Psalm 10:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: His mouth is filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under his tongue are mischief and iniquity.

NIV: His mouth is full of lies and threats; trouble and evil are under his tongue.

NASB: His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression; Under his tongue is harm and injustice.

CSB: Cursing, deceit, and violence fill his mouth; trouble and malice are under his tongue.

NLT: Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues.

KJV: His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

NKJV: His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression; Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.

This posts three accusations against the wicked person (Psalm 10:2–6). His words exhibit profanity, lies, and abuse. The imagery of "mischief and iniquity" lurking under the person's tongue is striking. It suggests that whenever the person moves their tongue—whenever he speaks—deceit and evil are exposed.

The apostle Paul cites this verse in Romans 3:14 with a slight variation: "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness." In Job 20, Zophar describes the wicked as having joy for only a moment (Job 20:5). He says evil is sweet in the mouth of the wicked. He "is loath to let it go and holds it in his mouth" (Job 20:13). However, Zohar states, "His food is turned in his stomach; it is the venom of cobras within him" (Job 20:14).

A possible example of the concept imagined here is the wicked person who attends court and swears an oath that he is telling the truth. However, he is lying. Revelation 21:8 includes unbelieving liars as among those who will end up in the lake of fire that burns with fire and sulfur.

Psalm 10:1–11 asks why God seems to ignore the character and deeds of wicked people. The wicked are described as haughty oppressors of the poor and helpless. They are arrogant, greedy, insulters of God. They don't believe He exists, so they feel free to take advantage of poor and helpless victims.

This song opens with a common question humanity asks in hard times: "where are you, God?" There follows a description of wicked people and their deeds and motives. Evil people feel free to be depraved and arrogant, assuming there is no God to judge them. Like predators, these wicked people ambush helpless people. Despite their wrong assumptions, God keeps His promises. He will judge the wicked and defend His people. Helpless people can trust God to make matters right. Someday, He will rid the earth of all sin and suffering. His justice will prevail, and His people will never again experience persecution.

According to some scholars, Psalms 9 and 10 might have been composed together, possibly even as one psalm. No title is affixed to Psalm 10, and it seems to continue the acrostic pattern of Psalm 9, starting each section with a successive letter from the Hebrew alphabet. The Septuagint and the Vulgate place the two psalms as one. However, the mood shifts from one psalm to the other. Psalm 9 focuses on judgment to come; Psalm 10 focuses on the presence of widespread injustice. Whether literally composed together, or separately, they deal with related issues using profoundly different tones.

The book of Psalms is composed of individual songs, hymns, or poems, each of which is a ''Psalm'' in and of itself. These works contain a wide variety of themes. Some Psalms focus on praising and worshipping God. Others cry out in anguish over the pain of life. Still other Psalms look forward to the coming of the Messiah. While some Psalms are related, each has its own historical and biblical context.

Accessed 5/1/2024 1:26:09 AM