Psalm 10:6 Komentář

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. In this psalm, I. David complains of the wickedness of the wicked, describes the dreadful pitch of impiety at which they had arrived (to the great dishonour of God and the prejudice of his church and people), and notices the delay of God's appearing against them (Psa 10:1-11). II. He prays to God to appear against them for the relief of his people and comforts himself with hopes that he would do so in due time (Psa 10:12-18).

INTRODUCTION TO PSALM 10 This psalm in the Septuagint version, and those that follow it, is a part and continuation of the preceding psalm, and makes but one with it; hence in these versions the number of the following psalms differ from others, and what is the eleventh with others is the tenth with them, and so on to the hundred fourteenth and one hundred fifteenth, which also are put into one; but in order to make up the whole number of one hundred and fifty, the hundred sixteenth and the hundred forty seventh are both divided into two; and indeed the subject of this psalm is much the same with the former. Antichrist and antichristian times are very manifestly described; the impiety, blasphemy, and atheism of the man of sin; his pride, haughtiness, boasting of himself, and presumption of security; his persecution of the poor, and murder of innocents, are plainly pointed at; nor does the character of the man of the earth agree to well to any as to him: his times are times of trouble; but at the end of them the kingdom of Christ will appear in great glory, when the Gentiles, the antichristian nations, will perish out of his land, Psa 10:1.

He hath said in his heart,.... To and within himself, he thought in his own mind; for the thought is the word or speech of the mind, ; I shall not be moved; from his prosperous and happy condition, abounding: with riches and honours; from his seat of empire, over kings, princes, and the nations of the world; flattering himself that it would never be otherwise with him than it is: even "to generation and generation", I shall not be moved; so the words may be rendered; for I shall never be in adversity, or "in evil" (d): meaning either the evil of sin; so asserting his innocence, wiping himself clean of all iniquity, claiming to himself the title of "holiness" itself, and the character of infallibility; giving out that he is impeccable, and cannot err; when he is not only almost, but altogether, in all evil; and is , the lawless and wicked one, the man of sin, who is nothing but sin itself. The Targum paraphrases the whole thus; "I shall not be moved from generation to generation from doing evil"; and so it is a boast of impiety, and that none can restrain him from it, no one having a superior power over him; see Psa 12:4. Or the evil of affliction, or calamity; wherefore we render it "adversity", so Jarchi and Aben Ezra understand it: the note of the former is, "evil shall not come upon me in my generation,'' or for ever; and the latter compares it with Num 11:15; Kimchi and Ben Melech interpret it of long life. It is a vaunt of antichrist, promising himself a continuance of his grandeur, ease, peace, and prosperity; in which he will be wretchedly disappointed. The language and sense are much the same with that of the antichristian Babylon, Rev 18:7. (d) "in malo", Montanus, Junius & Tremellius, Piscator, Cocceius, Gejerus; so Ainsworth.

So bold is the person who does not look on God or recognize his judgment that he does not consider within himself his own audacious wicked deeds, believing that he will rejoice forever in his prosperity. His mouth swells up with blasphemies and irreverence. At length, the arrogant one blares out with fierce confidence countless blasphemies and curses, asserting that there is no God, nor does he look down on us, nor will he judge.

What could be more stupid than this attitude in a human being, subject to death, caught up in affairs of the moment, subject to countless changes, to come up with such fantasies? Now, where did this spring from? From stupidity. You see, whenever a heedless person enjoys great prosperity, prevails over his enemies, is praised and admired, he proves more to be pitied than anyone. In fact, by not expecting any change he does not even cope with prosperity sensibly; but on falling on hard times he is disturbed and upset, being out of practice and heedless.… These people … once corrupted, have no regard for human limitations but consider their state immovable on account of their success—the basis of ultimate folly and destruction and the occasion of utter ruin.

And seeing that being delivered over to the lust of his own heart, and predestinated to extreme condemnation, he is to come, by wicked arts, to that vain and empty height and rule; therefore it follows, "For he has said in his heart, I shall not move from generation to generation without evil" [Psalm 10:6]: that is, my fame and my name will not pass from this generation to the generation of posterity, unless by evil arts I acquire so lofty a principality, that posterity cannot be silent concerning it. For a mind abandoned and void of good arts, and estranged from the light of righteousness, by bad arts devises a passage for itself to a fame so lasting, as is celebrated even in posterity. And they that cannot be known for good, desire that men should speak of them even for ill, provided that their name spread far and wide. And this I think is here meant, "I shall not move from generation to generation without evil." There is too another interpretation, if a mind vain and full of error supposes that it cannot come from the mortal generation to the generation of eternity, but by bad arts: which indeed was also reported of Simon, when he thought that he would gain heaven by wicked arts, and pass from the human generation to the generation divine by magic. [Acts 8:9] Where then is the wonder, if that man of sin too, who is to fill up all the wickedness and ungodliness, which all false prophets have begun, and to do such "great signs; that, if it were possible, he should deceive the very elect," [Matthew 24:24] shall say in his heart, "I shall not move from generation to generation without evil"?

"They are removed." Here he shows how they contemn divine judgment. And first, he sets forth the cause. Second, he shows the effect, at "all his enemies." "Your judgments," that is, your benefits, "are removed from his face," that is, from his mind and memory; and so he will not fear because he does not think about them. Prov. 28: "Evil men do not think about judgments; but those who seek the Lord observe all things." Dan. 13: "They turned away their eyes so as not to see heaven." But Jerome's text must be read with some strain: "They will despise all his enemies," as if he does not believe in the judgments of God. "And he shall have dominion," supply, "in his heart." Or sometimes, by God's permission, the wicked have dominion over their enemies. And this is the cause why the divine judgments are not recognized: Hab. 1: "He himself triumphed over kings." Ibid.: "The wicked prevails against the just; therefore perverted judgment goes forth." Another cause is presumption about oneself; and they presume two things. Stability; and this is what he says: "He said in his heart, I shall not be moved from generation," that is, my dominion shall not extend from one nation to another, and I will not inflict evils on many; "I shall not be moved," that is, I shall not lose my prosperity. Is. 47: "You have laid your yoke very heavy; you said, I shall be a lady forever." Jerome has, "and he said, forever I shall be, from generation without evil," that is, I shall never suffer evil. Rev. 18: "I sit a queen and am not a widow." And Lk. 3, in the Gloss, explaining one passage: the sinner, wishing to perpetuate his name, said, "He will not go by celebrity and fame." "Without evil," that is, I will not do evil. Or, "I shall not be moved," that is, I shall not attain to the possession of houses, "without evil" of violence and injustice. And so the Antichrist will act, according to the Gloss. Or, "I the Antichrist shall not be moved," that is, disturbed, "from generation to generation without evil," that is, I shall be according to what is lawful.

The Psalmist mourns God's apparent indifference to his troubles, which are aggravated by the successful malice, blasphemy, pride, deceit, and profanity of the wicked. On the just and discriminating providence of God he relies for the destruction of their false security, and the defense of the needy. (Psa. 10:1-18) These are, of course, figurative terms (compare Psa 7:6; Psa 13:1, &c.). hidest--Supply "thine eyes" or "face."

Then in his boundless carnal security he gives free course to his wicked tongue. That which the believer can say by reason of his fellowship with God, בּל־אמּוט (Psa 30:7; Psa 16:8), is said by him in godless self-confidence. He looks upon himself in age after age, i.e., in the endless future, as אשׁר לא ברע, i.e., as one who (אשׁר as in Isa 8:20) will never be in evil case (ברע as in Exo 5:19; Sa2 16:8). It might perhaps also be interpreted according to Zac 8:20, Zac 8:23 (vid., Kצhler, in loc.): in all time to come (it will come to pass) that I am not in misfortune. But then the personal pronoun (אני or הוּא) ought not be omitted; whereas with our interpretation it is supplied from אמּוט, and there is no need to supply anything if the clause is taken as an apposition: in all time to come he who.... In connection with such unbounded self-confidence his mouth is full of אלה, cursing, execratio (not perjury, perjurium, a meaning the word never has), מרמות, deceit and craft of every kind, and תּך, oppression, violence. And that which he has under his tongue, and consequently always in readiness for being put forth (Psa 140:4, cf. Psa 66:17), is trouble for others, and in itself matured wickedness. Paul has made use of this Psa 10:7 in his contemplative description of the corruptness of mankind, Rom 3:14.