# Psalm 10 đź“–: Why Do You Stand Far Off
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> [!info] Table of Contents
> [[#đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)]]
> [[#đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary]]
> [[#🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights]]
> [[#🧠Chapter Summary]]
> [[#✝️ Christ in This Chapter]]
> [[#🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application]]
> [[#đź’¬ Discussion Questions]]
> [[#✍️ Key Verses to Remember]]
> [[#đź”— Related Passages]]
> [[#🙏 Devotional Reflection]]
> [[#đź“‚ Internal Notes]]
## đź“ś Scripture Text (NET)
(The NET Bible: New English Translation. Biblical Studies Press, 2005)
[[#Verse 01.]] Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you pay no attention during times of trouble?
[[#Verse 02.]]Â The wicked arrogantly chase the oppressed;
the oppressed are trapped by the schemes the wicked have dreamed up.
[[#Verse 03.]] Yes, the wicked man boasts because he gets what he wants;
the one who robs others curses and rejects the Lord.
[[#Verse 04.]]Â The wicked man is so arrogant he always thinks,
“God won’t hold me accountable; he doesn’t care.”
[[#Verse 05.]]Â He is secure at all times.
He has no regard for your commands;
he disdains all his enemies.
[[#Verse 06.]]Â He says to himself,
“I will never be shaken,
because I experience no calamity.”
[[#Verse 07.]]Â His mouth is full of curses and deceptive, harmful words;
his tongue injures and destroys.
[[#Verse 08.]]Â He waits in ambush near the villages;
in hidden places he kills the innocent.
His eyes look for some unfortunate victim.
[[#Verse 09.]]Â He lies in ambush in a hidden place, like a lion in a thicket.
He lies in ambush, waiting to catch the oppressed;
he catches the oppressed by pulling in his net.
[[#Verse 10.]]Â His victims are crushed and beaten down;
they are trapped in his sturdy nets.
[[#Verse 11.]]Â He says to himself,
“God overlooks it;
he does not pay attention;
he never notices.”
[[#Verse 12.]] Rise up, Lord!
O God, strike him down.
Do not forget the oppressed.
[[#Verse 13.]]Â Why does the wicked man reject God?
He says to himself, “You will not hold me accountable.”
[[#Verse 14.]]Â You have taken notice,
for you always see one who inflicts pain and suffering.
The unfortunate victim entrusts his cause to you;
you deliver the fatherless.
[[#Verse 15.]] Break the arm of the wicked and evil man.
Hold him accountable for his wicked deeds,
which he thought you would not discover.
[[#Verse 16.]] The Lord rules forever!
The nations are driven out of his land.
[[#Verse 17.]] Lord, you have heard the request of the oppressed;
you make them feel secure because you listen to their prayer.
[[#Verse 18.]] You defend the fatherless and oppressed,
so that mere mortals may no longer terrorize them.
## đź“– Verse-by-Verse Commentary
###### Overall.
###### Verse 01.
###### Verse 02.
###### Verse 03.
###### Verse 04.
###### Verse 05.
###### Verse 06.
###### Verse 07.
###### Verse 08.
###### Verse 09.
###### Verse 10.
###### Verse 11.
###### Verse 12.
###### Verse 13.
###### Verse 14.
###### Verse 15.
###### Verse 16.
###### Verse 17.
###### Verse 18.
## 🤔 Interesting Facts / Historical and Cultural Insights
1. Psalm 10 continues the **acrostic pattern from Psalm 9**.
2. It focuses on the **arrogance of the wicked**.
3. It asks a difficult question: **Why does God seem distant?**
4. The Psalm ultimately affirms that **God does see injustice**.
5. It ends with confidence in God's **eternal kingship**.
1. Psalm 10 has no superscription, which supports the view that it was originally joined to Psalm 9.
2. The acrostic pattern from Psalm 9 resumes in 10:12-18 with the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
3. Paul quotes 10:7 in Romans 3:14 to describe speech full of cursing and bitterness.
4. The wicked person is described as a lion in hiding and a hunter with a net (10:9).
5. The phrase "There is no God" in 10:4 describes practical atheism, living as though God will not act.
6. The fatherless, the poor, and the oppressed were the most vulnerable groups in ancient Israel, and God's law repeatedly protected them (Exodus 22:22-24).
7. The psalm opens with "Why?" and closes with confident hope, a common pattern in laments.
8. 10:16 declares that the Lord is King forever and ever.
9. The nations perishing from the land (10:16) recalls the conquest of Canaan and God's judgment on wickedness.
10. 10:12 asks God to "arise," echoing the words spoken when the ark set out (Numbers 10:35).
## 🧠Chapter Summary
Psalm 10 describes the suffering caused by wicked people who believe they will escape judgment. The Psalmist cries out for God to act and defend the vulnerable.
## ✝️ Christ in This Chapter
Christ is the King forever who sees the trouble of the helpless and defends the fatherless (10:14, 16-18). He came to proclaim good news to the poor and freedom for the oppressed (Luke 4:18).
## 🔎 Key Observations / 🛟 Life Application
> [!note] 🌱 Still growing. This section is on its way.
## đź’¬ Discussion Questions
1. The psalm opens by asking why God seems far away (10:1). How do you pray honestly when God seems distant?
2. The wicked think God has forgotten and will not hold them accountable (10:11, 13). How does that thinking show up today?
3. The Lord hears the desire of the afflicted and strengthens their hearts (10:17). Who around you needs to experience that kind of care?
## ✍️ Key Verses to Remember
- đź“– verse 1: The psalmist asks why the Lord seems to stand far off in times of trouble.
- đź“– verse 14: God sees trouble and grief, and He is the helper of the fatherless.
- đź“– verses 17-18: The Lord hears the afflicted and defends the orphan and the oppressed.
## đź”— Related Passages
- đź”— [[Romans 03#Verse 14.|Romans 3:14]] - Mouths full of cursing and bitterness.
- đź”— [[Luke 04#Verse 18.|Luke 4:18]] - Good news for the poor and oppressed.
- đź”— [[James 01#Verse 27.|James 1:27]] - Caring for orphans and widows.
- đź”— [[Exodus 22#Verse 22.|Exodus 22:22-24]] - God hears the cry of the widow and orphan.
- đź”— [[Psalm 09#Verse 09.|Psalm 9:9]] - The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed.
## 🙏 Devotional Reflection
đź“ť SOAP: [[Psalm 10- SOAP|The Lord Hears the Lowest Cries]]
## đź“‚ Internal Notes