Psalms 10:4

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek [after God],.... We supply it, "after God"; as do the Targum and Kimchi on the place: the sense is, he will not seek to God for counsel

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance (literally, the height of his nose) will not seek (after God).

Through the pride; by which he scorns to stoop to God, or to own any superior, and makes himself and his own lusts his only rule, and his last end, and is full of self-confidence, and a conceit of his own self-sufficiency and unchangeable felicity, as is hated, . Of his countenance; so called, because though pride be properly seated in the heart; whence it is called pride, or loftiness of heart, or spirit, as , &c.; yet it is manifested in the countenance, and therefore is oft described by lofty looks, as 131:1 21:4 30:13, &c.; which possibly was done purposely to meet with the excuses of proud persons, who when they are charged with pride for their looks, or gestures, or apparel, or the like, use to make this apology for themselves, that pride lies in the heart, and not in these outward things. Will not seek after God, i.e. not seek or inquire into the mind and will of God, to order his life by it so as to please God, nor seek to him by prayer for his favour and blessing. But the words after God are not in the Hebrew, and it is thought by some too great boldness to add them here. And therefore others omit it, and render the Hebrew words, will not search, or consider, to wit, his actions, which seems to be a more natural and, easy supplement: he will not trouble himself to inquire whether his actions be just or unjust, pleasing or offensive to God; but without any care or consideration rusheth into sin, and doth whatsoever seemeth right in his own eyes. But these and the former words are and may be, and that very agreeably to the Hebrew, thus rendered without any supplement, The wicked, through his pride, ( for so this Hebrew word by itself signifies, 10:33) will not seek his (i.e. God’ s, which is plain both from the foregoing and following words) face, which is a usual phrase in Scripture, as 27:8 105:4, &c. God is not in all his thoughts; he hath no serious thoughts of nor regard unto God, or his word, which ought to command him; or his threats and judgments, which should keep him in awe. Or, all his thoughts are, There is no God, to wit, no such God as minds the affairs of the world, and the actions of men, and punisheth sinners. He was a deist, and owned a God, at least in words, but denied his providence.

Psalms 10:4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek [after God]: God [is] not in all his thoughts.Ver. 4. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance] That is, of his heart, appearing in his countenance, as a master pock in his forehead. For pride buddeth, Ezekiel 7:10; the pride of Israel testifieth to his face, Hosea 5:5; the thoughts are oft seen in the countenance; and the heart is printed upon the face, Isaiah 3:9. It is a hard thing, saith one, to have a brazen face and a broken heart. Will not seek] He thinks it not necessary or worth the while; and his practice is agreeable, that is, naught all over. Pride in the soul is like a great swelling in the body, which, besides that it is a dangerous symptom, unfits it for any good service; and is apt to putrefy and to break, and to run with loathsome and foul matter. So doth pride disable the soul from doing duty, and at last breaketh forth into odious deeds, abominable to God and men. It is observed, that the ground whereon the peacock useth to sit is by that occasion made exceeding barren; so where pride roosteth and reigneth, no good groweth. God is not in all his thoughts] God is neither in his head, as here, nor in his heart, Psalms 14:1, nor in his words, Psalms 12:4, nor in his ways, Titus 1:16; he is wholly without God in the world, Ephesians 2:1-3, he studies atheism, and all his thoughts are, There is no God, so this text may be read, he would fain so persuade himself.

(4) The wicked.—The Authorised Version has quite missed the meaning of this verse. Translate, the wicked in his haughtiness (literally, height of his nostril. Comp. the common expression, ‘to turn up one’s nose at a person’) saith He will not requite it (i.e., punish; comp. Psalms 10:13). There is no God in all his thought. (Comp. Psalms 14:1; Psalms 53:1.)

Verse 4. Will not seek after God] He is too proud to bend his knee before his Judge; he is too haughty to put on sackcloth, and lay himself in the dust, though without deep repentance and humiliation he must without doubt perish everlastingly.

4. The A.V. follows the Ancient Versions in rendering, ‘the wicked … will not seek after God:’ but a comparison of Psa 10:13, which clearly recapitulates Psalms 10:3-4, is decisive in favour of rendering as follows: As for the wicked, according to the loftiness of his looks, he saith, He will not make requisition: There is no God, is the sum of his devices. The construction is abrupt and forcible. The wicked man’s scornful countenance is the index of his character (Psalms 101:5); all his devices (as Psalms 10:2) are planned on the assumption that God does not regard and punish (Psalms 9:12); upon a virtual atheism, for such an epicurean deity, “careless of mankind,” would be no ‘living and true God.’ Cp. Psalms 14:1.

The wicked, through the pride of his countenance - In consequence of his pride; or, his pride is the reason of what is here stated.

4. Will not seek—He takes no pains to inquire if there be a God, or a moral government which holds men accountable. Thoughts—Devices, schemes. In all his plans he makes no account or recognition of God.