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Psalms 10:17
Verse
Context
The Perils of the Pilgrim
16The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations perish from His land. 17You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear, 18to vindicate the fatherless and oppressed, that the men of the earth may strike terror no more.
Sermons
R.A. Torrey
David Wilkerson
James Smith
Thomas Shepard
Samuel RutherfordSummary
Commentary
- Keil-Delitzsch
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
Still standing on this eminence from which he seems to behold the end, the poet basks in the realisation of that which has been obtained in answer to prayer. The ardent longing of the meek and lowly sufferers for the arising, the parusia of Jahve (Isa 26:8), has now been heard by Him, and that under circumstances which find expression in the following futt., which have a past signification: God has given and preserved to their hearts the right disposition towards Himself (הכין, as in Psa 78:8; Job 11:13, Sir. 2:17 ἑτοιμάζειν καρδίας, post-biblical כּוּן (Note: B. Berachoth 31a: the man who prays must direct his heart steadfastly towards God (יכוּן לבּו לשּׁמים).) and to be understood according to Sa1 7:3; Ch2 20:33, cf. לב נכון Psa 51:12; Psa 78:37; it is equivalent to "the single eye" in the language of the New Testament), just as, on the other hand, He has set His ear in the attitude of close attention to their prayer, and even to their most secret sighings (הקשׁיב with אזן, as in Pro 2:2; to stiffen the ear, from קשׁב, Arab. qasuba, root קש to be hard, rigid, firm from which we also have קשׁה, Arab. qsâ, קשׁה, Arab. qsh, qsn, cf. on Isa 21:7). It was a mutual relation, the design of which was finally and speedily to obtain justice for the fatherless and oppressed, yea crushed, few, in order that mortal man of the earth may no longer (בּל, as in Isa 14:21, and in post-biblical Hebrew בּל and לבל instead of פּן) terrify. From the parallel conclusion, Ps 9:20-21, it is to be inferred that אנושׁ does not refer to the oppressed but to the oppressor, and is therefore intended as the subject; and then the phrase מן־הארץ also belongs to it, as in Psa 17:14, people of the world, Psa 80:14 boar of the woods, whereas in Pro 30:14 מארץ belongs to the verb (to devour from off the earth). It is only in this combination that מן־הארץ אנושׁ forms with לערץ a significant paronomasia, by contrasting the conduct of the tyrant with his true nature: a mortal of the earth, i.e., a being who, far removed from any possibility of vying with the God who is in heaven, has the earth as his birth-place. It is not מן־האדמה, for the earth is not referred to as the material out of which man is formed, but as his ancestral house, his home, his bound, just as in the expression of John ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς γῆς, Joh 3:31 (Lat. ut non amplius terreat homo terrenus). A similar play of words was attempted before in Psa 9:20 אנושׁ אל־יעז. The Hebrew verb ערץ signifies both to give way to fear, Deu 7:21, and to put in fear, Isa 2:19, Isa 2:21; Isa 47:12. It does mean "to defy, rebel against," although it might have this meaning according to the Arabic ‛rḍ (to come in the way, withstand, according to which Wetzstein explains ערוּץ Job 30:6, like Arab. ‛irḍ, "a valley that runs slantwise across a district, a gorge that blocks up the traveller's way" (Note: Zeitschrift fr Allgem. Erdkunde xviii. (1865) 1, S. 30.)). It is related to Arab. ‛rṣ, to vibrate, tremble (e.g., of lightning).
John Gill Bible Commentary
Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble,.... See Psa 10:12; for the coming of Christ's kingdom, and that the kingdoms of this world may become his; for the destruction of antichrist, and for the avenging the blood of the saints. The prayers of God's people sometimes lie in inward and secret desires of the soul, and are not expressed in words; and these desires are all before the Lord, and are well known unto him; yea, such prayers of the heart, and which come from it, are principally regarded by him; they being his own preparation, as is suggested in the next clause, and the breathings of his Spirit; and especially the desires of humble souls are regarded, whose prayers he never despises, nor sends them away empty, but fills with his good things; thou wilt prepare their heart; for prayer, by pouring a spirit of grace and supplication on them, impressing their minds with a sense of things to be prayed for, and drawing out the desires of their souls unto them, and making intercession for them with groanings according to the will of God, and so helping their infirmities; and it is God's work to prepare the heart for prayer, as well as to put words into the mouth, Pro 16:1; or "thou wilt direct their heart" (n); to the object of prayer, himself, and to the things to be prayed for, for they know not what to pray for, nor how as they should; and to what may encourage to it, as the love of God, the covenant of grace, the person, blood, and righteousness of Christ: or "confirm" or "establish their heart" (o); strengthen and fix them, that they be not wavering and doubtful, but certain and assured of success, believing that their desires will be fulfilled in God's own time; thou wilt cause thine ear to hear; God has an ear to hear the prayers of his people, nor is his ear heavy that it cannot hear; his ears are open to the cries of righteous ones; nor will he ever turn a deaf ear to them, but will give an answer in his own time and way; which is an instance of his sovereign grace and goodness. These words express the faith of the psalmist in God being a God hearing and answering prayer, particularly in things relating to the ruin of antichrist and his followers, and to the kingdom and glory of his son Jesus Christ. (n) "dirigis", Vatablus; "diriges", Tigurine version. (o) "Confirmas", Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis; "confirmes", Cocceius; "confirma", Junius & Tremellius.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
10:17-18 The psalmist expresses his confidence in the Lord.
Psalms 10:17
The Perils of the Pilgrim
16The LORD is King forever and ever; the nations perish from His land. 17You have heard, O LORD, the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their hearts. You will incline Your ear, 18to vindicate the fatherless and oppressed, that the men of the earth may strike terror no more.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
The Centurion's Servant Luke 7:1-10
By R.A. Torrey0FaithHumilityPSA 10:17PSA 33:9MAT 8:5MAT 8:11MAT 9:29LUK 7:1LUK 18:10ROM 10:17HEB 13:8JAS 1:6R.A. Torrey explores the story of the centurion's servant, emphasizing the centurion's faith, humility, and compassion. He highlights how the centurion, despite his high social status, approached Jesus with a sense of unworthiness and confidence in Christ's authority to heal from a distance. Torrey illustrates that true faith is characterized by humility and the expectation of God's power to act, regardless of one's position or circumstances. The sermon concludes with the affirmation that faith, especially when it is humble and confident, is rewarded by God, as seen in the centurion's experience.
Knowing the Lord’s Mind and Will
By David Wilkerson0Spiritual PreparationHearing God's VoicePSA 10:17ISA 42:13JER 29:13MAT 7:7JHN 14:26ACT 1:8ROM 8:141CO 2:12EPH 1:17JAS 1:5David Wilkerson emphasizes the importance of knowing the Lord's mind and will through a three-step process: petitioning God in prayer, preparing one's heart to hear His voice, and trusting that the Holy Spirit will guide us. He foresees a time when God will pour out His Spirit in unprecedented ways, leading many to seek genuine faith and connection with those who walk closely with God. Wilkerson urges believers to prepare their hearts for God's work, confessing their desire for a meaningful life and engaging deeply with Scripture. He reassures that as we ready ourselves, God will present opportunities for ministry right at our doorstep. Ultimately, he calls for readiness to serve in the last days, as God's glory will manifest in those who are prepared.
On Desires
By James Smith0NEH 1:11PSA 10:17PSA 38:9PSA 145:19JHN 21:17James Smith preaches about the power of desires in our relationship with Jesus, emphasizing that even when we fall short in our actions, our sincere desires to love, honor, and glorify Him are heard by the Lord. He encourages believers to seek spiritual, holy, and heavenly desires, as they reflect the nature of our hearts and the work of the Holy Spirit within us. Smith reminds the congregation that the Lord never disappoints genuine spiritual desires and urges them to persist in seeking and waiting on God, knowing that their desires will be granted and satisfied in His perfect timing.
Only Those Prepared Here
By Thomas Shepard02CH 12:14PSA 10:17MAL 1:14LUK 1:17ROM 9:231CO 15:502CO 5:8PHP 3:20HEB 12:14REV 21:27Thomas Shepard preaches about the importance of being ready and prepared in this life for Christ to enjoy eternal communion with Him. He emphasizes that men are naturally unfit for heaven and must be prepared by God's grace to partake in fellowship with Christ. The honor of the Lord Jesus is highlighted, as believers owe it to Him to be in readiness for His return. The sermon concludes with a call to self-reflection and repentance for those who are unready, emphasizing the urgency of being prepared to meet the Lord.
Crying Unto Jesus
By Samuel Rutherford0PSA 5:3PSA 6:8PSA 10:17PSA 34:6PSA 55:2PSA 102:19MAT 15:22ROM 8:26HEB 5:7Samuel Rutherford preaches on the fervent and intense prayers of the Syro-Phoenician woman in Matthew 15:22, highlighting the importance of urgent prayer that is filled with need, fervor, and intensity. He explains that despite hindrances like lack of words, voice, or tears, God accepts prayers in various forms such as groans, sighs, looks, and broken utterances. Rutherford emphasizes that prayer is an outpouring of the soul to God, and even incoherent prayers are received by God when offered with sincerity and faith.
- Keil-Delitzsch
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary
Still standing on this eminence from which he seems to behold the end, the poet basks in the realisation of that which has been obtained in answer to prayer. The ardent longing of the meek and lowly sufferers for the arising, the parusia of Jahve (Isa 26:8), has now been heard by Him, and that under circumstances which find expression in the following futt., which have a past signification: God has given and preserved to their hearts the right disposition towards Himself (הכין, as in Psa 78:8; Job 11:13, Sir. 2:17 ἑτοιμάζειν καρδίας, post-biblical כּוּן (Note: B. Berachoth 31a: the man who prays must direct his heart steadfastly towards God (יכוּן לבּו לשּׁמים).) and to be understood according to Sa1 7:3; Ch2 20:33, cf. לב נכון Psa 51:12; Psa 78:37; it is equivalent to "the single eye" in the language of the New Testament), just as, on the other hand, He has set His ear in the attitude of close attention to their prayer, and even to their most secret sighings (הקשׁיב with אזן, as in Pro 2:2; to stiffen the ear, from קשׁב, Arab. qasuba, root קש to be hard, rigid, firm from which we also have קשׁה, Arab. qsâ, קשׁה, Arab. qsh, qsn, cf. on Isa 21:7). It was a mutual relation, the design of which was finally and speedily to obtain justice for the fatherless and oppressed, yea crushed, few, in order that mortal man of the earth may no longer (בּל, as in Isa 14:21, and in post-biblical Hebrew בּל and לבל instead of פּן) terrify. From the parallel conclusion, Ps 9:20-21, it is to be inferred that אנושׁ does not refer to the oppressed but to the oppressor, and is therefore intended as the subject; and then the phrase מן־הארץ also belongs to it, as in Psa 17:14, people of the world, Psa 80:14 boar of the woods, whereas in Pro 30:14 מארץ belongs to the verb (to devour from off the earth). It is only in this combination that מן־הארץ אנושׁ forms with לערץ a significant paronomasia, by contrasting the conduct of the tyrant with his true nature: a mortal of the earth, i.e., a being who, far removed from any possibility of vying with the God who is in heaven, has the earth as his birth-place. It is not מן־האדמה, for the earth is not referred to as the material out of which man is formed, but as his ancestral house, his home, his bound, just as in the expression of John ὁ ὢν ἐκ τῆς γῆς, Joh 3:31 (Lat. ut non amplius terreat homo terrenus). A similar play of words was attempted before in Psa 9:20 אנושׁ אל־יעז. The Hebrew verb ערץ signifies both to give way to fear, Deu 7:21, and to put in fear, Isa 2:19, Isa 2:21; Isa 47:12. It does mean "to defy, rebel against," although it might have this meaning according to the Arabic ‛rḍ (to come in the way, withstand, according to which Wetzstein explains ערוּץ Job 30:6, like Arab. ‛irḍ, "a valley that runs slantwise across a district, a gorge that blocks up the traveller's way" (Note: Zeitschrift fr Allgem. Erdkunde xviii. (1865) 1, S. 30.)). It is related to Arab. ‛rṣ, to vibrate, tremble (e.g., of lightning).
John Gill Bible Commentary
Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble,.... See Psa 10:12; for the coming of Christ's kingdom, and that the kingdoms of this world may become his; for the destruction of antichrist, and for the avenging the blood of the saints. The prayers of God's people sometimes lie in inward and secret desires of the soul, and are not expressed in words; and these desires are all before the Lord, and are well known unto him; yea, such prayers of the heart, and which come from it, are principally regarded by him; they being his own preparation, as is suggested in the next clause, and the breathings of his Spirit; and especially the desires of humble souls are regarded, whose prayers he never despises, nor sends them away empty, but fills with his good things; thou wilt prepare their heart; for prayer, by pouring a spirit of grace and supplication on them, impressing their minds with a sense of things to be prayed for, and drawing out the desires of their souls unto them, and making intercession for them with groanings according to the will of God, and so helping their infirmities; and it is God's work to prepare the heart for prayer, as well as to put words into the mouth, Pro 16:1; or "thou wilt direct their heart" (n); to the object of prayer, himself, and to the things to be prayed for, for they know not what to pray for, nor how as they should; and to what may encourage to it, as the love of God, the covenant of grace, the person, blood, and righteousness of Christ: or "confirm" or "establish their heart" (o); strengthen and fix them, that they be not wavering and doubtful, but certain and assured of success, believing that their desires will be fulfilled in God's own time; thou wilt cause thine ear to hear; God has an ear to hear the prayers of his people, nor is his ear heavy that it cannot hear; his ears are open to the cries of righteous ones; nor will he ever turn a deaf ear to them, but will give an answer in his own time and way; which is an instance of his sovereign grace and goodness. These words express the faith of the psalmist in God being a God hearing and answering prayer, particularly in things relating to the ruin of antichrist and his followers, and to the kingdom and glory of his son Jesus Christ. (n) "dirigis", Vatablus; "diriges", Tigurine version. (o) "Confirmas", Piscator, Gejerus, Michaelis; "confirmes", Cocceius; "confirma", Junius & Tremellius.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
10:17-18 The psalmist expresses his confidence in the Lord.