PSALM 10 THE ARGUMENT This Psalm contains David's complaint unto God against his malicious enemies, especially those of his own people, whose wicked and deceitful practices he here describes, and then commits his cause to God, and begs his help against them. The psalmist complaineth of God's hiding... [ Continue Reading ]
IN HIS PRIDE; through pride of heart; which makes him forget God, PSALMS 10:4, and despise the poor, and oppress others, either because they oppose or dislike his wicked courses, or that he may have more fuel for his pride or ambition. Or, _in his exaltation_. This is the use that he makes of that p... [ Continue Reading ]
BOASTETH, or _glorieth, or praiseth, or pleaseth himself_. OF HIS HEART'S DESIRE; or, _in_, or _concerning_, or _because of the desire_, or _concupiscence_, or _lust of his heart_, or _soul_; which word is added to note the vehemency and fervency of it. He glorieth in his very lusts, which are his s... [ Continue Reading ]
THROUGH THE PRIDE; by which he scorns to stoop to God, or to own any superior, and makes himself and his own lusts his only rule, and his last end, and is full of self-confidence, and a conceit of his own self-sufficiency and unchangeable felicity, as is hated, PSALMS 10:6. OF HIS COUNTENANCE; so ca... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS WAYS ARE ALWAYS GRIEVOUS; his whole course and carriage is vexatious to all that are within his reach, but especially to the poor, who cannot right themselves; and to just and good men, whom he hateth and persecuteth. Or, _His ways_, i.e. his designs and enterprises, _at all times are prosperous... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HATH SAID IN HIS HEART; he thinketh or persuadeth himself. I shall not be moved; or, removed, to wit, from my place and happy state. FOR I SHALL NEVER BE IN ADVERSITY; or, _because I am not in adversity_, therefore I never shall be in it. His present prosperity makes him secure for the future. Co... [ Continue Reading ]
OF CURSING; either, 1. Of oaths and blasphemies against God. Or, 2. Of reviling and execration of other men, especially those that are good; or those that stand in his way, and hinder his wicked designs. Or rather, 3. Of oaths and imprecations against himself, of which this word is used, NUMBERS 5... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE LURKING PLACES OF THE VILLAGES; not within the villages, which is not a fit place for lurking; but about them, in the ways bordering upon them, or leading to them, as robbers use to do. IN THE SECRET PLACES, that he may avoid the shame and punishment of men; which is the only thing that he fe... [ Continue Reading ]
AS A LION IN HIS DEN, where he lurks and waits for prey. HE DOTH CATCH, or _snatch_, or _seize upon_, to wit, with violence, and to devour or destroy him. WHEN HE DRAWETH HIM; or, by _drawing him_; or, _after he hath drawn him_. He layeth snares for him, and when he takes him, tears him in pieces.... [ Continue Reading ]
Like a lion, (for he continues the same metaphor,) which gathereth himself together, and lies close upon the ground, partly that he may not be discovered, and partly that he may more suddenly, and surely, and fiercely lay hold upon his prey. But for this translation, because this and is not in the H... [ Continue Reading ]
GOD HATH FORGOTTEN, to wit, _the poor_, PSALMS 10:10; or the humble, which we are taught to supply out of PSALMS 10:12, where he saith, forget not the humble. He forgets and neglects all their oppressions and prayers, and doth not avenge their cause, as he hath said he would do; nor execute judgment... [ Continue Reading ]
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 EXODUS 7:5 ISAIAH 5:25, ISAIAH 9:12, &c. FORGET NOT THE HUMBLE; show by thy appearance for their vindication that thou dost remember and regard them... [ Continue Reading ]
The sense is either, 1. What is the cause of his contempt of God? To which question the next words give an answer, Thy connivance makes him secure. Therefore show thyself. Or, 2. Why dost thou by giving them impunity suffer and occasion them to despise thee? Do so no longer. Which tacit desire he... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST SEEN IT; or, _but thou hast seen it_, and therefore they are horribly mistaken, as they will find to their cost. _For_; or, _surely_, as this particle is oft used, as JOB 8:6 PSALMS 73:18. THOU BEHOLDEST; not as an idle spectator, but with an eye of observation and vindication, as it follo... [ Continue Reading ]
BREAK THOU; or, _Thou wilt break_. For it may be either a prayer or a prophecy. THE ARM, i.e. his strength, the instrument of violence and mischief. SEEK OUT HIS WICKEDNESS; search for it so strictly, and punish these wicked atheists so severely. TILL THOU FIND NONE, i.e. no such wickedness, to wit,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS KING; to whom it belongs to protect his subjects. Therefore thou wilt save the humble, and punish the oppressors. FOR EVER AND EVER; therefore his people's case is never desperate, seeing he ever lives and reigns to help them, and therefore he will help them in his time sooner or later.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST HEARD THE DESIRE OF THE HUMBLE; and therefore wilt still do it, being unchangeable and the same for ever. THOU WILT PREPARE, or _direct_, or _fit_, by thy grace and good Spirit, either that they may so pray as thou wilt hear, or that they may be made fit to receive the mercies which they d... [ Continue Reading ]
TO JUDGE, i.e. to defend them, and give sentence for them, and against their enemies, as this word is used, DEUTERONOMY 32:36 PSALMS 7:8, PSALMS 135:14. THE MAN OF THE EARTH, i.e. earthly and mortal men, who are made of the dust, and must return to it, such as the oppressors of thy people are; who y... [ Continue Reading ]