Psalm 10:2
In pride the wicked pursue the needy; let them be caught in the schemes they devise.
In pride
The Hebrew word for "pride" here is "גַּאֲוָה" (ga'avah), which conveys a sense of arrogance and haughtiness. In the biblical context, pride is often associated with a self-reliance that dismisses the need for God. This pride is not just an internal attitude but manifests in actions that disregard the well-being of others. The Bible consistently warns against pride, as it leads to a fall (Proverbs 16:18). In this verse, pride is the driving force behind the wicked's actions, highlighting a heart that is turned away from God.

the wicked
The term "wicked" is translated from the Hebrew word "רָשָׁע" (rasha), which refers to those who are morally wrong or guilty. In the Psalms, the wicked are often depicted as those who oppose God's ways and oppress the righteous. This word paints a picture of individuals who are not just sinful but are actively working against the principles of justice and righteousness. The wicked are contrasted with the righteous, who seek to live according to God's laws.

pursue
The Hebrew verb "דָּלַק" (dalak) means to chase or hunt down. This word choice suggests an aggressive and relentless pursuit, indicating that the wicked are not passively indifferent but are actively seeking to harm the needy. This pursuit is not just a physical chase but can also be understood as a metaphor for the various ways the wicked exploit and oppress the vulnerable.

the needy
The word "needy" comes from the Hebrew "עָנִי" (ani), which refers to those who are poor, afflicted, or humble. In the biblical context, the needy are often those who are marginalized and lack the resources to defend themselves. God’s heart for the needy is evident throughout Scripture, as He calls His people to care for and protect them (Deuteronomy 15:11). The plight of the needy is a recurring theme in the Psalms, where they cry out to God for justice and deliverance.

let them be caught
This phrase is a plea for divine justice. The psalmist is calling upon God to intervene and ensure that the wicked are ensnared by their own actions. The imagery of being "caught" suggests a trap or a snare, which is a common biblical metaphor for divine retribution. It reflects the principle that those who set traps for others will ultimately fall into them themselves (Proverbs 26:27).

in the schemes they devise
The word "schemes" is derived from the Hebrew "מְזִמּוֹת" (mezimot), meaning plans or plots. This term implies a calculated and intentional effort to harm others. The wicked are not acting out of impulse but are deliberately crafting plans to exploit the needy. The psalmist's prayer is that these schemes will backfire, demonstrating the biblical truth that God is just and will not allow evil to prevail indefinitely. This reflects the broader biblical narrative that God sees all and will ultimately bring about justice for the oppressed.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Wicked
Individuals characterized by pride and malice, often oppressing the vulnerable.

2. The Needy
Those who are vulnerable, poor, or oppressed, often the target of the wicked's schemes.

3. Schemes
The plans or plots devised by the wicked to exploit or harm others.

4. Pride
A central theme in this verse, representing the arrogance and self-centeredness of the wicked.

5. Divine Justice
The implied event where God allows the wicked to be ensnared by their own schemes.
Teaching Points
The Danger of Pride
Pride leads to a false sense of security and moral blindness, causing individuals to exploit others.

God's Justice Prevails
Despite the temporary success of the wicked, God's justice ensures that they will ultimately face the consequences of their actions.

Compassion for the Needy
Believers are called to protect and support the needy, standing against the schemes of the wicked.

Self-Examination
Reflect on personal attitudes and actions to ensure they align with humility and righteousness, avoiding the pitfalls of pride.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
Trust that God sees the oppression and will act in His perfect timing to bring justice.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does pride manifest in the actions of the wicked, and what are the consequences according to Psalm 10:2?

2. In what ways can believers actively support and defend the needy in their communities?

3. How does the theme of divine justice in Psalm 10:2 provide comfort to those who are oppressed?

4. Reflect on a time when you witnessed or experienced the consequences of pride. How did it align with the teachings of this Psalm?

5. How can we cultivate humility in our lives to align with the biblical teachings found in James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Proverbs 16:18
This verse highlights the destructive nature of pride, which leads to downfall, similar to the fate of the wicked in Psalm 10:2.

James 4:6
This New Testament passage emphasizes God's opposition to the proud and His favor towards the humble, aligning with the theme of divine justice.

Psalm 37:14-15
These verses describe how the wicked's plans backfire, reinforcing the idea that they are caught in their own schemes.

Isaiah 32:7
This passage speaks of the wicked's schemes against the poor, echoing the oppression described in Psalm 10:2.

1 Peter 5:5
This verse calls believers to humility, contrasting the pride of the wicked and aligning with God's favor towards the humble.
A Theological Difficulty, a Haughty Impiety, an Earnest PrayerD. Thomas, D. D.Psalm 10:1-18
Man's Cry for a Solution of the Felt Distance of His MakerJ. Parker, D. D.Psalm 10:1-18
The Righteous GodC. Short Psalm 10:1-18
Times of Darkness and FearW. Forsyth Psalm 10:1-18
Why? Or, Hard Facts and Puzzling QuestionsC. Clemance Psalm 10:1-18
People
David, Psalmist
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Afflicted, Arrogance, Caught, Conceived, Cruel, Devices, Devise, Devised, Devises, Evil-doer, Hotly, Hunt, Hunts, Imagined, Inflamed, Invention, Persecute, Plots, Poor, Pride, Pursue, Pursued, Schemes, Tricks, Weak, Wicked
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Psalm 10:2

     5342   hunting
     5348   injustice, nature and source
     5589   trap
     8791   oppression, nature of
     8795   persecution, nature of

Psalm 10:2-4

     6186   evil scheming

Psalm 10:2-5

     8805   pride, results

Psalm 10:2-6

     5550   speech, negative
     6121   boasting

Psalm 10:2-11

     5793   arrogance

Library
One Saying from Three Men
'The wicked hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved.' --PSALM x. 6. 'Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.' --PSALM xvi. 8. 'And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.' --PSALM xxx. 6. How differently the same things sound when said by different men! Here are three people giving utterance to almost the same sentiment of confidence. A wicked man says it, and it is insane presumption and defiance. A good man says it, having been lulled into false security by easy times,
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Poor Man's Friend
"The poor committeth himself unto thee."--Psalm 10:14. GOD IS THE POOR MAN'S FRIEND; the poor man, in His helplessness and despair, leaves his case in the hands of God, and God undertakes to care for him. In the days of David,--and I suppose, in this respect, the world has but little improved,--the poor man was the victim of almost everybody's cruelty, and sometimes he was very shamefully oppressed. If he sought redress for his wrongs, he generally only increased them, for he was regarded as a rebel
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 53: 1907

Jerome
I, Jerome, [2568] son of Eusebius, of the city of Strido, which is on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia and was overthrown by the Goths, up to the present year, that is, the fourteenth of the Emperor Theodosius, have written the following: Life of Paul the monk, one book of Letters to different persons, an Exhortation to Heliodorus, Controversy of Luciferianus and Orthodoxus, Chronicle of universal history, 28 homilies of Origen on Jeremiah and Ezekiel, which I translated from Greek into Latin,
Various—Jerome and Gennadius Lives of Illustrious Men.

Look we Then, Beloved, what Hardships in Labors and Sorrows Men Endure...
3. Look we then, beloved, what hardships in labors and sorrows men endure, for things which they viciously love, and by how much they think to be made by them more happy, by so much more unhappily covet. How much for false riches, how much for vain honors, how much for affections of games and shows, is of exceeding peril and trouble most patiently borne! We see men hankering after money, glory, lasciviousness, how, that they may arrive at their desires, and having gotten not lose them, they endure
St. Augustine—On Patience

The Tests of Love to God
LET us test ourselves impartially whether we are in the number of those that love God. For the deciding of this, as our love will be best seen by the fruits of it, I shall lay down fourteen signs, or fruits, of love to God, and it concerns us to search carefully whether any of these fruits grow in our garden. 1. The first fruit of love is the musing of the mind upon God. He who is in love, his thoughts are ever upon the object. He who loves God is ravished and transported with the contemplation of
Thomas Watson—A Divine Cordial

These Things, My Brother Aurelius, Most Dear unto Me...
38. These things, my brother Aurelius, most dear unto me, and in the bowels of Christ to be venerated, so far as He hath bestowed on me the ability Who through thee commanded me to do it, touching work of Monks, I have not delayed to write; making this my chief care, lest good brethren obeying apostolic precepts, should by lazy and disobedient be called even prevaricators from the Gospel: that they which work not, may at the least account them which do work to be better than themselves without doubt.
St. Augustine—Of the Work of Monks.

The Situation of the Jews During this Period.
As we have seen in earlier chapters, the declarations of Holy Writ make it very clear that Israel will yet be restored to God's favor and be rehabilitated in Palestine. But before that glad time arrives, the Jews have to pass through a season of sore trouble and affliction, during which God severely chastises them for their sins and punishes them for the rejection and crucifixion of their Messiah. Fearful indeed have been the past experiences of "the nation of the weary feet" but a darker path than
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

Question Lxxxiii of Prayer
I. Is Prayer an Act of the Appetitive Powers? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer based on Friendship II. Is it Fitting to Pray? Cardinal Cajetan, On Prayer as a True Cause S. Augustine, On the Sermon on the Mount, II. iii. 14 " On the Gift of Perseverance, vii. 15 III. Is Prayer an Act of the Virtue of Religion? Cardinal Cajetan, On the Humility of Prayer S. Augustine, On Psalm cii. 10 " Of the Gift of Perseverance, xvi. 39 IV. Ought We to Pray to God Alone? S. Augustine, Sermon, cxxvii. 2 V.
St. Thomas Aquinas—On Prayer and The Contemplative Life

Out of the Deep of Suffering and Sorrow.
Save me, O God, for the waters are come in even unto my soul: I am come into deep waters; so that the floods run over me.--Ps. lxix. 1, 2. I am brought into so great trouble and misery: that I go mourning all the day long.--Ps. xxxviii. 6. The sorrows of my heart are enlarged: Oh! bring Thou me out of my distress.--Ps. xxv. 17. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping: the Lord will receive my prayer.--Ps. vi. 8. In the multitude of the sorrows which I had in my heart, Thy comforts have refreshed
Charles Kingsley—Out of the Deep

"And the Life. " How Christ is the Life.
This, as the former, being spoken indefinitely, may be universally taken, as relating both to such as are yet in the state of nature, and to such as are in the state of grace, and so may be considered in reference to both, and ground three points of truth, both in reference to the one, and in reference to the other; to wit, 1. That our case is such as we stand in need of his help, as being the Life. 2. That no other way but by him, can we get that supply of life, which we stand in need of, for he
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Life of Jerome.
The figures in parentheses, when not otherwise indicated, refer to the pages in this volume. For a full account of the Life, the translator must refer to an article (Hieronymus) written by him in Smith and Wace's Dictionary of Christian Biography. A shorter statement may suffice here, since the chief sources of information are contained in this volume, and to these reference will be continually made. Childhood and Youth. A.D. 345. Jerome was born at Stridon, near Aquileia, but in Pannonia, a place
St. Jerome—The Principal Works of St. Jerome

The Revelation and Career of the Anti-Christ.
Who is the Anti-christ? Varied and wild have been the answers to this question. In pre-christian times there were many who regarded Antiochus Epiphanes as the one whom Daniel and the other prophets described. At the beginning of this dispensation Nero was looked upon as the predicted Man of Sin. After the Reformation the Papacy was selected as the fulfiller of the prophecies given through the Patmos seer. And in our day there have been those who consider the Kaiser to be the Son of Perdition. It
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

Being Made Archbishop of Armagh, He Suffers Many Troubles. Peace Being Made, from Being Archbishop of Armagh He Becomes Bishop of Down.
[Sidenote: 1129] 19. (12). Meanwhile[365] it happened that Archbishop Cellach[366] fell sick: he it was who ordained Malachy deacon, presbyter and bishop: and knowing that he was dying he made a sort of testament[367] to the effect that Malachy ought to succeed him,[368] because none seemed worthier to be bishop of the first see. This he gave in charge to those who were present, this he commanded to the absent, this to the two kings of Munster[369] and to the magnates of the land he specially enjoined
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

He Does Battle for the Faith; He Restores Peace among those who were at Variance; He Takes in Hand to Build a Stone Church.
57. (32). There was a certain clerk in Lismore whose life, as it is said, was good, but his faith not so. He was a man of some knowledge in his own eyes, and dared to say that in the Eucharist there is only a sacrament and not the fact[718] of the sacrament, that is, mere sanctification and not the truth of the Body. On this subject he was often addressed by Malachy in secret, but in vain; and finally he was called before a public assembly, the laity however being excluded, in order that if it were
H. J. Lawlor—St. Bernard of Clairvaux's Life of St. Malachy of Armagh

Letter Xlv (Circa A. D. 1120) to a Youth Named Fulk, who Afterwards was Archdeacon of Langres
To a Youth Named Fulk, Who Afterwards Was Archdeacon of Langres He gravely warns Fulk, a Canon Regular, whom an uncle had by persuasions and promises drawn back to the world, to obey God and be faithful to Him rather than to his uncle. To the honourable young man Fulk, Brother Bernard, a sinner, wishes such joy in youth as in old age he will not regret. 1. I do not wonder at your surprise; I should wonder if you were not suprised [sic] that I should write to you, a countryman to a citizen, a monk
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

The Desire of the Righteous Granted;
OR, A DISCOURSE OF THE RIGHTEOUS MAN'S DESIRES. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR As the tree is known by its fruit, so is the state of a man's heart known by his desires. The desires of the righteous are the touchstone or standard of Christian sincerity--the evidence of the new birth--the spiritual barometer of faith and grace--and the springs of obedience. Christ and him crucified is the ground of all our hopes--the foundation upon which all our desires after God and holiness are built--and the root
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Psalm 10:2 NIV
Psalm 10:2 NLT
Psalm 10:2 ESV
Psalm 10:2 NASB
Psalm 10:2 KJV

Psalm 10:2 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Psalm 10:1
Top of Page
Top of Page