King James Version

What Does Psalms 10:2 Mean?

“The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. The wicked: Heb. In the pride of the wicked he doth persecute”

Context

Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?

The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. The wicked: Heb. In the pride of the wicked he doth persecute

For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. heart's: Heb. soul's blesseth: or, the covetous blesseth himself, he abhorreth the LORD

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. God is: or, all his thoughts are, There is no God

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(2) **The wicked.**—Better, *in the pride of the wicked, the sufferer burns. *(So LXX., Aquila, Symmachus, and Vulg.) Not to be taken of indignation felt by the sufferers, but literally of the afflictions they endure. The Authorised Version rendering of the next clause takes the wicked as the subject of the verb; but it preserves the parallelism better, and is more in accordance with the rest of the psalm (Psalm 10:8-10), to understand it of the “humble,” the singular changing to the plural in the subject when supplied: “they (the sufferers) are taken (the verb is in the present) in the plot which they (the wicked) have devised.”

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Psalms. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Psalms 10:2 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.