Psalm 10:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: like a lion in cover he lies in wait. He lies in wait to catch the helpless; he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

NASB: He lurks in secret like a lion in his lair; He lurks to catch the needy; He catches the needy when he pulls him into his net.

CSB: he lurks in secret like a lion in a thicket. He lurks in order to seize a victim; he seizes a victim and drags him in his net.

NLT: Like lions crouched in hiding, they wait to pounce on the helpless. Like hunters they capture the helpless and drag them away in nets.

KJV: He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

NKJV: He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den; He lies in wait to catch the poor; He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.

David compares the wicked man (Psalm 10:2–3) to a lion and a fisherman. Like a lion that hides in a patch of grass to pounce upon an unsuspecting victim, the wicked man ambushes and victimizes the poor. He also draws the poor into his net just as a fisherman draws fish into his net. This imagery of hunting, surprise, and ambush is common in the book of Psalms when referring to those who use evil to harm others (Psalm 17:12; 37:32; 56:6; 59:3; 64:4).

The apostle Peter pictures Satan as a lion that hunts for someone to attack and kill (1 Peter 5:8). Peter exhorts believers to be serious minded and alert to the Devil's modus operandi. He also tells believers how to avoid falling victim to the Devil. He writes "Resist him, firm in your faith" (1 Peter 5:9). The faith he refers to is the body of doctrine contained in the Bible. Knowing what the Bible teaches is indispensable to a life of victory.

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 4/29/2024 5:45:04 AM