Psalms 10:8
Psalms 10:8 in Multiple Translations
He lies in wait near the villages; in ambush he slays the innocent; his eyes watch in stealth for the helpless.
He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages; In the secret places doth he murder the innocent; His eyes are privily set against the helpless.
He is waiting in the dark places of the towns: in the secret places he puts to death those who have done no wrong: his eyes are secretly turned against the poor.
They hide out in ambush in the villages, ready to kill innocent passers-by. They are always on the lookout for their next victim.
He lieth in waite in the villages: in the secret places doeth hee murder the innocent: his eyes are bent against the poore.
He doth sit in an ambush of the villages, In secret places he doth slay the innocent. His eyes for the afflicted watch secretly,
He lies in wait near the villages. From ambushes, he murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly set against the helpless.
He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
For the Lord is just, and hath loved justice: his countenance hath beheld righteousness.
They hide in villages, ready to ◄ambush/suddenly attack► and kill people who ◄are innocent/have done nothing wrong►. They constantly search for people who will not be able to ◄resist/defend themselves► when they are attacked.
Berean Amplified Bible — Psalms 10:8
BAB
Word Study
Hover over any word to see its amplified meaning. Click a word to explore its full definition and translation comparisons.
Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Psalms 10:8 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
יֵשֵׁ֤ב
בְּ/מַאְרַ֬ב
חֲצֵרִ֗ים
בַּֽ֭/מִּסְתָּרִים
יַהֲרֹ֣ג
נָקִ֑י
עֵ֝ינָ֗י/ו
לְֽ/חֵלְכָ֥ה
יִצְפֹּֽנוּ
יֵשֵׁ֤ב
yâshab
H3427
to dwell
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
בְּ/מַאְרַ֬ב
maʼărâb
H3993
ambush
Prep | N-ms
חֲצֵרִ֗ים
châtsêr
H2691
court
N-cp
בַּֽ֭/מִּסְתָּרִים
miçtâr
H4565
hiding
Prep | N-mp
יַהֲרֹ֣ג
hârag
H2026
to kill
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
נָקִ֑י
nâqîy
H5355
innocent
Adj
עֵ֝ינָ֗י/ו
ʻayin
H5869
eye
N-cd | Suff
לְֽ/חֵלְכָ֥ה
chêlᵉkâʼ
H2489
helpless
Prep | N-fs
יִצְפֹּֽנוּ
tsâphan
H6845
to treasure
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Psalms 10:8
יֵשֵׁ֤ב
yâshab
H3427
"to dwell"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
This verb means to sit or dwell, and can also mean to remain or abide. It's used in the Bible to describe people living in a place or staying with someone, like in the book of Genesis.
Definition: 1) to dwell, remain, sit, abide 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to sit, sit down 1a2) to be set 1a3) to remain, stay 1a4) to dwell, have one's abode 1b) (Niphal) to be inhabited 1c) (Piel) to set, place 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to cause to sit 1d2) to cause to abide, set 1d3) to cause to dwell 1d4) to cause (cities) to be inhabited 1d5) to marry (give an dwelling to) 1e) (Hophal) 1e1) to be inhabited 1e2) to make to dwell Aramaic equivalent: ye.tiv (יְתִב "to dwell" H3488)
Usage: Occurs in 977 OT verses. KJV: (make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, [idiom] fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, [idiom] marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(-tle), (down-) sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry. See also: Genesis 4:16; Leviticus 25:18; Joshua 13:6.
בְּ/מַאְרַ֬ב
maʼărâb
H3993
"ambush"
Prep | N-ms
This word refers to a hidden trap or ambush, like in Joshua 8:14 where the Israelites set an ambush for the city of Ai. It can also describe a lurking place where someone waits to attack, as seen in Jeremiah 51:12 where the Medes prepare to attack Babylon.
Definition: 1) ambush, (hunter's) blind 1a) ambush, lurking place 1b) liers-in-wait
Usage: Occurs in 4 OT verses. KJV: lie in ambush, ambushment, lurking place, lying in wait. See also: Joshua 8:9; 2 Chronicles 13:13; Psalms 10:8.
חֲצֵרִ֗ים
châtsêr
H2691
"court"
N-cp
A village in the Bible is a small settlement surrounded by walls. In Matthew 21:2, Jesus sends his disciples to a village to find a donkey, while in Mark 6:6, Jesus travels from village to village teaching.
Definition: 1) court, enclosure 1a) enclosures 1b) court
Usage: Occurs in 163 OT verses. KJV: court, tower, village. See also: Genesis 25:16; 2 Chronicles 24:21; Psalms 10:8.
בַּֽ֭/מִּסְתָּרִים
miçtâr
H4565
"hiding"
Prep | N-mp
This Hebrew word means a secret or hiding place, often used for protection or to conceal something, as seen in the Bible's description of hiding from danger. It can also refer to a place where wrongdoings are hidden. The KJV translates it as secret or secretly.
Definition: 1) secret place, hiding place 1a) secret place 1b) hiding place 1b1) for protection 1b2) for perpetration of crime
Usage: Occurs in 10 OT verses. KJV: secret(-ly, place). See also: Psalms 10:8; Jeremiah 13:17; Psalms 10:9.
יַהֲרֹ֣ג
hârag
H2026
"to kill"
V-Qal-Imperf-3ms
To kill or slay with intent, as seen in the Bible when God instructs the Israelites to destroy certain nations. This word is used in various forms, including to murder or destroy. It appears in books like Exodus and Deuteronomy.
Definition: 1) to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to kill, slay 1a2) to destroy, ruin 1b) (Niphal) to be killed 1c) (Pual) to be killed, be slain
Usage: Occurs in 158 OT verses. KJV: destroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter), slay(-er), [idiom] surely. See also: Genesis 4:8; 2 Kings 8:12; Psalms 10:8.
נָקִ֑י
nâqîy
H5355
"innocent"
Adj
Innocent or guiltless, this word is used to describe someone who is morally clean or free from blame, such as Noah in Genesis 6:9. It emphasizes a person's integrity and moral purity.
Definition: 1) clean, free from, exempt, clear, innocent 1a) free from guilt, clean, innocent 1b) free from punishment 1c) free or exempt from obligations Also means: na.qi (נָקִיא "innocent" H5355B)
Usage: Occurs in 42 OT verses. KJV: blameless, clean, clear, exempted, free, guiltless, innocent, quit. See also: Genesis 24:41; Job 9:23; Psalms 10:8.
עֵ֝ינָ֗י/ו
ʻayin
H5869
"eye"
N-cd | Suff
This word can mean a spring or fountain, but also refers to the eye or a source of something. It is often translated as affliction, outward appearance, or countenance, and is used in various contexts throughout the Bible.
Definition: : eye 1) eye 1a) eye 1a1) of physical eye 1a2) as showing mental qualities 1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
Usage: Occurs in 828 OT verses. KJV: affliction, outward appearance, [phrase] before, [phrase] think best, colour, conceit, [phrase] be content, countenance, [phrase] displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, [phrase] favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), [idiom] him, [phrase] humble, knowledge, look, ([phrase] well), [idiom] me, open(-ly), [phrase] (not) please, presence, [phrase] regard, resemblance, sight, [idiom] thee, [idiom] them, [phrase] think, [idiom] us, well, [idiom] you(-rselves). See also: Genesis 3:5; Exodus 34:9; Deuteronomy 28:67.
לְֽ/חֵלְכָ֥ה
chêlᵉkâʼ
H2489
"helpless"
Prep | N-fs
This word describes someone who is helpless or unfortunate, like a poor person in need of aid, and is used in the Bible to show sympathy for those struggling.
Definition: hapless, poor, unfortunate person
Usage: Occurs in 3 OT verses. KJV: poor. See also: Psalms 10:8; Psalms 10:10; Psalms 10:14.
יִצְפֹּֽנוּ
tsâphan
H6845
"to treasure"
V-Qal-Imperf-3mp
To treasure means to hide or store something valuable, like the treasures stored in the temple in 1 Kings.
Definition: 1) to hide, treasure, treasure or store up 1a)(Qal) 1a1) to hide, treasure, treasure up 1a2) to lie hidden, lurk 1b) (Niphal) to be hidden, be stored up 1c) (Hiphil) to hide, hide from discovery
Usage: Occurs in 31 OT verses. KJV: esteem, hide(-den one, self), lay up, lurk (be set) privily, (keep) secret(-ly, place). See also: Exodus 2:2; Psalms 31:21; Psalms 10:8.
Study Notes — Psalms 10:8
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Psalms 10:8 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Psalms 10:8
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 10:8
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 10:8
- Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 10:8
- Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 10:8
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 10:8
- Cambridge Bible on Psalms 10:8
- Barnes' Notes on Psalms 10:8
- Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 10:8
- Sermons on Psalms 10:8
Context — The Perils of the Pilgrim
6He says to himself, “I will not be moved; from age to age I am free of distress.”
7His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and violence; trouble and malice are under his tongue.
8He lies in wait near the villages; in ambush he slays the innocent; his eyes watch in stealth for the helpless.
9He lies in wait like a lion in a thicket; he lurks to seize the oppressed; he catches the lowly in his net. 10They are crushed and beaten down; the helpless fall prey to his strength.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Habakkuk 3:14 | With his own spear You pierced his head, when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though ready to secretly devour the weak. |
| 2 | 1 Samuel 22:18 | So the king ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests himself. On that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. |
| 3 | Jeremiah 22:17 | “But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.” |
| 4 | Proverbs 1:11–12 | If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause, let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit. |
| 5 | Proverbs 6:12–13 | A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth, winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers. |
| 6 | Psalms 17:11 | They have tracked us down, and now surround us; their eyes are set to cast us to the ground, |
| 7 | 1 Samuel 23:23 | Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.” |
| 8 | 2 Kings 21:16 | Moreover, Manasseh shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end, in addition to the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, doing evil in the sight of the LORD. |
| 9 | Psalms 94:6 | They kill the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless. |
| 10 | Luke 8:1 | Soon afterward, Jesus traveled from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with Him, |
Psalms 10:8 Summary
Psalms 10:8 describes a wicked person who lies in wait to hurt innocent people, much like a lion waiting to pounce on its prey. This person is cruel and heartless, and God sees and knows all about their evil plans, as stated in Psalms 10:11 and Jeremiah 23:24. We can learn from this verse that God is a protector of the innocent and the helpless, and that we should strive to be like Him, as seen in Psalms 10:14 and Psalms 68:5. By following God's example and commands, such as in Micah 6:8, we can help create a safer and more just world for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of person is described in Psalms 10:8?
This verse describes a wicked person who takes advantage of the innocent and helpless, much like the description of the wicked in Psalms 10:2-7, and is similar to the evil described in Proverbs 1:10-19.
Why does the wicked person lie in wait near villages?
The wicked person lies in wait near villages to ambush and slay the innocent, as stated in Psalms 10:8, and this behavior is also condemned in Jeremiah 5:26, where it says that wicked men set an ambush for the innocent.
How does this verse relate to the character of God?
This verse highlights the contrast between the wicked person and the character of God, who is a helper of the fatherless and a protector of the widow, as described in Psalms 10:14 and Psalms 68:5.
What can we learn from this verse about the importance of protecting the innocent?
This verse teaches us that we have a responsibility to protect the innocent and the helpless, just as God does, and that we should not turn a blind eye to injustice, as stated in Proverbs 24:23-25 and Isaiah 1:17.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways that I can help protect the innocent and the helpless in my own community, just as God commands in Micah 6:8?
- How can I be more aware of the ways that the wicked may be lurking and waiting to take advantage of others, as described in Ephesians 6:10-18?
- What are some scriptures that I can use to pray for protection and justice for those who are being oppressed, such as Psalms 140:4 and Psalms 141:9?
- How can I be a light in the darkness and a voice for those who are being silenced, as Jesus taught in Matthew 5:14-16?
Gill's Exposition on Psalms 10:8
He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages,.... Which were by the wayside, where thieves and robbers harboured, and out of which they came, and robbed passengers as they came by.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Psalms 10:8
He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Psalms 10:8
In the lurking places of the villages; not within the villages, which is not a fit place for lurking; but about them, in the ways bordering upon them, or leading to them, as robbers use to do. In the secret places, that he may avoid the shame and punishment of men; which is the only thing that he fears. Are privily set, Heb. are hid. The sense is either, 1. He winketh as men do when they shoot their arrows at a mark. Or rather, 2. He watcheth and looketh out of his lurking-place, to spy what passengers come that way. He alludes still to the practices of robbers.
Trapp's Commentary on Psalms 10:8
Psalms 10:8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.Ver. 8. He sitteth in the lurking places, &c.] A. description of a highway robber, saith Diodati, under which name are meant all violent and fraudulent men, and their actions.
Ellicott's Commentary on Psalms 10:8
(8) In lurking places . . .—i.e., in ambush. Villages.—Properly, enclosed spaces, but then, like our “town” (ton, an enclosure), for any collection of dwellings; and in Leviticus 25:31, “an unwalled place”; applied also to a nomadic encampment (Genesis 25:16). Privily set.—Literally, hid: i.e., watched secretly. The poor.—The Hebrew word, occurring three times in this psalm (Psalms 10:10; Psalms 10:14), is peculiar to it. The root idea is darkness; hence here, by an easy transition, obscure, humble. Symmachus has “feeble.” But Mr. Burgess suggests that we may in all three places keep the root idea, darkness. Translate, his eyes hide (i.e., wait) for the darkness; and comp. Job 24:15. “The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight.” “The Arab robber lurks like a wolf among these sand-heaps, and often springs out suddenly upon the solitary traveller, robs him in a trice, and then plunges again into the wilderness of sandhills and reedy downs, where pursuit is fruitless. Our friends are careful not to allow us to straggle about or linger behind, and yet it seems absurd to fear a surprise here—Khaifa before our eyes, Acre in our rear, and travellers in sight on both sides.
Robberies, however, do often occur just where we now are. Strange country; and it has always been so.”—Thomson, The Land and Book.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Psalms 10:8
Verse 8. He sitteth in the lurking places] In this and the following verse there appears to be an allusion to espionage, or setting of spies on a man's conduct; or to the conduct of an assassin or private murderer. He sitteth in lurking places-in secret places; his eyes-spies-are privily set; he lieth in wait secretly: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. He is like a hunter that lays his traps and gins, digs his pits, sets his nets; and when the prey falls into them, he destroys its life.
Cambridge Bible on Psalms 10:8
3–11. The Psalmist justifies his complaint by a description of the reckless character (3–6) and the ruthless conduct (7–11) of the wicked man, and he traces them to their source in his virtual atheism. The alphabetic structure disappears in this section.
Barnes' Notes on Psalms 10:8
He sitteth in the lurking-places of the villages - As robbers do, who hide themselves in the vicinity of villages, that they make a sudden descent upon them in the silence of the night, or that they
Whedon's Commentary on Psalms 10:8
8. In… lurking places—In ambush. Villages—Unwalled towns; hence more exposed to depredations. Privily set—The word may mean to hide, or to intently watch, like a scout or a spy.
Sermons on Psalms 10:8
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Step 24 on Meekness, Simplicity, Guilelessness Which Come Not From Nature but From Habit, and About Malice by St. John Climacus | St. John Climacus preaches on the virtues of meekness, highlighting its importance as a precursor to humility. Meekness is described as an unchangeable state of mind that remains c |
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2 Peter 2:14 by John Gill | John Gill expounds on 2 Peter 2:14, emphasizing the dangers of lust and the corrupting influence of false teachers who entice unstable souls. He highlights that the eyes can lead t |
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Of Rules to Find Out Covetousness by William Gouge | William Gouge preaches on the dangers of covetousness, providing seven directions to help identify and avoid this sin. He emphasizes the importance of examining one's inward desire |
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Are We Preaching the Gospel? by K.C. Moser | The preacher delves into the dual meanings of 'oxus' in the Bible, highlighting its representation of rapid motion and sharpness, particularly in the book of Revelation. This sharp |
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A Messenger of Peace by Derek Prince | Derek Prince warns against individuals who use deceitful tactics to manipulate and persuade others for their own selfish gain, emphasizing the importance of discerning the true mot |
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Sacrificing for the Good of Others by Mary Wilder Tileston | Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the importance of being a light for the righteous and upright in heart, emphasizing the need for the divine light to shine brightly within us, a |
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Practical Atheism, in Denying the Agency of Divine Providence, Exposed by Samuel Davies | Samuel Davies preaches about the prevalence of practical atheism in denying the agency of divine providence, exposing the consequences of settling on one's own understanding and ne |