1 Why, O Lord, do you stand far away?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked hotly pursue the poor;
let them be caught in the schemes that they have devised.
3 For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul,
and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord.
4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him;
all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
5 His ways prosper at all times;
your judgments are on high, out of his sight;
as for all his foes, he puffs at them.
6 He says in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
throughout all generations I shall not meet adversity.”
7 His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.
8 He sits in ambush in the villages;
in hiding places he murders the innocent.
His eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 he lurks in ambush like a lion in his thicket;
he lurks that he may seize the poor;
he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.
10 The helpless are crushed, sink down,
and fall by his might.
11 He says in his heart, “God has forgotten,
he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
12 Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
forget not the afflicted.
13 Why does the wicked renounce God
and say in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
14 But you do see, for you note mischief and vexation,
that you may take it into your hands;
to you the helpless commits himself;
you have been the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer;
call his wickedness to account till you find none.
16 The Lord is king forever and ever;
the nations perish from his land.
17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
18 to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. – Psalm 10:1-18 ESV
The unnamed author of this Psalm doesn’t begin by praising God but, instead, delivers an eloquent and heartfelt plea for justice. In a world filled with wickedness, it can sometimes appear that God is distant or disinterested in the plight of His children. This Psalm deals with the age-old issue of theodicy: If God is all-powerful and loving, why does He allow evil to exist? Theodicy questions God's goodness and omnipotence in light of the existence of evil. In every generation, faithful followers of God have found themselves surrounded by unjust and ungodly individuals who seem to prosper and thrive while the godly suffer. The world that God created is filled with injustice and inequities. Obedience to God’s laws is often met with fierce opposition. Remaining faithful to Yahweh in a sin-filled world is difficult enough, but the constant assaults of the wicked can make it feel impossible and raises questions about God’s goodness and justice.
The Psalmist begins with his own questions for God.
O Lord, why do you stand so far away?
Why do you hide when I am in trouble? – Psalm 10:1 NLT
From his perspective, God appears nowhere to be found. Without providing any details surrounding his circumstances, the confused and troubled Psalmist wants to know why Yahweh has not intervened and done something about his predicament. Frustrated by his ongoing plight, he tries to bring God up to speed on the situation and, at the same time, give the Almighty some helpful advice on what to do about it.
The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor.
Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others.
For they brag about their evil desires;
they praise the greedy and curse the Lord. – Psalm 10:2-3 NLT
His view of the wicked is far from flattering. He describes them as greedy, boastful, arrogant, and unabashedly opposed to God. These evil individuals are hostile to God’s people because they reject God’s presence and power. “They seem to think that God is dead” (Psalm 10:4 NLT). They share the viewpoint attributed to the fool in Psalm 14:1.
The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
They live as if God doesn't exist or simply doesn't care.
The wicked think, “God isn’t watching us!
He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!” – Psalm 10:11 NLT
Yet, they prosper. This is the part that drives the Psalmist crazy. He can't understand why God allows the wicked to get away with their blatant disobedience of His laws and arrogant dismissal of His power and justice. They treat God with flippant disregard and no fear of repercussions. David described these individuals in another Psalm.
Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts.
They have no fear of God at all.
In their blind conceit,
they cannot see how wicked they really are.
Everything they say is crooked and deceitful.
They refuse to act wisely or do good.
They lie awake at night, hatching sinful plots.
Their actions are never good.
They make no attempt to turn from evil. – Psalm 34:1-4 NLT
Every child of God has had to wrestle with what appears to be the silence or apathy of God when it comes to wickedness. The ungodly get away with murder – literally. They sin against God and never seem to face any consequences for their actions. In fact, they seem to prosper in the process. From a human perspective, justice appears to go unserved. This raises another question: “Why do the wicked get away with despising God?” (Psalm 10:13 NLT).
If God is just, righteous, and all-powerful, why doesn't He mete out justice in a more timely and equitable manner? His apparent delay in delivering well-deserved judgment to the wicked allows them to boast, “Nothing bad will ever happen to us! We will be free of trouble forever!” (Psalm 10:6 NLT). The lack of consequences fuels their conduct and gives them a sense of invincibility. Unscathed by their actions, they begin to view God as either indifferent or impotent.
“God isn’t watching us!
He has closed his eyes and won’t even see what we do!” – Psalm 10:11 NLT
This mocking statement is meant to minimize God’s omnipotence and sovereignty. It is demeaning and dismissive, and portrays God as a doddering old man who lacks the power or interest to intervene in the affairs of men. That is what causes the Psalmist to cry out, “Arise, O Lord! Punish the wicked, O God! Do not ignore the helpless! (Psalm 10:12 NLT). Like an obnoxious-sounding alarm clock, the Psalmist issues a wake-up call to the Almighty, demanding His immediate intervention and remediation.
It’s clear that the Psalmist has confidence in God’s awareness of the problem and His ability to deal with it. He asserts, “You see the trouble and grief they cause. You take note of it and punish them. The helpless put their trust in you. You defend the orphans” (Psalm 10:14 NLT). It’s the delay that has him confused. His God is capable but, for some reason, has chosen not to act. So, he demands immediate and decisive actions.
Break the arms of these wicked, evil people!
Go after them until the last one is destroyed. – Psalm 10:16 NLT
The Psalmist closes out his song by expressing his confidence in God’s justice. As the King, God has the authority and power to deal with the wicked and hold them to account.
…you know the hopes of the helpless.
Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them.
You will bring justice to the orphans and the oppressed,
so mere people can no longer terrify them. – Psalm 10:17-18 NLT
But the question remains. When will God bring justice? When will the wicked receive the payback they so richly deserve? The Psalmist wants instant karma that results in the immediate elimination of the wicked and the well-deserved vindication of the righteous. However, David provided a different perspective that requires patience and perseverance. It suggests taking a long-term approach to our short-term difficulties.
Don’t worry about the wicked
or envy those who do wrong.
For like grass, they soon fade away.
Like spring flowers, they soon wither.
Trust in the Lord and do good.
Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you your heart’s desires.
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes. – Psalm 37:1-7 NLT
God is in it for the long-haul. Unhindered by the confines of time or space, God knows how the story ends and remains unwavering in His confidence that justice will be served.
For the Lord loves justice,
and he will never abandon the godly.
He will keep them safe forever,
but the children of the wicked will die. – Psalm 37:8 NLT
It's not a matter of if, but when. So, while we wait, we are to trust that justice will prevail — in God’s way and according to His impeccable timing.
Put your hope in the Lord.
Travel steadily along his path.
He will honor you by giving you the land.
You will see the wicked destroyed. – Psalm 10:34 NLT
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.