil-doers and the protection and praise of those that do well. To whom should the injured subjects appeal but to the sovereign? Help, my Lord, O King! Avenge me of my adversary. "Lord, let all that pay homage and tribute to thee as their King have the benefit of thy government and find thee their refuge. Thou art an everlasting King, which no earthly prince is, and therefore canst and wilt, by an eternal judgment, dispense rewards and punishments in an everlasting state, when time shall be no more; and to that judgment the poor refer themselves." (2.) As a good God. He is the helper of the fatherless (Psa 10:14), of those who have no one else to help them and have many to injure them. He has appointed kings to defend the poor and fatherless (Psa 82:3), and therefore much more will he do so himself; for he has taken it among the titles of his honour to be a Father to the fatherless (Psa 68:5), a helper of the helpless.
5. He pleads the experience which God's church and people had had of God's readiness to appear for them. (1.) He had dispersed and extirpated their enemies (Psa 10:16): "The heathen have perished out of his land; the remainders of the Canaanites, the seven devoted nations, which have long been as thorns in the eyes and goads in the sides of Israel, are now, at length, utterly rooted out; and this is an encouragement to us to hope that God will, in like manner, break the arm of the oppressive Israelites, who were, in some respects, worse than heathens." (2.) He had heard and answered their prayers (Psa 10:17): "Lord, thou hast many a time heard the desire of the humble, and never saidst to a distressed suppliant, Seek in vain. Why may not we hope for the continuance and repetition of the wonders, the favours, which our father told us of?"
6. He pleads their expectations from God pursuant to their experience of him: "Thou hast heard, therefore thou will cause thy ear to hear, as, Psa 6:9. Thou art the same, and thy power, and promise, and relation to thy people are the same, and the work and workings of grace are the same in them; why therefore may we not hope that he who has been will still be, will ever be, a God hearing prayers?" But observe, (1.) In what method God hears prayer. He first prepares the heart of his people and then gives them an answer of peace; nor may we expect his gracious answer, but in this way; so that God's working upon us is the best earnest of his working for us. He prepares the heart for prayer by kindling holy desires, and strengthening our most holy faith, fixing the thoughts and raising the affections, and then he graciously accepts the prayer; he prepares the heart for the mercy itself that is wanting and prayed for, makes us fit to receive it and use it well, and then gives it in to us. The preparation of the heart is from the Lord, and we must seek unto him for it (Pro 16:1) and take that as a leading favour. (2.) What he will do in answer to prayer, Psa 10:18. [1.] He will plead the cause of the persecuted, will judge the fatherless and oppressed, will judge for them, clear up their innocency, restore their comforts, and recompense them for all the loss and damage they have sustained. [2.] He will put an end to the fury of the persecutors. Hitherto they shall come, but no further; here shall the proud waves of their malice be stayed; an effectual course shall be taken that the man of the earth may no more oppress. See how light the psalmist now makes of the power of that proud persecutor whom he had been describing in this psalm, and how slightly he speaks of him now that he had been considering God's sovereignty. First, He is but a man of the earth, a man out of the earth (so the word is), sprung out of the earth, and therefore mean, and weak, and hastening to the earth again. Why then should we be afraid of the fury of the oppressor when he is but man that shall die, a son of man that shall be as grass? Isa 51:12. He that protects us is the Lord of heaven; he that persecutes us is but a man of the earth. Secondly, God has him in a chain, and can easily restrain the remainder of his wrath, so that he cannot do what he would. When God speaks the word Satan shall by his instruments no more deceive (Rev 20:3), no more oppress.
In singing these verses we must commit religion's just but injured cause to God, as those that are heartily concerned for its honour and interests, believing that he will, in due time, plead it with jealousy.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Arise, O Lord,.... See Psa 3:7;
Arise, O Lord,.... See Psa 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, Exo 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, Exo 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 Gen 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;
Read full note →
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, Rev 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 Psa 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.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain On vv13–15 Contemn - Why dost thou by giving them impunity,…
Contemn - Why dost thou by giving them impunity, suffer and occasion them to despise thee?
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Verse 12. Arise, O Lord] Hear their reproaches see…
Verse 12. Arise, O Lord] Hear their reproaches see their guile, consider thy oppressed people. "Lift up thine hand," threaten them, that they may desist and repent. If they repent not let them be punished.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On vv12, 14, 15 Psa 10:12-13. Lift up thy hand — To rescue…
Psa 10:12-13. Lift up thy hand — To rescue the poor, and to smite their oppressors; forget not the humble — Show, by thy appearing for their vindication, that thou dost remember and regard them. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? — Why dost thou, by giving them impunity, suffer and occasion them to despise thee?
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain On vv12–15 Arise, O Lord - See the note at Psa…
Arise, O Lord - See the note at Psa 3:7. This commences the second part of the psalm, in which the author calls on God to remember those who were oppressed and wronged by the wicked. By suffering the wicked thus to carry on their plans, God seemed to be indifferent to human affairs, and the psalmist, therefore, invokes him to interpose, and to rescue the afflicted from their grasp.
O God, lift up thine hand - As one does when he is about to strike, or to exert his power. The prayer is, that God would interfere to put down the wicked.
Read full note →
Forget not the humble - Margin, “afflicted.” The margin expresses the true sense. The idea is not that God would remember “humble” persons in the sense in which that word is now commonly used, but that he would remember those who were down-trodden, crushed, and afflicted. This is in accordance with the marginal reading in the Hebrew Bibles, which is now usually regarded as the more correct reading.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown 1871 · Public Domain On vv12–15 (Compare Psa 9:19; Psa 3:7).
(Compare Psa 9:19; Psa 3:7).
the humble--(Compare Psa 10:17, and Margin.)
Read full note →
lift up thine hand--exert thy power.
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv12–15 12. Arise, O Lord—Against the blasphemous unbelief and wickedness…
12. Arise, O Lord—Against the blasphemous unbelief and wickedness already described, the psalmist calls upon Jehovah, the Almighty, to show his power and justice in defence of his own law and covenant promise.
Lift up thy hand—An allusion, probably, to the custom of oriental masters in giving their orders to servants by the motion of the hand. Thus Baron de Tott: “The muzar aga, (or high priest,) coming into the hall, and approaching the pasha, whispered something in his ear, and we observed that all the answer he received from him was a slight horizontal motion with his hand, after which the vizier, instantly resuming an agreeable smile, continued the conversation. We then left the hall of audience and came to the foot of the great staircase, where we remounted our horses. Here nine heads, cut off and placed in a row on the outside of the first gate, completely explained the sign which the vizier had made use of in our presence.” See note on Psa_123:2
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On vv12–15 12. Arise] The usual summons to action. Cp. Psa_3:7,…
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.
Read full note →
lift up thine hand] The attitude of action. Cp. similar phrases in Psa_138:7; Exo_7:5; Mic_5:9; and contrast Psa_74:11.
forget not the humble] Disprove the calumny of the wicked (Psa_10:11). The Qrç ‘anavîm, ‘humble’ or ‘meek,’ is preferable to the Kthîbh ‘aniyyîm, ‘afflicted’ or ‘poor.’ The spirit in which sufferings have been borne is urged as a plea. Cp. Psa_10:17.
12, 13. Stanza of Qôph.
12–18. An urgent plea that Jehovah will vindicate His own character by action, grounded upon a confident assurance of the present reality of His government. The alphabetical arrangement is here resumed.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On vv12, 14, 15 (12) Here the acrostic arrangement is resumed with koph.
(12) Here the acrostic arrangement is resumed with koph.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain On vv12–14 Arise, O Lord. (comp. Psa_9:19) At this point the…
Arise, O Lord. (comp. Psa_9:19) At this point the psalmist passes from description to invocation. From ver. 2 to the end of ver. 11 he has described the conduct, the temper, and the very inmost thoughts of the wicked. Now he addresses himself to God he summons God to arise to vengeance. As Hengetenberg says, "Here the second part begins prayer, springing out of the lamentation which has preceded;" prayer and invocation, beginning here, and terminating at the close of ver. 15. O God, lift up thine hand; i.e. to strike, to take vengeance on the wicked. Forget not the humble; or, the afflicted. Do not justify the hidden thought of the wicked (ver. 11), that thou forgettest show that thou rememberest at once the sufferings of the afflicted, and the guilt of their oppressors.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Charles H. Spurgeon 1885 · Public Domain On vv13–14 Ver. 13. Future retribution: doubts concerning it.
Ver. 13. Future retribution: doubts concerning it.
1. By whom indulged: the wicked. 2. Where fostered: in his heart.
Read full note →
3. For what purpose: quieting of conscience, etc. 4. With what practical tendency: contemn God.
He who disbelieves hell, distrusts heaven.
Ver. 13-14. Divine government in the world.
1. Who doubt it? and why? 2. Who believe it? and what does this faith cause them to do?
Charles H. Spurgeon's The Treasury of David (1869–1885) — public domain. Psalms only. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain On v13 Wherefore do the wicked contemn God?
Psa_10:13
Wherefore do the wicked contemn God?
Read full note →
On the unprincipled contempt of religion
How astonishing that any should be guilty of this. Excellence and station and authority shield men from contempt. But yet the wicked contemn God. Notwithstanding He is unspeakably glorious and great, the blessed and only Potentate possessing vast dominions, sustaining His creatures and glorified in all His works. And all things depend upon Him. Some, allured by His grace, with cheerfulness adore Him; others, constrained by His power, reluctantly Submit; but others are wicked enough to contemn Him. Their conduct and temper--
I. Toward Him show this. They have no delight in Him, they put the world far before Him, they deliberately disobey Him.
II. Towards things relating to Him. His ordinances they count weariness, His word they disregard, His people they scorn, His ministers they despise, His day they neglect.
III. Why do they thus act? Not from superior wisdom, but from depravity of the will, and encouraged by inconsistent Christians and by the strifes amongst such. But what an awful sin it is. Amazing madness! (John Erskine, D. D.)
The wicked contemners of God
Let us examine our hearts, our lives, and the Scriptures of truth.
1. Look at your mind and you will be forced to acknowledge that you seldom think of God.
2. Pass to an examination of your words.
3. Consider your actions.
4. The manner in which you treat the threatenings of God.
5. The regard you pay to the promises of God.
6. Your contempt of God is manifested in your disobedience to His commandments.
7. The declarations of One who perfectly knows you place this matter beyond a doubt. (H. Rollock, D. D.)
Expostulation with contemners of God
I. A question propounded.
1. Somewhat is here implied, something is laid as a charge. The wicked does contemn God. Take the word wicked collectively. Three ways wherein wicked men may be said to contemn God: In His ordinances, in His providences, in His servants. Whence does this proceed from them? Partly from pride, partly from ignorance.
2. Somewhat is expressed. The absurdity of such a temper is seen in this, that no good account can be given of it. See the inequality of it in reference to God. He does not deserve it. See the danger of it. Those that contemn Him, He will contemn them again. And His contemning is followed by His condemning; those whom He despises, He destroys.
II. The ground or occasion of this question. He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it. According to the absolute sense, this is a declaration of the temper of wicked men. According to the relative sense of them, they seem to he either a proof or an account of what was said before concerning such persons, as to their contemning of God. This is a proof that they do so, and this is a reason also why they do so. They say in their heart, God will not require it. (T. Horton, D. D.)
Retribution--the worlds old age in sin
It has been a puzzle to some good men, and a pretext for unbelief to many wicked men, that the sinner, a moral and responsible being, could rest unconcerned in his sins. Why do not wicked men repent? This can only be resolved on the ground suggested in the text, the practical infidelity of wicked men. They do not believe in God as a just and inflexible moral governor. They do not accept the ideal of an exact and certain retribution. A carelessness of retribution. Moral law is held as an abstraction, and the reality, the extent, the terribleness of its sanctions are actually forgotten. Till this general sense of security be assailed, till this general indifference be shown to be causeless, the instances of awakening and conversion among sinners will be few.
I. Explain and illustrate the carelessness of retribution prevalent in the world.
1. The worlds old age in sin. Sin has been producing its appropriate results, modified mainly, and almost alone, by the fact that men exist in successive generations, and not in an uninterrupted, individual life. But as the generations of men all overlap each other, so that everyone includes some members both of preceding and succeeding ones, it follows that each new generation is not cast entirely back to the starting point of its predecessor, but gains a little upon it. It will be found that whatever has characterised one age morally, intellectually, or socially, also has characterised in a less or greater degree the following one. Sin is not an institution peculiar to any age or country. The same corrupt principle is more corrupt in the sons than it was in the fathers. Is not the world wicked now as it never has been before?
II. The worlds prosperity in sin. Existence is in itself a blessing, and an element of prosperity. Mans existence at every period has had much to make it pleasant and desirable. God, as Sovereign and Judge, has benefited the subject and sinner. In this age the world still sins and prospers. Everybody, almost everybody, boasts of a prosperous world. But the world sins as well as prospers. Is not the world, with all its pomp and pride, a wicked world? Individualise the sinner. He has, in these days, so high an idea of personal dignity and independence and irresponsibility to any power that is not a reflection of his own will, as to have become very thoughtless of the Divine law, and very careless of its sanctions. We may examine the growth of this idea, and illustrate its prevalence. When the sinner is thus individualised and made to think so much of his own happiness and rights, is he not apt to forget God? Consider now the judicial hardening of the world. The powers of darkness and the powers of holiness are at enmity with each other by Divine appointment. There is such a thing as a judicial permission and even encouragement to wickedness, whereby God asserts His sovereignty over free moral agents, and makes them ready, and makes all things ready, for the final manifestation of His glory at the coming of the Lord. One great reason why the world is so careless of approaching retribution is, that it is judicially hardened, rendered insensible to the proofs of its coming, and the fear that ought thereby to be awakened. (John H. Lord.)
The day of no judgment dreaded
Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Pitt said, I have no fear for England; she will stand till the day of judgment. Burke answered, It is the day of no judgment that I dread. (The Quiver.)
The reckoning will come to the sinner
The wicked contemn God. Why? Because they say He will not require it. Ah! They forget that it is as true of Gods threatenings as of His promises,, that although He delays He does not deny them. A reprieve is not a pardon. It defers the execution, but does not necessarily cancel the sentence. And how many men in business, hard pressed for money and tottering on the edge of bankruptcy, have known too well that the bill which they had got the money lender to renew was not thereby paid; that, however often renewed, it has still to be paid, and that the oftener, indeed, it is renewed with interest added to the capital the debt but grows the larger, the payment the heavier. Just so will it be with you if you persist in rejecting the Saviour. Every day of mercy here will but aggravate the misery of hereafter, and the reckoning, by being long of coming, will be the more terrible when it comes--as that storm roars with the loudest thunder which has been the longest gathering. (T. Guthrie.)
The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain On v12 David Makes a Plea for Speedy Deliverance
David Makes a Plea for Speedy Deliverance
v. 12. Arise, O Lord, David’s usual powerful and importunate appeal to Jehovah, the true God; O God, lift up Thine hand, namely, for the purpose of punishing the wicked; forget not the humble, forsaking them, giving them up to the cruelty of the wicked.
Read full note →
v. 13. Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? How is it possible that God should permit such a blasphemous challenge of His government? He hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it, not call the wicked to account for his every misdeed.
v. 14. Thou hast seen it, this being set against the false security of the wicked; for Thou beholdest mischief and spite, all the grief which the ungodly lays upon the righteous, to requite it with Thy hand, with the full punishment which it deserves. The poor committeth himself unto Thee, trusting in God’s righteous judgment; Thou art the Helper of the fatherless, those without natural protectors to defend them.
v. 15. Break Thou the arm of the wicked, definitely putting a stop to his wicked acts, and the evil man; seek out his wickedness till Thou find none, the result being such a reverent awe of God that all meanness would be removed and disappear without leaving a trace.
v. 16. The Lord is King forever and ever, He is not dethroned despite all the attacks of the enemies; the heathen are perished out of His land, cut off entirely, annihilated, no remnant remaining. This being the poet’s assurance, he adds his last plea.
v. 17. Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble, their longing for help; Thou wilt prepare their heart, establishing it by firm confidence in Him; Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear, to attend closely to their cry,
v. 18. to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, executing judgment upon their oppressors, that the man of the earth, the haughty wicked adversary, may no more oppress, by terrifying the believers. That is the consolation of the children of God at all times, that He will finally vindicate His might and execute judgment upon all enemies of His people.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv13, 15 Why does the wicked man reject God and say…
Why does the wicked man reject God and say ... "You will not hold me accountable"?
The speaker uses this question to show that he is very sad that wicked people do these things. AT: "Wicked people are always rejecting God and saying ... 'You will not hold me accountable.'" (See: Rhetorical Question)
Read full note →
You will not hold me accountable
"You will not require me to tell you why I do what I do." Holding someone accountable here represents punishing him. AT: "You will not punish me" (See: Metonymy)
translationWords
reject
heart
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv12, 14, 15 10:12-15 With confidence that the wicked will be held…
10:12-15 With confidence that the wicked will be held responsible for their deeds and that the Lord will care for the helpless, the psalmist prays intensely for rescue from evil.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.