Psalms
Chapter 10
Do Not Stay Far Away, Lord
Why, O Lord, do you stand afar? Why hide from us in times of distress?
The wicked are in power; the weak suffer harassment; the poor become victims of evil schemes.
Exploiters boast in their power and greed; the covetous blasphemes and defies God.
In their pride the wicked say: “There is no God.” They see no further.
The wicked prosper in their ways, your laws are far from their minds; haughtily they sneer at their rivals,
all of them saying in their heart: “Nothing will trouble me. I am secure, powerful and happy.”
Their mouths are filled with cursing, deceit, and threats; spite and mischief are under their tongues.
They lie in ambush near the villages, murdering the innocent and the unfortunate, spying upon their next victim.
The evil one lurks in secret, like a lion in its covert, waiting to seize his prey and drag him off in a net.
Lying prone or crouching, he waits; and the unfortunate falls into his power.
He thinks to himself: “God has forgotten; he has hidden his face and will never see this.”
Rise up, Lord! God, lift up your hand! Do not forget the poor!
Why do the wicked revile God and say: “He cannot make me account”?
But you see those in misery, O God, and you take it in hand.The unfortunate commits himself to you; the orphan turns to you for help.
Break the power of the wicked—seek out their wickedness, till there is none to be found.
The Lord is king forever and the pagans have vanished from his land.
For you hear, O Lord, the longings of the lowly, and you strengthen their hearts;
you give heed to the orphans and the oppressed. Let no human raise from the earth and strike terror.
Commentaries
10
Psalms 9 and 10 of the Hebrew text may have been initially a single acrostic poem. The stanzas start with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. In the Greek or Latin Bible, they form one psalm. Psalm 9 condemns Israel’s enemies. In Psalm 10, the psalmist is fully aware of the wickedness and evil around him. He also sees that these people seem secure, powerful, and happy. He condemns the wicked within the community. Those who exploit the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, and the traveler are enemies of God. It is surprisingly easy to develop a rich spirit in a consumer-driven world. As Christians, we must ask ourselves how much responsibility we have for the injustice and discrimination we see.
The psalmist is fully aware of all the wickedness and evil surrounding him. He also recognizes that these people appear secure, robust, and happy. However, he does not succumb to their wicked ways. Instead, he is confident that God will not abandon him and will handle them accordingly.
This psalm can bring comfort to many of us who find ourselves among such people and wonder how they can carry on the way they do. Perhaps we can find solace in the words of Adolph Dias, who wrote this verse: “If you think that your neighbor has more happiness than you, think again. You may only know about their happiness, not their suffering and pain.”
When we observe that human pride prevails at the expense of the innocent and God remains silent, it is a fitting time to pray with this psalm.