Psalm 10

Psalm 10
"Why standest thou afar off, O LORD?"
End of Psalm 10 in the 9th-century Elzevir Bible
Other name	Psalm 9b "Ut quid Domine recessisti"
Text	by David
Language	Hebrew (original)

Psalm 10
← Psalm 9 Psalm 11 →
Book	Book of Psalms
Hebrew Bible part	Ketuvim
Order in the Hebrew part	1
Category	Sifrei Emet
Christian Bible part	Old Testament
Order in the Christian part	19

Psalm 10 is the tenth psalm of the Book of Psalms, beginning in English in the King James Version: "Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?" In the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate, it is not an individual psalm but the second part of psalm 9, "Ut quid Domine recessisti". These two consecutive psalms have the form of a single acrostic Hebrew poem. Compared to Psalm 9, Psalm 10 is focused more on the individual than the collective human condition.

The psalm forms a regular part of Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and other Protestant liturgies.

Context

Psalm 8 reflects on man's special place in creation. In contrast, both psalms 9 and 10 will end with statements setting mankind in a more negative light in the final verses of each. Psalm 9 closes with the phase "Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men, selah" Psalm 9:20 and Psalm 10:18 closes Psalm 10 with "...that the man of the earth may no more oppress." Some speculate that the final word of Psalm 9, selah, possibly meaning "a pause", might link the two psalms 9 and 10 together.

Taken together, Psalms 9 and 10 comprise a continuous acrostic psalm in the Hebrew alphabet. Some texts, such as the Septuagint, combine them. They also contrast as Psalm 9 is more victorious and 10 more of a lament.

Text

The following table shows the Hebrew text of the Psalm with vowels, alongside the Koine Greek text in the Septuagint and the English translation from the King James Version. Note that the meaning can slightly differ between these versions, as the Septuagint and the Masoretic Text come from different textual traditions. In the Septuagint, this is not a separate psalm, but the second half of Psalm 9.

#	Hebrew	English	Greek
1	לָמָ֣ה יְ֭הֹוָה תַּֽעֲמֹ֣ד בְּרָח֑וֹק תַּ֝עְלִ֗ים לְעִתּ֥וֹת בַּצָּרָֽה׃‎	Why standest thou afar off, O LORD? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
2	בְּגַאֲוַ֣ת רָ֭שָׁע יִדְלַ֣ק עָנִ֑י יִתָּֽפְשׂ֓וּ ׀ בִּמְזִמּ֖וֹת ז֣וּ חָשָֽׁבוּ׃‎	The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
3	כִּֽי־הִלֵּ֣ל רָ֭שָׁע עַל־תַּאֲוַ֣ת נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וּבֹצֵ֥עַ בֵּ֝רֵ֗ךְ נִ֘אֵ֥ץ ׀ יְהֹוָֽה׃‎	For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth.
4	רָשָׁ֗ע כְּגֹ֣בַהּ אַ֭פּוֹ בַּל־יִדְרֹ֑שׁ אֵ֥ין אֱ֝לֹהִ֗ים כׇּל־מְזִמּוֹתָֽיו׃‎	The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
5	יָ֘חִ֤ילוּ דְרָכָ֨ו ׀ בְּכׇל־עֵ֗ת מָר֣וֹם מִ֭שְׁפָּטֶיךָ מִנֶּגְדּ֑וֹ כׇּל־צ֝וֹרְרָ֗יו יָפִ֥יחַ בָּהֶֽם׃‎	His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
6	אָמַ֣ר בְּ֭לִבּוֹ בַּל־אֶמּ֑וֹט לְדֹ֥ר וָ֝דֹ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־בְרָֽע׃‎	He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
7	אָלָ֤ה ׀ פִּ֣יהוּ מָ֭לֵא וּמִרְמ֣וֹת וָתֹ֑ךְ תַּ֥חַת לְ֝שׁוֹנ֗וֹ עָמָ֥ל וָאָֽוֶן׃‎	His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
8	יֵשֵׁ֤ב ׀ בְּמַאְרַ֬ב חֲצֵרִ֗ים בַּֽ֭מִּסְתָּרִים יַהֲרֹ֣ג נָקִ֑י עֵ֝ינָ֗יו לְֽחֵלְכָ֥ה יִצְפֹּֽנוּ׃‎	He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
9	יֶאֱרֹ֬ב בַּמִּסְתָּ֨ר ׀ כְּאַרְיֵ֬ה בְסֻכֹּ֗ה יֶ֭אֱרֹב לַחֲט֣וֹף עָנִ֑י יַחְטֹ֥ף עָ֝נִ֗י בְּמׇשְׁכ֥וֹ בְרִשְׁתּֽוֹ׃‎	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.
10	(ודכה) [יִדְכֶּ֥ה] יָשֹׁ֑חַ וְנָפַ֥ל בַּ֝עֲצוּמָ֗יו (חלכאים) [חֵ֣ל כָּאִֽים]׃‎	He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
11	אָמַ֣ר בְּ֭לִבּוֹ שָׁ֣כַֽח אֵ֑ל הִסְתִּ֥יר פָּ֝נָ֗יו בַּל־רָאָ֥ה לָנֶֽצַח׃‎	He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
12	קוּמָ֤ה יְהֹוָ֗ה אֵ֭ל נְשָׂ֣א יָדֶ֑ךָ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח (עניים) [עֲנָוִֽים]׃‎	Arise, O LORD; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
13	עַל־מֶ֤ה ׀ נִאֵ֖ץ רָשָׁ֥ע ׀ אֱלֹהִ֑ים אָמַ֥ר בְּ֝לִבּ֗וֹ לֹ֣א תִדְרֹֽשׁ׃‎	Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
14	רָאִ֡תָה כִּי־אַתָּ֤ה ׀ עָ֘מָ֤ל וָכַ֨עַס ׀ תַּבִּיט֮ לָתֵ֢ת בְּיָ֫דֶ֥ךָ עָ֭לֶיךָ יַעֲזֹ֣ב חֵלֵ֑כָה יָ֝ת֗וֹם אַתָּ֤ה ׀ הָיִ֬יתָ עוֹזֵֽר׃‎	Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
15	שְׁ֭בֹר זְר֣וֹעַ רָשָׁ֑ע וָ֝רָ֗ע תִּֽדְרוֹשׁ־רִשְׁע֥וֹ בַל־תִּמְצָֽא׃‎	Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
16	יְהֹוָ֣ה מֶ֭לֶךְ עוֹלָ֣ם וָעֶ֑ד אָבְד֥וּ ג֝וֹיִ֗ם מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃‎	The LORD is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
17	תַּאֲוַ֬ת עֲנָוִ֣ים שָׁמַ֣עְתָּ יְהֹוָ֑ה תָּכִ֥ין לִ֝בָּ֗ם תַּקְשִׁ֥יב אׇזְנֶֽךָ׃‎	LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
18	לִשְׁפֹּ֥ט יָת֗וֹם וָ֫דָ֥ךְ בַּל־יוֹסִ֥יף ע֑וֹד לַעֲרֹ֥ץ אֱ֝נ֗וֹשׁ מִן־הָאָֽרֶץ׃‎	To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

Uses

Judaism

• This psalm is recited during the Ten Days of Repentance in some traditions.
• Verse 16 forms parts of the eighth and ninth verses of Yehi Kivod in Pesukei Dezimra, part of Baruch Hashem L'Olam in Maariv, and part of the Bedtime Shema.
• Verse 17 is found in the repetition of the Amidah during Rosh Hashanah.

New Testament

• Verses 7 is quoted in Romans

Catholic Church

According to the Rule of St. Benedict (530 AD), Psalm 1 to Psalm 20 were mainly reserved for the Office of Prime. Psalm 9 is sung in the Latin version translated from the Greek Septuagint, and therefore includes Psalm 10, as noted above. Benedict had divided this Psalm 9/10 in two parts, one sung to the end of the Office of Prime Tuesday () and the other ( and ) is the first of the three readings on Wednesday. In other words, the first verses of Psalm 9 until "Quoniam non in finem erit oblivio pauperis: patientia pauperum non peribit in finem," formed the third and final Prime Psalm from Tuesday, the second part of the Psalm (Vulgate according to his view) was recited as the first psalm of the Office of Prime Wednesday.

Traditionally Psalms 9 and 10 were recited as the seventh Psalms of Sunday Matins.

Book of Common Prayer

In the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, this psalm is appointed to be read on the morning of the second day of the month.

Musical settings

Heinrich Schütz wrote a setting of a paraphrase of Psalm 10 in German, "Wie meinst du's doch, ach Herr, mein Gott", SWV 106, for the Becker Psalter, published first in 1628.

External links

• Pieces with text from Psalm 10: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
• Psalm 10: Free scores at the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
• Text of Psalm 10 according to the 1928 Psalter
• Psalms Chapter 10 text in Hebrew and English, mechon-mamre.org
• Why, LORD, do you stand afar and pay no heed in times of trouble? text and footnotes, usccb.org United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Psalm 10:1 introduction and text, biblestudytools.com
• Psalm 10 – From Times of Trouble to Calm Confidence enduringword.com
• Psalm 10 / Refrain: You, Lord, have never failed those who seek you. Church of England
• Psalm 10 at biblegateway.com
• Hymns for Psalm 10 hymnary.org