angela hormberg

Tag: Psalms 9 and 10

  • Psalm 10

    Psalm 10

    Commonplace –

    “Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:

    To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of earth may no more oppress” (Psalm 10:18).

    Psalms 9 and 10

    In the previous post on Psalm 9, the following was noted regarding Psalms 9 and 10:

    “John Parsons of Hebrew4Christians.com wrote the following in reference to Psalms 9 and 10:

    “David probably wrote Psalm 9 and 10 as a single psalm (“Psalm 9 in Hebrew”).

    Matthew Henry echoes this sentiment in his summary of Psalm 10:

    “The Septuagint translation joins this psalm with the ninth, and makes them but one; but the Hebrew makes it a distinct psalm, and the scope and style are certainly different” (222).

    If this understanding is correct, it explains why Psalm 10 does not begin as the psalms usually do, with praising God, but with a question to God. And Matthew Henry’s comment is on point. The two psalms are quite different.

    Psalm 10: The Case Against the Wicked

    In Psalm 10, David begins by asking,

    “Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?” (Psalm 10:1).

    Psalm 10 is all about David presenting his case to God against the wicked.

    David begins by introducing evidence.

    The wicked person:

    1. persecutes the poor
    2. boast’s of his own heart’s desire and blesses those that covet
    3. never thinks of God
    4. is always proud
    5. curses, lies and commits fraud
    6. murders the innocent

    David makes his argument.

    Like a prosecutor in a courtroom, he brings the case before the judge and no sin of the wicked is omitted. Then, David asks the question on behalf of the victims,

    “Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it” (Psalm 10:13)

    and he continues,

    “Thou has seen it: for thou beholdest mischief and spit, to requite it with thy hand” (Psalm 10:14a),

    and also,

    “…the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou are the helper of the fatherless” (Psalm 10:14b).

    So, David

    1. asks, ‘what is the reason that the wicked regard God with contempt?’
    2. and he answers his own question, ‘because the wicked believes God will not punish him.’
    3. then, David notes that God, who is omniscient, knows and sees all this. Therefore, God should give the wicked his due, because the poor have committed themselves to God and God is the helper of the fatherless.
    4. Finally, David asks God to “Break thou the arm of the wicked and evil man” (v. 15a). Seek out evil and destroy it until it is all gone.

    David rests his case

    Relying on God’s justice and goodness, David closes by noting he, a humble man, has come before God and made a case for the poor and orphans and faithfully believes God will 1) prepare the heart of the victims and 2) hear their plea, which is for God to:

    “To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of earth may no more oppress” (Psalm 10:18).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 10.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    Parsons, John. “Psalm 9 in Hebrew”. Hebrew4Christians. https://hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Ketuvim/Psalms/Psalm_9/psalm_9.html. Accessed 2 October 2025.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg

  • Psalm 9

    Psalm 9

    Commonplace –

    “I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works” (Psalm 9:1).

    He opens with praise

    It’s good to sit with this opening verse. David begins by focusing on God and his duty to God. He names these duties in verse 2:

    1. I will be glad.
    2. I will rejoice.
    3. I will sing praise.

    He remembers

    Then, David begins to speak of justice. God has delivered him from his enemies, and they have received punishment for destroying cities. Those destructions “are come to a perpetual end; their memorial is perished with them” (v.6.). In contrast, “the Lord shall endure for ever” (v.7.). This is a thought which brings comfort. Wicked people are punished for their wicked deeds. God endures forever. Matthew Henry notes the following, “The title of this psalm gives a very uncertain sound concerning the occasion of penning it. It is upon Muth-labben, which some make to refer to the death of Goliath, others of Nabal, others of Absalom; but I incline to think…that the enemies David is here triumphing in the defeat of are the Philistines, and the other neighboring nations” (218-219). Just reading all the possible times David was delivered from the hands of his enemies is a testimony and encouragement to us in times of trouble.

    He reminds

    Because God endures forever, we know good triumphs over evil. David lists the benefits of God’s eternal reign:

    1. He shall judge the world in righteousness.
    2. He will be a refuge for the oppressed.
    3. He will not forsake those who seek Him.
    4. He makes inquisition for blood.
    5. He hears and does not forget the cry of the humble.
    6. He will not forget the needy.
    7. He will not forget the poor.

    He petitions

    David beseeches God to “let the heathen be judged in thy sight” (v.19), and “Put them in fear, O Lord; that the nations may know themselves to be but men” (v.20).

    David also petitions God,

    “Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death” (v.13).

    Psalms 9 and 10

    John Parsons of Hebrew4Christians.com wrote the following in reference to Psalms 9 and 10:

    “David probably wrote Psalm 9 and 10 as a single psalm. Jewish tradition says he wrote it after he killed Goliath” (“Psalm 9 in Hebrew”).

    Works Cited

    Henry, Matthew. “Psalm 9.” Matthew Henry’s Commentary On the Whole Bible: New Modern Edition. Volume 3 and Volume 6, Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., March 1996.

    Holy Bible: Giant Print with Study Aids. Dugan Publishers, Inc., 1984.

    Parsons, John. “Psalm 9 in Hebrew”. Hebrew4Christians. https://hebrew4christians.com/Scripture/Ketuvim/Psalms/Psalm_9/psalm_9.html. Accessed 2 October 2025.

    © 2025 Angela Hormberg