Psalm 10 Question

[AJB328]

I’ve recently started a “read the Bible in a year” plan and today I came across Psalm 10. In the NJB translation:

3 The wicked is proud of his inmost desires, by his blasphemies the grasping spurns Yahweh,

4 the wicked in his arrogance does not look very far; ‘There is no God,’ is his only thought.

5 In all circumstances his step is assured; your judgements are above his head. His rivals? He scoffs at them all.

6 He says in his heart, ‘I shall never be shaken,’ free of trouble himself,

7 he wishes it on others. His speech is full of lies and browbeating, under his tongue lurk spite and wickedness.

8 **In the undergrowth he lies in ambush, in his hiding-place he murders the innocent. He watches intently for the downtrodden,
**
9 lurking unseen like a lion in his lair, lurking to pounce on the poor; he pounces on him and drags him off in his net.

After reading this I really felt like it was talking about secularism, the devil, and abortion, but after a few internet searches it doesn’t look like anyone has made the connection. I VERY much doubt I’m breaking new ground here, so I assume I’m missing something. Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[animalis]

The Angelic Doctor teaches that this psalm shows the confidence brought about by have recieved liberation from ones enemies.I say that It presents the victory of humility, at the point when pride seeks to pursue and overtake.

 

[david_patrick]

i love to pray the psalms,taking away with me an intimacy with the Lord-choosing one that fits the moment/there can be a highest sense of praise as template/ this psalm begin ( where is God)/in contrast in america when there seems no order/The question might arise, as a search/ the ultimate sense i get from reading it is again-it speaks to me-so i am the sinner it speaks/ being proud of my most desires ( i am like that)/still in bigger picture/ this psalm has a subject. as an essay statement (via the first verse) in context , as a question asked of God: that He seems far away-so the psalmist is aware of a well defined metaphorical threat ;so, this could expand to 2014 with all the troubles and clash of church and state/ seems it has to clash…as the psalmist ends-a confidence-with a humble heart…use of the word ‘Lord’ seems to suggest a direct action of the Holy Spirit as the change from-initially a God far away-lastly to express an intimate moment with the Lord and a man/ a good example of prayer as to give God an issue-even a doubt-(how does that usually end?)so a psalm is taken as a whole/as prayers have a beginning and a confident ending (with a new found self efficacy in the Lord)…for further investigation, it might help to know the history of King David’s kingdom at the time when any psalm was written/ in what situation or era was that of the jewish people?
in other words psalms show a plea to God during a time of the jewish people’s actual history…

seems the modern day reader of this psalm can transfer to modern thought/ even if society is in a downward spiral-God is good/

 

[Jeanne1184]

I’ve recently started a “read the Bible in a year” plan and today I came across Psalm 10. In the NJB translation:

3 The wicked is proud of his inmost desires, by his blasphemies the grasping spurns Yahweh,

4 the wicked in his arrogance does not look very far; ‘There is no God,’ is his only thought.

5 In all circumstances his step is assured; your judgements are above his head. His rivals? He scoffs at them all.

6 He says in his heart, ‘I shall never be shaken,’ free of trouble himself,

7 he wishes it on others. His speech is full of lies and browbeating, under his tongue lurk spite and wickedness.

8 In the undergrowth he lies in ambush, in his hiding-place he murders the innocent. He watches intently for the downtrodden,

9 lurking unseen like a lion in his lair, lurking to pounce on the poor; he pounces on him and drags him off in his net.

After reading this I really felt like it was talking about secularism, the devil, and abortion, but after a few internet searches it doesn’t look like anyone has made the connection. I VERY much doubt I’m breaking new ground here, so I assume I’m missing something. Anyone have any thoughts?

You’ve likely seen BibleHub where you can read 3-4 different Bible commentaries on each verse, but I’ll send it along just in case. I’m partial to Pulpit Commentaries but find others more helpful, depending on the verse and the detail given.

biblehub.com/psalms/10-3.htm

In the “heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” verses, I usually look inward for motes in my eyes rather than attaching outward social particulars. The Bible and commentaries on these types of verses are my ‘examination of conscience’ opportunities.

Since most commentaries ‘bring it closer to home’, that may be why you aren’t finding your particular angle for the wider world. Not that the things you mentioned haven’t been in every age but, unfortunately, the Angels in Heaven don’t sing when I confess the sins of others - I have to look for the devil within. :heaven: